Wall Louisa: Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWall Louisa: Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 19 February 2014. Volume:696;Page:16166. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]LOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa):E ngā mana e ngā reo rau rangatira mā nga whānau o Raukawa.Tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa. I specifically want to mihi to Chris McKenzie who is here in the House. He has led the Raukawa claim as their chief negotiator for many years now. In fact when I went on to the Raukawa website I was really impressed to read your pānui. In fact dating back to 2011 Raukawa had comprehensive claims hui right round the rohe of Raukawa. From my perspective the inclusive and transparent way that you have led this Treaty settlement process needs to be acknowledged. I want to acknowledge the Minister Chris Finlayson and congratulate him on the wonderful work that he is doing to enable these settlement processes to happen in a timely manner. I also want to mihi to Tau Henare in his absence to Nanaia Mahuta and to other members of the Māori Affairs Committee and in fact everybody across the House. This is the one area where we have consensus where we are all working together to ensure that ourwhānau hapū iwi can move on positively into the future. So this area of Treaty settlements is one where we have consensus about what is best for the nation.What I want to highlight are just a couple of things. Firstly I do want to acknowledge Wally Papa and others because I did have a look at that Wai 443 claim. Wally was the initial claimant and I think that we should always remember where processes begin. So I want to acknowledge Wally and the whānau for I guess beginning the kaupapa that the Raukawa Trust Board and the Raukawa Settlement Trust have continued.I want to acknowledge that the deed of settlement that has now been translated into this piece of legislation had 93 percent support from Raukawa beneficiaries. I think that we should acknowledge that. Also the trust board was mandated by the 16 marae and the Raukawa Settlement Trust comprises representatives of those 16 marae plus 10 hapū representatives. So what we have seen is a very inclusive process as I said before that has enabled I guess the smooth passage of the Raukawa Claims Settlement Bill and the deed of settlement through the rohe of Raukawa. What I have been particularly impressed about and it was really in a submission by Kataraina Hodge was the fact that throughout this process she wanted to provide some context in respect of our whakawhanaunga within our iwi. So the bill itself was carefully crafted to ensure that our whanaungatanga was maintained. I want to acknowledge throughout this process that rangimārie feeling. The ability for everybody within Raukawa to participate needs to be highlighted.What I also want to highlight is that the Raukawa Charitable Trust is one of the largest iwi health providers in the south Waikato. The Raukawa Charitable Trust whānau have been participating positively within their community. They have thecapacity to deliver health services. From reading their website I see they have got a huge focus on kaumātua health whānau health the retention of their reo. So this iwi group has not waited for this Treaty settlement process to get on with the mahi. I think what this settlement process will do is enhance the mahi that they are already doing. I think we need to acknowledge the fact that this iwi grouping actually has been able to develop their capacity to develop their capability to deliver services not only for their people but also for the people of the south Waikato. So I want to acknowledge and thank them for the work they are doing.When I read the Treaty settlements legislation I am always really interested in the statutory acknowledgments. For me that statutory acknowledgment is acknowledging the status that our iwi groups have as mana whenua of Aotearoa. It is a status that no other group has. So it is not about us being an ethnic group or another racial group within Aotearoa New Zealand; it is actually recognising the special relationship that we have. So the statutory acknowledgments within this particular settlement acknowledges the relationship that Raukawa has with aspects of the Waikato River and its tributaries to lakes to geothermal sites—for example part of the Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park the Pātetere Scenic Reservethe Arapuni Scenic Reserve the Kaahu Scenic Reserve. I am mentioning these names because I think the significance of that statutory acknowledgment actually creates the opportunity for the relationship that both central and local government will have to develop with Raukawa. It will be about how we manage those sites the consents that will happen over those sites. For me it means that Raukawa in this instance will continue to have a formal decision-making responsibility for those sites into the future. For me that is the most significant aspect because for ever the footprint of Raukawa will be felt throughout the south Waikato.I also note that there will be naming rights for certain sites that Raukawa will have which mean that we will maintain that footprint. The tupuna for Raukawa will for ever in our history be acknowledged. So I am really pleased to support this bill. I am really pleased to be a member of Parliament who has an opportunity to participate in these Treaty settlement processes. I am no longer on the Māori Affairs Committee. It was a committee that I was very honoured and privileged to be a member of. I again just want to thank my colleagues for the way in which they conduct the business of the House. I want to thank our hapū and iwi groups for the way in which you have conducted yourselves. And as always I want to acknowledge the generosity in this instance of Raukawa to enable us to get to this point in time. I look forward to both the Committee stage and third reading of this bill so that we can make a piece of legislation that will reinforce the deed of settlement that Raukawa has created.Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.Bill read a second time.