Finlayson ChristopherNGĀRUAHINE CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILLSecond ReadingHon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I move That the Ngāruahine Claims Settlement Bill be now read a second time. The bill gives effect to a deed of settlement between the Crown and Ngāruahine that was signed near Hāwera in August 2014. The settlement provides financial commercial and cultural redress and acknowledges the losses suffered by Ngāruahine arising from very serious breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi. I acknowledge the work of the negotiators some of whom are present in the gallery this morning my ministerial colleagues and Government and other agencies that have contributed to this bill. I also want to thank the chair and members of the Māori Affairs Committee for their good work during the consideration of the bill and the exploration of the issues raised in submissions. The bill was referred to the committee on 11 August 2015 24 submissions were received from interested groups and individuals and the committee heard 12 of these at hearings in Hāwera and Wellington in November 2015. The committee reported the bill back to the House on 23 March 2016 and recommended that it be passed with a number of amendments which include changes to clauses relating to fines for offences under regulations and by-laws the inclusion of new Part 4 to the bill to provide a mechanism for Ngāruahine to reorganise their governance structure in relation to their fisheries assets and other minor or technical amendments that are not specifically referenced in the committee's commentary on the bill. There is one particular matter that I want to refer to now. In its commentary on the bill the committee went to some lengths to address Āraukuku interests covered under a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal registered as Wai 552. This was a key issue raised by submitters opposing the bill. It is the subject of judicial review proceedings on appeal to the Court of Appeal and is set down for hearing on 19 July. Āraukuku is a Taranaki hapū that has whakapapa links both to Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāruahine. The committee noted in its commentary that although the claims settlement process does not allow it to address to its satisfaction the issues that some Āraukuku individuals raised in submissions it does not propose any changes to the bill and will continue to monitor the situation through the Post Settlement Commitments Unit. On the related issue of the Stratford Power Station land I acknowledge the committee's request for the Crown to make public statements in respect of this land and I will certainly consider that at the appropriate time. The other matter raised by the committee in its commentary related to concerns raised by Ngāruahine regarding the appropriateness of transferring future or contingent liabilities from their mandated iwi organisation to their post-settlement governance entity as provided for through the governance reorganisation provisions of the bill. I understand that although the post-settlement governance entity accepts the need to take on all known current assets and liabilities they are concerned about unknown future or contingent liabilities that result from acts or omissions by their mandated iwi organisation up until the date it is wound up. Although the committee is not recommending any amendments to the bill in relation to future or contingent liabilities based on Crown advice my officials agreed to look into this issue in more detail on a without prejudice basis and I am going to write to Ngāruahine very shortly. The second reading brings us closer to the concluding stages of the settlement process. It seeks to recognise what is important to the people of Ngāruahine and to provide redress for historical breaches of the Treaty. My hope is to host the iwi of Taranaki here in Wellington in October for a joint Ngāruahine Te Atiawa and Taranaki Iwi third reading. I commend the bill to the House.