Hereora Dave: Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Hereora Dave: Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:634;Page:5507] 
DAVE HEREORA (Labour) 
: 
 I would like to share the comments of the Minister and I acknowledge the presence of Te Arawa here today. As chair of the Maori Affairs Committee I will follow that up with a few other comments as we witnessed the process. To do that I want to share with the House the outline of the submission from the Te Arawa Maori Trust Board. 
The submission is headed: “Is it the best offer that we can negotiate?”. It reads as follows: “The trust board strongly believes that the Crown’s settlement offer represents the best outcomes that Te Arawa can achieve in all aspects of this settlement. The trust board believes that the Crown’s settlement offer will enable Te Arawa to develop and maintain effective and meaningful relationships with the lakes. Among other things that will increase our ability to participate in a positive manner in both the local and national community. Therefore the trust board strongly believes that accepting the Crown’s settlement offer is in the best interests of Te Arawa. It is important to understand that Treaty settlements occur in a political setting and so are governed by a number of political constraints. Further the trust board is aware that the current political climate is somewhat different from the political climate in which the trust board began these negotiations. For that reason the trust board believes that it is now even less likely that a more appropriate settlement package could be negotiated for Te Arawa. In respect of the lakes in future the trust board is aware that the Crown’s settlement offer may not please everyone. However the trust board strongly believes that the Crown’s settlement offer is the best that Te Arawa can negotiate. Given this the trust board believes that now is the best time to settle the lakes claims so that Te Arawa may use the benefits of the settlement to strengthen and rebuild Te Arawa’s relationship with the lakes.” 
 I see that last sentence as very important because it talks about arriving at a place at a point to make a decision. Having read that I point out that it shows that the decision Te Arawa had to make was not an easy one. It was a very difficult decision and it was a hard one but it is a decision that they made and their decision obviously was to seek agreement through this deed and through this legislation. I want to acknowledge that because it is about leadership. It is about an iwi taking on board its responsibilities and being aware of what it takes to move on. It is hard and it is difficult. 
I want to comment that when we come into this House as members of Parliament we also have to make difficult decisions—very difficult decisions. Sometimes they are decisions that we do not like but we are here to make those decisions and they are based on a vote. They are based on a “Yes” vote or a “No” vote. If it is a “Yes” vote we stand up and we support that conviction. Equally everybody knows that if it is a “No” vote we do the same. But to abstain on a vote is I think a cop-out. Abstaining on a vote is not saying: “Yes we agree.” or: “No we do not agree.” It does not give us a platform to stand up and support a conviction at all. So I urge members when it comes to vote on this bill today to vote either for or against it. Members should state their conviction by voting appropriately. I think that that is important. 
I think it is equally important to mention the piece from the Te Arawa Maori Trust Board’s submission because it smacks heavily of having to make those hard decisions—about having the responsibility and nurturing that responsibility for the future. I congratulate Te Arawa on giving us that foresight. 
I thank the members of the select committee who participated throughout the process the clerks and you Madam Speaker as I understand that you were part of setting up the process as well. I thank my colleagues on the committee and finally I congratulate Te Arawa. Kia ora tatou.