Davidson MaramaMARAMA DAVIDSON (Green): Thank you Mr Chair for the opportunity to stand and support the Ngāruahine Claims Settlement Bill at this Committee stage. I want to particularly pick up on the representation. There is an amendment to the bill being put before the Committee and I want to particularly pick up on the benefit of having Māori representation at the table at Taranaki regional and local authorities. We will not be supporting my colleague Pita Paraone's Supplementary Order Paper 186 which in effect negates Māori representation at the council table and I want to support the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations in outlining why that is so necessary—why it is essential to the foundation of Aotearoa New Zealand actually to enable the true partnership and Māori representation.Some years ago I actually wrote about the importance of Māori representation which I want to expand on a little bit more tonight. It was because at that time particularly at local authority and local government levels there was a big debate and—as we in this Chamber can imagine—there was quite a bit of backlash and opposition particularly to Māori representation. I am particularly proud of the way that iwi of Taranaki are maintaining and upholding their kaitiaki responsibilities over their whenua and their hapori marae and hapū to maintain iwi representation at the local authority table. I do want to acknowledge therefore what that means. I relate to my own iwi in Ngāpuhi in Hokianga where for over 30 years the local hapū and the community—Māori and non-Māori working together—have been trying really hard to improve our waste-water sewerage systems for our Hokianga Harbour and various inlets. Had that been managed properly 30-plus years ago particularly upholding the Te Tiriti partnership in Hokianga I think we would have seen firstly better community involvement but also better protection over the Hokianga Harbour and the waterways where waste-water sewerage is concerned.Here you have an example where as with many of the examples it would have benefited everybody to have that iwi and hapū representation at that local government table thereby truly honouring the partnership because essentially representation is focused on our kaitiaki responsibilities and our whakapapa to our whenua. So nothing in that relationship—as here with the Ngāruahine settlement bill—is about maintaining power for the purposes of individual people or even individual hapū. It is actually about maintaining kaitiaki responsibilities to ensure that the community is well and that the waters and the whenua are well for all of the generations to come—all of the generations not just the mokopuna tamariki of those hapū and iwi.So I did want to particularly focus on and outline why we will not be supporting my colleague Pita Paraone's amendment. I am very aware that New Zealand First has a particular and a different political point when it comes to Māori representation but the Green Party has remained and always will remain very clear and very strong that the No. 1 benefit for upholding our Tiriti relationship and partnership absolutely was always supposed to be about an equal share of power and affirming the sovereignty of Taranaki iwi.One final point is that that does not necessarily mean the best representation—I am going to ask for some more time. It is always found just at the table in terms of local government representation. Yes Māori representation is important and vital. Is local government representation at the table the best way of upholding that? That is for iwi to decide. I want to acknowledge that in some places some iwi have chosen not to have to campaign to be at the table. That is for iwi to decide but where iwi have had a tradition of having their voice at that table then this House should absolutely support that. I do not make a claim to say that that is the best way to uphold the Te Tiriti partnership but certainly it is an important way to be able to affirm what iwi themselves are wanting. So I did want to focus this particular contribution on the fact that the Green Party will be continuing to support local government representation for iwi. Thank you.