Paraone Pita: Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill — Third Reading 
Paraone Pita: Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:624;Page:19258] 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
:  
A tena koe Mr Speaker. A tena hoki tatou o te Whare nei. Tatou hoki ngamangai o nga iwi katoa o Aotearoa. Nga mihi hoki ki ngakaikawe o tenei kaupapa moNgati Awa nga uri o Toroa ara nga tuakana o tenei he uri o Puhi Moana Ariki. A kia ahatiatena engarinatatouno te waka o Mataatua. Na reira tena koutou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you Mr Speaker and greetings to those of us in this House as well. We are indeed the representatives of all the people of New Zealand. Greetings to those descendants of Toroa too who took this matter up for Ngati Awa namely the elder brothers of this relative of yours of Puhi Moana Ariki. Regardless how that is taken ultimately it belongs to us all of the Mataatua canoe. Greetings therefore to you. 
] 
On behalf of New Zealand First—and I repeat that it is the only non-aligned political party in this House—I rise to speak to the third reading of the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill. This bill will essentially confer a new status to the corporate body known as Te Runanga o Ngati Awa. It will firstly give effect to the agreements between the Crown and Ngati Awa concerning the reconstitution of the structure and operations of its runanga; secondly remove its status as a Maori trust board under the Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Act and the Maori Trust Boards Act; thirdly allow it to continue to assume governance responsibility for assets that currently belong to Ngati Awa; and finally allow it to receive hold and administer the Ngati Awa settlement redress for and on behalf of Ngati Awa. 
This bill is part of the journey that Ngati Awa has had to undertake in order to reach closure of its claims—a journey that started some 15 years ago when Ngati Awa started negotiations on this matter. In reality this journey started much earlier than that. It began in 1866 following the raupatu or confiscation of Ngati Awa lands. For Ngati Awa a particular milestone of this journey was reached in the 1980s with the establishment of the Ngati Awa Trust Board to progress issues on behalf of Ngati Awa. I think it is appropriate that I acknowledge those responsible for that particular milestone. I say in the presence of those of Ngati Awa who are here in the gallery and to those who undoubtedly will be listening to this debate: ko tenei e hiahiaana au ki te mihi ki ngakaumatua o auawaingaro atu ki te tirohanga kanohi ara ko: ErueraManuera Hare Reneti AhihetaRatene MatarenaReneti me era atu o auawa. No reira e karama e kuimakuangaro ki te ao wairua whakanga koutou i roto i te mohiotanganatenei kaupapa e tataanakuatau. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
I really want to pay a tribute to the elders back then who are no longer before us namely: ErueraManuera Hare Reneti AhihetaRatene MatarenaReneti and others. Therefore to you the elderly men and womenfolk who have departed to the spiritual world rest there in the knowledge that this matter is about to be settled. 
] 
This lengthy journey is clearly a commentary on the current process of negotiation of settlements. I acknowledge the Minister of Maori Affairs for the timely sponsorship of this bill which will help to facilitate the establishment of a corporate structure that meets the requirements of Ngati Awa in the governance of their assets and towards the ultimate settlement of their claim. 
It is important that this bill is passed today because another bill before the House affects Ngati Awa. I refer to the Ngati Awa Claims Settlement Bill which will finally see Ngati Awa complete the journey that they started in 1866. This bill requires enactment in order to give effect to the terms of the claims settlement bill. 
It ought to be noted that New Zealand First supports the timely settlement of claims and thinks that the settlements should be fair and durable. That should not be compromised for the sake of bureaucratic expediency. We believe this bill to be especially fair and durable particularly in view of the absence of any reference to the words: “the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi”. Currently those words can be found in almost 30 pieces of legislation but they lack any definition in that legislation. Sadly this Government has failed to give definition to those words. Their absence from this bill is evidence that this Government clearly recognises that their inclusion is not required or even necessary to provide fairness and durability to Maori and the Crown. If those words had been included New Zealand First would certainly have opposed the passage of this bill. They are not included therefore on behalf of New Zealand First I tender our support for this Te Runanga o Ngati Awa Bill in the knowledge that it will help to provide for the settlement of the claim made by Ngati Awa to the Waitangi Tribunal. 
No reira koutou ma o Ngati Awa kei te tata atu iho te puawaitanga o te kakanoihakato o ratouma o era o ngarautau te kakano hoki na koutou iwhangai hei orangamoNgati Awa. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
And so to you of Ngati Awa the seed that they of a hundred years ago planted is about to bear fruit. You have nurtured it too as sustenance for Ngati Awa 
.] 
I just conclude by saying that reference was made by previous speakers to the whakatauaki adopted by Ngati Awa in terms of birds taking flight. This bill does not actually give flight to the bird but it allows the bird to take those first steps. No reira e tatouma kore kumearoaeneituengarituaketenei ki te tautoko te kaupapa iwaenganuii a tatou. Na reira tena koutou kia ora mai anotatou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
And so to us here I will not prolong my address that supports the matter here in our midst. And so I greet you and wish us all good health. 
]