Finlayson Christopher: Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Settlement Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFinlayson Christopher: 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:17412. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): Tēnā koe Mr Assistant Speaker. I acknowledge the people of Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau especially those who have travelled here today from Te Tau Ihu and are here in Parliament to witness the third reading of their settlement legislation the Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne o Wairau Claims Settlement Bill. These are iwi who share common descent from theKurahaupō waka. They have lived across the top of the South Island for many many generations. They have preserved their identities despite the odds despite the actions of the Crown and despite external forces.My good friend Mr Henare mentioned in the previous debate the importance of New Zealand history. People need to know what happened. As sure as anything I am going to receive some sour emails today from various lovely people after the conclusion of these debates. I will go back to them politely—because that is my style—but in a very determined way to tell them to read the history because there is nothing like knowing the facts. The facts are that in the 1820s and 1830s iwi from the North Island invaded and settled in the northern South Island. Although Ngāti Apa Ngāti Kuia and Rangitāne no longer had exclusive possession of all their territory they retained their tribal structures their chiefly lines and their ancestral connections to the land. In 1840 the great Rangitāne chief Ihaia Kaikōura signed the Treaty of Waitangi near Port Underwood. But the history of the Crown’s relationship with these iwi since 1840 is one of consistent failure to adequately investigate and appropriately recognise the rights of these iwi at relevant times. I too was going to give what could have been only a potted summary of the history but I think Mr Tirikatene has done a very good job in that regard and so I am not going to repeat what he said here simply endorse it.But one thing I do want to say something about is the South Island Landless Natives Act because after all this history of wrongdoing after all this unfairness the Crown attempted to alleviate the position of these iwi through the provision of landless native reserves. The reserves were however in isolated locations they were of poor quality and they were generally unable to be developed for effective economic use. So Ngāti Apa were allocated land on the West Coast. Rangitāne and Ngāti Kuia were allocated land on Stewart Island/Rakiura a great distance away from their traditional rohe and it was all landlocked. The Crown never granted members of those iwi titles to the land. The Waitangi Tribunal has described the failure to provide land to landless Māori as a cruel hoax. Well I agree with the tribunal and I say that the South Island Landless Natives Act lands were in fact and are a sick joke and they need to be resolved—I might add not for want of trying on my part. But as long as I hold a warrant in this portfolio I will continue to push for resolution of this issue. Mr Bradley knows that it is long overdue and it is time that the matter was resolved. So I give you on behalf of theCrown an undertaking that I am going to continue to work on that matter because it is long past time that this blot on the South Island history was resolved.The Ngāti Apa settlement would not have been possible without the perseverance of Ngāti Apa ki Te Rā Tō ki te Waipounamu Trust. They spearheaded negotiations on behalf of their iwi. I acknowledge in particular Peter Mason the principal negotiator; Brendon Wilson who was the chair for many many years; and Paia Rīwaka-Herbert. These are just a few of the people who represented this great iwi during this process and they deserve public recognition for their hard work. I particularly want to mention a wonderful wonderful woman this morning. Her name was Kath Hēmi. She led the charge in the tribunal. It is very sad that she did not get to see this day—in fact she was not at the Ngāti Apa signing. But I was really pleased to be able to take her the deed of settlement for her signature when she was in Wairau Hospital and I am sure that she and her family were very pleased that that was able to happen. She now rests near Ōmaka Marae. She may be gone from this world but she will always be remembered for her courage and her tenacity.I want to say something about Ngāti Kuia.Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kuia charitable trust through its hard work and perseverence made this settlement possible and we signed the deed of settlement on Labour Day weekend 2010. That was a great day. I acknowledge Mark Moses Raymond Smith and Waihaere Joe Mason. They represented Ngāti Kuia in the settlement process and I really do praise their commitment and their dedication to Ngāti Kuia which warrants mention today. I believe that their trust will lead this iwi into a very positive post-settlement era.Let me say something aboutRangitāne. The Wairau bar and the boulder bank within the Rangitāne rohe is considered by archaeologists to be one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. Exercising akaitiaki role Rangitāne o Wairau stopped the destruction of this site which continues to unearth to reveal important information about our past. Through Rangitāne o Wairau’s collaboration with archaeologists we are learning more and more about a place that may have been the first landing site of Pacific peoples on these shores. Through this settlement the Crown aims to recognise the cultural association that Rangitāne has in Te Tau Ihu. I want to say how much I appreciated being invited down to the bar some years ago when some of the co-iwi were re-interred. I will always remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch because Mr Bradley gave me a shovel and told me that I should do some work as well.I want to recognise those who have championed the work of this great iwi leading up to the time when we signed the deed of settlement in Blenheim on 4 December 2010: Joe Tukapua Frank MacDonald Ruanui MacDonaldĀmīria Hynes Josephine Congdon Mervyn Sadd John Bradley and Gary Wehipeihana. These people have worked so very long and hard on behalf of their iwi and I acknowledge them. I acknowledge in particular the efforts of that wonderful optimistic and warm human being Richard Bradley and Judith MacDonald and Jeffrey Hynes—he wanted me to say that! I commend the trust as it champions Rangitāne’s interests into the future.These are three very important settlements and it is a sign of the generosity of these people that they were prepared in the interests of getting to the third reading and to have the three settlements read together. Once again I thank you for that. Congratulations on reaching this significant milestone. It has been a long haul but I am very relieved that we have now reached the stage of a third reading.Finally I want to pick up on something that Mr Tirikatene said in closing and utterly endorse it. I acknowledge the presence in the gallery of Sir Mark Solomon of Ngāi Tahu. I very much look forward to working with all of the iwi of the South Island as they promote their interests into the future. It is great that he is here. I recall his wordswhen Rangitāne signed their deed of settlement with the Crown: “Together we can do so much.” I heartily endorse that. Whether in fact you will take over the world as Mr Tirikatene said—well a little bit of hyperbole is permitted. But you are certainly going to be a fantastic force for good and for economic strength in the South Island and I endorse what Sir Mark has said.With those few words—one can never say enough in a third reading speech—I thank the representatives of the three iwi and wish them all the very best for the future.