Luxton CameronCAMERON LUXTON (ACT): Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of the ACT Party to speak on the second reading of the Whakatōhea Claims Settlement Bill. I was not on the Māori Affairs Committee that did this wonderful visit to Ōpōtiki and surrounding rohe to see the great strides that Whakatōhea and the people of your community have been making to bring yourselves to a place you would like to be.But I am someone who has spent his entire life in Te Moana-a-Toi and I have heard stories for a long time about what happened down in Ōpōtiki in the hills behind. All these stories came in pieces and I heard many of them over my life. But it wasn't until—and I think this is part of the benefit of the settlement process. It wasn't until reading through the bill and having all those stories I'd heard repeated in order and in a way that really laid out what the Tīpuna and the people of Whakatōhea alive today have gone throughWhakatōhea rangatira signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi. They were embracing a new technological age building infrastructure and developing organisations to take advantage of what was becoming a very very fast-changing economic and social world.Whakatōhea fought against the Crown. In Tauranga Moana where I'm based there was a defeat there and rangatira who I would like to name—Te Āporotanga Apanui Tūtakahiao Mikaere Pihipihi—were killed. This left Whakatōhea with a considerable loss in their leadership and there were travesties in those deaths. The Crown held Te Āporotanga a captive and failed to keep him safe and breached Te Tiriti by his death in custody. The Crown forces subsequently went and invaded the Ōpōtiki area following what was Pai Mārire disturbances in the Bay of Plenty but these led to disagreements which eventuated with Carl Völkner—a name that people only know because of rocks behind Whakaari but is actually an important part of the history of the Bay of Plenty.This moment was used as a start of an invasion which led to Whakatōhea being held responsible despite members like Mokomoko speaking up on behalf of Völkner and saying that this should not happen. The Crown took Mokomoko and it must be said the whole story is heartbreaking. He maintained his innocence but he was put to death and it took over 100 years for his family to get back his remains. The Governor-General granted Mokomoko a free pardon in 1992 but it didn't help as much as it should have if the descendants had had a part in working that through.Whakatōhea was devastated by looting and plundering which took place as the Crown troops invaded destroying crops animals houses equipment and taonga. The attack at Ōpōtiki in September 1865 led to a loss of life and destruction of property. Pākōwhai settlement was bombarded by a Crown warship and at least 35 bodies were left desecrated and afterwards buried by the Crown forces in a mass grave. The Crown now acknowledges that they used scorched-earth tactics to remove the people of Whakatōhea from their developments they had made on the land. Their once thriving economy was left devastated. Crops were destroyed horses and livestock killed houses and ships burnt and the destruction of a truly inspirational piece of important infrastructure the Ngāti Ira flour mill.The Crown went way beyond what was necessary or appropriate—to understate the matter. We acknowledge the reckless disregard the Crown had for Whakatōhea. So much was taken. The Crown confiscated productive land and established the Ōpape ative eserve causing the displacement and subsequent loss of connection and economic stability for the iwi and the future of Whakatōhea.We are trying to put things right as best we can and there is a thriving cultural and commercial opportunity in Ōpōtiki and the wider rohe. This bill returns cultural sites of importance and I grant that it's not enough but with your goodwill I hope we can move forward to a brighter and better community together where I can come down and fish around the mussel farms maybe launch my boat and go out through the cut. That would be nice.Rawiri Waititi: A thousand bucks.CAMERON LUXTON: Well jeez! Let's not start that up.Look we need to acknowledge what has happened and move forward together. But I grant that it may never seem enough to anybody. But ACT supports this step and I thank you for coming and listening to my speech. Thank you.