Kaye Nikki: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Kaye Nikki: Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:664;Page:11860] 
NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) 
: 
 Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. I am pleased to speak on this Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill but I will start by recognising the members across the House including former Labour Ministers who have contributed to this process. I also acknowledge the recognition by the previous speaker Nicky Wagner of the significance of this settlement to a member of this House. This settlement is for Minister Turia’s whanau her people. Occasionally in this House members are able to look back on the words they said as a newbie MP. In my maiden statement I said: “In supporting this National Government the Maori Party MPs have shown that they are not bound by rigid left or right-wing ideology in their pursuit of better lives for all Maori.” I acknowledge Minister Turia and the Maori Party for the purposeful and hard-working job they are doing in walking a line that is enabling them to keep their independence as a party while making extraordinary progress for Maori. This week’s announcement on the foreshore and seabed is a real achievement which guarantees access to our beaches while restoring the ability of Maori to have the fundamental right to test their rights within our court system. That is a fundamental right of all New Zealanders and I support that. 
I will touch on why we are here and on why we are doing these settlements for all New Zealanders. Firstly we believe that Maori are seeing the benefits that settling claims in a timely fashion can bring to their people and we know that by doing that in a timely fashion we can see that new jobs are created and economic development is unlocked. Secondly we are doing this because we fundamentally acknowledge that there is unfairness that we need to make amends for mistakes and that we need to accept each other’s apologies. Thirdly we are doing this because we want to live in a country that moves beyond grievance to the empowerment of people. 
I have just a few other comments to make. Obviously we acknowledge the pace our Government is working at and I acknowledge Mr Finlayson for the huge amount of work that he has done. I think that previous speakers have called him someone who has a huge intellect and graciousness and I support those comments. We have put a lot of money into speeding up the pace of these settlements and I think that people are acknowledging that. 
But this settlement is really about Ngati Apa and I acknowledge Minister Turia’s comments that this bill is life-changing for them. Ngati Apa has more than 3200 members. The historical grievances of the iwi relate primarily to the Crown’s purchase in 1849 of the 260000 acre Rangitikei-Turakina block including the Crown’s subsequent failure to adequately protect approximately 35000 acres of reserves set aside from that transaction. I acknowledge that this is the final settlement of all of Ngati Apa’s North Island historical claims. Nicky Wagner acknowledged the fact that the package includes cultural redress and financial and commercial redress. 
I acknowledge members of the Maori Affairs Committee and in particular Tau Henare for the way that he has led that committee. In closing I speak to the people of Ngati Apa when I say: Ngati Apa mauri ora ki a koutou katoa. Thank you.