Tirikatene RinoRINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga) (remote): Tēnā koe Madam Speaker. Otirā tēnā tātou e te Whare. It's a pleasure to speak in the third reading of this bill. This is a really historic bill that I always have pleasure in supporting and I'd like to acknowledge our Minister David Parker for leading this bill through the House. This is about returning assets to iwi. It's about honouring—well providing a mechanism whereby the settlement assets that iwi do receive by virtue of their aquaculture settlement rights are actually able to be distributed. Mr Simpson spoke about the fork in the road or this matter being stuck and that's exactly what happened. Because of the wording of the actual bill as it stands at the moment where there was a disagreement in a particular region even if it just involved one iwi and they had no other issue with everyone else that whole region's assets were held up. It was unintended but it's something that came to light and I want to acknowledge Te Ohu Kaimoana who have responsibilities under the statute in terms of working with iwi in the allocation of these settlements in fisheries and in aquaculture. I want to acknowledge Te Ohu for their work in raising this issue and working with the Minister and with officials to ensure that we can come to an approach—and also obviously with the iwi stakeholders to ensure that we had a workable way forward. And that's what this bill does: it provides a limited discretion for Te Ohu Kaimoana where there is a disagreement and there's no other way through through dispute resolution mechanisms—it provides a way for Te Ohu Kaimoana to be able to release those assets where there is no issue so those other iwi are able to receive those assets and pursue their aspirations in aquaculture. As we've heard this bill is really focused on two areas: Te Moana-a-toi or the Bay of Plenty region and also up in Ngā Iwi o Tai Tokerau up in the Far North. And I just am really pleased that we are able as a Parliament to work with Te Ohu and work with iwi to ensure that there is a way that we can get through this because aquaculture is a dynamic industry. It's a really important industry to regional New Zealand. I know Mr Mooney was talking about how he has quite a lot of aquaculture interests down there in Southland. I don't mean to boast but I can confidently say that I have the most aquaculture assets and industry within Te Waiponamu and also potentially in future over at Wharekauri as well. And if we want to add in the head of the fish up in Pōneke we can add that too. So aquaculture is really important. We see it—anyone can see it in Marlborough. They can see it in the Banks Peninsula. They can see it down in Stewart Island and down in Southland and also up in the Far North and in the Bay of Plenty. And so this is a real welcome piece of legislation. I want to particularly acknowledge the iwi who have been so patient in waiting for this bill to be passed into law in particular the iwi of the Bay of Plenty and also in Te Tai Tokerau. Rest assured I know that Te Ohu Kaimoana once this bill has been passed into law will work through its processes to exercise its new discretionary power to ensure that those assets can be released. I'm excited at the future of aquaculture for Aotearoa and in particular I want to acknowledge the member in Waiariki my colleague Tāmati Coffey because it is a dynamic region for aquaculture and has huge potential for aquaculture. They will be direct beneficiaries from the passage of this bill. If we look at the wonderful operations that are happening—whether it's Whakatōhea with their processing of mussels; whether we look to Te Whānau-ā-Apanui now who have been receiving some funding support for their Te Huata mussels spat hatchery which is a project that we certainly hope and we are supporting to come to fruition; or whether it's Te Arawa Fisheries as well and the world-famous manuka-smoked flavoured mussels that Chris Karamea Insley is such a great marketing spokesman for and the wonderful results that they've achieved this past year—iwi are at the forefront of the aquaculture industry. They have to be because they have significant interests in it and I guess just the examples that I've outlined in the Bay of Plenty alone demonstrate how the future is going to be so dynamic for that region. And we want to do our bit as Government to be able to support to honour our obligations under these Treaty settlements and to ensure that the iwi can achieve their aspirations not only in the Bay of Plenty but all the way around the motu.I'm unsure of my time but I'll keep going until I get a bell or something. But I just want to support and commend the Minister and Te Ohu Kaimoana and the iwi. It takes a while but we have worked through the various processes to ensure that we can effect a simple change—but will make a huge difference to the iwi concerned. I know that all the other iwi around the country are looking towards the main aquaculture regions and taking the lead from them. I know whether it's down in Te Waipounamu or up in the North Island it's inspiring iwi. I've just had a recent meeting with Aquaculture New Zealand the industry heads in support of Minister Parker. It is an important industry and definitely very welcoming of the Māori participation in the industry as evidenced by the representation around the table from iwi interests.So with that I wholeheartedly support this bill. I wish the iwi all the very best and Te Ohu Kaimoana and thank them for all their patience throughout. Nō reira I commend this bill to the House.