Whaitiri Meka: Te Urewera-Tūhoe Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWhaitiri Meka: Te Urewera-Tūhoe Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 07 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17645. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): Ā tēnā koe Mr Deputy Speaker. Tēnā tātou katoa ngā mema o te Whare nei. E te iwi kua tae mai i Tūhoe mana Tūhoe reo Tūhoe tangata nau mai nau mai hoki mai. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou kua tae mai tēnā koutou katoa.[And so thank you Mr Deputy Speaker. Salutations to you all members of this House. To the tribe who have arrived from Tūhoe where status language and people prevail welcome welcome and welcome back. I acknowledge you greatly and commend you all.]I join with members of the House in rising in support of the second reading of a significant Treaty settlement bill the Te Urewera-Tūhoe Bill and to acknowledge the people who have been instrumental in presenting this bill to the House today. I join with all members in acknowledging the work that has gone before us and look forward to the third and final reading and passage of this bill.Our side of the House like all members of this House supports and acknowledges the reconciliation process for historical breaches of the Treaty between the Crown and Māori and we see the Waitangi Tribunal and the Treaty process as critical parts of that process. We acknowledge the commitment particularly of Ngāi Tūhoe to reach an agreement with the Crown today but we also acknowledge that it must be a durable settlement.Each settlement is unique and its redress components attempt to restore what has been taken and what can be preserved and developed for future generations. I am going to touch on those shortly. We also acknowledge that Treaty settlements are an important part of our modern identity and we hope that in this case Ngāi Tūhoe the Crown and our communities will better understand the conflict of our past and the commitment to resolve outstanding grievances in the hope of a shared future.The Te Urewera-Tūhoe Bill gives effect to the deed of settlement signed on 4 June 2013 in which the Crown and Tūhoe agreed to the final settlement of the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of Tūhoe. The deed of settlement sets out in full the redress provided to Tūhoe in settlement of all of their historical claims.Like with all calls I take on Treaty bills I try to find the unique difference in this bill and in each and every Treaty settlement bill that comes through this House. I particularly want to acknowledge—and there are many in this settlement—three unique aspects of this bill and acknowledge the innovation demonstrated by Ngāi Tūhoe negotiators. That is clearly Te Urewera and I acknowledge that giving an area of land its own legislation is unique.As far as our people are concerned our awas our maunga and our whenua are like our tīpuna and so giving Te Urewera its own legal structure is I think clearly innovative and I want to acknowledge that. Te Urewera will have its own legislation and exist as a separate legal entity. It will be governed by Tūhoe and Crown nominees to act in the best interests of Te Urewera. In reading the details it is a 50:50 split but the descending Crown representation and return to full Tūhoe governance is again quite innovative and I applaud both the negotiators and theMinister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations for agreeing to that for this taonga of Te Urewera.The other unique feature in this settlement is the mana motuhake redress which relates to improved relationships between Tūhoe and the Crown and the delivery of Government and iwi services to Tūhoe communities. Standing as a former negotiator I know that that was something that our iwi were interested in entering into. Obviously we did not have the kaha that Tūhoe have but I do acknowledge that you were able to get this in your package Tāmati. I know that having an influence on Government services that impact on your people’s lives is a critical step forward in helping manage what I believe are the issues that only we can tackle and they are the issues of our own people. So I do want to acknowledge that particular aspect in this bill.The third part is not so much a part but an absolute acknowledgment of the shared interest in the idyllic settlement of Waikaremoana. I want to again pay tribute to the manaaki and hūmārie way in which Ngāi Tūhoe negotiators have worked with all the people around Lake Waikaremoana: Ngāti Ruapani and of course Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa. I acknowledge that it is not often an easy thing to undertake. I do want to say that the way in which you have done that the door that you have opened and availed to the people of Tūai and Lake Waikaremoana knowing that often it is not an easy process when we have historic challenges around whakapapa—I do just want to go on record as saying that I appreciate the way and manner in which that has been done.For the people of Waikaremoana Tūhoe Ngāti Ruapani and Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa in terms of their interests in the Waikaremoana lake bed and surrounding reserve lands—clearly in the Māori Affairs Committee process we received submissions from various groups to ensure that their interests around the lake bed and reserve lands surrounding it were going to be protected. I am very happy with the consideration given the examination by the Māori Affairs Committee to ensure that those interests and submissions were not only received but taken seriously.I want to acknowledge our chairman the Hon Tau Henare to whom we look as members of the select committee for win-wins. I want to say yet again that I do need to acknowledge your leadership Tau in ensuring that the passage of this bill came through as expediently as it possibly could without impinging on the rights of the submitters. I am happy with the position of ensuring that the Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa interest in the lake bed remains with the Wairoa Waikaremoana Māori Trust Board which has a 28 percent interest and 72 percent goes to the Ngāi Tūhoe entities. I particularly want to acknowledge the committee in coming to that conclusion.In terms of the reserve lands it is heartening to see that in March this year the ahu whenua trust ruling was made which again protects the beneficial owners the shareholders in the reserve lands surrounding Lake Waikaremoana. We had several submitters passionately wanting to preserve their rights and interests in those reserve lands. Again this goes to show the constructive way in which the Māori Affairs Committee works and the advice that we get from officials to ensure that we get what we consider is a durable settlement at the end of the day.There is much in this bill to highlight and celebrate. We will leave that for the third reading. This is really my opportunity to acknowledge and thank Ngāi Tūhoe negotiators ably led by Tāmati Kruger; the governors and negotiators of Ngāi Tūhoe; obviously the honourable Minister Chris Finlayson and his officials for opening negotiations and negotiating this settlement bill through the House; and of course my colleagues in the Māori Affairs Committee. I enjoy working with them. Like all members of this House I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora tātou.