Mahuta NanaiaHon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for Māori Development): Tongariro maunga Taupō moana Tūwharetoa tangata e te ariki Tumu tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou me te pātaka kōrero e poupoungia kei runga i a Pūkawa hei paihere ā tātau waka ā tātau nei iwi hinganga ki uta hinganga ki tai ka tū te mana nā koutou i haria mai tērā kei waenganui i a tātau i tēnei wā. Tēnā katoa.[Tongariro mountain Lake Taupō Tūwharetoa people to the paramount chief Tumu I greet you and acknowledge the wealth of history embedded at Pūkawa that binds our canoes our tribes and dead from the sea to the inland. Your attendance has manifested that authority here. Greetings to you all.]I want to make a few contributions in light of the first reading of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill. I was at Waitetoko and witnessed the signing and underpinning that signing was a very long journey as has been mentioned by previous speakers.The Treaty settlement process by and large isn't designed to keep unity because the process in itself is a very difficult one to navigate. But I acknowledge the fact that in navigating this process and getting to this point there has been a lot of insight gained a lot of leadership having to be committed to an enduring solution and also a vision towards what the future could look like as a result of signing this particular agreement.I want to make a couple of comments on some contributions that have been made and in light of the huge contribution that Ngāti Tūwharetoa has gifted to this nation as a beacon I think of how this country may shape its identity. Many know the history of the gifting of Tongariro and gifting in the context that has been referred to in the House somewhat misses the point in my view because in the spirit of generosity which certainly the tūpuna in Ngāti Tūwharetoa demonstrated by gifting the maunga it was in a sense a way of acknowledging that there is a higher purpose in power there in terms of our taonga our maunga and that the generosity of spirit is always followed by reciprocity and an enduring commitment to a way of acknowledging each other's respect and mana for things like the protection of maunga.We've seen that thinking come through over time not only in relation to Tongariro but also in relation to Taupō Moana. And I think in today's context that is reflected in the co-management approach that is embedded within the settlement agreement that we are talking about today but also in the way that Tūwharetoa has demonstrated in its other domains how it seeks to assert a sense of responsibility and commitment to a place that they will never leave.So I want to make comment on that because often we think about gifting as once you give it it's gone. But actually that's not the case in this sense. Once you give something it's a magnanimous act to say We have a shared responsibility and it's an enduring one." No matter if people come and go that intergenerational knowledge and understanding of the purpose of that type of gift has an enduring responsibility which in the New Zealand context the Crown and Ngāti Tūwharetoa will commit to for ever and ever and ever and ever.The second thing I wanted to comment on is that one of the difficult aspects of the Treaty settlement process which we might not tend to appreciate is actually holding a mandate throughout a very difficult time. We can often kind of giggle about it but only in reflection but when you're going through the process of holding a mandate and gaining confidence and keeping people engaged in the process you cannot underestimate the toll it takes on the negotiators—and I want to recognise them—but more importantly the leadership Tā Tumu that you demonstrated by ensuring that this type of settlement kept faith with what the people wanted. And ultimately when you look at clause 13 and the outlining of the names of the hapū that are represented there the people essentially wanted to ensure that their distinct and independent identity within the context of Ngāti Tūwharetoa could still be preserved and retained in a way that might ensure that future generations have a very solid way of connecting not only back to their marae and their hapū but to this bigger sense of self which is Ngāti Tūwharetoa. It's not an easy task.I look to the other aspects of this settlement and the Wai claims that are outlined many of which I'm sure my colleague Louisa will comment on. Again there is a lot of vested interest in the way that people have held on to their Wai claims and wanted to ensure not only on their behalf as their family but really their tūpuna in the historical context from which those Wai claims emerged that they can hold on to that sense of integrity around what their tūpuna were trying to ensure would not be lost to the next generation or the next generation. We all know it takes only one generation to lose something and it takes almost seven to regain it back. That is why holding a mandate and getting to this point is such a significant moment.But we shouldn't stop there because this settlement demonstrates that there is a commitment to co-management and working within the rohe for the benefit of the iwi aspiration in ways that I think again provide a leading light and an example to other iwi.Tūwharetoa's no stranger to making things happen. So while a lot has been outlined in terms of the historical context for the claim we have already seen in terms of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board and the settlement trust the way in which it's involved in both forestry and fisheries management. There is huge opportunity in the future to consolidate that effort and that as Mr Finlayson has referred to is something for the iwi to respond to.Common sense will tell you that while organisationally that can happen it requires leadership still and that's no easy task. And I really look forward to the insights and the reflections through this process and what it might lead you to in years to come.The select committee process will raise a number of opportunities for people to bring their submissions and maybe contest aspects of the agreement. It's a really hard position for the select committee to be in because almost undoubtedly it's very difficult to change an agreement once it has been signed. But people should feel that the public nature of that process again gives an opportunity for voices to be heard and for the spirits of tūpuna to come to this place so that they are held in trust and then hopefully that there is a way of easing the path forward as the settlement progresses.The last thing I want to point to is the cultural redress components because we know as a place Taupō is a huge tourist destination for a number of people. The health of the lake is critically important and the fact that a number of the scenic reserves around the lake are coming back to the iwi will I think provide a good model for the council in terms of how they might better manage the influx of tourism numbers the care of the reserves and also more importantly the impact of that on the lake.Now why would I say this? Of course we hold Taupō at the cornerstone of what we would hope for the Waikato River. Ha ha! So you would have no problem from iwi further down the river holding up aspirations to ensure that at its source Taupō can continue to have the level of water clarity that provides hope and inspiration to us all as we all want to clean up and improve the quality of our water.Our ancestors say often pūrea nei e ngā hau o Tāwhirimatea [cleanse yourself in the winds of Tāwhirimātea] but they also say haere ki ngā wai tukukiri a ngā mātua tupuna [go to the cleansing waters of your people to be healed in spirit] and that is what Tūwharetoa and Taupō Moana represents certainly for my people—"Go to the cleansing waters of your people to be healed in spirit."And I hope that as this process continues and the insights are gained the people of Tūwharetoa make this settlement and your consolidated opportunities all that they can be and should be but must be for the mokopuna of the next generation. Nō reira kia koutou katoa tēnā tātou."