Allan KiritapuKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour): Tēnā koe Madam Deputy Speaker. Tuatahi ka huri ahau ki ngā uri mai i ngā hapū o Ngāti Porou mai i Te Maunga o Hikurangi mai i Te Awa o Waiapū; anei te mihi maioha ki a koutou.[Firstly I turn to the descendants from the subtribes of Ngāti Porou from Hikurangi mountain from the Waiapū River; I extend warm greetings to you all.]I too want to join in the acknowledgments to those that have travelled from Ngāti Porou this afternoon to join us: Herewini Parata for his leadership and stewardship through the course of this bill but also for the peoples of Ngāti Porou; Ani Pāhuru-Huriwai the kaimahi o ngā kaimahi o Onepoto [the best worker of all from Onepoto]; Te Rau Kupenga a healthy servant for the peoples of Ruatoria and the son of Hikurangi; and Karli Rickard e te tuahine ka nui te mihi [I salute you].Fourteen years ago I think I was outside this wee House protesting at the then Government for extinguishing the rights of whānau hapū and iwi to access the courts to a little piece of land known as the seabed and the foreshore—14 years ago. I want to acknowledge those from Ngāti Porou under the then leadership of Api Mahuika but also that extensive kāhui around him. They had people out on the forecourt but they also at that time were in the rooms negotiating what is to become the most unique and only agreement of this type which we see 14 years later come into fruition. So it's right to acknowledge the role that Api Mahuika played in his leadership vision and aspiration for the people of Ngāti Porou to see this piece of legislation come in hopefully very soon in the new year.Too I want to acknowledge all of those kaimahi that are out there meeting with the many members of those many hapū of Ngāti Porou and there will be many. But there are some that I got to intimately see through the trials and tribulations of working with the whānau from those various hapū and in particular the work of Matanuku Mahuika Api's son Nathan Milner and Tira Johnson. I had the privilege to work alongside them for many years but watched them go through relatively formative stages of this piece of legislation when they were going through the consultation. So I just wanted to pay a couple of moments' homage to them for the work that they did in the background.There were some remarks canvassed by the Hon Chris Finlayson earlier this afternoon and I want to thank him for his contribution. I know many of us on this side—well actually it sounds like across both sides—of the House have had many submissions from those concerned fisher-peoples that hold existing fishing rights up throughout the East Coast. Mark Edwards and Gordon Halley from Tairawhiti Rock Lobster Industry Association in particular I know have been making persuasive submissions to various members across this House. I really want to again pay homage to the remarks and analysis provided in this House this afternoon from the former Attorney-General and Minister for Treaty settlements the Hon Chris Finlayson who really addressed some of the key concerns that clause 13 had caused for some of those that have existing fishing rights throughout the East Cape.So I'm not going to labour and go through blow-by-blow because I think it was the Rt Hon David Carter previously who just said the Hon Chris Finlayson has already been acknowledged apparently as the smartest man in this Chamber and it will be a sad day when we see him leave which unfortunately is pretty soon. He has articulately addressed in my view those concerns that were raised by those folk in the Tairawhiti Rock Lobster Industry Association with regards to the current fishing rights that they hold and I hope that they take some confidence from the analysis that he's given particularly with regards to the nature and extent of the wāhi tapu and the other matters that they addressed this afternoon.It's been canvassed extensively in this House this afternoon and I don't need to labour the point but 47 hapū of 57 is no mean feat. I know that there's been various analyses given across this House this afternoon as to whether or not that meets the threshold for what should and shouldn't get over the line but I just want to acknowledge that you know to have that degree of—well actually for those that chose not to opt in at that time kei te pai tērā. They can make applications under the marine and coastal area Act and if they've got their submissions in it's not actually the end of the road. They can go down that path. But they can opt in later on. I want to acknowledge that it was a monumental mammoth effort by those that have shown leadership within this settlement to get those hapū—47 of them—over the line in agreement with regards to this entire settlement. I don't want to undercut the significance of the work that has been done but also too acknowledge that for some of those other hapū that chose not to step in there are multiple avenues for them to pursue their own arrangements.I don't want to take up too much of this House's time. I do just again want to extend my regards and my thanks actually to those that are the leaders of Ngāti Porou for the stewardship that you show for our communities up in the East Coast. Anei te mihi tēnā koe.