King MattMATT KING (National—Northland): Tēnā koutou katoa Ngāti Rangi nau mai haere mai ki Te Whare Pāremata mō tana pire [Greetings to you all Ngāti Rangi welcome to Parliament House for this bill] the Ngāti Rangi Claims Settlement Bill.This is my first Treaty settlement speech. I'm new to the Māori Affairs Committee and I asked my colleague the good-looking blonde behind me Harete Hipango for an opening in Te Reo and she gave me those lines. Then when I was in the select committee today I asked Meka Whaitiri for some closing words—over there. I said Please give me some appropriate words because I want to show respect and I want to speak in Te Reo." She's from Labour and I said "Please don't let me look stupid because I can do that quite well myself." What a great day for Ngāti Rangi—a great day and it's been a long time coming. I'm really happy for the iwi; I really am. As I said before this is my first speech on the Treaty settlement and I'm new to the Māori Affairs Committee. It's a select committee like no other. It begins with a mihi ends with a karakia and in the middle we have a lot of laughs and we try and get a bit of work done. Our political differences are put to one side and we get on with it. My friend and colleague over there Rino Tirikatene is the chair of this committee and you can't help but like the man. He's the only one in Parliament that I see eye to eye with because we're both 6 foot 5 inches tall. We're the tallest in Parliament.The Crown signed a deed of settlement with Ngāti Rangi settling the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims in March 2018. I understand and I know that they gathered at an emotional deed signing ceremony at a marae in the Ruapehu district to mark the occasion. The settlement is significant and more importantly it includes a Crown apology and acknowledgment. It includes financial and commercial redress; cultural redress including a statutory recognition of the Whangaehu—am I right?—River; and shared governance arrangements for this treasured awa.I am told that the principle of cooperation is strong with Ngāti Rangi in their approach to their relationship with the Crown. This is significant and I live in eternal hope that in my beloved Northland Ngāpuhi may take a leaf out of the Ngāti Rangi playbook agree on their leadership and get around their negotiating table.The historical claims of Ngāti Rangi are wide ranging. I'm pleased to note that the deed of settlement was formally recognised by the Crown back in August 2014 under the previous National Government. I acknowledge the current Government for seeing it through to the end—it's complex and with many moving parts and overlapping claims.I see in the settlement that Ngāti Rangi have invested some NZ Defence Force land in Waiōuru and then seven days later it's gifted back to the people of New Zealand.So the Ngāti Rangi deed of settlement is the final settlement for all historical Treaty of Waitangi claims resulting from acts and omissions by the Crown prior to 21 September 1992. It includes the agreed historical account which is important. It includes the acknowledgment the apology cultural conservation Crown mineral redress a cultural fund relationship redress and financial and commercial redress. More importantly it includes recognition of the traditional historical cultural and spiritual associations of Ngāti Rangi with places and sites owned by the Crown within their area of interest; agreement to protect and enhance conservation areas associated with these sites. The iwi will benefit from this settlement physically spiritually culturally and economically. It will be available to members of Ngāti Rangi wherever they may live.Under the previous National Government we had 56 agreements in principle and 58 deeds of settlement. This is a record that we are incredibly proud of. I encourage this Government to carry on and settle as many as they can. Settlements help iwi unlock economic potential and boost regional and provincial areas making them more competitive in a productive economy. The sooner we settle the Treaty of Waitangi claims the sooner iwi—and indeed all New Zealanders—will see the benefits that settlements bring to iwi communities regional New Zealand and the country as a whole.In closing: again I would love it if Ngāti Rangi could see their way clear to pass on some of the valuable lessons that they have learnt to Ngāpuhi up north. In my beloved Northland a relatively deprived but improving region I welcome the long-overdue Treaty settlement and sincerely hope that one day we can settle while I'm still their MP.Nō reira e te iwi kua tae mai he rangaiti kaupapa. Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa. [Therefore to the tribes an important initiative has arrived. Greetings greetings greetings to you all.]"