Yule LawrenceLAWRENCE YULE (National—Tukituki): Kia ora everybody and welcome to the people of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa. It's my pleasure as a member of Parliament for Heretaunga and Ngāti Kahungunu to greet you in your House. It's my pleasure to acknowledge the Hon Meka Whaitiri in this House today for this significant achievement. Thank you for coming.Can I acknowledge the people responsible for the settlement of this claim—the people that were brave that elected leaders and that actually formed a large natural grouping so we could end up in this place today. I'm not sure if your mayor is with you today but I was with him last evening at the Hawke's Bay Tourism Awards where he stole the show with laughter and humour. Because I was in Hawke's Bay last evening I know how wet it was. He tried to tell us that the only way he got to the tourism awards was—when he got down to Tūtira the road was flooded so he had to swim. Of course we didn't believe him but if any of you have had that journey today to get here you're looking remarkably dry and well.It is great to have so many people from northern Hawke's Bay in this your Chamber to signify this most significant event. This is one of the six large natural groupings of Ngāti Kahungunu and will make a significant impact to the people of northern Hawke's Bay Wairoa and what I call southern Gisborne. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say that but that's what I call it. In doing so I wish to look forward but I also wish to personally acknowledge as my fellow colleagues right around the Parliament have done that the deed of settlement includes a Crown apology for the actions and omissions and specifically for the war fought against those members of this iwi and hapū of Te Rohe o Te Wairoa. They were people it deemed as rebels who in an unjust attack in 1865 were the subject of a summary execution of prisoners and the detention without trial of some of the members of the iwi and hapū on the Chatham Islands from 1866 to 1868—a horrendous act that was actually replicated in other parts of Kahungunu and other parts of Hawke's Bay. I have spoken in a number of these settlements' readings and my journey of discovery in this place and my journey of discovery when I was the Mayor of Hastings was to understand the significant loss hurt and harm that was caused and that is now being redressed. I specifically want to acknowledge the Hon Christopher Finlayson for the work he has done in Kahungunu—and that has been followed by the Hon Andrew Little—to do what can be done to make these wrongs right. I specifically acknowledge the generosity of spirit that is shown by all the people that are sitting in the gallery today in the cultural redress because the sites are to be vested in Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust and importantly they will then be vested back to the Crown for the people of New Zealand. So despite all this loss and despite all the hurt to this day there is a massive generosity of spirit and this House needs to acknowledge that for the people that are represented today and the people that have negotiated this. I want to touch on two factors that I think are unfinished business: Hereheretau Station is still something like the Glasgow leases at Te Aute College that is unresolved. They are a challenge for this Parliament actually outside of the Treaty settlements themselves to resolve and in the same kindness of spirit that we've seen in the gifting back of land to the Crown I hope there is a generosity of spirit in this Parliament and in the people of New Zealand to make those types of issues be resolved outside of the Treaty settlement claims. I specifically acknowledge the generosity given around the Mōrere Springs Reserve. Morere is a significant cultural part of northern Hawke's Bay and a wonder of nature that has actually been gifted back to the people of New Zealand as part of this process. Once again that is a massive generosity of spirit. So as the Hon Christopher Finlayson said Ngāti Kahungunu will be the recipient of around $350 million of Treaty settlement money and $100 million will go to this claim. It has been a long time in the waiting and a long time in the preparation and when one considers that over 50 percent of the population of the Wairoa District are Māori one understands the significance of this settlement. I believe that $100 million—while previous speakers may have said it's not enough I believe it is an opportunity for the people of Wairoa to transform the Wairoa District and transform the opportunities for their people and I acknowledge courageous leaders like Craig Little and Rex Graham who are trying to make a difference in Wairoa. They are both friends of mine who have supported this Treaty settlement and the opportunities that come from it. It's a tremendous honour to stand in this House and support the people of Wairoa. In my farming days I used to go to the Wairoa saleyards and buy cattle and they shifted incredibly well down to Heretaunga. The last time I was up there for a big public event—and I see Bill Blake in the audience—was for the Ross Shield I think was the last time. There was another time when I tried to do an amalgamation up there and I was run out of town you know. But I have a tremendous respect and a tremendous tremendous love for Wairoa its people and its district as an integral part of Hawke's Bay and Kahungunu. This is a very very special day. The redress is what this Government and parties across this Parliament have agreed. I wish you and your people every success and I hope that this redress will not only quench and deal with some of the harm that has been caused but will offer significant economic opportunity for the people of Wairoa. Thank you.