te Heuheu Georgina: Third Readings 
te Heuheu Georgina: Third Readings 
[Volume:607;Page:4832] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (NZ National) 
: 
 It is a bit of a relief to see this bill coming through and finally passing into law. I want to reiterate something I said earlier about an underlying issue that sits in behind these changes particularly in terms of the validation of the three particular inquiries. It is the issue of a lack of resourcing and proper support for the Waitangi Tribunal which has a huge job as we all know with a mountain of claims before it. Certainly the tribunal has streamlined its processes although that new streamlining is now being tested and we will see whether it proves to have a positive outcome. But the tribunal has an enormous job to plough its way through the claims that sit before it. 
Although both the previous Government and this Government sit ready and waiting to negotiate claims trying to encourage claimants not to go through the tribunal process the reality is that it is like the old saying—everybody wants his or her day in court. In the end having waited over 160 years to get some justice for actions they consider to be totally unjust it is a long shot to think that the majority of tribal claimants from around the country would come straight into negotiations. So there is an issue that underpins or acts as a backdrop to these changes. It is this issue about a judicial forum of this country that has a big job to do—a big job for all New Zealanders—and is currently without the resourcing to do it. 
In respect of the validation clauses in this bill there will be one immediate effect at least which will probably be a great relief to the presiding officer Professor Gordon Orr who sat on the tribunal hearing of the Wellington Tenths Trust claim. At the point of passage of this bill into law he will probably feel he can release the Wellington Tenths Trust report that he has had waiting to be released for some time now. Hopefully any disadvantage that the other two inquiries Hauraki and Kaipara have been under through the necessity to replace members is now removed. For the foreseeable future we can see that no matter how streamlined the tribunal processes are going to be these claims will still take some time to come through so there is provision to replace members in certain cases as well. It is a relief I think to have this come through. 
We had a discussion during the Committee stage about when and how the powers of the chairperson should be exercised. The points raised by various members of the House were valid. They were issues that were certainly looked at by the select committee. The Government has moved to get over some perceived difficulties. On balance it is absolutely proper that this House makes sure that there are checks and balances to ensure there is no abuse of powers. That is a big part of our job in the House. But generally speaking the amendments that are being made to the Treaty of Waitangi Act are made in the context of the effective operation of the tribunal to ensure ongoing and functional panels to prevent the possibility of an inquiry having to start again and to avert the potential for significant extra cost being incurred by both claimants and the Crown. 
I make no comment on the other two bills. I just say that I am pleased that these changes regarding the Waitangi Tribunal have now been made and are about to pass into law.