Flavell Te Ururoa: Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:634;Page:5513] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
Tena koe Madam Speaker. Kia ora tatou katoa i te Whare nei. Kei nga uri o Ngati Ohomairangi koutou o te poari kua haramai tena koutou katoa. 
He aha ta tatou i te ra nei? Kua hara mai tatou o Te Arawa ki tenei wahi ki te whakatikatika i tetahi nawe kua roa e noho ana i roto i te ngakau i te wairua o te iwi ara ko te mana o nga roto o te kainga. E te iwi nau mai hara mai. 
Kei waenganui nga roto nei i te hohonutanga o te ngakau i nga waiata nga pepeha nga hitori me ki kua whakairohia i te ngakau o nga uri whakatupu. Na runga i tera whakaaro ara ano etahi e ki ana kaore tera mana i ngaro i a tatou. A tera korero tera. 
I te tau 1922 kaore e kore ara noa atu nga tumanako o nga koroua i haina i tetahi whakaaetanga i waenganui i a tatou o Te Arawa me te Karauna. He aha te putake o taua whakaaetanga? Ko te mana o nga roto. 
I timata mai ai tenei take i te tau 1909. I taua wa i haere a Te Arawa ki te kooti kia riro mana ma te kooti te take o te mana o nga roto e whakatau. A nawai ra nawai ra i whakataruna te Karauna i nga hiahia o Te Arawa. He mahi huna te mahi kia kore o tatou tupuna e whiwhi i nga mahere a-rohe hei awhina i a ratou i nga kooti. I te tau 1920 i tono te Karauna ki a Te Arawa me tona hiahia ki te whakatau i nga take o Te Arawa. 
Katahi ka whanau mai ko te whakaaetanga i waenga i a tatou ko te Karauna i te tau 1922 penei ano i te mahi i te ra nei. Ko tona tikanga i whai hua a Te Arawa i taua wa. Ko te mate kaore ano kia tutuki a tae ra no ki tenei rangi. Heoi ano waru tekau iwa tekau tau i muri mai he hokinga tuarua mai tenei—kei te hoki tatou ki te puehu i tutu ai i nga tau kua hipa. 
Na te Karauna tenei korero e hoa ma ehara na Te Ururoa. Ko ta te Kawanatanga i hara a ia. Hei tana: ae i whakakohatuhia te nui o te putea ki te 6 mano pauna mo ake tonu atu; ae kaore a ia i arotake i te nui o te putea a-tau no reira i whakakorehia te wariu o taua putea i nga tau; ae nana ano nga ika hou i tuku mai. Ka mutu kua ngaro nga momo ika e mohiotia ana e tatou; ae na raua ko te kaunihera a-rohe i whakariterite nga ahuatanga a-tiaki o nga roto me tona mutunga ake i paru katoa nga roto; ae i hamenehia nga uri o Te Arawa mo te hi ika kore raihana i raro i nga ture o te Kawanatanga; ae ahakoa nga petihana nga tira haere o Te Arawa ki te kuaha o nga Kawanatanga ki nga kooti ki nga taraipiunara kaore ia i aro mai ki te whakatikatika i ona hara. 
Koi ra ta te Karauna e ki nei. Ko taku ko te tautoko. Me tuohu te mahunga ka tika. Hoi ano kei konei tatou i te ra nei. Tera pea me harikoa tatou! He kupu pouri ta te Kawanatanga. Me whakatika te tangata i tana hara me muru i ona hara. Ha! Ko te kupu tuatahi ko te muru i te hara ko te kupu tuarua ka mahi ano hoki ia i te mahi huna. E ki ana te korero he korero tonu ta te po he korero ano ta te ata. 
He putea kua tukuna mai ki a Te Arawa. Tekau miriona taara te nui. A ka pai ka pai! Engari i here tera nui ki te kopaki o te Karauna i kawe haerehia e ia i nga tau kua hipa ara te kopaki i kaha whakahengia e te motu. 
Ko ta nga mea e matatau ana ki enei take he kotahi o-rau noa iho te nui o te putea ko te tikanga ka whiwhi i a tatou. He kongakonga noa iho mena ka titiro tatou ki te nui o nga mea kua ngaro nei i a tatou. Kei hea te painga? Kei te Karauna kei te kaunihera kei te hapori ehara i a Te Arawa. Koi ra te take o te hara mai i te ra nei. Me harikoa? Kao. 
Me whakamoemiti tatou kei te hoki mai nga roto. Ka pai hoki! A taihoa. Ko ta te Kawanatanga ko nga roto kei te hoki mai engari kaua ko te wai. Ko etahi o koutou o te kainga hoki i patai te patai: “Ha! He aha tenei mea o te roto mena karekau he wai o roto?”. Katahi te mahi rorirori ko tera! 
Engari kaore i mutu i reira. Kua puta te korero nona te wai nona te rangi i runga ake i te whenua. Naku tonu i whakatakoto te patai: “ E ki e ki na wai i ki nou tenei mea ko te ‘Crown stratum’ e korerohia ake nei?”. Ko ta te Minita no mua noa atu no te Land Act 1948. E hoa ma karekau he korero i reira. Ko tenei te wa tuatahi kua puta tenei korero ki te motu. 
Ko etahi ka ki a “He aha te raru o tera?”. Me ki mena ka whakaaetia mai ai i konei kua mana tera korero a ka pa ano te hohonutanga o tera korero ki nga iwi hapu e whai panga ana ki tenei mea ko te wai. 
Me ki kei te whakaae tatou ki ta te Kawanatanga korero nona era ahuatanga katoa ahakoa kaore ano tera whakaaro kia whakamatauria i nga kooti i hea ranei. He mahi raupatu te mahi ko Te Arawa te utu na to tatou whakaaetanga noa atu. Tera korero tera. 
Na kua ki mai te Kawanatanga he ropu whaiti ka whakaturia hei whakapaipai ake i nga roto. Hei ta te pire nei ko nga mea o Te Kaunihera a-Rohe ko nga mea o Environment Bay of Plenty a ko te tokorua o tatou o Te Arawa. E ki e ki tokorua noa iho nga mea o Te Arawa engari karekau he korero mo te tokomaha o aua ropu e rua ka tahi ka rua mena ka riro ki a tatou te mana o nga roto ko tona tikanga kei a tatou te kupu whakamutunga? 
Ko tona tikanga kia orite te tokomaha o Te Arawa ki te kotahitanga o nga ropu e rua? Kao kaua i tenei pira. Ko te kupu whakamutunga kei tangata ke kei a ratou te hunga i tuku i te pirau ki nga roto i te tuatahi. Ehara i te mea kei te ki au me pana atu. Kao. Me noho atu engari me waiho ki a tatou te korero whakamutunga. 
Ae ko nga roto kei te hoki mai me ki ko te whenua i raro i te wai. Me harikoa ano tatou kua whiwhi i a tatou ko nga pirau ko nga paru ko nga tutae ko nga hamuti i waihotia mai e te Kawanatanga e te kaunihera? Koia nei te tutae i kitea mai ai i korerohia mai ai e etahi o te kainga. Ko te tutae te hoa haere i a ratou e kaukau ana i te awa o Utuhina.  
Me harikoa i te mea hei ta te Karauna ehara no Te Arawa te he mo te ahuatanga o te paru o nga roto? Na ka pataia te patai: “Ma wai te he e whakatika?”. Ma wai nga roto e whakatika? Ko tona tikanga ma te Karauna ma te Kaunihera a-Rohe me Environment Bay of Plenty.  
Ka pehea te nui o te putea hei whakatika i nga roto? Ko te nuinga kei te ki rahi ake i te 200 miriona. Kaore ano au kia rongo i te nui o te koha o tena o tena o nga ropu nei. Me mataara tatou.  
Na kati. E te iwi naku enei korero i whakatakoto ki mua i te Paremata i tenei wiki tonu nei. I te mohio tonu ahau ahakoa pehea aku korero he turi te Kawanatanga e kore a ia e aro mai. He hiahia noku ki te whakatikatika i nga mea huna. Ko nga korero katoa i hinga. Engari i tona mutunga i whai au i te korero “Kei mate wheke me mate ururoa.” 
Koi nei te ahuatanga o enei mea. Ko te kupu pouri o te Kawanatanga kei te ki ae kua whai a Te Arawa i nga herenga me nga kawenga o te Tiriti o Waitangi; ae i kaha tautoko nei a Te Arawa i te haerenga ki tawahi. Ko Te Hokowhitu a Tu tera; ae i koha a Te Arawa i etahi wahanga o te putea i tukuna mai i te 1922 ki te motu i nga tau toru tekau wha tekau; ae i nganga a Te Arawa ki te mahitahi me te Karauna; ae i kaha ano no Te Arawa ki te tautoko i nga mahi turuhi mo te painga o te motu. Na he aha te hokinga mai? He paku kongakonga.  
I tenei ra kia mohio mai koutou tokorua o matou kei te tautoko i te pire nei ko te tokorua kaore i te whakaae kaore i te whakahe. Kei te marama tonu tatou ki te hiahia o etahi o te kainga o etahi o te iwi. Engari e kore rawa au whakaae ki nga mahi a te Karauna me ana mahi whakaiti kore kore kore rawa! Ko aku raru ki nga korero a wetahi i whakahe nei i tenei tu. Koi nei te hunga i whakaae kia taka mai ko te takutai moana ki raro i te mana o te Karauna ara ko te hunga mahi muru whenua. Me whakairi taku ingoa ki te taha o tera hunga kore rawa! 
E te iwi kia ora mai tatou. He ra ano apopo ka whiti mai te ra. Kua ea te wahanga ki a au. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you Madam Speaker and to all of us in this House. Welcome to the descendants of Ngati Ohomarangi and to you the board. Greetings to you all. 
What is our purpose for this day? We of Te Arawa have come to this place to remedy a pain that has long lingered in the hearts and souls of our people; that is the ownership of our lakes. Welcome to you the people welcome. 
Our lakes are deeply embedded in our tribal spirit through our songs our proverbs and our history. Let us say that the issue is carved in the very souls of the descendants of Te Arawa. Because of that many would suggest that the ownership was never relinquished. Let that statement stand. 
In 1922 with a vision for a better future in an honourable gesture our elders signed an agreement between Te Arawa and the Crown. What was the basis for that honourable act? It was the ownership of the lakes. 
This issue had its genesis in 1909. At that time Te Arawa turned to the court for a ruling to determine ownership of the lakes. Over time the Crown used stalling tactics to delay the process and in doing so stifle the desires of Te Arawa. Our ancestors were denied access particularly to maps and survey plans that could assist in the just settlement of the issue. In 1920 the Crown approached Te Arawa to negotiate a settlement of claims. 
From there was born an agreement between us and the Crown in 1922 just as we are concluding today. It was thought that benefits would flow to Te Arawa following that agreement but the problem is that justice has not been done. Justice has not been done right through to the present day. So here we are 80 or 90 years on returning a second time—it is a return to the sands that were disturbed at that time. 
This is what the Crown had to say friends not I Te Ururoa. The Crown confessed to its sins. They say yes they set the annuity at £6000 in perpetuity; yes they did not review the yearly annuity and therefore acknowledge a depreciation of the value of the annuity; yes; they also introduced a new species of fish and the end result was the destruction of indigenous species; yes along with the council they determined the nature of the care of the lakes resulting in severe pollution of all the lakes; yes the descendants of Te Arawa were prosecuted for fishing without licences according to the law of the Government; yes despite petitions and delegations by Te Arawa to the Government to the court to the tribunal the Government has refused to remedy that which it has despoiled. 
This is what the Crown says. For my part I agree. It is right and proper that they should bow their heads in shame. And here we are today. Perhaps we should be happy! The Crown has offered an apology. It is only right that he who has erred should repent. But hold it! On the one hand they utter remorse; on the other they repeat their offence. It is said that the words of the night differ from the murmurings of the dawn. 
We have got some money—$10 million. Awesome! Hear hear! However the amount is bound to the fiscal envelope of the Crown taken by it in years past and vigorously rejected by Maori. 
According to those who are knowledgable on these issues we will only ever get 1 percent of the real value of that which was illegally taken. These are mere crumbs when compared with what was lost. Who benefits? It is the Crown the district council and the community. Not Te Arawa! That is the reason for this journey today. Should we rejoice? No! 
We should also give thanks for the return of the lakes. That is great. Wait up—according to the Government the lakes are indeed going to return but not the water. Some of you and those from home have posed the question: “Heck! So what is this thing called a lake if it does not contain any water?”. What a stupid thought that is! 
But the stupidity did not stop there. The statement has been made that the Crown owns the water and the sky above the land. I asked the question: “So who said you owned this thing called the Crown stratum?”. The Minister’s response was that that thought had always been there right from the Land Act 1948. Members need to know that there is no statement about that and that this is the first; this is the first time this statement has been made public.  
Some would say: “What’s the problem?”. Let me put it this way. If it is agreed to here and becomes law the implications will be profound and felt by those other iwi and hapu whose claims will follow ours. 
So if we agree to what the Crown says that those aspects belong to it—even though it has never been tested in court or anywhere else—that is confiscation. As a result of our acquiescence we will become implicated along with the Crown. Leave that thought there. 
The Crown has said that a working-group has been established to revitalise the lakes. According to this bill the committee will consist of members of the district council and Environment Bay of Plenty—and only a mere two from Te Arawa. What arrogance! Firstly only two from Te Arawa and not a mention of the number from those other two groups! Secondly if we are the owners then surely we must be the decision makers. 
Should it not be that the numbers for Te Arawa are equal to the collective numbers of the other two groups? No not in this bill. A final word rests with people other than those who allowed the pollution of the lakes in the first place. It is not as if I am saying to get rid of them. No they should stay but the mana should be with us. 
The Minister said it is not possible for anyone to own water. But according to him the Crown has the authority to determine the usage. Yes the lakes are returned—well at least the land below the water. We should rejoice that we now possess the filth the pollution the excrement left by the Government and the council! This is the excrement that was seen and spoken about by some from home. Faeces became the swimming companion for those bathing in the waters of the Utuhina Stream. 
We should be happy because it was the Crown not Te Arawa that abdicated responsibilities for the pollution of the lakes. So one has to ask the question: “Who will fix it?”. Who will clean up the lakes? It would be appropriate for the Crown and the Rotorua District Council and Environment Bay of Plenty to do that.  
How much would it cost to remedy the situation? Many would say that it is in excess of $200 million but I have not heard about the contribution of these respective groups. Let us be aware. 
Enough! People I set out these concerns in Parliament just this week with the full knowledge that the Government would not listen to or take notice of what I had to say. It was my desire to correct those things that were not nakedly apparent. All that I put forward was voted down but I thought it best to be defeated fighting like a shark rather than to limply surrender like an octopus. 
This is how these things are done. The Crown apology says: yes Te Arawa has honoured its responsibilities and obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi; yes we have contributed to the war efforts overseas; yes we contributed gifts as portions of the annuity for the national good in the 1930s and 1940s; yes we demonstrated a record of cooperation with the Crown; and yes we made a significant contribution to tourism and the wealth of New Zealand. What is the return? Breadcrumbs!  
Today members need to know that two of us will support this bill and two are neither for nor against. We know what some at home some of the people want. But I will never agree to the processes of the Crown and its behaviour of belittling us—never never never. I have no issue with those who may disagree with me and the position I am taking. They are probably the ones who agreed that the foreshore and seabed should come under the Crown—that act of land confiscation. Will I hang my name beside them? No way!  
And so greetings to you the people. Tomorrow is another day and the sun will rise for sure. My part has been done. 
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