Korako NukNUK KORAKO (National): Ā tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. Huri noa i Te Whare nei e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. Tēnei te mihi ki ngā iwi o Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa. Nō reira mauria mai ō whakaako ki te kaupapa e nunui nō reira ki a koutou rā tēnā koutou tēnā koutou. E mihi atu ki a koutou katoa.[I acknowledge you all throughout this House. I pay a tribute to the people of Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa. Therefore bring forth your teachings in regard to this policy of huge significance so accolades and acknowledgments indeed to you collectively. I commend you all.]Thank you for the opportunity to speak in the third reading of the Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa Claims Settlement Bill. It was in December 2015 when I had the honour of accompanying the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations to Te Tai Tokerau to witness the signing of the Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa deed of settlement at Ōtangaroa Marae.This has been a challenging settlement to negotiate. As we all know there are longstanding divisions within Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa and certain elements within the iwi that have made this process a challenge for them. But I want to say here today as chair of the Māori Affairs Committee is that one thing is that we are not a committee that only listens to the submissions from those on any bill who are actually in agreement with it. We also obviously listen very very closely to the dissenters—to those who do not agree with the settlement. One of the situations here is that we did listen very very closely to those who were not happy with this settlement in the various stages of its journey through the House.The main issue is in regard to the ownership of Stony Creek Station as we have heard from previous speakers and it is something that the Māori Affairs Committee looked into very very closely. It was very clear that contrary to some of the claims that have been made almost all of Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa members have a historical connection or ownership claim to Stony Creek Station. Therefore it is very important that this piece of land be available as redress to the whole iwi.However disputes still remain and it is not the Crown's role I believe—and we believe as the Māori Affairs Committee—to settle an internal dispute. After the settlement the post-settlement governance entity will be responsible for carrying out an open and transparent process within the iwi to determine the final ownership of Stony Creek Station and what that actually should look like.I look forward to seeing the situation where the iwi is able to move on—not only from their disputes with the Crown but from the internal disputes that might threaten their future development. I do have confidence that the hapū and the iwi leadership will be able to negotiate these very difficult waters at this stage.I think enough has been said now about the recent history and the internal disputes that have made this settlement difficult. But I want to reflect today at this third reading on the history of Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa and the disputes with the Crown that have made this settlement necessary. This is an iwi that has had its lands systematically alienated through multiple Crown actions. In seeking to settle a dispute between two rakatira the Crown simply acquired their land interests including Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa ancestral lands.When the Crown purchased land and promised to set it aside as reserves it later reduced the agreed size of those reserves. Even when reserves were agreed upon and set aside the Crown awarded the title to individuals rather than the iwi. When Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa generously offered 10 acres for a public reserve the Crown decided instead that it would take 706. More recently the Crown retained ownership of land that the navy occupied during World War II and transferred it to the then Department of Lands and Survey in 1983. It was only returned to Māori in 1990. The Crown also purchased land at Matakaraka for a scenic reserve without the consent of all of the owners.As a result of all of these Crown actions Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa were left virtually landless. Many of their people have been forced to live outside of their rohe. These are the actions that the Crown has now apologised unreservedly for. Today we are giving legal effect to the settlement which seeks not to compensate for all that was taken but to restore Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa their connection to their land and to provide an economic base for their future development.This is the end of a long and particularly difficult journey for Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa. It is also the start of a new journey that will have its own challenges but one that gives the iwi the opportunity to set its own destiny to restore its rakatirataka.It has been an honour to have some involvement in this process as a witness to the deed of settlement signing and as the chair of the Māori Affairs Committee. I acknowledge those who have had much more involvement than me and in particular the Hon Christopher Finlayson as Minister and also the chief negotiator Dr Ella Henry and everyone else who has fought for this settlement over the many years. I would also like to acknowledge at this third reading my members of the Māori Affairs Committee.We ensured right up until the 11th hour of this settlement that we had heard all of those who were still not happy with this settlement. I want to acknowledge also at this time the special advisers who have been brought on board to help facilitate post legislation after this has actually been elevated to law: Peter Douglas and Ken Mair. They will assist the iwi and the post-settlement governance entity to find their way through that particular issue around Stony Creek Station.Over the last 3 years we have received into the Māori Affairs Committee many Treaty settlement bills. That is a testament also I believe in looking at this today—that we have actually been very careful and have worked hard at being balanced as to what we have actually believed is the right thing to do. On that note with all of those who are here from Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa for all of those who are actually listening to this historic event today we as the Māori Affairs Committee in hearing all the submissions and going to the Far North and going to that beautiful area where your iwi actually resides believe that the people of Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa will actually be able to find their way through and that the next stage of the development of your iwi is for those tamariki and mokopuna who are here today but also those who are actually there and wanting this settlement.Nō reira Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa kia kaha kia kaha. Nō reira e koutou rā tēnā koutou tēnā koutou e mihi atu ki a koutou katoa kia ora.[Ngatikahu ki Whangaroa be strong and courageous. Therefore to you indeed collectively I commend you all thank you.]