Horomia Parekura: Ngati Manawa Claims Settlement Bill Ngati Whare Claims Settlement Bill — Third Readings 
Horomia Parekura: Ngati Manawa Claims Settlement Bill Ngati Whare Claims Settlement Bill — Third Readings 
[Volume:678;Page:1461] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rawhiti) 
: 
 E tautokotia atu te mihimihi mo to tatou Minita Maori ki a koutou katoa e tae tahi mai ki konei e mau ake i nga nawe nga taumaha mai ra no mo te otinga o nga kereme. Ahakoa te roaroa hoki o te tae ki tenei wa e kua tae atu koutou. No reira mihi kau ana. Mihi kau ana ki a koutou e noho roroa atu i roto i te ngahere i nga wahi e tuku korero atu to tatou Minita. No reira tena koutou. Ahakoa nga piki nga heke nga pakanga i konei ke tatou hei whai kaha hei oti pai mo koutou.  
E tika atu ki te mihi atu ki a ratou e rere atu e haere atu ki tera wahi. E mohio atu tatou ahakoa na wai no whea e tae atu katoa ki reira nga tangata pera i a Bill i a ratou ma nga tu pakeke e kore i konei. Mohio atu tatou he nui atu nga kanohi kare i konei e wharakitia atu te huarahi mo te tae penei tonu. No reira i a koutou katoa e mihi kau ana. Tena koutou tena tatou katoa. E hiahia ana ki te tuku korero mo ia ingoa e waiho atu wetahi ki waho engari ki a koutou katoa tena koutou.  
[ 
I endorse the sentiments of welcome expressed by our Minister of Maori Affairs to you all who have arrived here with your grievances and burdens from way back about the completion of claims. Even though it has taken a very long time to reach this point hey! You have made it. And so I congratulate you. I do appreciate the great length of time you have waited in the bush and at places where our Minister sent you information. I acknowledge your patience. Well done. Despite the ups downs and differences we were here working hard to ensure that it works out well for you in the finish.  
Of course it is appropriate that we acknowledge those ones who have passed away and gone. We know that regardless who it is or where they are from persons of that calibre like Bill all of them—elders who are no longer here—will eventually end up in that place. We know that there are many many faces that we no longer see today. They have gone ahead to line the pathway to that place. And so I salute you all. Even though I would like to say something to each of you individually it is possible that I will leave someone out and hence the salutation; greetings all. 
] 
Labour will be supporting the Ngati Manawa Claims Settlement Bill and the Ngati Whare Claims Settlement Bill as we have done from 2004 and we look forward to a great day finishing well for these people who have travelled a long long way. I join with the Minister of Maori Affairs in the references that he has made to the dastardly deeds of the Crown and everything else certainly mentioning clearly about trying to put things right. It is not everything that should be put right but at least it is a start in relation to nationhood. We preach and preach at times about nationhood but certainly one wonders whether we are serious about it. And today in this claim from Ngati Manawa and Ngati Whare certainly we hope that it is a start to correct those things that were not good that were not nice and that certainly have sat around for a long long time. I want to commend Ngati Manawa and Ngati Whare for their patience for their perseverance and most of all for having enough courage to get to this stage of the settlement process.  
The Ngati Manawa agreement in principle was signed on 18 September 2009. It certainly is important to mention Bill Bird. There are people whom you meet in working in this place when you are a long time working with Maoridom. There are certain characters who stand out and Bill was just that. He had a smile a mile long. I saw him convince Pakeha minds to turn round through his sheer tenacity. Certainly Bill is missed here today and so is Maramena Vercoe and all of those people who really supported this thing.  
The legislation settles all remaining historical Treaty claims of Ngati Manawa. Both iwi were part of the central North Island deal in 2008. The real issue for me in relation to Ngati Manawa and Ngati Whare is that they took the time to step back in relation to their settlement pathway to make sure that the central North Island deal was settled and they need to be recognised for that. In the financial redress through the central North Island forest lands settlements Ngati Manawa’s share is $12.2 million. We need to recognise that Ngai Manawa’s negotiations were put on hold and that they had some real tensions in getting here. There is special unique redress in relation to Ngati Manawa and I wish there was more of this Minister in other settlements. It is $2.6 million for special projects nominated by Ngati Manawa. That certainly is recognising and showing courage in the trust.  
I think one of the great things in Ngati Manawa’s settlement is the name changes. I wish it could happen a lot more. I get sick of looking at Lochinvar Street or Westwood Way or whatever and knowing that they have Maori names. There needs to be correction and that Lake Aniwhenua and Aniwhenua Falls will be changed to Aniwaniwa is something worthwhile to recognise. I think it is good enough to do a lot more.  
Te Runanga o Ngati Manawa fisheries advisory committee will have a direct link with the Ministers of conservation and fisheries. It will be facilitated in relation to having a key role between Ngati Manawa the Crown Environment Bay of Plenty and the energy industry reps to discuss these issues. It really is important that Ngati Manawa takes the role especially with all the agitation about fracking and tracking and everything else and that they are in at the start in relation to all of these issues.  
In 1874 and 1873 Ngati Manawa agreed to lease several large blocks of land to the Crown and private parties. However despite agreeing to lease these blocks the Crown would not pay regular rent until the Native Land Court had determined ownership of it. Court hearings caused great disruption and hardship for Ngati Manawa on several occasions between 1878 and 1890. In 1895 Ngati Manawa were party to the agreement to establish the Urewera District Native Reserve. The Crown agreed with Maori that the land in the reserve would be under tribal administration and excluded it from the Native Land Court process. Despite this agreement the Crown later enacted legislation restoring the Native Land Court process and facilitating purchases from individual owners in 1914. By 1927 Ngati Manawa were virtually landless. Some reserves were set aside for them from the land they had sold but they were inadequate and did not include all the land Ngati Manawa thought had been reserved.  
There are issues in relation to future protocols. The deed of settlement provides for certain Ministers to issue protocols that set out how the respective agencies will interact with and consult Ngati Manawa when carrying out statutory duties and functions. The protocols have been tailored to reflect the aspirations of Ngati Manawa. These Ministers are the fisheries Minister the Minister of Conservation the Minister of Energy and Resources and the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage. Not wanting to name the Ministers but I want to suggest to Ngati Manawa to make sure that you get a good team up there and that those Ministers stick to the charter not like in 1927.  
In the case of Ngati Whare the deed of settlement by Chris Finlayson the Minister is dated 8 and 12 December 2009. I want to mention my whanau over there James Carlson and Bronco Kohiti Kohiti Lena Brew—and it is no good carrying on naming people because you leave people out. The financial and commercial redress provided from the central North Island settlement has a similarity to Ngati Manawa’s. Co-management of the Whirinaki Forest Park with the East Coast Bay of Plenty Conservation Board is part of the unique special redress. There are 640 hectares of Crown land 10 percent of the central North Island forest lands for Project Whirinaki a regeneration project and I think that is where the iwi show their kindness. Somebody else chops the forest down and gets the lumber and they miss out.  
In relation to Ngati Whare Minginui and Te Whaiti were huge workforce towns. Maori are loyal especially in Ngati Whare and Ngati Manawa. If you take Murupara those three towns had huge workforce populations. In relation to the atypical departure of the Crown a lot of people were put asunder with high unemployment unnecessarily failing economic businesses and things like that and the Maori people there suffered. It certainly is a great testament to their ability to be here to finalise these settlements. I think we need to remember that Maori were loyal for years and generations. They worked for the company they built Murupara they built Te Whaiti they built Minginui and they lived in them and they thrived. They are towns that are still thriving. There are empty houses and there are a whole lot of sections and opportunities for these two great iwi in relation to this settlement.  
We will be supporting this legislation to the end and we want to thank Minister Finlayson especially for his efforts and to thank those members of the Office of Treaty Settlements the Crown Forestry Rental Trust Te Puni Kokiri and all those officials who were sometimes damned for whatever they may do. Today certainly is a day for Ngati Manawa and Ngati Whare and I wish them all the best. Kia ora tatou.