Ririnui Mita: Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
Ririnui Mita: Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:621;Page:16450] 
MITA RIRINUI (Labour—Waiariki) 
: 
 That believe it or not was the National Party spokesperson on treaty negotiations. If he is expecting criticism from me I am not going to waste my time. It is obvious to me that he has not read the bill and if he wants to continue to be the Opposition spokesperson I suggest he read every bill that has been passed in this House in relation to treaty settlements including the ones passed by the previous National Government. 
 I stand to support this bill. In doing so I want to acknowledge the presence in the House today of the negotiators or the representatives of the NgatiTuwharetoa ki Kawerau. To BevAdlam Bob Schuster and the party that has come down here today to witness this very very important occasion I say tena koutou nau mai haere mai kia ora. 
The NgatiTuwharetoa people located around Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty are of the Arawa waka and descendants of Tuwharetoa ki Te Aupouri. As mentioned by the Hon Margaret Wilson their tupuna had 17 children including Tutanekai. It is important to acknowledge the distinction of Tuwharetoa ki Kawerau from their whanaunga in Taupo. While many of the early descendants of the ancestor Tuwharetoa migrated to the Taupo area others settled around Kawerau and Matata. According to local tradition various parts of the Kawerau district were named for them in recognition of their mana. They have longstanding claims against the Crown. This bill acknowledges their outstanding grievances and will end those claims. It will also provide a platform upon which NgatiTuwharetoa Bay of Plenty and the Crown can build a relationship of mutual trust and cooperation. 
The history of NgatiTuwharetoa Bay of Plenty is filled with regrettable actions by the Crown. In the 19th century the Crown’s interaction with NgatiTuwharetoa resulted in the confiscation of NgatiTuwharetoa tribal land the loss of life of some NgatiTuwharetoa people and the erosion of the traditional social structures mana and rangatiratanga of NgatiTuwharetoa. In 1866 NgatiTuwharetoa had approximately 87000 acres of land confiscated after Governor George Grey deemed the Eastern Bay of Plenty tribes to have been in rebellion. I repeat for the benefit of Mr Stephen Franks “in rebellion”. 
While the compensation process in the years immediately following the raupatu saw approximately 20000 acres returned to NgatiTuwharetoa this land did not reflect customary forms of land tenure and was returned to individuals rather than iwi or hapu. It therefore became more susceptible to partition and alienation. Some NgatiTuwharetoa land was awarded to other iwi and as a result NgatiTuwharetoa tangata were dislocated from the lands that they had traditionally occupied and cultivated. NgatiTuwharetoa iwi have lost traditional lands through Crown confiscation Crown purchases and other alienations under the native land laws. This loss has impacted on the access of NgatiTuwharetoa to resources such as the coast and the wetlands that traditionally provided food medicine and shelter. 
They also lost control over some of their urupa and significant sites. For NgatiTuwharetoa this has had an ongoing impact on their spiritual and physical relationship with their lands. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries a number of NgatiTuwharetoa tangata petitioned and met Crown officials to seek redress for their grievances. The failure of the Crown to redress these wrongs has also become a significant grievance for NgatiTuwharetoa. 
This bill acknowledges that the Crown breached the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles by failing to ensure that NgatiTuwharetoa were left with sufficient land for their present and for their future. The ancestral lands and resources alienated from NgatiTuwharetoa made a significant contribution to the wealth and development of this nation. NgatiTuwharetoa’s loss of control over those lands has hindered their economic social and cultural development and impeded their ability to exercise control over their taonga and wahi tapu. 
The acknowledgment of the injustices suffered by NgatiTuwharetoa is long overdue. I therefore commend this Government for introducing a bill to the House that contains a formal Crown apology to NgatiTuwharetoa to their ancestors and to their descendants for the breaches of the treaty acknowledged by the Crown. The bill recognises that NgatiTuwharetoa Bay of Plenty have endured an arduous struggle in pursuit of their claims for redress and compensation from the Crown. I join my colleague the Hon Margaret Wilson in commending the individual kaumatua members and negotiators of NgatiTuwharetoa whose commitment and passion have enabled us to reach this stage of their settlement process. Their commitment provides us all with an appreciation that real and significant grievances are being recognised. 
This final and comprehensive settlement is an important milestone for NgatiTuwharetoa and for the Crown. The settlement redress will provide NgatiTuwharetoa with the resources to assist them to develop their economic and social well-being now and into the future. This settlement will also enable the Crown to restore its honour and will aid both parties to move forward together as treaty partners. 
I wish NgatiTuwharetoa Bay of Plenty all the best in moving forward with their development. I support my colleague the Hon Margaret Wilson in commending this bill to the House.