Horan Brendan: Maraeroa A and B Blocks Claims Settlement Bill Maraeroa A and B Blocks Incorporation Bill — Third Readings 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Horan Brendan: Maraeroa A and B Blocks Claims Settlement Bill Maraeroa A and B Blocks Incorporation Bill — Third Readings 
[Sitting date: 25 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:3982. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
BRENDAN HORAN (NZ First) 
: 
 Before I start I would like to reiterate some of the words of my colleagues about the press. Here we are this is Maori Language Week and they cannot get off their backsides and be in that gallery. Yet this afternoon at 2 o’clock they will be there clinging on to the slightest thing they can find. They will be judging parliamentarians’ literacy skills and you will see it in the headlines tomorrow. And yet here we are today a landmark day in New Zealand’s history where stories are rich—some stories today are going to be devastating stories. They are our history and the history of New Zealand but are these foreign-paid journalists here? No. 
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: This is a really bad idea. 
BRENDAN HORAN 
: A really bad idea? I do not care what they print about me. I am telling you how it is. They should be here. They had warning. This is an important day. 
All over New Zealand and indeed in parts of the world people are actually live-streaming this broadcast and watching. For those people I think it is important that the stories are told so stories can be heard and understanding given. 
Ka tangi te titi ka tangi te kaka ka tangi hoki ahau tihei mauri ora. E nga iwi e nga reo e nga mana e nga matawaka tena tatou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. E rau rangatira ma ka mihi ake i runga i te karanga o te ra. Tena koutou tena koutou tena ano tatou katoa. 
[ 
The muttonbird and parrot calls and I call as well behold the sneeze of life. To the tribes languages authorities and kinship groups greetings salutations and acknowledgments to you all. To the many leaders of a hundredfold I acknowledge you on the call of the day greetings greetings and greetings to us all 
.] 
I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to support the third readings of the Maraeroa A and B Blocks Claims Settlement Bill and the Maraeroa A and B Blocks Incorporation Bill. This is one of the longest court disputes in our country’s history starting in the 1800s. 
Three brothers spent around 50 years fighting for thousands of acres of native forest land some of it confiscated by the Government under the guise of unpaid surveying fees and in some cases dubiously bought. As records indicate from different deeds of sale in the 1890s some of the sellers were as young as 1 year old. That sounds ridiculous does it not? But it is all well documented and sadly many of these happenings are merely a microcosm of what happened all over New Zealand. The three brothers were Wehi Te Ringitanga Taroa Te Ringitanga and Tutaki Te Ringitanga. With today’s agreement to settle and an unequivocal apology from the Crown these three tupuna can now finally rest in peace. 
The land in question is special for many reasons. Aside from being fertile forestry land—I would add that during the 1960s the Pureroa and Maraeroa Blocks were the largest supplier of native timber in the world—it is also the place where Rereahu died. Rereahu was the father of Maniapoto and his older brother Matakore and also the uncle of Karewa and therefore we have the hapu Ngati Maniapoto Ngati Matakore and Ngati Karewa. 
As far as settlements go there is real generosity of spirit shown by the claimants in settling for 2500 acres with 500 hectares of that being gifted back to the Crown for a wildlife corridor between two forestry blocks and much of the other land there under certain conservation covenants. The financial redress amounts to just over $2 million with an extra $40000 set aside for the buy-back of 2 hectares being the actual area where Rereahu died which unbelievably sadly and for all intents and purposes is now owned by the Chinese owners of the Crafar farms. However with the apology a shift of consciousness is granted and affected descendants can now move into a consciousness of self-responsibility and self-determination. 
This settlement is and has been an extremely complicated journey and New Zealand First congratulates the generosity of spirit of the claimants in settling so that people can truly move forward Maori and Pakeha together. 
 I would also take this moment to acknowledge two of Ngati Maniapoto’s giant totara—their kaumatua. The first is Piripi Crown one of the negotiators and a caretaker of immense knowledge not only for Tainui but for all Maori. I would also give Piripi’s apology for not being here today. He would if he could but he is bravely battling cancer. He is doing OK but he is just not well enough to be here today. I know that he is at home and watching us on parliamentary TV right now. 
The other kaumatua for special acknowledgment is former Labour MP and Minister Koro Wetere. Koro will probably be embarrassed by this acknowledgment because apart from being cursed with extreme good looks he is extremely modest. I want it known that New Zealand owes Koro a debt of gratitude as he was the driving force behind the 1985 change in legislation that allowed Treaty settlement claims—historical grievances—as far back as 1840 to be heard. Prior to that change one could claim back only to 1975. So thanks to Koro historical grievances can truly be heard shared and accounted for as well as important history acknowledged and greater understanding—between Maori and whanau hapu and iwi and Pakeha—granted. 
Koro cannot be here today as well and I offer his apology as he is over in Perth Western Australia. But he assures me he is not one of those young people who has gone and is not going to return. On behalf of Piripi Crown and Koro Wetere and in the spirit of today’s kaupapa I will now deliver their waiata. 
Tena koutou e whanauma 
Kua tae mai nei i teneira. 
No reira ra e hoa ma 
Kia ora ra koutou katoa. 
Kuarongohokiahau 
Kuarongo hoki ahau 
Kuarongo hoki ahau kei te haere mai koutou. 
Noreirara e whanauma 
Kia ora ra koutou katoa. 
[ 
Greetings to the family 
Who have arrived here today. 
And so therefore friends 
Acknowledgments to you all. 
I have heard 
I have heard 
And I have heard that you are coming. 
And so therefore family 
Acknowledgments to you all. 
] 
Na reira Rereahu te iwi Miringa-te-Kakara te marae. Maraeroa te aro o te hapu hoki mai kua iti nga whenua. Tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
So Rereahu is the tribe and Miringa-te-Kakara is the marae. I say unto the subtribe pay attention to Maraeroa—very few lands are coming back. Acknowledgments to you all 
.]