Foster Andy; O'Connor GregANDY FOSTER (NZ First): Mr Speaker thank you. I rise to speak to the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill and it is very good to see this claims settlement legislation being advanced. We've seen a number of claims settlement bills advanced this year and it's good to see that because it helps us to move through the process of setting right some of the wrongs which have been done in the past and being able to move forward together as a united nation. We heard the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations say that this process has been going on—well I guess from the perspective of the iwi this process has been going on for 180-odd years. But in terms of the actual response to the legislation or to getting a settlement process under way it's been a good 25 years and 13 years since the negotiations began. Like others I want to acknowledge all the iwi members who have been part of this who are sadly no longer with us because these things do take a long time and it means that for some of the people who start out leading these processes at the beginning—and I know. I'm aware of some of those processes in the Wellington region. The people who started these processes are sadly no longer with us at the end of these processes so I salute all of those members of the iwi—the tīpuna who are no longer with us.I also like others want to acknowledge the negotiators and the officials who've been involved in this process because I know that a lot of work goes into it. It's actually been really really interesting to just listen to some of the history that we've been hearing today because that history is rich. It's sad it's challenging but it is history none the less and it is good to have that history brought to our attention. Also while we don't have members of the iwi here with us in person I hope that some are watching tonight and I do hope—Hon Scott Simpson: They'll be watching.ANDY FOSTER: They'll be watching. I do hope that as we have seen in the past when we get to that final reading the galleries are indeed full and there is a sense of celebration.Ngāti Tara Tokanui is a small iwi we hear of less than a thousand members but that doesn't mean it is not important and I'd just like to point out that we are also a small nation but that doesn't mean that we don't think that we're important. We are the centre of our own universe and for Ngāti Tara Tokanui that is the centre of their own universe as well. So it is a really important piece of legislation.We know that there are three parts of the Treaty and when you look at those three parts you can see the way in which those three parts were breached. Establishing British Government and laws and protections—those protections clearly were breached. The agreement to the rights of undisturbed possession of lands forests and fisheries—well quite clearly the confiscation of most of the iwi's land was a breach of the Treaty. Thirdly the rights of equal citizenship—well I didn't see the Crown in those days doing the same to British or other settlers as they did to the iwi.So this bill is clear that the Crown—the Government—breached these obligations of protection and these obligations of the right to undisturbed possession of lands forests and fisheries. We've heard from the ACT Party how important property rights are and I just would say to the whole House that sometimes the greatest protections we actually need are not from foreign powers or anyone else; they are from our own Government. We do not have many checks and balances in our system and it's something that we should be giving a lot of attention to so that we have protections and balances against all of us and the decisions that we might make going forward. The bill tells the history and the apology is a really really important part of this bill going forward. It provides for the return of some land under cultural redress—we've seen nine specific sites—and it also provides for some financial redress. It's only $6 million but again it's a small iwi and it's a small compensation for the wrong that was done. It also provides for the recognition of some important associations with some important places.It also provides for some ongoing relationships going forward. So it's not only looking backwards and providing compensation but also saying looking forward that there is an important ongoing relationship with the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. It was good to hear that very sad story that Steve Abel has just been telling about the destruction of the natural environment that was here long before human beings even existed—millions and millions and millions of years before the destruction that was done. In fact—Carl Bates: It was good to hear it. ANDY FOSTER: Well it was good to hear it but it was also bad to hear it—but we know that. Since human beings have arrived in this land it has been a disaster for the natural environment and our responsibility is to try and turn that around and make it better rather than worse. If we can make it better than we found it then we've done something that is worthwhile doing.Just to finish off with these settlements are really really important for all of us to help us move forward together as a united people—a united people in all our rich diversity. I'm just going to finish off by saying some of the principles that New Zealand First holds which I think are relevant to this. First of all we're standing behind those principles of fairness of justice and of upholding the Treaty of Waitangi. We also know that we need to right the wrongs of the past and we need to ensure that all New Zealanders regardless of their ethnicity are treated equitably under the law—and clearly that didn't happen in this case in the past. Our party also stands for being committed to fostering strong relationships based on mutual respect and on understanding between the Crown and Māori. These things are essential as we go forward.So why do we support the bill? It is about restorative justice and that is a really really important principle. It is about honouring the Treaty. It is about fostering trust and cooperation and building a more inclusive society. In conclusion New Zealand First strongly supports this bill. Again we thank all the people who have put so much effort and so much mana into this and we look forward to it progressing through the committee stage and then to a final reading. Then truly the iwi can celebrate the return of their mana and the return of these significant cultural areas of land and some small financial compensation. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): This is a five-minute split call.