Jones Shane: Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) — Second Reading 
Jones Shane: Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) — Second Reading 
[Volume:646;Page:15682] 
Hon SHANE JONES (Minister for Building and Construction) 
: 
 Kia ora ano tatou. First in our Maori language: me tautoko ahau i te poroporoaki puakina ai e Hone Harawira i tenei po mo te kaumatua mai Manu Ariki me te kaipuoro a Mahinarangi Toka a ka ngaro. Me mihi noki ahau ki tera tangata i roto i toku rohe i mate i te hikohiko i runga i tana hoiho hoki i takuira i te ahiahi nei. Engari kati enei korero ki to tatou reo Maori. Tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
[ 
Greetings once again to us. I must endorse the opening farewell tribute by Hone Harawira tonight in respect of the elder from Manu Ariki and singer Mahinarangi Tocker now lost from us. I pay a tribute to that gentleman from my area as well who died when he was struck down by lightning on his horse this afternoon. But enough in this Maori language of ours. Greetings to you and to us all. 
] 
As I have said in Maori I too acknowledge the passing of Alec Phillips mainly associated with the Manu Ariki and also of Mahinarangi Tocker the great singer whose ability was embraced and whose sounds were enjoyed not only by te iwi Maori but by all of Aotearoa. Of course she sported that great name Mahinarangi which is also the name of the famous whare at Turangawaewae. 
But having dispensed with those important ceremonial acknowledgments I now turn to remind Aotearoa that it has just heard from Tau Henare the former Minister of Maori Affairs the former member for Te Tai Tokerau who now belongs to a party that is busily preparing to disestablish the Maori seats. I have no doubt that a Maori Purposes bill of the future will include a significant provision that we will regard as a poroporoaki—a haere ra a “Now is the Hour”—a goodbye to the Maori seats. So it is important that all Hone Harawira’s relations remind him when he and his colleagues gabble and contemplate a dalliance with the other side of the House that they are courting a fatal outcome. 
I turn to schedule 2 because in a number of these settlements credit has to be given to Mr Bolger and the leaders of the National Party before it fell into disrepair. A number of those settlements are referred to in the schedule not the least of which is that of Kai Tahu or Ngai Tahu Whanui—the Waikato Raupatu claims. Schedule 2 lists them with the purpose of ensuring that the Waitangi Tribunal is unable to enjoy any jurisdiction inquiring into the fate of Crown forest lands or any other Crown lands that lie within that rohe because those claims have been full and finally settled. Those claims are soon to be joined by a wide range of other land claims throughout Aotearoa not the least of which concerns that area we know as the volcanic plateau which has been busily cultivated by Dr Cullen and his able associates. There will be a great deal of joy and choruses of great excitement and happiness and the relevance of the Maori Party will be reduced as there will be very few grievances of a historical nature left for that party to trade off. Of course we have Te Whanau-a-Apanui and we have Ngati Porou with a successful takutai moana settlement. Unfortunately Tariana Turia in a flight of fancy insulted the leadership of that proud tribe under the shadow of Hikurangi mountain and is quietly going up there in the dead of night to apologise to Koro Dewes and Apirana Mahuika—but more about that on Radio Waatea. 
I shall now turn to that other proud iwi Maniapoto and although they live in a rather far-flung place of Aotearoa in the Kawhia Raglan and Aotea areas they are a proud iwi and their support is solidly with us reflected by their undying commitment to return Nanaia Mahuta at the end of this year and to endorse her ongoing good work. In relation to all trust boards from time to time constant refinement is the order of the day as the former Minister Tau Henare knows on the odd occasion when he is not fishing and has time to direct his attention towards the state of our trust boards. I congratulate Parekura Horomia on ensuring that in Te Hauauru—Te Hau-a-uru—he was able to find such a high level of specificity that was not accurately recorded—for example how to spell “Hauauru” accurately. That reflects the scholarly nature of the man’s contribution—coming all the way from Te Tai Rawhiti and able to solve some problems over there in Maniapoto. Of course Maniapoto have corrected through this bill a reference to Te Mauri o Maniapoto which quite frankly was an affectation. Te Kaumatua Kaunihera o Maniapoto the oldest council is a far better reflection of what their real role is and the mauri and other such customary concepts can be left for the marae. 
Maniapoto have also corrected other things not the least of which concerns Kakepuku. I am glad to see our people from Tuwharetoa here tonight because Tuwharetoa actually know that the name “Kakepuku” was used by Puhiwahine in her famous waiata “Ka Eke ki Wairaka”: kia rere aorangi te tihi ki Pirongia ki Kakepuku. 
[ 
Soaring heavenwards to the peak of Pirongia to Kakepuku. 
] 
That is a highly noteworthy place and also a source of great Labour Party support. There are a few lost souls I must confess who from time to time are reduced to listening to Hone Harawira when he moves out of the north and wanders around unwanted in Tainui. But they are few in number and they are generally pursued by the RSPCA because their pets have been locked up. 
However it is important that we reflect the fact that this bill also tidies up the concept of a franchise. We encourage our rangatahi to participate in rununga elections. We do not encourage them to listen to a single word from Dr Pita Sharples. Today that member stood up and had to give an account as to why he is indulging endorsing tolerating and acquiescing with the constant wrongdoing of gangs. He stood up and tried to— 
Hon Tau Henare 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know this debate could be seen to be wide ranging but nothing that the Minister has said in the last 2 or 3 minutes has anything to do with the Maori Purposes Bill (No 2) and to use a speech specifically on a Maori Purposes bill to attack another member about something that member said in the House earlier today is outrageous. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Thank you Mr Henare. I have been listening to the debate and that has happened on both sides. But I ask the member to come back to the bill. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Point of order— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I have dealt with the issue Mr Cosgrove. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just want to draw to your attention that what Mr Henare says is true. This is a wide-ranging debate and he spent at least 5 minutes of his speech ranging wide of the mark—all over the show. My colleague Shane Jones was referring to Dr Pita Sharples who I am advised is the deputy chair of the said select committee. So I think Mr Henare is wide of the mark. I think Mr Jones is being exceptionally relevant but Mr Henare in his speech sort of roved around the paddock quite widely. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Points of order should be terse and to the point. I ask Mr Jones to continue. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: Kia ora Mr Assistant Speaker. I too would acknowledge that if Mr Henare was not roving he was a rogue. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No— 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: Coming back to the necessary changes that the bill reflects I say that obviously the Tuwharetoa settlement of its lake is further improved. That was a historic settlement because it has a proud heritage going back to that illustrious time when te Heuheu with great vision and possibly under some duress parted with the title of those famous mountains in the centre of the Ika a Maui. However in the 1990s Sir Hepi te Heuheu was able to shepherd forward a settlement related to the bed of the lake etc. It is a pleasure to be able to support this bill—partisanship aside—in that it makes a further refinement and contribution to the affairs and the administrative capacity of that iwi because iwi Maori—Maori tribes—should keep out of partisan politics. They should be able to rely upon the members predominantly Maori or Pakeha from either side of the House. When a wrongdoing or a historical grievance is recognised tribes should be able to rely upon us as parliamentarians to progress their issues. That is why it is very sad that our friends from the Maori Party have opposed every Treaty settlement that Parekura Horomia Dr Cullen Mr Burton and Margaret Wilson have advised. However more will be said about that at the ballot box in November and there will be a thunderous response at that point. 
In relation to the age corrections I would remind the House— 
Hone Harawira 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Just as a matter of clarification the Maori Party has not opposed any of the Treaty settlements. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No that is a frivolous interjection and the member knows it. 
Hon SHANE JONES 
: Thank you very much Mr Assistant Speaker; your wisdom is in inverse proportion to your youthful disposition. 
Let me round up here. I have pointed out that the jurisdiction of the Waitangi Tribunal will be curbed so that we do not awaken unnecessary problems in those areas where there have been settlements. I have identified the very useful contribution the Minister has made to the affairs of both Maniapoto and Tuwharetoa—two very proud tribes of Te Ao Maori—and also pointed out that from time to time there are problems in terms of overlapping legislation. The fisheries legislation contained an anomaly—the difference between 18 and 20 years. I think it is very important that our 18-year-olds have the opportunity to vote in their runanga and not wait until they are 20-year-olds because 18-year-olds need practice before they send Hone and his team home crying. Kia ora tatou katoa.