Whaitiri MekaHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti): E te Māngai o te Whare tēnā koe otirā ngā mema katoa o te Whare nei tēnā tātou katoa. E ngā uri o Rongomaiwhenua nau mai haramai hoki mai ki tō Whare. Ka nui te mihi kia kitekite i a koutou i runga i te kaupapa whakahirahira. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou. [Greetings to the Speaker and to all members of the House. To the descendants of Rongomaiwhenua welcome welcome back to your House. I really acknowledge seeing you all here upon this important occasion. Thank you once twice thanking us all here.]I was honoured to join with colleagues in welcoming our visitors to the legislative chambers today so I felt it was important that I acknowledge their presence in this House in supporting the first reading of their settlement bill. It is indeed an honour to stand as the member for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti and I bring the wishes of the many tribes from the East Coast to acknowledge your presence here but more importantly to acknowledge your story. And that was shared in the pōwhiri. I want to acknowledge the many tīpuna that they read out those that were around in the 1862 part of the pitihana that was written to Sir George Grey—to those tīpuna who are no longer here. It is some 159 years later since that first original petition in 1862 was written to this place—to Sir George Grey—seeking protection as guaranteed under the Treaty of Waitangi.So it is unique. It is important that I stand and honour these people the iwi of Rēkohu and their story here today. The uniqueness in every settlement has this one—but this particular settlement acknowledged that the invasion wasn't the Crown. The invasion in this story is Māori on Moriori and I think it's important that we acknowledge the significance of this legislation in acknowledging that. And there's a lot of history I know that will come out as we passage the bill but I just want to acknowledge the Moriori iwi for their patience for their perseverance but more importantly when most people have their homes invaded there is very few that may not lift up arms to protect and essentially this is what these people did: in all humility they maintained their tikanga no matter who came to their shores. So it is timely that this House recognises that absolute commitment to their tikanga as a people and as they return some semblance to how they operated on these beautiful islands of Rēkohu as we initiate this bill through the House.Like many I've had the fortune to visit Rēkohu many years ago when the delegation of Government Ministers went and helped open the extension of the wharf. And my colleague the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee talked about the runway. I know that's an area that we need to also look at improving in terms of access to the island. But it's a beautiful island and in my visit there—and my connection to that area is also as an uri of those people that were incarcerated: Te Kooti but also my great great great great grandfather Te Warahi Poutini who was also incarcerated on the Chathams.So I want acknowledge the Moriori people for your manaaki of our people that got sent to your islands in acknowledging the importance of this first reading. Nō reira e te iwi i tae mai nei tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.[To those of you that have arrived here greetings.]