Finlayson Christopher: Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū Claims Settlement Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 09 April 2014. Volume:697;Page:17137. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations):I too acknowledge the people of Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū and the long road that they have taken to reach this day. I welcome those who have travelled from the Hawke’s Bay to be here to listen to this the third reading of their bill the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū Claims Settlement Bill. To those of you who have worked so tirelessly to make today possible I offer you my sincere thanks. It is wonderful to have this day arrive. It has been more than 20 years since Fred Reti Bevan Taylor Heitia Hiha and others brought their raupatu claim to the Waitangi Tribunal and those three individuals have been involved in the negotiations to this day.I acknowledge the many kuia and kaumātua who are no longer with us including Rere Puna and Arona Rangitere Taurima who provided leadership wisdom and inspiration to the negotiators and to the hapū in their long journey for justice. I think the negotiators and the komiti for Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū have done their people proud. They left no stone unturned and no aspiration untold. Their determination to achieve the best for the hapū has I think led to a robust settlement package. It is a package that clearly reflects the four aka or vines—the intertwined aspirations of the hapū—which I believe will continue to grow upwards long after settlement date.This bill settles the historic Treaty grievances of the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū. In this bill the Crown formally acknowledges its breaches of the Treaty offers an apology and provides cultural financial and commercial redress. I think it would be good if many many New Zealanders looked at the history of this hapū. The claims relate primarily to war raupatu and Crown land - purchasing methods that left the hapū virtually landless by 1930. The Crown purchased large areas of land from the hapū in the 1850s and 1860s without ensuring that the hapū would always retain adequate reserves. In October 1866 the Crown’s military forces unjustly attacked Māori at Ōmarunui and Pētane and began to treat the hapū as rebels. Some individuals were detained without trial for nearly 2 years on the Chatham Islands and after they escaped became embroiled in a war with the Crown during which Crown forces summarily executed some prisoners at Ngātapa in 1869.The Crown confiscated hapū land at Tāngoio North and awarded their land at Kaiwaka to one of its Māori allies who was not a member of the hapū. This led to the hapū beginning litigation which proved fruitless and led to huge costs for the hapū which were borne for generations. The Crown’s confiscation process led to the extinguishment of the hapū’s customary titles to nearly all of their remaining land. The Crown did agree in 1870 to grant this remaining land to individual members of the hapū and also agreed that this land would be inalienable. However between 1911 and 1930 the Crown unfairly and oppressively purchased nearly all of this land and left the hapū virtually landless.Since the 1880s deforestation and the development of pastoral farming have significantly increased erosion and pollution in the takiwā. For example the health of Lake Tūtira has dramatically deteriorated and the hapū have lost significant fisheries here and along the coastline. Over the years many hapū family lines died out due to infectious diseases and diseases of poverty such as typhoid and tuberculosis. Although living conditions and Crown health services have improved since 1945 there continues to be a substantial disparity between the health of hapū members and other New Zealanders.The Crown failed to actively protect the hapū from the degradations of war the alienation of their land and the effects of native land laws. The hapū were not able to retain their land maintain it economically or prevent its deterioration. As with all Treaty settlements it is not possible to provide full reparation for the losses that have been suffered. By entering into a full and final settlement the people of this hapū have agreed to forgo full compensation thereby contributing to the future development of New Zealand. I place on record on behalf of the Crown our acknowledgment of that and our thanks for this act of generosity.As so often happens in a third reading there are so many people who deserve to be acknowledged—those who have contributed to this settlement over the years. I want to acknowledge my ministerial colleagues—in particular the Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister of Conservation. The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council and the Hastings District Council deserve recognition because they really have been very helpful and very willing to engage with officials and the hapū. That has been central to a number of elements of the redress. I acknowledge the Māori Affairs Committee and my good friend Tau Henare. Now is not the time for a valedictory address in the direction of Mr Henare but he has been a fantastic chair of the Māori Affairs Committee over many years and he is going to be missed.I want to acknowledge the valuable support and contribution made by the work of many Government officials and departments who have contributed to this settlement. I also acknowledge those who have worked with Maungaharuru-Tangitū and I particularly want to mention their advisers. I see Professor Richard Boast up there in the gallery. He is this country’s pre-eminent legal and Treaty historian. His analysis of the history of this hapū needs to be read. It is devastating. I love the story of how he became involved when a bright young law student called Tānia Hopmans approached his office in the law faculty of Victoria University and asked him a couple of questions. The rest as they say is history. I thank him for the work that he does not only for this hapū but for other settling groups around the country as well. I also acknowledge his wife Deborah Edmunds and the team at Kensington Swan who have done very good work in this area over many years.Most important I acknowledge the tireless work of the Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū and in particular their negotiators Tānia Hopmans and Bevan Taylor. They are two of the nicest and most professional negotiators with whom I have worked in this area and so nice that I was so willing to concede on so many points. I know that you have had a huge load to carry and it has not been just your sacrifice. I am very grateful to your families for supporting you to fight hard for your hapū and to get your settlement to this point.To the members of the komiti of Maungaharuru-Tangitū Incorporated and to the trust thank you for supporting your negotiators and making some extremely difficult decisions at critical points. The dedication and determination of the hapū have been vital on the path towards settlement and I commend you for your commitment to negotiating a settlement with the utmost good faith and with tenacity and it does take courage. This settlement is the basis of a new relationship between the people of Maungaharuru-Tangitū Hapū and the Crown based on trust cooperation and respect and it will succeed if the Crown regardless of administration honours its commitments to this hapū not just tomorrow not just in 10 years or 25 years or 50 years but for ever. That is why it is so important to ensure that the Crown lives up to its commitments and that is why we have established the Post Settlement Commitments Unit.Once again thank you to those who have travelled here this morning. I commend this bill to the House.