Wall Louisa: Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Settlement Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWall Louisa: Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 16 April 2014. Volume:698;Page:17418. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]LOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa): Kia ora Mr Assistant Speaker. E ngā mana e ngā reo Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia Rangitāne o Wairau tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.[Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. To the authorities voices Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau greetings salutations and acknowledgments to you collectively and to us all.]I too stand to support today’s kaupapa the third reading of the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Settlement Bill. I congratulate you on getting to this point in time where we as the Crown can formally say sorry and give you the redress that you rightfully deserve—the economic packages that have been outlined and the cultural packages. As a House of Representatives I think what we bring to today is a unified approach to Treaty settlements. Actually that is really symbolic because this place is a battleground sometimes. What you see on occasions like this is the coming together of not only us as members of Parliament across this House but us as a nation. I always thank our mana whenua our iwi groups for the manner in which you have conducted yourselves to get us to this point of truth and reconciliation.This part of our country’s history forms the basis and heart of who we are. So when I stand to support a bill it is always through a sense of pride—a sense of pride in being Māori but also a sense of pride in the fact that we were never erased. If we look at what happened to us historically our lands were taken but just because we had no lands it did not mean that our identity our whakapapa was ever eroded. In fact through these settlements our identity now is stronger than ever because of the place name changes—there will be 65 across these three iwi groups—that will for ever imprint us into our country. So I thank you for the manner in which you have conducted yourselves because if it was not for your fight we would never have got to where we are.What I want to acknowledge are the people who have represented you through this process. For Ngāti Apa it was the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Trust which was chaired by Brendon Wilson. The day-to-day negotiations were led by Peter Mason. I want to acknowledge that the negotiations have meant that you have statutory acknowledgments over sites that are specifically relevant to you. It actually is the opportunity that those statutory acknowledgments provide that will provide the partnership that was always envisaged I believe within the Treaty. And so it is very interesting for me that you will create and publicise a set of principles with the Minister of Conservation.I know that the Hon Nanaia Mahuta has made reference to the phrase “having regard to” but I actually hope that the Department of Conservation the New Zealand Conservation Authority and the relevant conservation boards will actually give effect to those principles—not “have regard to” but “give effect” which means that you will sit around those tables as decision makers as governors of those sites that are particularly relevant to you.Again I want to talk about the 65 geographic name changes. What is in a name? I guess in the future it is about Te Tau Ihu’s identity. Some of the work that needs to happen after the settlement is making sure that the dissemination of those names happens right throughout the Te Tau Ihu rohe and that everybody should be aware of the name changes and why. I think that really provides the platform for mana whenua to start having constructive relationships with our kura with our schools and high schools to enable our young people and all New Zealanders to understand the history of our country.With regard to Ngāti Kuia they were represented in their negotiations by the TeRūnangao Ngāti Kuia Trust chaired byWaihaere Mason and the day-to-day negotiations were led by Mark Moses. I want to acknowledge you. Again we will have that set of principles that you will jointly develop with the Minister of Conservation but you also have a kaitiaki instrument that I wanted to highlight. This right to provide advice on key cultural issues relating to the management of specific flora and fauna again leading into the future means that you will have a day-to-day say in how those taonga are managed. Again I think that is incredibly significant.With regard toRangitāne o Wairau you were represented in your negotiations by the Rangitāne o Wairau Settlement Trust chaired by Judith MacDonald and the day-to-day negotiations were led by Richard Bradley. I congratulate you on again negotiating that the Minister of Conservation will develop and publicise a set of principles but in addition you have a deed of recognition over Lake Rotoiti and Lake Rotorua in the Nelson Lakes National Park. These taonga I know will be looked after because as kaitiaki you will ensure that those waterways remain healthy and that they will for ever be available to our mokopuna and our tamariki.When I look at our settlements and the role that all of you will play in the future within the context of the rohe of Te Tau Ihu I feel reassured actually that our taonga will be for ever protected and it is because we are always looking to the future. So when I look at the settlement and the opportunities that you now have they add value to what you have already had and what you have created for yourselves. I wish you all the best in the future. I am not going to delay the passage of this bill any further because I am aware that there is another Treaty settlement bill. So to all those involved in getting us to the point where we are today I say congratulations to you. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa.