Gudgeon Bill: Ngati Tama Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Gudgeon Bill: Ngati Tama Claims Settlement Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:613;Page:10174] 
BILL GUDGEON (NZ First) 
: 
I would like to bring to the notice of this House New Zealand First’s wholehearted support for the Ngati Tama Claims Settlement Bill. This inquiry has come about only because of the enactment of the Treaty of Waitangi Act of 1975. Issues going back to the 1800s had to come to the fore whereby there were complaints mainly about land that was confiscated during that period. In the Crown’s response to the Taranaki claims it acknowledged to the Waitangi Tribunal that the confiscation of land in Taranaki was an injustice and was in breach of the Treaty of Waitangi that the confiscation had a severe impact on the economy and development of Taranaki iwi and that the delays contributed to the adverse effect of the confiscation.  
I am reminded that at that time the New Zealand Settlements Act of 1863 was enacted and provided for the confiscation by the Crown of Maori land belonging to those it judged to be guilty of an act of rebellion. I suppose if I had been living at that time I would have been asking myself as an owner of that land what was meant by an act of rebellion. No land was sold they walked over their land they nurtured their land and then next minute the New Zealand Settlements Act was put into place. Of course the people of Parihaka at the time did not raise an arm yet still the land was confiscated.  
Hon Mahara Okeroa 
: Who? 
BILL GUDGEON 
: The people of Parihaka. A compensation court was set up in 1863 to compensate some of those whose land was confiscated by the Crown. Those people considered to be rebels were not compensated and of the 74000 acres confiscated only 3450 acres were awarded to individuals. It has been a long long time for this legislation to come about and I am reminded of kinsfolk of my own Mokena Kohere translated as the “gatherer of lands” and Sir Apirana Ngata’s grandfather when the Hauhau movement was moving around the East Coast and they had to deal with it in their own way. What happened is that the Crown tried to use that as an excuse to confiscate the land. Mokena Kohere and Ropata Wahawaha in unmeasured terms told the Crown to keep its nose out of it—it was an internal settlement that had to be settled. Otherwise what would have happened? They probably would have been in the same situation as Ngati Tama have been in the past few years.  
So New Zealand First accepts without any doubt the research that has taken place. Unfortunately there will never be compensation for everything that was taken but at least the Government and the Crown have endeavoured to please and satisfy the people of this nation.  
When I look at the title “Ngati Tama” I ask myself why that has come about. “Ngati” means “people” of Tama or “descendants” of Tama. It has been a long road for them and different committees have been set up to be heard. Today the majority of this House has accepted the claim and supports Ngati Tama. But one challenge I have and I mentioned it yesterday concerns the mandating process. Too many discrepancies have arisen because of this and that and different people making claims to this and that. It has caused confusion and even contention amongst the people of Ngati Tama.