Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:648;Page:16914] 
Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill 
First Reading 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 I move  
That the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Maori Affairs Committee. I do not intend to move any special instructions to that committee; I rely upon its good sense and cooperation in trying to return the bill as quickly as possible taking account of all the submissions that may be made. 
It is traditional at this point to acknowledge and recognise the longstanding historical grievances of the settling group to outline their claims and to express a hope that the settlement legislation will allow the claimants and the Crown to start afresh. This settlement and this bill are somewhat different from most we have seen before. Unlike other claims settlement bills the bill does not provide for an apology or seek to settle all the historical claims of the relevant iwi. 
This settlement addresses only claims as far as licensed Crown forest land is concerned and leaves until the future negotiations over four redress packages for each of the iwi in the collective. This is not to say that the settlement pays no heed to the grievances of the past. The Crown has recognised that the iwi of the central North Island have well-founded historical grievances and that the Crown has a duty to settle those grievances with redress. Although the central North Island iwi share interests in the Crown forest land they have different experiences and different historical relationships with the Crown. It is complex enough to resolve the interwoven claims of the forest land; negotiating collectively seven separate historical accounts would be well nigh impossible. 
Yesterday saw the first reading of Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa legislation which will settle that iwi’s comprehensive claim. Without the affiliate Te Arawa group’s willingness to put its forest claims back on the table for this process we may not have seen today’s deed of settlement signing. And this settlement is just the beginning of the settlement process for the remaining collective iwi though it is a very remarkable beginning. We have work to do but I am confident that together we will solve the single most intractable problem of the settlement process and in doing so we will deliver its greatest asset into Maori hands. 
In about an hour—because we are making quite rapid progress in other respects—we will sign terms of negotiation with Raukawa one of the seven iwi. We are about to be able to pick up negotiations with Ngati Manawa where they were left off as part of developing the collective process and we are in negotiations with Ngati Tuhoe. So we will make progress on the remaining comprehensive claims of the other iwi apart from the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu. 
The iwi of the collective comprise over 100000 individuals. They have interests that span a major proportion of the Central North Island and this settlement relates to 176000 hectares of central North Island Crown forest land. This settlement of course has its roots in that land and in the contention that has surrounded it for the last 20 years. The Crown Forest Assets Act was passed in 1989. It was assumed that it would last about 3 or 4 years until all the Crown forest land claims were settled. We are now in 2008. The Act was passed as a result of hard-fought and successful litigation on the part of Maori. The Act protected Maori interests in the land under the forests while allowing the cutting rights to be licensed out. The rentals from those licences were set aside until the claims over the forest could be resolved and that has taken much longer than anyone hoped. 
The complexity of iwi relationships in the central North Island has been a small part of that but only a very small part. The Crown embarked on the process however of settling historical Treaty claims at an iwi level while early groupings like the volcanic interior plateau project clustered around claim numbers. It has taken us a long time to develop an approach that suits both the Crown and iwi. The greatest credit for this achievement goes to the collective itself for designing and embarking on the process that has been followed through to this conclusion. There are of course different tribal identities and different histories in respect of the Crown but there is a common interest in unlocking the settlement. Most important they have taken on the task of sharing out the assets amongst themselves rather than leaving the Crown to try to achieve that task. We are very satisfied that the collective will fairly allocate the shares of the commercial assets and that sufficient remains to address the historical claims of those who have remained outside the collective. 
One of these groups is Ngati Rangitihi who until recently were part of the collective. They have not been able to endorse the settlement and they are currently considering their options. Although Ngati Rangitihi is not included in the settlement legislation the Crown and the collective are holding open a window of opportunity for them to agree to the settlement within the next 6 months. If the Crown can be satisfied that there is broad support for the settlement within that iwi it will be included in this bill through a Supplementary Order Paper and provision has been made in the deed of settlement for that process. 
The bill gives effect to the undertakings by the Crown in the deed and that includes Crown forest land to the value of $196 million. This is a positive settlement for all the people of New Zealand. The collective has agreed to preserve and enhance existing public access to the central North Island forest estate for the continued enjoyment of all New Zealand. That is not what is provided for in the Crown Forest Assets Act of 1989 so the collective has made a big concession in that regard to the general public. In addition there are substantial and widespread economic benefits. 
This settlement will make the collective the largest single landowner in the forestry sector in this country and one of the largest investors. The plan is to increase that investment and generate greater value and higher returns so the Crown is working with the collective on developing that plan. The future role in the industry for the collective iwi will be positive for their members industry participants the wider region and the nation as a whole. Not least of course is the fact that the uncertainty around the future ownership of the land is removed. It can also be noted that the rights of the current licence holders remain unchanged under this settlement. 
I have done so already today at greater length but I have no hesitation in doing so again in the House. I ask the House to join with me in thanking the people who have made all this happen particularly Te Ariki Dr Tumu te Heuheu who led the collective’s earlier approaches to the Crown; Rawiri Te Whare whose leadership of Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa was crucial; the Crown facilitator Wira Gardiner for his peerless efforts in assisting the Crown and iwi throughout this process; and finally all the members of the collective who participated in these discussions and make today possible. Their children will one day thank them for it and indeed many of the children were here today to participate in today’s events. 
A number of colleagues from all sides of the House shared today in the moving ceremony that marked the signing of the deed of settlement. I thank them for their presence—their affirmation of support for this particular settlement. This is an important day in the history of treaty settlements in our country. It will allow the Crown and central North Island iwi to move to settle the remaining claims in the region as Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa have already done. I commend the bill to the House. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
A e aku koroua e aku kuia e nga whaea e nga papa e nga tamariki mokopuna tena kotou tena kotou tena tatou katoa. 
[ 
To my elders men and women alike the mothers and fathers the young grandchildren greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to you all 
.] 
Once again I am pleased to stand in Parliament and join with colleagues across this Chamber to contribute to the first reading of the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill. This follows yesterday’s introduction to the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill and given the kinship and the whakapapa ties that span the iwi and hapu of the central North Island it is fitting that the House’s programme has been organised to have the one follow the other. That is very organised I might say. 
This is a great day indeed for the iwi of the central North Island—te manawa o te ika as one of the elders described it this morning and I have to say leaving aside what others may think of that description I thought that was a very fine description. But no doubt it is open to debate. Te manawa o te ika—if the presence here today of those representatives from that area is anything to go by then that heart is beating very strongly. 
I want to join with others in Parliament in congratulating Ngai Tuhoe Ngati Manawa Ngati Tuwharetoa Ngati Whakaue Ngati Whare Raukawa and Te Pumautanga on the settlement today. I also want to pay tribute to Ngati Rangitihi and I urge them to join. The door has been left open as Dr Michael Cullen has said. But I pay tribute to them for allowing this settlement to go forward today and I hope they will see their way fit to join. As I said the door has been left open. 
It takes great great courage and a form of leadership over and above the norm to secure and sign a settlement. All who have gathered here today can rightly feel a sense of pride for the leadership that has been on display. I am very proud to see it; indeed we all are in this House. It leads to an agreement that clearly has wide support. It represents over 100000 people. It is a significant settlement in terms of quantum. That means that all the work all the dedication and all the arguments—the raruraru—that no doubt have been part of this in previous times have all come to this and they have all been absolutely worth it. 
Let us make no mistake: exceptional leadership is required to sign off on a settlement the original injustice of which goes back several generations and the ramifications of which flow on to future generations. The responsibility for that cannot be underestimated. Sometimes the task can look so complex that lesser people might say: “I don’t think I can do this. I don’t think we should do this.” or might ask: “Should we do this for the sake of our mokopuna?” The answer clearly is yes. To do so shows vision and courage as I said and in my view it shows a great compassion and love for the people. Those values are not always on show in our national consciousness on a daily basis so it is a great pleasure to witness them on display at a time like this and exercised by te iwi Maori. Kia ora. 
This is a significant milestone in the life of the iwi as well as in the life of this Parliament. It is a little ironic then that these settlements being so historic are always so difficult to secure. But I suppose that makes them all the more significant. Indeed in respect of the settlement before us it was not 12 months ago that some of the parties to this settlement were in court to stop the Government settling one part of the central North Island forestry so as not to prejudice the interests of the other. 
The lesson to learn from that especially by those in this House is that Maori seek only what they believe is rightfully theirs in the law—both in Treaty law and in the common law we have inherited from England. Those are the rights that Maori have properly sought for the last 160 years and those are the rights that have been secured today and in previous settlements. That is a great legacy to pass on to our mokopuna—that we have sought only what was due in the law. 
In any event it is great to see a settlement like this come to the House and join the others that have passed into law on the basis of the platform for Treaty settlements initiated by Jim Bolger and the National Government in the 1990s and carried forward by the Hon Doug Graham and by the present Labour Government albeit as I said yesterday in the beginning with a bit of an attitude of fits and starts. But here we are today; I have given credit where it has been due and it is a great privilege to stand for this. 
I turn now to the settlement. Dr Cullen has talked about what it comprises. It gives effect to the vesting of central North Island Crown forest land and the transfer of accumulated rentals in relation to those lands it records certain principles and processes by which the allocation of the forest land is to be achieved and it records the allocation agreed by the collective for distribution of the accumulated rentals. Important for the benefit of those other New Zealanders who might be listening is that it excludes the jurisdiction of the courts and Waitangi Tribunal in relation to the historical central North Island forest land claims of this collective and there are other provisions that are also important but which I will not list. 
I want to flag just one area because it is likely that this settlement will not pass through all its stages during the term of this Labour Government. I am not sure what the Minister has plans for but in case it does not then clearly it may fall to a National Government to complete the legislation. One of the issues I guess we might be exploring at the select committee is the question of mana whenua as being the key to allocation. Far be it for me to question that because I must say it was a unique development and one that I saw with interest and I hope it will work in the best interests of not just the current generation but the mokopuna of the future. 
I flag that National would be looking for a process that even if based on mana whenua still has elements of transparency accountability and a record of the decisions that are made. In the future we want those who look at this settlement to be certain that the processes on which the settlement was shared was robust. That is the only comment I would make on the settlement today. 
I am so proud to have been in this Parliament when Treaty settlements have been a key feature of the legislation that has been passed. I also want to say that National stands on its record of Treaty settlements of the introduction of kohanga reo kura kaupapa Maori and wananga—even the broadcasting platform that the current Maori Television was developed on. We have a proud record which we stand on. If we occupy the benches opposite in a few months’ time we will be happy to do what we can to make sure that this and coming settlements are duly legislated for. More than anything we stand with iwi for economic development. No one will love us Maori more than we should love ourselves—no one. Everything that Maori have achieved to date basically has been because in the end compassion and leadership for the people has been important. No reira tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
Hon MITA RIRINUI (Associate Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
Otira Tainui waka Waikato taniwha rau he piko he taniwha he piko he taniwha tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou. Mataatua waka mai i nga kuri a Wharei ki te Tihirau tae atu ki te tuawhenua tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou. A Te Arawa waka mai i Maketu ki te tonga a tena koutou tena koutou. Tena koutou nga tini karangarangatanga kei waenganui i a koutou kua tatu mai ra i roto i te Whare Miere e kia nei ko te ana o nga raiona tena koutou hara mai hara mai hara mai. Hara mai ra i runga i te ahuatanga o te kaupapa e kawe nei e koutou. Na to tatou ariki a Te Tumu koutou i arataki mai i te huarahi koia nei ra koutou kua huihui mai i tenei ra i runga i te rangi marie i runga i te ngakau mahaki. Hoi ano tenei ra e mihi ake tena koutou otira kia ora tatou. 
[ 
Greetings to you indeed the canoe of Tainui and the river of Waikato where there is a chief at every bend greetings. To the canoe of Mataatua from the dogs at Wharei to Tihirau including the hinterlands greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to you. And greetings to you the canoe of Te Arawa from Maketu to the south greetings greetings. To the many callings among you who have arrived here in the Beehive referred to as the lions’ den greetings to you welcome welcome welcome. Welcome in the circumstances of the proposal that you bring with you. Our paramount chief Te Tumu has guided you on the way and that is why you are gathered here serenely and with dignity today. Enough; greetings to you and to us 
.] 
Madam Assistant Speaker once again it will come as no surprise to you that I stand in support of the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill. And once again I declare a conflict of interest. Let it not be stated that I did not do that because it is appropriate that I do so. 
I have to say—and other members in this House may have had the privilege—that never in the 8½ years I have been a member of this House have I had such an experience. Never have I had such an honour as to be standing here speaking to such a dignified people—people who have guided their people all their marae through a very difficult process to bring this very very important kaupapa into the House. It is also very rare to actually introduce two settlement bills that benefit the same people in one week let alone within 2 days. That in itself is a major achievement. 
I will not divide political parties on this issue; rather apart from congratulating the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and the Deputy Prime Minister the Hon Dr Michael Cullen I thank all the members in this House for the support they have given to this very very important legislation. I acknowledge also the leadership and the incredible skills demonstrated by Dr Tumu te Heuheu who has led the collective of Te Arawa Mataatua and Tainui in bringing this bill to the House. 
For the negotiators who have had to deal with some very very complicated and difficult issues there needs to be a higher level of acknowledgment as well. They have been through some difficult times. Some of them and their families have been ridiculed unnecessarily but they have stood firm on their mission. They have stood strong on their kaupapa and they are here today on this wonderful occasion. I see amongst their representation many many young people—youth Maori youth rangatahi secondary school students our future. It is with them that this legacy will rest going forward. I hope they do not think that what they witnessed in this House this afternoon is normal practice in this House; it is not. I say to them that if ever they represent their people here they do not have to lower themselves to that standard. So I say to those young people: kei runga kei a koutou nga moemoea o koro ma o kui ma mo nga tau kei te heke mai. 
[ 
the aspirations of the old people men and women for the future are upon you. 
] 
I wish them all the best going forward. 
There is not a lot more to say about this particular day. In fact I am so humbled by what I have seen and experienced—as I am sure most of our members are—that I actually find myself on this very rare occasion stuck for words. But I applaud the passion and the emotion that has been demonstrated today in Parliament with the signing of this very very important deed of settlement. Not only that but the ink on the document is not even dry yet and here we are in this House conducting the first reading of the bill. If that is not commitment to advancing Maori going forward—commitment to Maori development—then I do not know what is. But that is the case today and certainly I have to congratulate everybody who has been involved. 
Some issues have been difficult to deal with as there always are. It would be very easy to flick these issues into the too-hard basket move on and say that somebody else should resolve them but that has not been the case in this settlement. I give as an example Taranaki iwi. Four iwi have settled their claims and four iwi are waiting to come forward to engage with the Crown. There is an issue for them with regard to their collective interest or their shared interest in te maunga Titohia a Taranaki and those issues cannot be resolved until all the iwi are in the same position at the same time. 
It is only fair that the Crown show patience in allowing Taranaki iwi to complete their specific interests before starting to deal with their common interests as it did with Tainui when they settled their historical land claims in the 1990s. Tainui had the outstanding issue of their interest in the Waikato River and a number of overlapping issues had to be resolved. I congratulate all those iwi involved on the manner in which they conducted themselves in sitting down with the Crown and actually laying down the kaupapa they thought appropriate to resolve these matters in terms of co-management and the health of the river going forward. What we saw from those iwi was the ability to be flexible and what we are seeing here today in terms of this collective is a strong desire for them to determine not only the process but also the manner in which the assets should be shared equally amongst the interested groups. 
I acknowledge again the presence here today of the tribal confederations of Tainui Mataatua and Te Arawa—all from around my area by the way and that is why I declare my conflict of interest. The young people here who are witnessing this very very important occasion and those out in TV land who are watching this debate and are seeing what is happening here today can be very very proud of the people who have represented them and I wish them all the best for the future. 
I again thank the Hon Dr Michael Cullen for the specifics he described in relation to the settlement legislation in the House today. There is no need for me to repeat what has been said. I also acknowledge the previous speaker my whanaunga from Ngati Tuwharetoa the Hon Georgina te Heuheu for her contribution to this debate this afternoon. But I will say that there are some great speeches yet to be heard this afternoon and I will leave some space so that new issues and new comments can be brought up in the debate this afternoon. 
Once again I acknowledge the presence here today of some very very important people and their supporters from all around the country. Although we have our tribal rohe our people are well spread not only around Aotearoa but also around the world and they are very interested in what is happening today. 
No reira kei te Kaihautu otira nga matawaka katoa e Te Tumu koutou ra i arahi mai i te kaupapa i runga i te huarahi koia nei kua tatu ki roto i te Whare i te po nei. No reira tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
So to you Madam Assistant Speaker to all ethnic groups and indeed to you Te Tumu who guided this proposal it has landed here tonight in the House at last. So greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to us all 
.] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 A te mea tuatahi ki a au e aku rangatira tena koutou. Tena koutou i haere mai i tenei ra. No reira mihi kau atu au i a koutou. He honore nui tenei ki te tu ki te korero ki mua i a koutou. No reira tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
The first thing for me is to acknowledge you my leaders greetings. Greetings to you collectively who came here today. I acknowledge you greatly. This is indeed is a great honour for me to stand and speak before you. Therefore greetings to you all 
.]  
To Pumautanga Raukawa Ngati Whare Ngati Manawa Ngati Whakaue Ngati Tuwharetoa Tuhoe tena koutou and congratulations. To Rawiri Te Whare and Wira Gardiner congratulations on a sterling job. To the Hon Michael Cullen again—twice in 2 days—my congratulations on your passion— 
R Doug Woolerton 
: Careful! 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: Yes careful! I congratulate the Deputy Prime Minister. He has shown what passion can do when it is introduced to a job that needs finishing. I also want to mihi a mate of mine whom I have worked with only over the last couple of years—the unsung hero of the team Mita Ririnui. All of those people I have mentioned deserve a pat on the back a “Well done!” and a hot cup of tea. I tell them now to get on with the job that Maori have been waiting to do for centuries. 
I would like to turn my thoughts to Ngati Rangitihi and to suggest that whatever their decision is it will be respected and honoured. As they say at Wimbledon: “The ball is in your court.” Whatever decision is made by Ngati Rangitihi will be theirs and theirs alone and in the fullness of time we will see what their decision brings with it. I ask them to please not be too hard on those of our whanau who disagree with the settlement and there will be some. That I suppose is par for the course because we live in a democracy. We live in a society where it is good to agree and it should also be good to disagree now and then. 
I ask them also to be kind to our whanaunga Maanu Paul. We may raise our eyebrows at the decisions of individuals and even of hapu and iwi but it is their decision and we should honour those people. Let us not forget the sterling work that Maanu Paul and the likes of Maanu Paul have contributed to Maori society over the last 25 years—this is not just about today. 
The tribal historians will be burning the midnight oil again tonight. I think it is great that we are in the midst of change of moving forward. As my colleague Mita Ririnui said in terms of the honour he feels maybe one day Ngapuhi and Ngati Hine will be in the same boat so to speak as our whanaunga in the gallery—in a couple of years maybe. 
The significance of this settlement is not lost on a lot of people. I want to look at it another way. Some years ago we had the Sealord’s settlement and there will be comparisons with Sealord’s and—unfortunately—“Treelords”. I was not the one to use that phrase and I do not think the Government coined the phrase but unfortunately it has stuck somewhat. Sealord’s was not widely accepted and it still evokes a passionate discussion about whether it was right or wrong. Wherever we go somebody somewhere will jump up at a hui and say “Sealord’s sucks.” I do not think they will say the same thing about this deal. Sealord’s still evokes a passionate debate like no other. Sealord’s evokes some questions and some statements from people such as: “I’m still waiting for my fish. Even a chocolate fish would suffice.” 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: The member’s had too many chocolate fish. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: That is absolutely correct. I have eaten far too many chocolate fish and maybe I will eat a chocolate forest one day—a gateau. 
The “Treelords” deal has been absolutely widely accepted even the allocation method and this is where it strikes me as being brilliant to a T. The allocation method has been sorted out before the signing and not left until after. Those who thought of that must be congratulated to the fullest. Here is the collective’s allocation method: “The collective iwi have agreed to allocate their share of the land amongst themselves on the basis of mana whenua and in accordance with the process governed by the principles of tikanga Maori. The allocation process will be completed by 1 July 2011.” 
What that little wee bit says is I think revolutionary—not to some but to others. I think that it behoves us all when we are dealing with other iwi and even other methods whether it be in health education transport or whatever to have a look at that revolutionary thought process. So I too congratulate everybody who has been part of this deal. 
I want to raise just one more issue that has been brought to our attention. It is about the recreational use of the forests. We know there are people out there who love to tramp through the forest. They like to put on their boots stick a pack on their backs and wander through the bush. I do not like doing that but some other people do. So one of the questions is about access to the forests and the use of the forests and the lakes and rivers within those forests. It is something that the select committee undoubtedly will have a look at when the submissions come through. 
I have one more point about what the people saw before the debate. I take the point that Mita Ririnui raised with the House about what went on. It takes two to tango; that is the House and most of us love the banter and the style of debate. Can I say to whoever is listening that I do not take that outside the House. I love it and that is why I am here. 
Madam Assistant Speaker thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak again to you all; and to my co-grandfather Joe McDougall: nga mihi nui ki a koe e te matua. Mihi kau atu au ki a koe. No reira tena koutou tena koutou kia ora mai tatou katoa. 
[ 
Huge greetings to you sir. I acknowledge you greatly. Therefore greetings and greetings to you collectively and to us all 
.] 
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I raise an unusual point. I want to apologise to the House for leaving during this debate because we have the Raukawa signing of terms of negotiation upstairs. So I need to absent myself. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Marian Hobbs) 
: Thank you. 
PITA PARAONE (NZ First) 
: 
A tena hoki koutou nga waka o Tainui Te Arawa Mataatua a me nga matawaka puta noa ki a koutou hoki i tau i roto i te Whare i te ra nei i runga i te kaupapa e pa ana ki a ngai tatau ara ko te pire kia whakatau te kereme o nga iwi o te rohe i mohiotia i a tatou ko te manawa o Te Ika-a-Maui. Na reira tena koutou. Kei te tautoko ahau i nga mihi nga tangi hoki ki te hunga i takahia te ara whanui i whakahoki i a ratou ki te ao wairua. Ka ea te wahi korero mo ratou ka hoki mai ki a tatou o te ao tu roa tena tatou katoa. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
So greetings to you the canoes of Tainui Te Arawa and Mataatua including the ethnic groups throughout and to you collectively too who have landed here in the House today in respect of the proposal that relates to all of us the proposal to settle the claim of the people of the region that we are told is the heart of the North Island. I endorse the tributes and tears bestowed upon those who have trod the wide path that takes them to the world of the spirits. The part for them has been satisfied; I come back to us of the world of the living greetings to us all 
.] 
In my introductory comments in the first reading of the Affiliate Te Arawa Iwi and Hapu Claims Settlement Bill I declared a vested interest given my whakapapa links to one of the tribes mentioned in that bill. Well today I do the same but I recognise that my vested interest is much greater in this bill than in that of yesterday because I am referring to the waka  
Mataatua 
. I hope that as a consequence of those whakapapa links I may become a beneficiary of this settlement bill. However I know that that is stretching the imagination. But I will take this opportunity of congratulating the principals of the iwi groups represented in this bill on bringing it to this stage. 
An earlier speaker mentioned that today is a day of celebration for Maori. I would suggest in this House that this celebration not be limited to Maori but be one where the whole country should join in. I was privileged to be in attendance today and to witness history being made and I ought to say that this is the first such signing where I have been in attendance. I should also say that during the formalities—and in particular the signing of the agreement by the iwi representatives—I felt a sense of history as to what it must have been like all those 168 years ago when the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by our iwi representatives of the time. Unlike the debate that was held before the signing of that document which is very significant to this country this signing proceeded without any comment of dissent. To my mind the significance of the way that the ceremony was carried out brought a sense of propriety and a sense of how such covenants should be signed between two distinct groups such as iwi and the Crown. The covenant signed between iwi and the Crown today is the result of the Treaty of Waitangi as I have alluded to. The iwi represented in today’s signing are Ngai Tuhoe Ngati Manawa Ngati Tuwharetoa Ngati Whakaue Ngati Whare Ruakawa and the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu groups. 
This bill gives effect to the vesting of the central North Island Crown forest land and the transfer of rentals in relation to that land so that those assets can be allocated to the Central North Island Iwi Collective in settlement of its historic forests claims. We know that this is just the first step in the process—not in terms of the process of this bill through this House but in terms of the process of how the collective will need to deal with that particular asset once it is transferred to it. 
This settlement bill follows a formal presentation to the Crown by the Central North Island Iwi Collective earlier this year of a proposal for the allocation of the Crown’s central North Island forest land amongst its member iwi towards the settlement of its historical Treaty of Waitangi claims. The claim in terms of the forests covers Horohoro Forest Whakerewarewa Forest the forest known as Crater Forest Kaingaroa Forest Waimihia Forest Marotihi Forest Pureora forest Waituhi Forest and Taurewa Forest. That has made this settlement the largest single Treaty settlement package to be developed to date and I think it is a commentary particularly on the efforts of the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and on his ability to be able to drive this bill at this stage at a rate that hopefully will see it pass through all its stages in this House before this House rises at the end of this parliamentary term. 
The Crown has found it to be a fair and effective way of using the forest lands to provide the key commercial redress for historical settlements for each iwi within the collective. The collective has developed an allocation of the commercial settlement assets. I support the comments made by the previous speaker from National the Hon Tau Henare when he commented on the formula that the collective presented the Crown with in terms of the proposed allocation. It signals to me that iwi groups—claimant groups—are quite capable of making and presenting proposals that would suit them and that would ultimately suit the Crown as well. 
The Crown under this proposal is to retain a share of the forests for settling the claims of any iwi that has direct interests in the forests but is not a member of the collective. Although some comment has been made with regard to Ngati Rangitihi the door is still open for it to participate in this process. But also to be noted is the fact that as a consequence of this settlement 10 percent of the forests still remains available for those groups that are not part of the collective. I also make reference to the fact that although a majority of the iwi collective supports the agreement that has been entered into I know of some iwi groups that do not support it. I think it is important that this bill be referred to a select committee in order to allow those iwi groups to participate in the process and to submit their concerns and for the select committee to consider the validity of their claims. 
Before I close I will acknowledge the leadership—the leadership that has taken responsibility for bringing this bill into this House. In that regard it is with some envy that I recognise the quality of the leadership because I know that the tribe I belong to has a saying: “Ngati Hine pukepuke rau” which loosely translates as “Upon the hundred hills that make up Ngati Hine we have a chief.” Therein lies the reason why I need to commend the leadership of the iwi collective who have brought this agreement this proposal to the Crown for consideration. 
On behalf of New Zealand First I say it is our pleasure to signal to this House that we will be supporting this bill going to a select committee. Kia ora ano tatou. 
NANDOR TANCZOS (Green) 
: 
 E nga manuhiri tuarangi e nga karangaranga maha kua tae mai nei ki te tautoko i tenei kaupapa rau rangatira ma nau mai haere mai whakatau mai. 
[ 
To the visitors from afar to the many callings who have arrived here in support of this proposal and the many leaders welcome welcome welcome. 
] 
The Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill is as so many before me have said a historic settlement bill and the Green Party is supporting it. It is by far the biggest Treaty of Waitangi settlement with the Crown involving 170000 hectares of central North Island forest that is valued at something like $220 million. It is significantly bigger than previous large settlements including the Tainui settlement the Ngai Tahu settlement and the Sealord deal. 
Tau Henare referred to this as the “Treelords” deal and in some ways it does have some characteristics in common with Sealord’s. It is about income derived from harvesting rights in the first instance and although it does lay out a process for establishing mana whenua at some time in the future in the meantime the ultimate ownership of whenua is left undetermined. However it is difficult to separate the two issues entirely and I will come back to this shortly. Of course the Sealord’s deal was of little direct interest to many of the iwi involved in this settlement. They are a largely landlocked people unable to share in the benefits of the Sealord’s settlement. This bill is enormously important in that it affects people who are largely untouched by that deal although I think that some of its impacts will not be dissimilar. 
So what does this settlement do? It vests ownership of 86.4 percent of the central North Island Crown forest land and the accumulated rentals of some $222 million held in trust by the Crown Forestry Rental Trust plus ongoing rentals in the Central North Island Iwi Collective. The funds as has been said will be divided up among the iwi collective members according to a formula: Ngai Tuhoe will get 27.3 percent; Ngati Tuwharetoa will get 29.9 percent; the affiliate Te Arawa iwi and hapu will get 16.2 percent; Ngati Raukawa will get 14.2 percent; Ngati Manawa will get 6 percent; Ngati Whare will get 14.7 percent; and Ngati Whakaue will get 3.6 percent. Of course 3.6 percent was also originally flagged for Ngati Rangitihi but of course Ngati Rangitihi has not agreed to the settlement and the option has been left open for them to join at a later stage. In addition Maori foresters will also benefit from a yet to be negotiated emissions trading forestry scheme. The remaining 13.6 percent of the land or 10 percent if Ngati Rangitihi joins and the accumulated rentals will be retained by the Crown to be held for 6 years to safeguard the interests of any iwi outside the collective with a legitimate claim. 
So this is a huge outcome with significant economic benefits for many Maori. According to the bill eventual ownership of the land will be determined on the basis of mana whenua in accordance with tikanga Maori. The factors used to determine mana whenua will include such things as the demonstration of ahi ka roa ahi tahutahu and ahi mataotao. I am not an expert in te reo Maori—and that is no news to any one here I guess—but I do know that this is causing some concern among my in-laws in Ngati Manawa. It would seem clear from the placing of those terms together that a demonstration of ahi matautau is intended to support a claim of mana whenua rather than negate it as some might expect. 
I said earlier that it is impossible to entirely divorce the issue of mana whenua from the issue of how forestry rentals will be divided. I say that because the allocation proportions cannot help but prejudice later discussions on ownership. Conversely the allocation of those proportions must be based to some degree on an assumption about who has rights and to how much land. Predictably this is causing tension. A number of hui in Ngati Manawa unanimously supported the injunctions sought by Maanu Paul and I understand that yesterday he was given the right to a hearing. He asserts that the Crown does not have title to the land in Kaingaroa to divest in the first place that this was recognised by the Crown during the negotiations over the establishment of the Crown Forestry Rental Trust and that Ngati Manawa’s claim to that land was clearly established in the Native Land Court in 1878. 
Let me be clear that pulling off this deal was a huge feat of negotiation of navigation and of skill and I give my respect to those who pulled it off but the concern is that some small iwi and hapu often become grist to the mill of the settlement process in the desire of this Government to pull off large settlements. In this case some people in Ngati Manawa believe that their lands are being used by the Government to sweeten up an iwi whose rohe is substantially locked up in a National Park and whose claims might be difficult to resolve. So my fear is that for those hapu that live under the Ikawhenua Range this settlement may become a source of division for some time to come and that should concern us all. In the words of one of my aunties: “This is an awesome settlement but not for us.” 
The Green Party supports this bill. We acknowledge the enormous amount of work effort and determination that it has taken on the part of the iwi involved to bring it to this point. We congratulate those who have secured themselves a deal that they consider is good or is at least reasonable but we also acknowledge the significant concerns that continue to exist and that cannot be denied. We will also continue to advocate for a Treaty breach settlement process that is determined by Maori rather than the Crown and that is inherently more just than the constraints that iwi are currently obliged to deal with. 
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 Tena koe Madam Assistant Speaker. Overnight the cloak of the mountain clan he kahui maunga has fallen. The snowfall that has blessed the mountains of the central North Island is indeed a tohu rangatira [ 
chiefly sign 
] of this auspicious day. Four months ago the Central North Island Iwi Collective issued a release that set the stage for today. I quote from that release: “Central North Island iwi with interests in the forest lands are enthusiastic about uniting in a common cause that has long term benefit for us all. We are now paddling our own waka and for the first time on this issue are not passengers in someone else’s waka.” 
It is a sentiment that we in the Maori Party fully endorse. We stand here today to give full credit to those who have forged ahead creating a new destiny for the generations to come. 
Na reira kei nga waka Te Arawa Tainui Mataatua tena koutou katoa. Kai nga mana kai nga reo kai nga karangarangatanga maha kai nga rangatira o era atu waka koutou i hara mai ki te tautoko i te kaupapa whakahirahira o te ra nei he ra nui tenei he ra whakahirahira he kaupapa whakahirahira kai te whai nei. He ra nui tenei hoki kia mihi atu kia tangi atu ki a ratou kua mene atu ki te po. Ki a ratau nga kuia nga koroua kua ngaro atu i a ratau nga moemoea nga wawata kia puawai a tatau iwi kai roto i tenei wa uaua i raro i nga ture Pakeha. Na reira haere nga mate okioki pai mai. 
Kia hoki ki te kaupapa ataahua o te rangi tena tatau katoa. Tatau he honore ma Te Torangapu nei ki te tautoko i te pire. Ahakoa he pire kia riro ai nga hua nga rawa nga putea ki nga iwi ki ahau nei ehara tenei i te tino putake o tenei pire. Ki ahau nei he pire tenei mo te rangatiratanga. Te rangatiratanga o tena iwi o tena iwi o tena hapu o tena hapu. Kia tu rangatira ai koutou i roto i tenei wa. He mana motuhake to tena iwi he mana motuhake ano to tenei iwi. Kei roto i tenei mahi whakatakoto kereme i puta mai tenei rangatiratanga. Ki ahau nei he pire tenei mo te kotahitanga. Ahakoa te taukumekume i nga kaupapa he tautohetohe i nga korero i te mutunga ake i mahi tahi te hunga Central North Island Iwi Collective i te kotahitanga. Na reira koutou katoa kua hara mai nei koutou o te Central North Island Iwi Collective tena koutou kai nga rangatira. 
[ 
Therefore greetings to you all the canoes of Te Arawa Tainui and Mataatua. To the authorities languages the many callings and leaders of the canoes who came here to support this important bill today this is a great day an important day an important proposal. This is a huge day as well to acknowledge and grieve for those who have passed away. The aspirations and hopes of the elderly men and women who have died was that our people would gain maturity in this difficult period under non-Maori law. Therefore depart the dead and rest well there.  
To come back to the elegant bill of the day well done to all of us. I say to us that it is an honour indeed for this party to support the bill. Although it is a bill whereby tribes receive assets resources and funding to me this is not what this bill is really about. For me it is a bill about self-determination. It is about the sovereignty of each tribe and subtribe for you to stand tall in this era. That tribe is independent and so is this one. This sovereignty is an outcome of making claims. To me this bill is about coalition. Despite the fact that the proposal pulled one against the other or created debate at the end the Central North Island Iwi Collective worked as a coalition. So greetings to all of you of the Central North Island Iwi Collective who came and the leaders. 
]  
I acknowledge the spirit of rangatiratanga that allowed the settlement of negotiations to be effected. I acknowledge the presence of kotahitanga and a new unity that has emerged from the settlement process. I was greatly enthused by the remarks made at this morning’s ceremony which acknowledged a spirit of cooperation and a desire to move forward. Dr Cullen mentioned the inability of past Governments to honour the partnership between Maori and Pakeha and spoke of reconciliation as embodied in the settlement process and the settlement itself. Tribal leaders acknowledged that their efforts continued upon the work and dedication of many of those who had passed on and proclaimed that this settlement would be used to promote a future for new generations. 
So today we acknowledge Ngai Tuhoe Ngati Manawa Ngati Tuwharetoa Ngati Whakaue Ngati Whare Ngati Raukawa the affiliates of Te Arawa iwi and hapu and Ngati Rangitihi for their great progress in charting their future direction. Every waka is inspired by the kaihautu who know full well the path ahead. So we pay our tribute to te ariki te whare o te Heuheu: e Tumu tena koe. We congratulate him on this initiative that he has led. 
In some ways it could have been only he and no one else who could pull all the parties together in the first instance and then engage with the major players of the Crown. His absolute desire to pull the people together knowing that if they were to move forward it must be together paddling their own waka was inspirational. Ka nui nga mihi ki a koe. 
Te ariki was greatly assisted in his role by the involvement of the Crown facilitators Wira Gardiner and Matt Te Pou. Their involvement free of any agendas and motivated by their knowledge of the important job ahead of them has been significant and should not be underestimated. Tena korua. We are pleased that this issue has progressed out of the courts and beyond the legal fraternity and is back within the realm of iwi and hapu. The style of negotiation of kaikorero ki te kaikorero iwi ki te iwi [ 
speaker to speaker tribe to tribe 
] is a model that is not new but that has found a renewed significance in today’s settlement environment. This is how it should have always been and we congratulate iwi on this substantial feat. 
Today is an extremely significant day because of this journey because of this waka. There was always much more at stake than the allocation of accumulated rentals based on mana whenua for this has been a journey of give and take of kotahitanga. We acknowledge Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa who were willing to engage to review their position and to reassess the stance they took for the betterment of the collective. That position with their having prepared the initial settlement cannot have been an easy decision but one that is nevertheless significant in the context of this settlement. Tena koutou. 
We pay tribute also to Dr Cullen for the new approach he has brought to bear and the commitment he has demonstrated towards settling the historical claims to the majority of the central North Island forests lands. I was particularly pleased with his comments of inclusion to Ngati Rangitihi and that the door remains open for their return to the negotiating table. These sentiments were also made strongly by Te Ariki Tumu te Heuheu and clearly reflects the mood of the whole process. 
The history of the settlement process through successive Governments has revealed that there are often disaffected parties in some settlements. The Maori Party has been very critical of various aspects of the settlement process and will continue to be so where warranted. But we look forward to working with all parties in this House to ensure there is always transparency accountability inclusiveness and of course durability. 
Finally I am proud to be here today to witness this settlement immensely significant in many respects. The words of the Waitangi Tribunal in its report  
He Maunga Rongo: Report on Central North Island Claims 
 have today come home to roost. These words were: “For hapu and iwi of the central North Island the Crown’s refusal to recognise Maori autonomy has had a cost of which they are acutely conscious though to many New Zealanders this might come as a surprise: loss of authority and control over their lands and their natural resources including their waterways and geothermal resources. Such a loss of control has had lasting effects on the development of central North Island Maori in tourism forestry power generation and farming.” 
Today this first reading is able to put right the wrongs in returning the central North Island forest lands of the central North Island iwi who have direct customary interests in those lands. But most important this first reading has come about from the collective commitment of iwi in the central North Island to debate between themselves to discuss with the Crown and to remain constantly focused on the common cause. Torangapu Maori we join with the House in placing on the record our support for the first reading of this ground-breaking initiative of the Central North Island iwi collective. Tena koe; tena tatou katoa. 
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I will take a very brief call on behalf of United Future to support the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill and to congratulate everybody who celebrates here today. I arrived at work very early this morning and already literally hundreds of iwi members had gathered at Parliament. It made me realise how important today’s event is. One could take a very bland look at the agreement and merely see the valuable land and its potential the accumulated and ongoing rentals that will now be the property of the collective iwi and the other commercial areas of redress. I just reflect on the one thing that has stood out for me today which is the very fine leadership shown by both the iwi collective and the Crown in making today happen. I congratulate everybody involved; they are assured of United Future’s ongoing support for this legislation. 
Hon MAHARA OKEROA (Minister of State) 
: 
 Tena no tatou. Those who have been in the House all afternoon have witnessed the whole dynamic of what this debating chamber is about from the wahanga patapatai to the wahanga kapahaka and now to something a bit more dignified. On that basis my personality will change to suit the occasion. Tena tatou katoa. 
I want to say firstly that it is just as important to remember the people who are not here: people who have grown up people who have suffered and people who have held on to the aspiration that sometime in the future there may be a resolution. So the first part of my short presentation this evening is kei te mihi atu ki a ratou ko ratou kua timata ke o ratou hikoitanga i runga i te ara ruiti te ara pamamao te ara mutunga kore ki te pae mauhara te tini me te mano. A ratau ra e mau piri ai i nga whakaaro i nga nawe e whakararurau mai i o ratou nei kaingakau. 
[ 
an acknowledgment to ones who are no longer here and who held views and concerns about what they valued 
.]  
And as we do believe the journey is but a transition ratau e noho wairua mai i runga i nga pokohiwi o te katoa o koutou nei tena tatau. 
[ 
the ones whose spiritual presence are there upon your shoulders greetings to us 
.] 
Secondly having experienced what it is like to grow up on the margins of the area that I came from and having absorbed some of the hard lessons that are associated with being pohara being not quite part of the loop seeing old people not respected for what they are and having one’s own cosmology history and culture denigrated I bring to my discussion a full understanding of the whole collection of those feelings. I need then to congratulate the people the uri on going past that and looking towards the future. I cannot say that at this moment in Parihaka where I grew up we are quite there yet. Where I came from our transport was either a horse or a horse and cart. Our community was surrounded by farmers who were growing quite wealthy—kua raupatungia te whenua [ 
the land was confiscated 
]—so I bring those kinds of feelings towards a very emotional yet highly successful day like today. So I congratulate all the people on making the transformation without forgetting the past but not dwelling in it and looking forward to future opportunities. 
The next thing I would say as part three of my korero is that today I think we have learnt something quite extraordinary and it is about a dynamic and it is about a principle. The principle that I saw as an observer today is how awesomely powerful we Maori are as people if we combine on a take and take it forward together. That would be as I see it one of the key principles that were demonstrated by all of the participants from all of the iwi who came here today. It is also absolutely critical when we think about the relationships and the partnerships and the arrangements that the people make going into the future. This particular claim will carry on and be more successful when the people then form collaborations with the wider New Zealand community and indeed internationally. I congratulate them. 
I would like to finish on this note: anei tetehi o nga korero kua poropitahia e toku nei kaumatua tauheke a Te Whiti o Rongomai. Anei ana nei korero 
[ 
here is one of the predictions that my elder Te Whiti o Rongomai uttered. Here is what he said 
] 
when he was peacefully addressing the soldiers at Parihaka while they rampaged: “Na koutou te paua tuatahi ma matau te iwi Maori te paua whakamutunga.” No reira tena koutou hurihuri noa mauri ora. Ka tautoko ahau i runga i te kaupapa rangatira kua whakatutuki mai e koutou.” 
[“ 
Yours is the first but we the Maori people have the final one.” So greetings to you throughout and remain well. I support what you have brought before us to consider. 
]  
I do not have a conflict of interest. I do not like others have a long waewae that might somehow by mystical means go back to the  
Mataatua 
 waka or somewhere. So what I say to you is mai i nga korero a koro a kui ma e mihi atu ki a koutou kopikopiko ai tenei uri o te maunga Titohea o Taranaki ki a tatau. 
[ 
from the stories of the elderly men and womenfolk this relative of the mountain Titohea of Taranaki greets you 
.] 
CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (National) 
: 
 Like other members who have spoken in the House this afternoon I acknowledge the presence of the iwi of the central North Island and welcome them to the House. My National colleagues have already indicated that we will support the first reading of this bill and its referral to the Maori Affairs Committee. In doing so National applauds the great efforts made by iwi to make this settlement possible. As is well known this settlement was formulated by iwi for iwi. Indeed the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations himself acknowledged that fact when a few days ago he said “It needs to be made clear this is not a Crown initiative.” The iwi themselves have proposed an acceptable settlement the iwi themselves have worked together to solve issues around overlapping claims and the iwi themselves drove one of the most detailed and comprehensive consultation programmes we have seen to date. 
I do not think I need to refer at length to the severe criticisms by the tribunal of the Crown’s negotiating process in recent times. Those criticisms are well known. The point that needs to be emphasised is that out of the ashes something positive emerged and the credit for that must go to the iwi. To quote Shakespeare in  
Julius Caesar 
—and he was not I am sure referring to the Waikato—“we must take the current when it serves Or lose our ventures.” Certainly the iwi here today took the current when it served and this settlement is the result. It is testimony to their courage and their determination. 
At the risk of sounding like a cold calculating lawyer—which is certainly not me at all—I observe that the bill raises a number of very interesting issues and these issues are certainly worthy of detailed consideration in the select committee. I would like to outline in a reasonably superficial way some of the key provisions of the bill; the detailed comments can be made in the Committee stage. 
As is customary in this type of legislation there is a brief historical preamble and then that leads on to certain key provisions. Part 2 is the heart of the bill. It contains provisions relating to the transfer of assets. I refer particularly to clause 6 which vests central North Island forests land in a company called CNI Iwi Holdings Ltd. This company is to act as trustee for the CNI Iwi Holdings Trust and will administer the forests land in accordance with the Act once it is passed the deed of settlement and the deed of trust. As is to be expected in this type of settlement legislation there is a clause that ousts the jurisdiction of courts tribunals and other judicial bodies—whatever they may be—to inquire into or make findings or recommendations in respect of any or all of the historical central North Island forest claims the deed of settlement or the Act. It is important that the jurisdiction of the tribunal is not excluded in so far as it is required to take certain steps that are novel and are more particularly dealt with in clause 22. I will come to that clause in a few minutes. 
Subpart 2 of Part 2 is a very interesting provision dealing with allocation principles. Those are more particularly referred to in schedule 2 of the bill. As one who was involved in the fisheries allocation debate for many years I know how important it is to have a clear set of allocation principles and a robust process for the resolution of any disputes. In the select committee I will be particularly interested in schedule 2 which is extremely comprehensive. I will not go through any of the particular stages in detail nor will I comment on such innovations as for example are contained in clause 5(2)(d) of schedule 2 which provides that “no expert advisors including lawyers and historians are permitted to participate directly in the … negotiations.” Nor under the stage 3 provisions in clause 6 of that schedule can lawyers appear before the adjudication panel that is to be established unless all parties agree. 
Some would wholeheartedly endorse those provisions—I think Dr Sharples who spoke earlier would probably be in that category. Many people consider that the fisheries allocation became bogged down in litigation and that far too much money was spent on appeals to the Privy Council on preliminary questions. There was litigation every time there was a lease round; indeed the whole process was bedevilled by litigation. One might perhaps expect me to be opposed to such provisions but I promise the House I will study them with an open mind bearing in mind the experience I had in the fisheries allocation litigation. The last thing anyone wants is for this process to be bogged down by judicial review applications or other forms of litigation. There is an old saying that it is in the public interest that there be an end to litigation and that certainly applies here. 
I am also very interested in the new powers that are conferred on the tribunal under clause 22 of the bill. As is well known the tribunal’s jurisdiction is primarily to hear claims and make recommendations. It can make binding orders in a very narrow set of circumstances. But here we have a new jurisdiction that involves the tribunal mediating between various parties to try to resolve a dispute. That will occur if the Crown the central North Island iwi collective and the other central North Island claimant agree. I applaud this innovation; I think it is a very interesting and good one and I think it could prove to be a very useful tool for the tribunal. Clause 23 is the other jurisdictional clause and it says that the jurisdiction of the tribunal is not ousted in relation to certain claims. That relates to the other central North Island claimant and is all perfectly understandable. 
I will not go through Part 3 which deals with miscellaneous provisions. As I said earlier the detail can be addressed during the Committee stage of the bill once the select committee has looked in detail at its provisions. 
Modesty probably prevented my dear friend and colleague Mrs te Heuheu from mentioning her brother-in-law but I can mention him. Tumu te Heuheu is to be congratulated on his statesmanship in moving this settlement forward. One other person deserves special mention and that is Wira Gardiner because he too worked very well to bring individual iwi together after the Crown’s previous negotiating process had resulted in considerable concerns. 
It is a great pleasure to have the honour of speaking in this first reading debate. Let me conclude by assuring all members of the various iwi represented here today that the National Party members on the Maori Affairs Committee are looking forward to hearing their submissions and working on the bill. It is a day when we can all be very pleased to see some progress in Treaty settlements after so many years of inaction. So thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to speak. As I say National will support the referral of the bill to the select committee. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
Tena koe Madam Assistant Speaker kia ora e hoa ma i te rangi nei. Ko taku korero he mea poto noa iho na runga i te ahuatanga o te taima ka mutu na te mea katahi ano ka tae mai. Me penei rawa te korero te whakamarama ake katahi ano au ka hoki mai i tetahi tangihanga i Te Wai Pounamu kaua e papouri mai i te tikanga ka riro ma koutou o Reipa whakakopani nga korero. Ka pai tera ka oti pai i a koutou. Ko te wahanga ki a au paku korero nei hei tautoko i te ahuatanga o nga korero i te rangi nei. 
E hoa ma i te tuatahi ka huri ki nga iwi i tau mai ai i te rangi nei ki te Whare Paremata. Kaore e kore kua mihia koutou kua tukuna nga poroporoaki ki te hunga kua ngaro atu ki te tirohanga kanohi ka mutu kua mihia koutou i roto i nga pakitara o te Whare nei ko taku noa ake ko te tautoko. He tautoko he tautoko. 
Kotenei kaupapa i timata mai ai nga tau kua hipa te wa i a au tonu i te kainga e rapu haere ana i tetahi huarahi mo toku ake iwi. Ka hoki nga mahara ki te hunga na ratou tenei kaupapa i whakaara ake i te tuatahi. Ko Manu Huia Bennett tera ko Rangihuia Briggs tera a ka mutu ko tenei o nga ariki a Tumu. Ka hoki nga mahara ki te timatanga mai o tenei kaupapa i tenei rangi ko tona puawaitanga ko tenei tonu nei. 
E Tumu kai taku ariki ka nui te mihi ki a koe. Kare he tangata i ko atu i a koe mo te whakakao mai o te iwi. E mohio tonu ana tatau ko tenei ara he ara tapokopoko he ara uaua ki te whakakao mai i nga iwi katoa ki raro i te korowai o te mea kotahi. Ko koe tera i whakatinana mai ai tera moemoea tera wawata ahakoa nga uauatanga koinei te mihi atu tena koe. 
Me penei rawa tetahi korero apiti atu ki nga korero kua rangona i te ahiahi nei i a au e hoki mai ana i te taunga waka rererangi. Ko tenei mahi te noho i te Whare Paremata ara ano etahi uauatanga. Tuatahi i etahi wa ka rongo i nga pire ara ano etahi painga etahi paku painga mo te iwi. Ko te patai mai kei runga i a matau o nga mema o te Pati Maori ae ranei me tautoko e kaore ranei. 
Ko tetahi atu o nga uauatanga ko te whakarongo ki nga hunga me ki e mau nei i etahi uauatanga kai roto i te ngakau. Koia tera i tenei wa tonu nei ae anei ano nga painga ehea ke nei me ki nga iwi o Te Upoko o te Ika. He tika tera. Ko taku nei ma wai te hunga e rongo nei i nga uauatanga e korero. Koina te patai nui. 
I etahi wa kua ahua hoha wetahi ki nga korero i roto o Te Torangapu Maori i te mea kai te whakatakoto i nga korero o te iwi Maori ki mua i te aroaro o tenei Paremata. Koinei tetahi o nga uauatanga. Ko ta matou o Te Torangapu Maori he whakatakoto me ki hei noho hei reo korero mo te hunga e rongo tonu nei i te mamae. No reira ahakoa nga uauatanga o te noho hoha pea i wetahi wa koinei te mahi nui. 
Hei whakakopani i taku korero. Tuatahi ko taku ko te tautoko i nga korero a Pita ki tenei Whare i tenei po. Ka rua ko te ki atu ko te wahanga ki a matou o Te Torangapu Maori he noho hei waha korero mo tera hunga kaore ano kia whai wahi i roto i nga nekeneke. He aha ai? Kia whai reo ratou i roto i nga korero. 
Ko taku mihi whakamutunga e penei ana ki te Minita nana tenei take i kokiri ara ki a Karana otira nga mea i mua i a ia ko Wirihana Petana ko Mita koutou katoa Parekura nga mea i kokiri tenei take me mihi ka tika. Kua oti nei i a koutou te mahi uaua. 
Kupu whakamutunga nei he mihi ki nga kaitakawaenga o te Karauna ki a Wira raua ko MatiuTe Pou. Na ratau te mahi uaua te noho takawaenga ki waenganui i nga iwi hei whakakao mai whakaemi mai i nga whakaaro kia tutuki pai tenei mahi. No reira koinei te mihi ki a tatau katoa i tenei rangi whakahirahira. Huri noa tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa.  
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you Madam Assistant Speaker and to you fellow members today. My call is but a short one because of the time and further to that because I have just arrived. By way of explanation I should say that I have just returned from a bereavement in the South Island. Do not be disappointed because normally you of the Labour Party would have made the closing address. That is fine; you will finish it off properly. The part for me in this short call is to endorse the tenor of the speeches today. 
Fellow members firstly I turn to the people who came here today to Parliament. Without a doubt you acknowledged them; farewell tributes were made to those who have died and further to that you acknowledged them in this Chamber. The part for me is merely to endorse what you have done—really support it. 
This proposal began years ago when I was still at home looking for a way forward for my own people. Memories go back to the ones who first proposed it—to Manu Huia Bennett to Rangihuia Briggs and then to Tumu this one of the paramount chiefs. Memories today go back to the beginnings of this proposal and now it has reached maturity. 
Many greetings to you Tumu my paramount chief. There is no other person beyond you to bring the people together. We know too well that the path to bring all the people together under the one mantle is a boggy and difficult one. But you were able to embody those dreams and aspirations regardless of the difficulties and indeed I hail you greetings. 
Further to what I heard this afternoon as I listened in to the debate on my way back from the airport I want to add this. Being in Parliament has its difficulties. At times when one hears a bill for the first time there appear to be benefits or some benefits for iwi. The question for us members of the Maori Party is really one of yes we support it or no we do not. 
Another difficulty is listening to others with different persuasions. Yes that is how it is currently. The benefits for some say in Wellington are huge. That is a fact. My concern is: who will represent the viewpoint of those most affected? That is the real question.  
At times some tire at what the Maori Party has to say before this House about matters relating to Maoridom. This is a real difficulty. We of the Maori Party regard this as core business let us say to represent the interests of the most needy. Therefore and despite the difficulties and monotony at times this is core work for us. 
In conclusion I firstly endorse what Pita said to the House this evening. Secondly I stress that the role of the Maori Party is to remain an advocate for those not yet involved in the proceedings. Why? So that they have a voice in the discussions. 
My final acknowledgment goes to the Minister responsible for the negotiations Dr Cullen and his predecessors Margaret Wilson Mark Burton and Mita Ririnui; all of you as well as Parekura Horomia—the ones who negotiated this matter. It is right that you are acknowledged. You have completed the most difficult part of it.  
Finally to Wira and Matiu Te Pou who liaised for the Crown—theirs was a difficult task as well liaising with the people bringing them together and gathering their thoughts together so that the process is completed adequately. I acknowledge you all on this important day. So throughout the Chamber greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to you all. 
] 
LOUISA WALL (Labour) 
:  
Koteropurangatahi o nga maunga 
E tu mai ra ki te whenua e 
Tongariro Ngauruhoe Ruapehu e 
Ko Tauhara me Pihanga arohaina e 
Ko Taupo-nui-a-Tia te kopua tangata 
I te rohe o te Heuheu te matua. 
E nga mana e nga reo rau rangatira ma Te Tumu te ariki nui nga whanau o Te Arawa nga kaumatua nga mihi aroha ki a koutou tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. Ko Ngati Tutemohuta me Ngati Hineuru nga hapu o Ngati Tuwharetoa Te Arawa waka. 
[ 
The young party of the mountains 
Standing in the hinterland 
Tongariro Ngauruhoe Ruapehu 
Tauhara and Pihanga love them 
Lake Taupo-nui-a-Tia is the deep pool of the people 
In the territory of te Heuheu the paramount chief. 
To the authorities languages many leaders Te Tumu paramount chief greetings to you greetings to you and fond greetings to you all. Ngati Tutemohuta and Ngati Hineuru are subtribes of Ngati Tuwharetoa of the canoe of Te Arawa. 
] 
It is my honour to add to the korero of today about the Central North Island Forests Land Collective Settlement Bill. I will begin by acknowledging the parties of the collective: Te Pumautanga o Te Arawa Raukawa Ngati Whare Ngati Manawa Ngati Whakaue Ngai Tuhoe Ngati Tuwharetoa and with the door still open possibly within the next 6 months Ngati Rangitihi who have been given an extension to complete their endorsement process to be added to this settlement legislation. I know that if Matua Henare Pryor has any involvement then this is a mere formality. 
I was born in the 1970s a time when as Maori we were starting to gain national and international media attention via public demonstrations aimed at conveying the message of the need for historical redress given Aotearoa’s history of colonisation. Some have said that the peak of such activism occurred in 1975 when whaea Whina Cooper led 13000 people on a march to Parliament under the slogan “Not one more acre of Maori land”. What impact did this have? Some would say that the developments of the Waitangi Tribunal were directly attributable to this. 
The context of such momentum for change by Maori can be traced back to the Hunn report of the 1960s which recommended that the differential between Maori and Europeans in statute law should be reviewed at intervals and gradually eliminated. The State then merged Maori-targeted social services with general services and in reaction the 1970s saw the mobilisation of Maori. Hapu me iwi began processes of protest as a necessary venting of the anger that was felt at being disrespected and disempowered. This provided the platform for collective redress from the Crown for historical breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. So we had a mechanism to begin the process in the Waitangi Tribunal and to provide the forum for our tribal histories to be recorded. 
It has been only recently that Treaty settlements have become a priority for Governments and that different processes for creating deeds of settlement have been put into practice and I acknowledge Sir Graham Latimer and the Maori Council for their efforts. What has this meant? It has meant simple but very important things such as the Government providing the information so that all parties know the boundaries of the deal that needs to be brokered and leaving the actual allocation up to Maori to decide based on mana whenua status. 
I reiterate the words of Dr Cullen about his deep appreciation of Te Arikinui Tumu te Heuheu who continued the work of his father the late Ta Hepi with his proactive leadership in terms of approaching the Government about the prospect of a collective agreement late last year. The settlement process and the template for future Treaty settlements given the success of today is for the Crown to step back and let iwi initiate and lead allocations of resources and to sort out for themselves issues such as mana whenuatanga. 
I had breakfast this morning with my Uncle Tane and Auntie Pehi and with Uncle Te Kanawa and Auntie Kataraina Pitiroi. I asked them about the process that the iwi have been through to get to where we are today. They talked about korero from hikuwai to matapuna—the tears mamae truths and yes walkouts at marae. But they stressed tikanga Maori as being central to the process of korero the inclusiveness of the process and the trust and relationships that had developed as the korero progressed. 
This settlement signifies that it is time for a change and that change is about Maori taking the lead in processes for the reconciliation of our past experiences and in the Treaty settlement process as a platform for us to move forward together with a common purpose and set of values. As Ta Tumu said in his korero at the signing this will ensure the legacy of wealth and prosperity for our tamariki me mokopuna who have yet to be born. 
I grew up in Waitahanui on the eastern foreshore of Lake Taupo. I attended Waitahanui Primary School and I was in the majority given that I was related to everyone at the kura except the dairy owner’s children and the teachers. I remember a definite them-and-us mentality which was fuelled in the holidays by strangers mostly Pakeha people who had houses in our village. They came in and acted as if they owned not only the lake but also our school the tennis courts and the roads. 
This settlement provides the asset base for iwi of the central North Island to educate our young people the leaders and beneficiaries of the future to not only enjoy the resource but also add value to our forestry resource in order to ensure that we have the independence as a people not only to look after ourselves but also to contribute to this great nation of ours. Days like today make me think not only of my father who passed away during the tangi of Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu but also of my uncles Nick Wall Taxi Kapua and Darkie Downs and of Mahlon Nepia whom my father loved and respected and who in addition to being at home and on our lands trust school and marae boards worked within our tribe to advance the needs and aspirations of our people. 
The timing of this settlement is very special for me. I have been in the House for just under 4 months and to have an opportunity to commend this bill to the House is something that seems tika. I thank Dr Cullen for this opportunity and I reiterate what I said last night in the House: it is because of Dr Cullen’s leadership that this process has been so innovative. I note recent iwi leaders’ calls for future Ministers of Finance to also hold the Treaty of Waitangi negotiations portfolio in light of the massive deals brokered under Dr Cullen. 
I acknowledge that this is really just the beginning. There will be many more hui and many more tears mamae walkouts and disagreements both private and public as we move from allocation to utilisation. But this is our journey and the assets we have secured today can serve a purpose by sitting in a bank account accumulating interest until such time as we are clear about the economic development opportunities that the settlement assets afford us. I note as highlighted by Matua Tumu that an economic development plan is next on the agenda as a Crown and iwi initiative. 
To coin a phrase from Barack Obama it is our time—Maori time—and we are not late. All good things happen to those who wait and the future as it has always been is in our hands to create. I wish the whanau safe travels home and I look forward to seeing them ano when this bill is passed. Kia kaha kia toa kia manawanui. No reira tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
Bill read a first time. 
Bill referred to the Maori Affairs Committee 
Sitting suspended from 5.57 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.