Kirkpatrick Dana; O'Connor GregDANA KIRKPATRICK (National—East Coast): Thank you Mr Speaker. It is an honour and a privilege to rise and take a call on the second reading of the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill. May I first off please acknowledge the next significant step for the people of Ngāti Tara Tokanui for the tīpuna who have long hoped for redress and for all those who might be watching from home as we discuss and support the passing of this legislation that is aimed to finally bring some closure to the considerable and extraordinary acts of the past. The area that is covered by Ngāti Tara Tokanui covered a good section of the southern Coromandel and extended from Thames across to Whangamata south to Paeroa and Waihī including a large area of the northern Kaimai ranges. Negotiations with Ngāti Tara Tokanui began as other colleagues have said earlier this evening at Ngahutoitoi Marae in 2011 when iwi members formally gave the negotiators Amelia Williams and Russell Karu the mandate to negotiate a comprehensive historical Treaty settlement with the Crown on behalf of the iwi. An agreement in principle was reached in 2011 and a deed of settlement was initialled in 2017 and then signed here at Parliament in July last year. We acknowledge of course the work done by the negotiators the Ministers Chris Finlayson and Andrew Little Te Arawhiti and all of those who have in some way contributed to the finalisation of this bill.The deed also includes a Crown apology to Ngāti Tara Tokanui for its acts and omissions which breached its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and for the damage those actions caused to Ngāti Tara Tokanui. These include the promotion of laws and policies in Aotearoa New Zealand that led to the alienation of land caused environmental damage to the Waihou and Ohinemuri rivers eroded Ngāti Tara Tokanui tribal structures and dislocated them from their pā and their kāinga.When we read the accounts of the Crown's actions of the past it really does bring home the considerable mamae and ongoing angst that this iwi and hapū went through as they watched their livelihood and ability to sustain meaningful lives literally drain away before their eyes. We must always when speaking on these issues acknowledge the patience and the ongoing commitment that the people of these iwi have demonstrated as they've fought for their right to redress. I wasn't part of the Māori Affairs Committee that gathered the submissions on this piece of legislation in the past parliamentary term but I have read the submissions and the reports to ensure I could at least make some meaningful contribution to this debate and it is indeed hard to fathom the continued persecution the people of Ngāti Tara Tokanui experienced as they traversed the 19th and 20th centuries. As mentioned it all started in 1865 when the Crown confiscated 290000 acres of land in which Ngāti Tara Tokanui had an interest. From an ill-fated leasing arrangement of its land in the 1870s which subsequently removed any income from gold and mineral mining for the tribe to the next event which saw the Crown awarded 31700 acres of land following those leasing issues. In 1895 the Crown authorised the discharge of mine tailings including cyanide-treated waste into the Ohinemuri and Waihou rivers. Ngāti Tara Tokanui had used the rivers as water sources for washing and drinking and it's alleged the discharges of course caused illness and in some cases death. In the early 1900s came the development of the Hauraki drainage system designed to create farming land and prosperity but not for Ngāti Tara Tokanui. The Crown drained the land in the swamp and then to add insult to injury took the remaining land under the Public Works Act in between 1978 and 1995. That effectively saw the iwi landholdings diminished to a mere 232 acres. As part of this bill the Crown has made several acknowledgments about its failure to deal with the longstanding grievances of Ngāti Tara Tokanui in an appropriate way and that recognition of and provision of redress for these grievances is long overdue.In my early career I worked for a very fine establishment called the Hauraki Herald and as part of that there were many trips across the Hauraki rohe which included some of the significant sites of importance to this iwi. It is indeed a beautiful part of the world and I have this week reflected on how we must take time to understand the landscape the rivers and the potential that was lost for this iwi. The Karangahake Gorge is now a cycleway and a tourist route. The area is especially significant to Ngāti Tara Tokanui. It has been described as the manawa or heart of their rohe and I'm pleased their relationship with this area will be recognised by the redress through this bill. It would once have been a jewel in the crown of Ngāti Tara Tokanui and I'm hopeful that the iwi narrative of this part of the country will be well told going forward.This claim settlement bill will give effect to the package which includes financial redress of $6 million the vesting of seven sites of cultural significance and two sites jointly vested with neighbouring iwi Hako and Ngāti Tamaterā including Karangahake. The redress also includes relationship protocols with Crown agencies and various other aspects of it as well including an overlay classification or whenua rāhui which provides for the Crown to acknowledge iwi values in relation to Karangahake Scenic Reserve. We also note that Ngāti Tara Tokanui is a member of the Hauraki collective and will receive collective redress through the Pare Hauraki Collective Redress Deed. There is nothing that any of us can say that will make up for what happened in the 19th and 20th centuries. To these people the devastation of their whenua and their awa and the lack of understanding of an iwi's connection to the land and what it means will look beyond the physical and tangible nature of resources. This settlement serves as a vital step towards healing the deep wounds inflicted upon Ngāti Tara Tokanui. It's about recognising the mamae that has echoed through generations and it seeks to restore the mana motuhake that was compromised. This acknowledgment is not merely a formal gesture but a profound acceptance of historical truths that pave the way for genuine reconciliation. This settlement reinvigorates the rangatiratanga of Ngāti Tara Tokanui allowing them to chart a course towards a future defined by their aspirations. It's about more than compensation. It's a restoration of connection to their resources enabling them to decide how their land is nurtured and their people are sustained. Whilst after everything they've been through it seems simple to stand here and speak on a bill that by all accounts I've only just become acquainted with I genuinely want the people affected here both past and present to know that we hope the redress will go some way to providing hope clarity and aspiration for what they can now achieve with careful stewardship. Along with my colleagues I urge the people of Ngāti Tara Tokanui to embrace their future to see a way forward and to ensure that whatever they do post-settlement they set themselves up for future security and enduring sustainability so that they can share their stories in a meaningful way and the small amount of pūtea in this settlement can be the start of something great.There were a number of submissions that were sent in for this and only one speaker wanted to be heard but I think it's worth just thinking about a couple of those. The Thames-Coromandel District Council supported this bill and wanted the council to continue to develop an ongoing relationship with the iwi and the people of Hauraki through a multiplicity of formal and informal interactions. Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust—whom we just spoke about a couple of weeks ago in this House for their own Treaty settlement claims—submitted saying that they recognised the years of hard work including by the negotiators Amelia Williams and Russell Karu required to progress the settlement to this stage. But I think it's fitting to finish and conclude my speech tonight as we look towards a new future for Ngāti Tara Tokanui with the words of the former Mayor of Hauraki District the wonderful Basil Morrison. Greg Fleming: Yeah Basil. DANA KIRKPATRICK: Ha ha! In his words he said They have simply waited far too long to have their grievances heard and settled."As mentioned National is pleased to support this piece of legislation and I commend this bill to the House. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): This is a five-minute split call."