Okeroa Mahara: Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
Okeroa Mahara: Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:607;Page:4744] 
MAHARA OKEROA (NZ Labour—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
A tena koutou e kui me te ropu e haere maomao mai mai raro i ta taua nei maunga a Taranaki me te tihi o taua maunga. Uhia mai te tipare rau kawakawa hei tohu no te mate ki a ratou kua uhia mai i te korowai aroha i a ratou timata ai o ratou nei hikoi ki te matatoru te iti me te rahi tena koutou. Tena koutou o koutou nei maia ki te haramai ki te rongo atu i nga korero kua whakahuatia kei roto i tenei pouwhare. Kua rongo hoki koutou kei te tautoko tino tautoko mai te nuinga o matou i te tikanga o tenei pire. Na ka maumahara au i tetehi o nga whakatauakitanga korero e whakaputa mai i o tatou nei poropiti a Te Whiti ki te iwi i a ratou e noho i runga i te marae o Parihaka. Ka metia e te poropiti ki a ratou nga ropu “E te iwi ka riri mai te hau ki a matou ka piko. Ka mutu te riri e te hau ki a matou ka tu ano.” Na kua tae te wa. Ka tu mana ano koutou matou te katoa o nga iwi o Taranaki i tenei wa. Kia whakatutuki pea i nga auwetanga i te haehae o te whatumanawa o ratou ra nga tau heke a kua ngaro ai te katoa. Me ki me ratou ra e mauherere ai kei roto i nga ana kei Te Waipounamu. A ratou ra kua mate ai kua tanumia ai kei te whenua o Te Waipounamu. No reira tena tatou.  
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Greetings to you the elderly womenfolk and the group who travelled here from afar and from that mountain of ours Taranaki. Greetings to its summit. Cover us with the sprig of leaves from the kawakawa tree that is worn around the head to mark death and to honour those who have been shrouded in the cloak of love as they began their journey. To the multitude to the meek and to the illustrious greetings to you. Greetings to you and on your boldness in coming to hear what is being said in this House. You have also heard that the majority of us support what this bill is about—really support it. Now I recall one of the wise sayings that this prophet of ours Te Whiti said to the people when they were living on Parihaka Marae. The prophet said this to the group: “When the wind is angry with us we bend over. When its anger is over we stand up again.” The moment has now arrived. At this moment you and all of us of Taranaki stand with authority. To carry out the anguish perhaps to its completion and the things that cut them up inside all have disappeared over the years—let us say those held captives in caves in the South Island; those who died there and are buried there. Therefore greetings to you 
.] 
I am very pleased to hear so far the level of support that has been expressed for this bill following the start of the debate on its second reading by the Minister the Hon Margaret Wilson. It shows a very collective consciousness towards addressingnga he rawa o mua ake [ 
the things that went wrong before 
] because many of our people not only those in Taranaki have had that kind of mamae for generations. As a former long-term trustee of Parihaka—as an uri of Parihaka just like those in the gallery—I am very very pleased and privileged to stand here as a former chair of the Parihaka trustees and now as the member of Parliament for Te Tai Tonga and sometimes for Taranaki to express our view. 
We understand and you understand without doubt the kinds of statements that have been made about te auwetanga [ 
the anguish 
] because we have lived it. It has been our reality. We understand fully as well the kinds of implications it has had for our people. It is not just about land. Ehara mo te whenua anake. To see you here tonight Mate your having travelled to Wellington as you have done for—I do not know—the last 4 decades kawe mai i taua take i konei na i mua i te aroaro o te Kawana [ 
to bring this matter before the Government 
]. Seeing you here of course causes reflections of memory and I see beside you many other people including my mother. There is a whole range of people involved here not just those who are physically with us me te tini o ratou ma kua whakawairua [ 
but also the vast number of 
thosewho have died 
]. 
I think that is very important because we are talking about not just ourselves who are here physically but also those who are no longer here and those architects of the Taranaki claim which was first sought under the umbrella of the Taranaki Maori Trust Board. We are here to celebrate that. I am really looking forward to the third reading which I think we will have as soon as possible kia haere tika ai te kaupapa kia whakawatea mai pea te toimahatanga mai ra ano i noho i runga pokohiwi. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
so that the matter proceeds in a proper way the burdens that have sat on our shoulders are perhaps cleared away 
.]  
I want to acknowledge also along with the Minister in charge of Treaty Negotiations the work that was done by the previous Minister and the Associate Minister the Hon Georgina te Heuheu and her sterling support as deputy chair of the Maori Affairs Committee. We hope that continues I say to her. I also acknowledge the other members of the select committee. So ahakoa te ruarua hoki o nga kupu kei te noho tonu ai te aroha ki a koutou me te katoa tae noa atu ki te wa wahakatutuki mai i tenei kaupapa.  
[ 
even though the words are few the regards for you and everyone remains and will still be there right up to the time when this matter is completed. 
] 
There is just one more thing. When we took the submissions it was extraordinarily difficult for me to sit there as the chair of the select committee partly because we were in a situation kei te haere wehe wehe mai [ 
where we had come separately 
]. But as I said as the chair a select committee is not a court of law nor can it address issues outstanding and seek legal solutions. That was sought as the honourable Minister has already alluded to through the Treaty of Waitangi in the High Court. We were compelled to pursue the path of the majority. 
In answer to the patai from the honourable member from New Zealand First I say there are seats for everyone to participate in the structure after the claim. It is there he turu mo nga hapu iwi katoa a Ngati Ruanui Tangahoe me Takakohe. Kua kite ai te hiahiatanga kei roto o te wairua o ratou kua waiho kotahi.  
[ 
a seat for the subtribes and all the people of Ngati Ruanui Tangahoe and Takakohe. What is desired can be seen in the spirit of others; it has been left as one 
.]That is the answer to the question the member posed and I do not think we need to go up there and facilitate it. Thank you Mr Chair kia ora mai rirerire hau pai marire ki a tatou katoa.