Henare Tau: Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHenare Tau: Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 23 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19500. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon TAU HENARE (National):Kia ora Mr Assistant Speaker. How bloody appropriate that I stand in the House for the last time and before the Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau Collective Redress Bill. As a born and bred Aucklander from the huge suburb of Ōtara for the first 20-odd years and then the last 30-odd years out in the west I think it is appropriate—for me anyway—to talk about the passing of this redress bill. I will not traverse the finer points of the legislation here but I will make some hopefully pertinent points along the way.Thank God that Rangitoto is not the Sky Tower or thank God that the Sky Tower is not the icon of Auckland. The icon of Auckland is Rangitoto. When people see it they know it is us; they know it is Auckland. Can I make a bold statement—that would be something new—that overseas they actually take pride in having two names for a street for a football stadium or for an area. All we need to do is look at Wales. Why is it so hard for us to get our heads around it? Why is it so hard for us to recognise that it is mana-enhancing to take a line from the Māori Party for an area and for a nation? If we want to be big players in the world then should we not be the ones who are leading instead of looking around for somebody to follow? We can do this here.The bold statement is that all the people who are listed on page 19 of the bill—“Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki; Ngāti Maru; Ngāti Pāoa; Ngāti Tamaoho; Ngāti Tamaterā; Ngāti Te Ata; Ngāti Whanaunga; Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara; Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei; Te Ākitai Waiohua; Te Kawerau ā Maki; Te Patukirikiri; and hapū of Ngāti Whātua other than Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei whose members are beneficiaries of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua including Te Taoū not descended from Tuperiri”—all those people are the original urban Māori. We think it is the Manukau Urban Māori Authority and we think it is Te Whānau o Waipareira Trust. Guess what? It is you.As a long-time resident and continuing to be a long-time resident of Tāmaki Makaurau personal thanks for having me because that is actually what it is all about. It is about recognition. It is about recognition of the people who are there the mountains the rivers the lakes and even the little streams that run at the back of your property. It is recognising that there is actually a history that has gone before; that it did not just start on Monday. It started thousands of years ago and we should revel in it.Yes it is going to be a hard task for the city council and the collective to move in the direction that the bill sets out but is that harder than what the Gazan people are facing today? No it is actually very very easy and with a bit of goodwill from everybody the Crown included these things can work and they can work for the benefit of the nation.I want to thank a couple of people in the audience: Lillian Tahuri who was my executive assistant when I was a Minister and kept me out of trouble and also Glenn Webber who cut his teeth in my office and now he has gone on to better things hopefully. On a personal basis it is sad that I will not be part of the ongoing Treaty settlement parts of this House because I actually think that is something that the House itself—not this Government and not the Opposition but the House—should be proud of; that we can work through a series of issues in front of us and come up with a generally accepted way forward. There is always going to be somebody outside the circle throwing stones and saying: “No this is not the right way to do it.” But generally the nation supports the work of iwi Māori and the Crown.Can I just talk briefly about one part of that process and that is the select committee process. I find it abhorrent that people who come to the House and get stuck into bits and pieces of a bill do not partake in the select committee process.You know I admire people who front up to the select committee. Whether they are MPs or not they front up to the select committee and they give their point of view so no one can accuse them of never espousing what they really think. But to come into the House and purely and simply for publicity purposes screw it up—even the historical background that some people quote—is absolutely wrong.My wish is that the Māori Affairs Committee goes on with its work in the way that we have done it for the last however long. It has been a highlight of my career to be chairperson of the Māori Affairs Committee. I have been on the select committee since 1993.Phil Twyford: You’ll be back.Hon TAU HENARE: Yes I could be—whatever party is going I suppose. I see the Māori Party is in trouble so maybe; I do not know.Maggie Barry: The Greens are beckoning.Hon TAU HENARE: Oh no not the Greens. My wish is for the House to carry on its good work in a very timely manner and also in a very collegial manner. I wish all my colleagues from everywhere in the House—I have enjoyed your company; yes everybody’s company even Trevor’s.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson): Order!Hon TAU HENARE: Even the Hon Trevor Mallard’s. I do say this though in all honesty: I do hope that we look at the power of select committees. We must move away from being just a rubber stamp. I think giving select committees the ability to manoeuvre more would be a good thing. We need to look at some of the other nations around the world. But I am sure that will happen one day. Nō reira aku mihi ki a koutou katoa e aku tēina me aku tuākana. Tēnā koutou kei a koutou Tāmaki-makau-rau.[And so my accolades to you all younger and older siblings of mine and to you collectively Auckland.]Big ups. Go the Blues. Go Queensland. I will see you later.