Tremain Chris: Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Tremain Chris: Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 26 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:4046. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon CHRIS TREMAIN (Minister of Internal Affairs) 
: 
 Tihei mauri ora. Whakataka te hau ki te uru whakataka te hau ki te tonga. Kia makinakina ki uta kia mataratara ki tai. E hi ake ana te atakura he tio he huka he hauhunga. Tena koutou. Ki te Whare e tu nei tena koe ki a Papatuanuku kei waho tena koe. Ki nga mate haere haere haere. Ki nga tangata rangatira kaumatua o Rongowhakaata tena koutou. Ki nga mema o te Paremata tena koutou. Ki a koe te Kaikorero hoki tena koe. Tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
[ 
Behold the sneeze of life. Cease the winds from the west cease the winds from the south. Let the breezes blow over the land let the breezes blow over the ocean. Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air a touch of frost and a promise of a glorious day. Greetings to you collectively greetings to the House standing before us and greetings to Mother Earth outside. Depart the deaths depart farewell. Acknowledgments to you the leaders and elder folk of Rongowhakaata to the members of Parliament and to the Speaker as well greetings. So greetings greetings and greetings to us all collectively 
.] 
Well kia ora everybody. It is a real privilege to stand in the House at this third reading of the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill. I firstly acknowledge the work of members of Parliament across the House led by the Hon Chris Finlayson who has done an outstanding job I believe for this nation over the last 3 years. He continues in this term of Government to work tirelessly to bring about settlements throughout our nation. 
Just 2 weeks ago I was in the Chatham Islands with the Minister and he took me out to Pitt Island where he is working on a settlement with Moriori out on Pitt. He shows his passion for this drive by going to the outermost islands of our country to make this happen. He has demonstrated that through some 22 deeds of settlement that have been brought to the House in the last 4 years which is absolutely fantastic. 
But let us not dwell on those settlements; today is about the Rongowhakaata settlement. I do not want to dwell on what other members have said. Clearly your iwi your hapu had to go through unbelievable events in this country in our history. I am proud as the member from Heretaunga—from Hawke’s Bay—just down the road from “Gizzy” to be able to stand in this House to be part of the settlement process and to acknowledge what took place historically and what we are now doing to reconcile to see apologies made and for some form of redress to be made going forward. 
I will talk just briefly about that redress and also touch on what my colleague across the House said about our history and how important I believe it is that it is taught in schools going forward because it was not something that Charles or I were taught. I think particularly locally I am encouraging my children to understand what happened certainly in Ahuriri and Heretaunga and I think there is an obligation further up in Gisborne for schools up there to understand what happened at Ngatapa Pa. Clearly it is something that for all of us is not a fine time in our history—that is for sure. 
The whakatauki I used at the start of my speech—my whaikorero—today talks about a new dawn a touch of frost the commencement of a glorious new era. I guess that is essentially what we are trying to achieve. We are not going to solve all of the issues or be able to address everything but I think this is an outstanding effort by the Crown and iwi to come together in a partnership and to go forward. In that regard I encourage you as an iwi to make the very most of this opportunity. I think there are wonderful opportunities to be able to become even more a part of the Poverty Bay economic base up there and to drive real change as a result of this settlement. 
Without any further ado it is a privilege to be here and I acknowledge once again Mr Finlayson members across the House who have played a role in this and particularly the iwi who are here today. I will close by repeating that whakatauki because this is a new era a new dawn for Rongowhakaata. 
Whakataka te hau ki te uru whakataka te hau ki te tonga. Kia makinakina ki uta kia mataratara ki tai. E hi ake ana te atakura he tio he huka he hauhunga. 
[ 
Cease the winds from the west cease the winds from the south. Let the breezes blow over the land let the breezes blow over the ocean. Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air a touch of frost and a promise of a glorious day. 
]  
Bill read a third time. 
Waiata  
Karanga