Tirikatene Rino: Ngati Whatua o Kaipara Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Tirikatene Rino: Ngati Whatua o Kaipara Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 19 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5468. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
RINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 Mr Speaker tena koe. E aku rangatira i roto i te Whare tena koutou. Ngati Whatua o Kaipara nau mai hara mai. Hara mai i raro i te tuanui o te Whare Paremata e takatu nei tena koutou tena koutou a kia ora ano tatou katoa. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker. To my esteemed ones in the House greetings. Welcome to you Ngati Whatua of Kaipara welcome. Welcome under the roof of Parliament House standing ready here. Salutations acknowledgments to you collectively and thank you to us all once again. 
] 
I am very pleased to be able to make a contribution at this first reading of the Ngati Whatua o Kaipara Claims Settlement Bill on this Treaty settlement day as has been announced through my whanaunga Tau. Ngati Whatua o Kaipara as my tuakana Parekura has pointed out is the name chosen by the hapu and whanau of the five marae of south Kaipara: Reweti Haranui Kakanui Araparera and Puatahi. The name is not a traditional one but has been used to save confusion with Ngati Whatua o Orakei and also I understand there is Te Runanga o Ngati Whatua to the north. So Ngati Whatua o Kaipara are right there in the middle. 
I understand looking at the notes—because I like to draw on history and whakapapa and those sorts of things—that there is a Ngati Hine connection to those marae as well. So on my Ngati Hine side I have a little toenail interest there so kia ora to them. 
Hon Tau Henare 
: A toenail? No not a toenail. 
RINO TIRIKATENE 
: Not a toenail; OK maybe a big waewae. So yes with Ngati Whatua o Kaipara I would like to go through the historical background because this is a very significant and important occasion. 
Ngati Whatua signed the Treaty of Waitangi at Manukau on 20 March 1840 beginning a long tradition of Ngati Whatua o Kaipara commitment to and support for the Crown. In 1844 and 1845 the Crown gave up its right of pre-emption and allowed Maori to deal directly with the settlers for transactions on land. A large part of upper Waitemata was alienated at this time. Regulations that were put in place were not properly applied and later investigations did not always protect Ngati Whatua o Kaipara’s interests. In the end the Crown retained what was a surplus of 24000 acres. 
From 1848 to 1868 the Crown embarked on a land purchasing programme from the Ngati Whatua in the south Kaipara acquiring around 281000 acres. Although land agents stressed that the low price offered per acre would be offset by the benefits of colonisation the Crown failed to reserve lands for them and the promised roads hospitals and schools were slow to arrive and in some cases were never ever realised. 
From 1864 the Native Land Court began hearings in the south Kaipara and as we know now the forerunner of our Maori Land Court was set up to fragment iwi and hapu by awarding individual title. The mana of the rangatira of the whanau and hapu was lost and so the south Kaipara began to become alienated from Maori ownership. Once again they had the burden of fighting debt. By 1880 they were fighting more debt and they were no longer selling land as a strategic move to promote development or as a much-needed source of income but to repay debt. So that is the very sorry tale of the historical land transactions that took place very much to the detriment of Ngati Whatua o Kaipara. 
I would like just take some time if I may and acknowledge the part that Ngati Whatua chief Paora Tuhaere has played in the history of this House. It was Paora Tuhaere and other chiefs of his hapu who first promoted the idea of representative Maori seats in this House of Parliament. After much debate—and I would say that would have been just Pakeha debate—it was decided that four seats would be offered for Maori representation. Tuhaere was indignant at such an obvious act of bias and replied succinctly “If there are 50 Pakeha let there be 50 Maori.” It seems that Tuhaere was the most intelligent man in Auckland - Tamaki-makau-rau at that time. What a unique idea: equal representation a 50-50 deal just like the Treaty of Waitangi guaranteed them in 1840. It is a pity that the opportunity was not taken at that very early stage for Pakeha to take up Tuhaere’s suggestion. 
Today we have seven turu Maori and I have the great honour of representing Te Tai Tonga there in the south. So there is an improvement of only three seats in less than 150 years of Maori political representation. I am sure Tuhaere would be even less impressed and I am sure he would definitely not appreciate or even conceptualise what a list MP is. You see Tuhaere was like all of our rangatira of old—they were first-past-the-post people. So I just want to give acknowledgment to that great Ngati Whatua chief for the foresight he had and for the fight that he took up all those years ago. I am very proud to be continuing as a mema Paremata for our Maori turu along with Tau Henare and his tupuna. I look on the other side of the House and I see Hekia and her tupuna Tame Parata who was a representative down in the south and my own tupuna as well. Hopefully we can get a few more in after some more electoral korero with the Maori options that are coming up next year. 
The Ngati Whatua o Kaipara deed of settlement is the final settlement of all historical claims. As my colleagues have mentioned there are what have turned out to be quite standard elements to every claim but most important it is the acknowledgment of the historical background and the apologies from the Crown which also sets up the redress for the Crown’s actions or omissions 
Just turning to the settlement package for Ngati Whatua o Kaipara I see that a large part of the settlement package is the redress in relation to Crown forest licensed lands. It is good to see that there will be significant redress in terms of the accumulated rentals for the Woodhill Crown forest licensed lands that will be returned to Ngati Whatua when they exercise their rights there. There is also return of some other significant sites—some school sites and other properties. 
I want to also pick up on what Mr Horomia mentioned in regard to the naming of the sites. This is a unique element of the Ngati Whatua o Kaipara Claims Settlement Bill in that it allows for the naming of nine unnamed sites. That is a new addition to the Treaty settlements that are flowing through this House and I really commend that. It is important that Ngati Whatua stamps its mark on its mana whenua and its places of importance by being able to name those historic sites which are so important and have such a strong connection to them. 
Just to conclude I would like to acknowledge all those good people who have worked so long and hard over the years to bring this settlement up to this particular point where we have a first reading in the House—in particular the key figures in the negotiations: Takutai Moana Wikiriwhi or as I affectionately know him Uncle Doc Wikiriwhi or Apotoro Doc Wikiriwhi. I have fond memories of playing in the reo following him around when he was doing duties there in Auckland City. I acknowledge Margaret Kawharu and Rangimarie or as we affectionately know her Naida Glavish. I mihi to all of those key figures and also to the whanau who travelled quite a distance to come here today. I see up there Tommy Te Rangi whanaunga—kia ora—and also my good friend Jason Fox who now is steering the tari of Ngati Whatua o Kaipara. 
I mihi to all of the whanau who have come here today. With every speech I give I am laying all these platitudes on Tau and he is becoming very Speaker-like—very Speaker-like—in terms of his chairmanship of the Maori Affairs Committee. I am really looking forward to travelling with the select committee and awhi-ing this bill through the House. I commend it. Kia ora tatou. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Mr Speaker—