SpeechMATT KING (National—Northland): It's a pleasure to speak on this bill Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua Kēnana / Rua Kēnana Pardon Bill. Nau mai haere mai. I'd like to acknowledge the Hon Nanaia Mahuta for her heartfelt contribution earlier on and also Marama Davidson for hers and my colleague Rino Tirikatene as well for his contribution. I'd also like to acknowledge Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and to let you know that I am a rank amateur when it comes to Te Reo so I apologise in advance.Rua Kēnana was a Tūhoe prophet who set up a community at the Maungapōhatu in the Urewera mountains. In 1916 he was arrested for sedition for his opposition to Māori conscription in the First World War—sad times indeed. I understand that his trial was one of the longest in New Zealand history. So I'm proud to be in the House today speaking in support of this bill and it is long overdue. I'd like to acknowledge the work of the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell and the Hon Chris Finlayson. I know from the previous speakers that he has been mentioned many times and both men are sorely missed and I would go so far as to say that your work is unfinished and you'd be welcome back any time and I would love you to put your name back in the hat. SPEAKER: Order!MATT KING: I thank them for their efforts when in Government. I know that for Te Ururoa Flavell he was a slave master in the gym and our colleagues the Hon Mark Mitchell and the Hon Alfred Ngaro miss him and it's testament to their extended pukus that they'd like to see him back. So this is an appropriate response to a specific set of circumstances focused on the criminal convictions of Rua Kēnana. I might add that since I have been in Parliament—only two years—as a result of being on the Māori Affairs Committee and also of being involved in these bills I've actually had a lot more understanding of our history than I ever got when I went to school. I learnt a little bit about the American Civil War and a bunch of other things but I didn't really know a huge amount of history about New Zealand and I've had to learn it because being part of this process you have to research your material and you have to understand what went on; so it's a real bonus for me. The bill seeks to restore the character the mana and the reputation of Rua Kēnana and his descendants. We acknowledge that mana and the preservation of reputation is very important in the Māori community. This bill adheres to the Crown's objective to promote reconciliation in the wake of historical wrongs. This pardon is provided to Rua Kēnana for the conviction he sustained for moral resistance to arrest. This is a historic occasion for the descendants of Rua Kēnana and the followers of the Iharaira faith. The statutory pardon and apology will go some way to healing the wounds caused by the events of 1916 and alleviating the stigma associated with Rua Kēnana's descendants and followers of the faith. It is part of New Zealand. We have to own up to what happened. The agreement and pardon is about moving towards reconciliation. The historic agreement brought closure to 101 years of conflict between Tūhoe and the Crown. What happened to Rua Kēnana has a very long-lasting intergenerational effect on whānau. It is now up to the descendants of Rua Kēnana to help the next generation move forward and rebuild a prosperous community. It is important for whānau to reconnect those disconnected back to their land identity faith and whānau. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa. I commend this bill to the House.