Finlayson ChristopherHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (National): Those who snipe about Treaty settlements really ought to familiarise themselves with the facts that gave rise to this negotiation. Even a cursory reading of the acknowledgments and the historical account indicates that what was lost here by the good people of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa was very very extensive. That is why this is I think the fourth-largest settlement in the history of Treaty negotiations.It was a great day when we signed the deed of settlement at Wairoa. I think Mr Korako was there and Jo Hayes. I don't know that Meka Whaitiri was there; I think she had a tangi or some other commitment as the MP for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti. But it was a great settlement and I commend the negotiators for all the very good work that they did.I've got only a few comments I want to make because this is after all a second reading speech and consistent with the Standing Orders I will focus on the bill as it emerged from the select committee so as not to incur the Deputy Speaker's wrath.The first thing I want to talk about is the Hereheretau Station. For myself I'm not all that happy with the outcome here. I can't for the life of me see why the bare title couldn't be held by the relevant hapū of Te Wairoa and I hope that the administration will look into that because I would have thought that that was a perfectly acceptable outcome with the income going to the scholarships as set up by the trust.I'm always very wary as some of the members of the Government know about those who say that an asset is a strategic asset. I recall very well a couple of years ago Michael Cullen had been told in relation to Flock House and the farm around Flock House that it was unavailable for a settlement with Ngāti Apa because it was a strategic asset. Then a couple of years later after the legislation had been passed the relevant Crown entity—I think it was AgResearch—put Flock House and the farm on the market. It took Adrian Rurawhe and his team at Ngāti Apa to threaten to occupy the land for there to be a useful discussion and of course that farm has now been transferred to Ngāti Apa and they are doing amazing work there with a neighbouring farming family called the Dalrymples. They're doing great work. I inspected it a couple of months ago with Ian McKelvie the local MP and I said to myself: how was it that this farm was ever considered to be a so-called strategic asset? This issue needs to be interrogated fairly carefully over the next little period because as I say I can't see why the land cannot be held by the hapū and the proceeds go to the beneficiaries of the trust.The second issue I want to talk about is the Te Urewera partnership agreement. I note that the select committee received submissions on it and some people thought the redress was unfair or inequitable. But I beg to differ; I think it's very good redress—that there are these overlapping claims. As the report says there are six iwi who have overlapping interests in this area. There's Ngāi Tūhoe which I settled; Ngai Tāmanuhiri which I settled; Ngāti Pāhauwera which I settled; Rongowhakaata which I settled; and then you've got Māhaki—well it'll settle when one particular person gets his act in order—and Ngāti Ruapani which should be able to be settled in five minutes as soon as Tūhoe give Mr Little the instruction.But there are overlapping interests and they need to be looked at. I think that the partnership agreement set out in Subpart 8 of Part 2 which provides for the establishment of a partnership agreement between Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust and Te Urewera Board will actually do a very good job. I think it's a very good solution to dealing with these overlapping claims. I say to Wairoa: all my dealings with Ngāi Tūhoe have been more than satisfactory. They're excellent people and I am sure they are going to deal with Wairoa in a very practical and just manner.I have every confidence that the partnership agreement is going to work well. People would expect me to say that because it's well known that Tūhoe have adopted me much to the chagrin of Sir Tīpene O'Regan who thought he had me. But I'm probably the Pākehā son of Ngāi Tūhoe and also Ngāi Tāhu to settle down Nuk Korako.The final issue concerns Ngāti Kahungunu's interests in Lake Waikaremoana. This was a deed that was drawn up I think a long time ago by a great friend of both Wairoa or Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tūhoe the former High Court judge Sir Rodney Gallen. I know that the interests are being renegotiated at the moment. The background to the lake bed issue doesn't reflect very well on the Crown at all and there was a resolution of sorts in 1970 I think but generosity of spirit meant that both Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Tūhoe compromised as they always do for the Crown. I know that those issues are being looked at now. I am sure that the Wairoa Waikaremoana Māori Trust Board will have plenty to say about that in the fullness of time.So it's a good settlement. I commend the committee for the work it has done. It always amazes me when you hear members of the Māori Affairs Committee speak—anyone would think you walk in the room and there's an outbreak of aroha and that they work together famously in comparison with the other select committees. All I can say is yeah right! We know that it was daggers drawn on Te Ture Whenua Māori Bill and it looks as though that's going to be botched up by the Government and I'm very disappointed about that. But there you have it. That's the way it goes. We'll just have to re-enact the reform when we get back in in 18 months' time. But with those comments I commend the bill to the House.