Turia Tariana: Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Turia Tariana: Ngati Ruanui Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:608;Page:5265] 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Associate Minister of Maori Affairs (Social Development)) 
: 
Ngati Ruanui e noho nei ki te whakamana i te kaupapa o tenei ra tena koutou. Ka nui te tangi ki a koutou e whawhai tonu ana mo enei take tena koutou. 
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Greetings to you Ngati Ruanui who remain here to empower the bill. We grieve for you the ones who continue to fight on these matters. 
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“The whole history of Government dealings with Maori of Taranaki has been the antithesis to that envisaged by the Treaty of Waitangi.” That is a direct quote from the Waitangi Tribunal’s report on the Taranaki claims. The tribunal continued: “Since the whole of lands of most hapu were taken during the war then by any standards of fairness and justice the post-war relief had properly to be swift and clement. In fact for over a decade Maori did not know what lands if any would be theirs while that beneath their feet was continually being allocated to settlers. Even Maori who had not fought or had fought with the Government and whose lands should never have been touched in the first instance lost everything. They were left not knowing what would be returned and never recovered more than a fraction which was theirs.” 
The passage of a bill such as this brings mixed emotions. There is sorrow at the tragic history which is summarised in the provisions of this bill and engraved on the hearts and minds of the people who have suffered for so long. There is relief that we have reached a significant milestone in the long and arduous journey towards settlement of historical injustices. There is also excitement at the prospect that the settlement will open up new opportunities for the people of Ngati Ruanui and the nation will be able to share in their successes and achievements. 
There is also trepidation and anxiety. The Crown and Ngati Ruanui do not know what the future holds. It is the resolution of the injustices for Ngati Ruanui Pakakohi and Tangahoe that will remind us and continue to inform us of a shameful chapter in our shared history—not the passing of this bill. The passing of this bill is but one step along the journey. 
 The treaty claims process allows tangata whenua and the Crown to restore their treaty relationships. It is not a mechanism to consign our history to dim and dusty archives never to be seen again. We must acknowledge that this legislation will not settle all the issues that Ngati Ruanui faces. What this bill can do is establish the basis for Ngati Ruanui Pakakohi Tangahoe and the Crown to work together from now on in trust and in good faith with honour and respect on matters of concern as they arise. 
This bill and the report of the Maori Affairs Committee signal that the claims process has brought serious issues to the surface which are not yet resolved. I refer to the inclusion of Pakakohi and Tangahoe in the Ngati Ruanui settlement. I remind the House that the Waitangi Tribunal recommended that discussions between the parties continue so as to ensure the distinctiveness of Tangahoe and Pakakohi within the settlement and the post-settlement Government entity. The select committee reported: “We understand that a small number of people identify exclusively as Tangahoe and Pakakohi and assert they were separate iwi and that Ngati Ruanui was ‘invented’ by the Crown in the 1860s. We also understand that some members of Pakakohi and Tangahoe feel that a further breach of the treaty will occur if they are included in the bill under the collective definition of Ngati Ruanui.” The treaty settlement process and Crown policy encourage officials and Ministers to deal with tangata whenua organisations that claim to represent large groupings of peoples. The tragedy about the claims process is there will always be whanau who feel disenfranchised. The process should not create further injustice. 
This bill represents the considered view of the Crown reached in good faith and supported by the majority of Ngati Ruanui. However we must acknowledge there is still an issue of representation for the people themselves to address. In Judge Wainwright’s memorandum and directions on Ngati Ruanui’s deed of settlement she stated: “It will sometimes be incumbent on the Crown to confront the reality of the breakdown of relationships within tribal groups.” This bill has not settled it and we should not try to sweep the matter under the carpet. Tribal representation and mandate are complex issues. In the end they can only be resolved by the people themselves. It will take time for healing and restoration; time for us to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. We must place our confidence in the people’s indigenous processes of conflict resolution. The Crown also has a duty to reach settlements. Judge Wainwright noted that the Crown might support the people by providing skilled mediators or resources to assist them to work through their differences and we should remember that. 
Finally some members of this House have suggested that the Treaty of Waitangi creates property rights for tangata whenua that other New Zealanders do not have. That is patently incorrect. As the Waitangi Tribunal has found it was our people who have been deprived of their property rights which were specifically identified in the treaty. They also lost any real opportunities for their development. No one knows that better than Ngati Ruanui Pakakohi and Tangahoe. Their lands are now in the hands of others who have become extremely wealthy as a result. 
The Minister has outlined the value of the settlement in monetary terms but this is about much more than money. What price can we put on the communities demolished the lives lost the hopes dashed and the culture destroyed? Even the assets returned to Ngati Ruanui are but a tiny proportion of what they lost. If tangata whenua were to enjoy proper protection of their property rights this settlement would be worth considerably more than $41 million. The reality is that the shortfall—the difference between what was taken and what can be returned to Ngati Ruanui—represents a massive contribution by Ngati Ruanui to the national economy from which every member of this House and the nation have benefited. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou Ngati Ruanui. Nga mihi aroha nga mihi mahana ki a koutou no reira tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
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We acknowledge you greatly Ngati Ruanui. Kind and warm regards to you. Greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to us all. 
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