Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 26 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:4025. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill 
Third Reading 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 He ra nui tenei mo nga iwi kua tae mai i te ra nei. Kei te haere atu kei te hoki mai etahi mema. He inoi noa atu kia paku whakata mo te wa poto kia ngawari to tatou Whare kia taea ai e to tatou Minita te whakatakoto i tenei korero kia rongo nga taringa o muri ake nei i nga korero. 
[ 
This is a great day for the tribes who have arrived here today. Some members are leaving and returning. I am just seeking leave for a small recess to allow our House to settle down and to enable our Minister to make this statement so those remaining can hear what is being stated 
.]  
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the member makes a useful point of order in that on an important occasion like this it is unhelpful if we commence the debate while so many members are moving around the House and while visitors are entering the gallery. We cannot wait indefinitely but I certainly think we can wait a moment while members who are leaving the House do so. These third readings are important occasions and have very great significance to people visiting Parliament on the occasion of these third reading debates so the House will pause for just a moment. I would ask those who are intending to leave the Chamber to please do so so that once we start the debate the House is not further disrupted by people moving about. I will defer calling the honourable Minister for just a moment longer. Just so the public knows what is going on I have just deferred the commencement of the third reading debate on Government order of the day No. 1 while members are leaving the Chamber to give the Minister a more dignified environment in which to make an important speech on this very important Treaty settlement legislation. I think the House is now in a rather quieter state so I now call on the Hon Tariana Turia. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Minister for Whanau Ora) 
 on behalf of the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations: I move  
That the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time. 
Mai i nga kahui maunga o Whanganui tae noa ki a koutou o nga maunga Puketapu Manawaru hoki ka tu ahau ki te tuku mihi ki a koutou o Rongowhakaata nga uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi hoki kua takahi te papa kia tae mai nei ki te Whare Paremata mo te panuitanga tuatoru o to koutou piri. Ki a koutou nga kaumatua nga kuia nga koroua tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
From the cluster mountains of Whanganui to you of the mountains Puketapu and Manawaru as well I rise to extend a welcome to you of Rongowhakaata and of the descendants of Te Kooti Rikirangi too who have traversed the countryside to arrive here at Parliament House for the third reading of your bill. To you all the elders elderly women and menfolk greetings 
.] 
One hundred and twenty years ago in April 1893 Te Kooti Rikirangi uttered these unforgettable words: “Ko te waka he hoehoenga mo koutou i muri i ahau na te ture tera. Ma te ture ano te ture e aki. The canoe that you must paddle when I am gone is that of the law. Only the law can be pitched against the law.” Today that prophecy comes to fruition. The Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill will finally settle the historical Treaty of Waitangi claims of Rongowhakaata. 
The settlement journey for Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi has been a long one. Many who have borne the weight of this journey are no longer with us today and we acknowledge and remember them. The Waitangi Tribunal’s 2004 report concluded that Turanga’s history includes some of the darkest and most dramatic moments in our nation’s history. The tribunal described the breaches arising from Crown military action against the iwi as some of the worst in New Zealand. But it went further and laid a challenge that I believe it is incumbent on all of us to pick up. The tribunal noted that it could not help but think that the unsettled state of relations between Maori and Pakeha is in part due to the fact that these stories are remembered only by tangata whenua and a few specialist historians. This leaves the nation in an unenviable state of flux and I quote from the 2004 report: “While only one side remembers the suffering of the past dialogue will always be difficult. One side commences the dialogue with anger and the other side has no idea why. Reconciliation cannot be achieved by this means.” How do we avoid repeating the mistakes of the past? What price is paid for the oppressive policies and injustices suffered in the name of the law? 
This settlement records the Crown’s deep remorse over wrongs done. The apology expresses profound regret that over the generations to the present day Crown actions have significantly impacted on Rongowhakaata’s social and traditional structures autonomy and ability to exercise customary rights and responsibilities. The apology is a sincere attempt to report the Crown’s failure since 1840 to respect the mana of Rongowhakaata and their rangatiratanga. It is difficult for anyone outside of this iwi to truly appreciate the depth of loss and prejudice that has been suffered. The words of a young 17-year-old give voice to that grief which has endured over generations. Wetini Wilkins-Larkin a direct descendant of Te Kooti Rikirangi told the story of his nannies Hine Campbell and Mihi Larkin. “This struggle”—he said—“goes back in history to the time even when my grandmother was a young school girl who experienced the stigma and shame of being a direct descendant of the koroua. I’m told that the Matawhero massacre would be a common topic in the school curriculum and that my Nan would often be a scapegoat for other pupils that the finger was pointed to her in disgust and that she would even hide under the shadow of her desk with her face hidden behind her hands.” What a painful memory to live with throughout your life. How do Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi move past the stigmatisation of Te Kooti and his descendants? It will take time and our greatest hope is that in the course of the journey we witness today we will reach a time when all New Zealanders look on Te Kooti as the founder of Te Haahi Ringatu acknowledge his inspirational leadership and appreciate his commitment to the preservation of Te Reo me ona tikanga just as his followers from my own iwi continue to follow and believe today. 
This bill expresses that recognition and redress for the bitter grievances of Rongowhakaata that are long overdue. That recognition includes knowledge that the Crown used force in Turanga in November 1865 when there was absolutely no need to do so. The Crown’s attack on Waerenga a Hika whose occupants included women and children was unwarranted and unjust and caused severe and long-term prejudice to this iwi. The summary executions at Ngatapa by Crown forces in 1869 tarnished the honour of the Crown and will live on in the hearts and minds of Rongowhakaata descendants their w’anau and their hapu. The indefinite detention in harsh conditions on the Chatham Islands without trial or the laying of charges was an injustice depriving Rongowhakaata of their basic human rights. The enduring cruelty of Crown actions was epitomised in the 1869 deed of cession resulting in the extinguishment of all of their customary land interests. In effect the Crown confiscated Rongowhakaata land including interests in over 50000 acres at Patutahi and by exclusion from titles awarded by the Poverty Bay Commission. 
On days like this it is unimaginable the sadness deep within the soul of Rongowhakaata nor can the ongoing feelings about the Crown actions be put into words. 
The illegal imprisonment of a quarter of the adult male population of Turanga on Wharekauri and the loss in the war of an estimated 43 percent of their adult male population including the illegal execution of a third to a half of that number were described by the tribunal as a “stain on our national history and character”. The final chapter in the tribunal’s report “Hei Whakamahutanga: The Healing” Is headed with these words: “Whakamoea nga patu ki nga patu rakau kia whanau ko te pai. Put to sleep the evil words and weapons of war so that goodness can prevail.” 
One of the ways in which resolution may be achieved is in addressing the confiscation of Te Hau ki Turanga the elaborate w’are whakairo carved by the expert carver Raharuhi Rukupo of Ngati Kaipoho. Crown troops took possession of Te Hau in 1867 in the aftermath of Waerenga a Hika. The acquisition of this cherished tribal whare which is held by Te Papa here in Wellington has been a source of great pain to this iwi and it is right that redress relating to Te Hau lies at the heart of this settlement. The settlement legislation contains within it the vesting in Rongowhakaata of sites of significance funding for cultural revitalisation specific redress for Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi a range of commercial redress properties and other elements of redress. This will assist Rongowhakaata in rebuilding their economic platform for the benefit of present and future generations. 
We bear an enduring debt of gratitude to this iwi who have demonstrated great generosity to the nation in foregoing full compensation. Today there will be time for recognition to acknowledge the significant journey which started in 1992 when Heni Sunderland Peter Gordon Darcy Ria and Stan Pardoe lodged their claims. There will no doubt be tears shed and memories shared as Rongowhakaata trace over the steps that led to this day. And in the midst of the heartache I hope there is also room to remember the statement of Wetini Wilkins-Larkin who ended his submission as the voice of hope: “We have regained and restored the mana that we so deserved and can now hold our heads high when saying ‘I am a direct descendant of Te Kooti Rikirangi.’ ” Na reira tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rawhiti) 
:  
I a koutou o te hau kainga e whai kaha atu i konei i te wahi o te Whare Miere e mihi kau ana ki a koutou nga tupakeke. E tautoko atu nga whakaaro i puta a-waha a Tariana me ratou ma ki nga koroua nga kuia pera i a Heni te wahine kaha ki te mahi toi pena i a Darcy mo tana mahi i roto i te Tari Maori me tera a Pita e mahi ana i tona mahi i konei i nga tari i a ratou me koe e Stan ko koe ke te mea e ora ana. E mihi kau ana ki a koe. Tena koe mo tena e Rehia koutou katoa e Willie nga mea pakeke e mihi kau ana tena koutou. E te papa Noel ahakoa kare au i timata atu ki te mihi i nga manuhiri e mihi kau ana ki a koutou. E tuku mihi ki wenei ki te whanaunga a Willie a matua Stan a Meka a Jodie Wyllie mo to ratou whakatoi kia oti atu te mahi nei. Me koutou katoa e mahi atu nga mahi e rere atu te taea whakahuri ki te rangi oti nei. 
He tino rangi pai atu tenei. E kite atu tatou o te Whare Miere e manaaki atu kia oti pai. No reira. tena koutou. Mo ratou e rere atu. nga hunga pera i a Addie a Huia e tangi hoki te ngakau. Engari mo koutou e ora ana ko tenei ano to kaha o Rongowhakaata e tae atu i konei. Mohio atu tatou mo nga korero o te mahi o nga hoia. I rongo koutou nga tupuna nga pakopako o nga pu pera atu te mahinga atu. No reira e tautokotia atu nga korero o te tuahine me tatou katoa i konei. 
[ 
To those from home who made a great effort to get here to the place of the Beehive to you the elders I welcome you. I endorse the sentiments expressed by Tariana and others to the elderly men and womenfolk like Heni that great artist; Darcy his work in the Maori department and Pita for his work among departments here. You too Stan the one still alive I congratulate you. I acknowledge you for your contribution Rehia all of you Willie the experienced ones I applaud you all well done. I acknowledge you Noel the father figure. Even though I did not begin the tributes to the visitors I extend a welcome to you collectively. I welcome these ones as well: Willie the relative uncle Stan Meka Jodie Wyllie for being cheeky so that this matter would be done and dusted—in fact all of you who set about to complete your tasks to turn things round to get to this day.  
This is indeed a wonderful day. We of the Beehive will make sure that it is completed well. So I commend you. As for those who have passed away like Addie and Huia I mourn for them too. As for you the living your efforts to get here Rongowhakaata is greatly admired. We know what the militia did we know the stories. You the elders heard the musket fire and the havoc it created. So I endorse the sentiments expressed by the sister colleague and all of us here. 
]  
I want to mention Maever and Peter Moeau and the part of this claim relating to Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi. Certainly Te Kooti’s deeds and the reasoning behind them are things that are etched in history. That he was a trader of some knowledge and was into commerce is something that is very interesting. That he was put asunder for whatever reason it is indeed great that we are here today to put all that to rest. He travelled away. He was imprisoned. Certainly the Ringatu Hahi still survives today and I want to mihi to them and to the uri. 
Before I start I want to say that it is a great day and before I forget mihi to the Ministers—Minister Turia and co. and especially Mr Finlayson. I always thought Mr Cullen was the better of the Ministers but I think Mr Finlayson might end up being not too bad actually. I want to recognise his ability because he knows I am going to set to on him about some of these things in here. But I do want to mention him and the officials as at times they are sorely forgotten. I do want to mention and mihi to him. 
So Te Kooti Rikirangi those things and the preserved art forms in several of the houses around the country stand as a signal and a sign to his following and his uri who are still surviving. The fascinating thing is in my mind being a scholar of Treaty settlements and understanding most of them I would say that there is not one worse than this Treaty settlement in terms of what the Crown did to our people in this country. And I am not saying that because they are sitting in the gallery; it is a fact. It was one of the most dastardly actions ever perpetrated ever set to upon any iwi tribe or whanau in this country. Today that we bring it to rest is something that we should be proud of as politicians. 
Raharuhi Rukupo was a master carver and he certainly left his etched signal. I thought I would start off here Minister with Te Hau ki Turanga just in case I forgot and the bell rang. Thank you for its return. Thank you for making sure that it goes back. I was fascinated to read in the summary here about what would happen and the resources and the support that would go to particularly its relocation. I think that is great—that it is to be resourced. But I recall when the Maori land incorporations were returned a lot of the people jumped at it and accepted it. That house has been down here for a long time so we should consider ensuring that the ongoing costs of running and maintaining it are put in here. I read it very carefully. There is a lot of talk about resourcing the relocation of it but not about the continuation of both preserving it and making sure that these people are able to be paid to look after it to be frank because they have shared it with the nation for a long long time. There are ongoing costs. 
You know this is amazing. These people the Crown set to on them. Te Kooti did some interesting things amongst them and for a people to forgive that takes a lot of gumption. For people to accept that that happened and try to get to a better place amongst themselves not just with the Crown is something that they should be respected for because that is exactly what they have done. The thing about history—sad history and bad history—is if you look back too much all you get is a sore neck. At the moment it is a great day for them to be here. 
Prior to 1865 Rongowhakaata had full control of all their resources. They were in control of them they were running businesses and they were looking after themselves and the early settlers. When war broke out Rongowhakaata adopted a policy of neutrality which is fascinating because some of these people have been branded rebels—I am not sure which ones of them but they were branded rebels. They took a neutral stance. It is fascinating that the Crown did not respect that peace that it set to on them not lightly harder than over in Taranaki—it blasted them. It certainly shows that the Crown enacted military force to take a position—both lands and resources—and to disenfranchise them not just from what they had of their own but also to set up the empire’s flag to flutter over the top of them and suggest that they are not needed. Well they have stood the test of time. They are here today. They have a whakapapa and as I debated last week when somebody said that the Crown is returning their mana Rongowhakaata never lost their mana like any of these iwi—never ever ever. The two scholars over there who were waxing lyrical about that last week need to think again. They never lost their mana. That it was impinged on and it was wounded here and there does not mean to say they lost it. Their tino rangatiratanga has certainly stood the test of time. 
As Minister Turia said the Crown’s attack on Waerenga a Hika which included a lot of women and children was abhorrent to say the least. It was one of the worst war situations in this country. And the ongoing looting by the military forces after that is something that we need to remember and get rid of. It is a bit like a movie Rongowhakaata’s history because some of them got sent to the Chathams with no trial conducted in the courts. They were sent there and locked up. It shows their tenacity because they escaped after 2 years. If you have ever been to the Chatham Islands like I have on an aeroplane I do not know how the hang they escaped. But they must have been pretty smart people to escape and they escaped. Then other things happened. The summary executions at Ngatapa by the Crown forces in January 1869 were the worst in my mind. That people were lined up against the cliffs. That they were torn apart by some overzealous young punk who had come from the empire is something that we need to remember. 
So they have been a very brave people and it is a great day for them to be here to see the end of it and that Stan Pardoe is still living for they chew his back every now and again like we do most people in those positions. Stan is still here out of the four original applicants. A lot of these people did this for nothing. That is why the Minister is serious about the whare. 
There is another matter Minister and I just want to read from the Crown’s acknowledgment in subclause (17)(b) in clause 7: “the pollution of Turanga waterways by Gisborne’s sewerage system and industrial waste has had a severe effect on Rongowhakaata including the loss of many traditional sources of kai moana;” and blah-blah-blah. On top of that it has got about the forestry and the erosion and that. Well Minister the sewage is still there. It is getting worse actually. I suggested in the second reading that it is not too late to stump up and that is something that should be put right. I would encourage you to know it a bit harder Minister because it is a continued raupatu—that raw sewage pouring out. There is a local authority there. I hope Meng Foon is watching this. We have got a Chinese mayor who can speak Maori. Kite atu te paru e tuku ana i te takutai moana [ 
You will see raw sewage released on to the foreshore 
] 
 
 dare I mention it. 
I reira ke te pirau o te tangata e haere tonu atu. [ 
You will see human waste floating away there. 
] 
As I round up can I encourage you Minister to consider that on the way through. Kia ora tatou. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) 
: 
 E nga mana e nga reo koutou ma o Ngati Rongowhakaata nau mai haere mai ki te Paremata. 
[ 
To the authorities and languages you of Ngati Rongowhakaata welcome welcome to Parliament 
.] 
I am genuinely delighted and that is no hyperbole to speak in this third reading debate. I became the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations in late November 2008 and I agreed with my officials that I would destroy their holiday and take them on a hikoi in mid-January 2009 so that I could meet some of the iwi that I would be dealing with. So the first flight was up to Tairawhiti and the first meeting was with the good people who are in the gallery today. That is where I first met Stanley Pardoe Kristen Maynard and others. So it has been even since 2009 a long and somewhat convoluted journey but we are here today and I do acknowledge the negotiators particularly you Stan. It has been great to get to know you and to work with you. I am just so pleased that we have reached this stage. I also wish to acknowledge others who have come from Turanganui a Kiwa to join us today because this is a very very important day in the life of the country and this bill has its unique features. It is not a mere deal as some insultingly describe it. It is a very important settlement of grievances that go to the heart of our nation. It gives effect to a deed that Rongowhakaata have negotiated with the Crown. It contains Crown acknowledgments that are very important—and I suggest that if people do not know much about the history of what happened they should read those acknowledgments and they should read the preamble—and the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill also contains provisions for cultural and commercial redress. 
It is very important to acknowledge the contribution of negotiators. It is not pro forma thanks because these negotiators in this particular matter have worked on this claim for more than a decade. The tribunal held hearings in the early 2000s and in 2004 the tribunal reported that the history of what went on in Turanganui a Kiwa was marked by grievous Crown breaches of the history and by some of the darkest moments in our nation’s history. More than 40 percent of the men in Turanganui a Kiwa died as a result of Crown military action between 1865 and 1872. 
Settlement negotiations with the Crown began in 2005 and when Dr Cullen—well Sir Michael as he is now—was the Minister in charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations an agreement in principle was signed in September 2008. I was very fortunate to be the Minister to work with the iwi to complete the detail of the settlement and we initialled the deed of settlement at what I thought was a very moving ceremony at Te Papa in July last year. I have to say there was some considerable publicity both on television and in the papers about the initialling and I was expecting quite some negative emails to start flowing in—as so often they do—but I never received anything because I think people deep down acknowledged that this was a taonga that did not belong to Te Papa; it belonged to the people of Rongowhakaata. Then the deed was signed last spring on a beautiful Friday morning in September. 
I believe that it is very important for people to understand just what went on. Mrs Turia has outlined the broad history and I do not think it is necessary or appropriate for me to go over ground that has been so ably covered by her and also by Mr Horomia. But I just want to focus on what for me is very much one of the highlights of this bill and that is the way in which we have managed to reach a resolution for Te Hau ki Turanga because the Crown simply did come in and confiscate it in 1867. It was removed by force and it has been kept in various national museums ever since. Many alterations have been made to Te Hau ki Turanga without the consent of Rongowhakaata. 
I always enjoyed the initial debates I had with some officials about the legal ownership of Te Hau ki Turanga. They were saying: “Well you know the statute said that when Te Papa was created all property of the old Dominion Museum transferred over to Te Papa.” and it sounded all so very legal but the reality of the matter is—as we all know—that the ownership of Te Hau ki Turanga was never surrendered by Rongowhakaata; never handed over with their consent. That is why it is very important to note that clause 23 of the bill makes it clear beyond any doubt at all that Te Hau ki Turanga vests in the trustees nominated by Rongowhakaata. 
 I thought that the Maori Affairs Committee did a very good job and its commentary is worth referring to because it said it is currently housed— 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: Good chairman. 
Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON 
: Oh it is not just the chair. We know that he is a superstar but there are others as well and being the generous soul he is he would be the first to acknowledge that. 
The select committee heard that Rongowhakaata do not wish the return of Te Hau ki Turanga to create a financial burden for future generations and it records that Te Papa and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage have committed themselves to working with Rongowhakaata to ensure a sustainable future for the whare particularly as regards its relocation. I endorse 100 percent what Mr Horomia said. It has been shared with the nation for over 100 years; it is entirely fair and appropriate that central government makes a significant contribution to the ongoing costs. It is certainly not going to be a situation where the Crown simply says to Rongowhakaata: “Well done. It is back in your hands. You look after it.” So I am very much looking forward to engaging with Rongowhakaata—we have already started but I am looking forward to the ongoing engagement—to make sure that in the very near future we determine a way in which it can be relocated to Tairawhiti and that the financial redress of the settlement which will enable the iwi to build a future for themselves in Tairawhiti will not be spent disproportionately on Te Hau ki Turanga. 
Mrs Turia has also outlined the commercial and the financial redress and I am not going to repeat that. I just want to say to the people of Rongowhakaata as if you like the Minister for Arts Culture and Heritage that I am determined and I am very keen to engage with them sooner rather than later so that we can work out when exactly Te Hau ki Turanga can go home and how the Crown can help. 
There are many people who have contributed to this settlement. I acknowledge Mr Horomia who was with me the day the deed was signed. I acknowledge Sir Michael Cullen who oversaw the preliminary negotiation of the agreement in principle. I guess we all thought did we not in 2009 that it would be able to be signed up very quickly but there have been issues. They have required patience and determination—and I see Stan Pardoe nodding. Probably he thinks: “Well Minister that’s an understatement.” I acknowledge my ministerial colleagues. I particularly acknowledge the Minister of Maori Affairs with whom I have so enjoyed working on this matter; the Minister of Conservation who is always very generous when I come knocking about cultural redress; and also the Minister for Land Information. 
Many Government departments and officials have also made very valuable contributions. But as I said in the Ngati Makino debate a couple of hours ago one expects that of officials and Ministers because that is our job but there are people in the gallery who have given and given and given over many years. They have given of their own time given of their weekends and at some financial cost in order to reach this stage. Very few people outside the negotiators for the Crown and the officials I think appreciate the sacrifices that the negotiators of Treaty settlements make on behalf of their people and I salute them for their tenacity their good faith and their courage. 
In conclusion all I want to say is that we have unfinished business—that is the Crown and Rongowhakaata. We have hopefully a strong ongoing relationship that will blossom in the years to come and I can think of no better first task for us to get on with in that new relationship than to focus on Te Hau ki Turanga to see what we can do because from my personal point of view the sooner we can resolve that the sooner that Te Hau ki Turanga goes home the better.  
RINO TIRIKATENE (Labour—Te Tai Tonga) 
: 
 Tena koe te Kaiwhakahaere o te Whare. Tena korua e nga minita koutou ra nga mema o tenei Paremata tena koutou. E aku rangatira e nga iwi o Turanga-nui-a-Kiwa Rongowhakaata Ngai Tamanuhiri Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki tena koutou. Nau mai hara mai whakatau mai ki te Paremata nei tena koutou tena koutou. A mihi atu ki aku whanaunga no Te Wai Pounamu no Kai Tahu whanui kua tae mai nei ki te kaupapa o tenei ra tena koutou. Huri noa i te Whare tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatou katoa. 
[ 
Greetings to you Mr Speaker of the House you two ministers and indeed all you members of this Parliament salutations. I acknowledge you my leaders and people of Gisborne Rongowhakaata Ngai Tamanuhiri and Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki greetings. Welcome welcome and welcome to this Parliament salutations. To my relatives from the South Island and Kai Tahu at large who came here for the matter of the day I commend you. Greetings then to you throughout the House and to us all. 
] 
Much has been said by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and my senior colleagues today in reference to the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill before us. It gives me great pleasure to be here to speak at this the final reading for Rongowhakaata and nga uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi. This bill is about them and it is a real honour. 
A lot of comments have been made and they are true about the atrocities that were committed against Rongowhakaata. They were heinous: Waerenga a Hika Ngatapa the detentions over at Wharekauri and the confiscations of their lands. I have spoken a lot about those actions in my earlier speeches so I want to focus this final speech on some other aspects of this bill and the settlement. 
The return of the superb piece of artwork the whare known as Te Hau ki Turanga—and I know the speakers before me have spoken a lot about the return of that beautiful beautiful whare—and the ongoing preservation of that revered house will be of great import to the descendants of the master carver Raharuhi Rukupo and the whanau and hapu of the Poverty Bay area. These people of Rongowhakaata are an ingenious people quick to seize upon opportunities advantageous to themselves and were successful international traders right up until 1865. Just the ingenuity of Rongowhakaata—the flight of the so-called rebels from Wharekauri to Turanga is a classic example; my matua here Parekura mentioned that. It is a classic example of what I speak of and the daring of those actions never ceases to amaze me. It was not much of a trick. They were imprisoned for 2 years on a faraway land over there in Wharekauri they overpowered their guards hatched a cunning plan to flag down a schooner and headed back home to Turanga-nui-a-Kiwa. 
It seems to me that the only way to get to and from the Chathams in those days was to steal a boat because Pomare did it from Wellington in 1835—he did the round trip—and Te Kooti and his crew did the return trip back from the Chathams. Those Maoris were not going to paddle their way back—it is too far—but such was the ingenuity sheer willingness to survive and drive to get back home that was demonstrated by the illustrious tupuna of Rongowhakaata who are here today. That is why I have absolute faith in the uri of Rongowhakaata as they look towards their future as the descendants of these intrepid and fearless men and women. I know the leaders of today are well equipped with the knowledge needed in today’s world. 
May I also take this opportunity to acknowledge nga uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi in this bill. Over 130 years of stigmatisation has ended for the descendants of Te Kooti. Finally families back home in Gisborne and uri around the world have an apology from the Crown acknowledging that its actions led to the deprivation of mana for the descendants of this great patriot. His proverbial saying his whakatauki “E kore he tangata o Turanga e kite i a au; e kite he whenua o Turanga i a au” has become a song for the land. It translates as “The people of Turanga will never see me again; the land of Turanga will”. It evokes a new dawn expressed as a belief that his spiritual return will occur as this terrible history is laid to rest through the process of legal settlement which we are going through now in the 21st century. The whakatauki expresses the hopes of five generations that land taken at Turanga will be recognised as having been wrongfully taken. Then the martyr Te Kooti Rikirangi—the man who was exiled as a spy without trial in 1866 without cause—may be able to return home. 
Finally I would like to encourage the history of Rongowhakaata that has been outlined in the Crown acknowledgments and the Crown apologies in this bill—that Treaty history and these texts stories and histories that are a huge contribution to our national history—I want to encourage our nation as a whole to grasp the lessons of the history that is now etched on our statute book. We do not want them to be just sitting on the shelf. I would like to encourage this Government or whoever is in Government that we make sure that our Treaty history as outlined in these Treaty bills becomes compulsory teaching in our social studies classes for our tamariki right throughout the motu. I think it is very important that this history is known and that it is educated to not only this generation but also generations to come. 
May I acknowledge my colleagues in the Maori Affairs Committee under the chair of the Hon Tau Henare and all our fellow members. I also acknowledge the work of Minister Finlayson and his officials. I am a new member to this House and I do think that in a way we are finishing off the hangi but it was actually laid down by those before us. It has the hands of that great statesman Sir Michael Cullen and other people and administrations that have been awhi-ing and tautoko-ing this bill right from the early days. It is a pleasure to be participating in this third reading and to be part of the select committee to bring this bill to its final passing. 
Finally I would like to mihi to Rongowhakaata to Stan Pardoe—I see Lewis up there—and to all of the kaumatua and kuia who have travelled all this way. It is a real honour to mihi and to speak to this bill. I know it is a very important day for you. It harks back to my own memories obviously when I was sitting up there with my whanaunga from the south when we were having the passing of our own legislation down there for Ngai Tahu. So I know how you must be feeling today: very proud. I join you and we all join you in the celebration today. We acknowledge the many many years of hard work that you have committed Stan and your team there but also we acknowledge the many ancestors who have gone before you. I am very proud to celebrate this with you today and I mihi to you all. Kia ora tatou katoa. 
METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker. E te Mangai o te Whare tena koe. Tuarua ki nga mema o to tatou Whare tena koutou katoa. Tuatoru e mihi atu ki te Wiki o Te Reo Maori tena koutou katoa. Ki a Rongowhakaata ki nga uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker. Greetings to you Mr Speaker of the House. Secondly to the members of our House greetings to you all. Thirdly I acknowledge Maori Language Week greetings to you all. To Rongowhakaata and relatives of Te Kooti Rikirangi salutations to you all 
.] 
The Green Party is pleased to support the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill at its third reading and to see this bill passed. I want to acknowledge the contribution made by my colleague Catherine Delahunty in the second reading. Catherine Delahunty was resident in this rohe as she talked about at that time and has a very strong personal connection to this area and to the people there. She talked about that personal experience of being a Pakeha women living in this rohe knowing these stories and the hardship that resulted or that was suffered by the mana whenua in these areas. 
Those kinds of contributions from particularly I think Pakeha are very important in this House because it recognises that each person stands to speak and say what their experience was and how they have related to those issues in their life. It acknowledges that tangata Tiriti have a role in this country and have a place to stand in this country and are as much a part of the history of the process of colonisation as any other. We can therefore take responsibility for our role as a citizen in a country that has been colonised and we can acknowledge the history of hurt that was caused by the State which represents us by the Government forces that have represented us and perhaps even by our own whanau in some circumstances in the past not with a sense of guilt but with a sense of acknowledgment peace and justice. 
It is a very important contribution to make. So I appreciate that I have the opportunity today to speak as a Maori woman Kahungunu Ati Hau woman on this legislation and to congratulate Rongowhakaata on all of their work in bringing this legislation into the House as well as all of those who have spoken before me on this legislation. Tena koutou katoa. 
The history of this of Rongowhakaata is probably one of the better known histories actually. It has been written about in various forms because of the extraordinary personality that was Te Kooti and the abuse of that history—of the genuine history of Te Kooti at this time. It is actually one of the stories that is perhaps one of the better known although probably quite badly misrepresented over time. I agree with my colleague from Labour who talked about the need for these stories to be told in their fullness and from the mana whenua perspective about what happened during that time so that the history that our kids have and that their kids will have is an honest and true one and shows both sides if you like. It is OK that those stories might be different but there are two stories to be told and both are essential. 
Twenty-two rangatira of Rongowhakaata signed the Treaty. They were invaded by military forces Government forces. Members of Rongowhakaata were killed a number were exiled they were rescued by Te Kooti and there was retaliation by Te Kooti against those who were part of that exile process. As a result the Crown forces came in very hard on the hapu and iwi there capturing the pa and executing a number of the prisoners caught in that process. That is set out quite well in the bill and I think it is good that it is because again that is a very explicit description of the story. But as a result Rongowhakaata lost virtually all their land and were left almost entirely landless. The titles were individualised—I know we have heard this story repeated a few times today—so that it became even more difficult for Rongowhakaata to retain any kind of control over their own natural resources. 
 The settlement process is designed to return some kind of compensation some kind of redress for the actions of the Crown. As well we talk a lot in this House during Treaty settlements about the generosity of iwi in accepting these settlements knowing that the redress the compensation for the harms caused is just absolutely minute compared with the harm and the hurt that they have suffered. I want to again acknowledge that generosity partly for Rongowhakaata and partly to Rongowhakaata because it is actually the rest of the community that needs to understand the extent of that generosity. 
The Green Party has always said from the time we started here in Parliament with our parliamentary presence that the Treaty settlement process was not a just one. We have without apology talked during Treaty settlement debates about the Crown failures. We consider it part of our fundamental responsibility when we stand up in this House and talk about Treaty settlements not only to acknowledge the iwi and all of the work that goes into seeing them come to the House at this point but also to hold the Crown to account for its failures. That is a necessary part of this process however uncomfortable for whichever Government is currently running the country. We said the same things when Labour was in Government as we say when National is in Government: the settlement process itself has flaws and those flaws create undue hardship for the iwi who in good faith genuine good faith are working with the Crown as best they can to find some redress for their whanau and for their iwi and hapu so that they can move on at least at this point. 
It is important in our view as the Green Party that we do hold the Crown to account because there are few others who are able to do so and that is part of our critical role here in Parliament. To that extent I feel compelled not only to acknowledge the importance of the return of the whare in this legislation and what that means for Rongowhakaata but also to express our real concern that Rongowhakaata are not required to carry the burden of the return of that whare. It is their right and entitlement to have it back as they see fit in a way that they see fit at a time that they see fit. It remains in our view an ongoing obligation on the Crown to make sure that Rongowhakaata have what they need to care for that whare as they see fit well into the future. 
This would be a clear demonstration by the Crown of what the Minister was talking about earlier which is that it is the actions of the Crown from this point on that will develop a relationship of trust with Rongowhakaata. It is the actions of the Crown that count from this point on. One of the actions that the Crown can commit to is to ensure that Rongowhakaata have everything they need at every step of the way to make sure that that whare is returned and returned in a way that it can be cared for well into the future. That would be a clear demonstration of good faith by the Crown to an ongoing relationship in our view. 
Finally I want to acknowledge those who have died during the time of the process of this settlement to Parliament. As we know settlements take a long time. People who work on them often do not see them to fruition. I acknowledge the work of all those who will see this settlement work into the future and I wish Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi the best best wishes for the future. Kia ora. 
Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 Tena koe. Tena koe. E nga maunga Puketapu Manawaru Horouta waka Takitimu waka nga uri o Ruapani Rongowhakaata Tamanuhiri nau mai hara mai ra. Hara mai ra ki Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara hara mai ra ki tenei Whare Paremata. E tika ana kia mihi atu ki a tatau mate nga mea kua mauria e koutou ki ro Whare nei kia tu honohono a tatau mate. Hoki aku mahara ki a Timi tera Ariki kua tukuna atu me o koutou mate a tatau mate na reira haere koutou okioki pai mai i te Kaihanga hei whariki ma matau. Na reira koutou ki a koutou nga mate. Kia hoki ki te kaupapa o te ra nei tena koutou tena koutou nau mai ra. He ra whakahirahira tenei he ra nui. Kua oti ke te hikoi. Rua tekau tau koutou e kawe ana i tenei kaupapa mai i te wa i timata ai i whakatakoto ai tenei kereme ki mua i te aroaro o te kawana. Na reira kia tangi atu ki a Heni ki a Peter Gordon ki a Darcy. Na ra kai te ora tonu koe Stan ka whakaaro au noho tonu. Na reira tangi atu ki a ratau na ratau i kawe te kaupapa nei. 
Ki te korero tatau e pa ana ki tenei kereme hoki nga mahara ki ta koutou hitori te wa o te pakanga te mamae te taumaha te whakatorotorotanga o nga pa me era ahuatanga muru whenua. 
Na reira tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou kua tae i tenei rangi. Ko te wa tuatoru ka panuihia tenei pepa pire kei roto i te Whare Paremata nei i te wa whakamutunga. Mai i tenei ka whakaturetia mai i tera ka riro ki a koutou te whakapaha o te kawana nga taonga me era atu ki a koutou. Mohio ano ahakoa kua oti tena kei roto tonu i a koutou nga maumaharatanga ki a ratau kua ngaro atu i enei wa i te pakanga nei. Na reira tena koutou tena koutou katoa. 
Kai te mihi au ki a koutou Minister Finlayson. He tika tana korero he kaha nei te haere ki roto i nga iwi ki te whakatikatika i nga kereme. 
[ 
Thank you. I welcome you the mountains Puketapu and Manawaru Horouta canoe Takitimu canoe and the descendants of Ruapani Rongowhakaata and Tamanuhiri welcome welcome. Welcome indeed to this Parliament House. It is appropriate that I acknowledge our dead the ones you brought into this House here to intermingle with our dead. So my thoughts go back to that high chief Timi just interred as well as your dead and our dead. Rest well there with the Creator to become a mat for us. Therefore remain there the dead amongst your own. Allow me to return to the theme of the day greetings acknowledgments and welcome indeed. This is an important day and a great one. The journey is done. For 20 years you took responsibility for this matter from the time this claim began until it was put before the Government. So I mourn the loss of Heni Peter Gordon and Darcy. However I note that you are still alive Stan and think to myself stay alive. So mourn for them the ones who took responsibility for this matter.  
When we talk about this claim memories about your history the period relating to the battle the seriousness setting down redress and those aspects around land confiscation will be recalled.  
To you who have arrived here today salutations greetings and acknowledgments to you collectively. This is the third reading of this bill and the final stage in this House of Parliament. From here it will be passed into law and from that point the Government’s apology with assets and so on will become yours. Be mindful of the fact that even though it has been settled memories of them who are lost from us today as a consequence of this battle will remain within you. So I acknowledge and commend you all.  
Acknowledgments as well to you and your team the honourable Minister Chris Finlayson. What was stated is correct—he moves tirelessly among the tribes to tidy up claims. 
] 
I was one who missed out on my holiday as well because Minister Finlayson was so keen to get out amongst the iwi. That is how quick off the mark he was. In 2005 he was elected the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations and at the end of the year during the Christmas holiday he spent the whole time going around—up to you and everywhere else. Kei te mihi au ki a koe e Chris Finlayson me to tima me nga kaiwhiriwhiri kua tono atu e koe ki roto i nga iwi o Te Tai Rawhiti nei. 
Na huri aku korero i naianei ki nga mahi a te Karauna na ratau koutou i tukino i te wa o te pakanga. 
[ 
I commend you Chris Finlayson your team and negotiators whom you sent in to the tribes of this East Coast.  
My comments turn now to address the actions of the Crown which was responsible for these atrocities upon you at the time of the battle 
.] 
 In the years 1840 to 1860 Rongowhakaata enjoyed a period of peace and economic development. With the local rivers fertile soil and kai moana Rongowhakaata lived in abundance enjoying a measure of prosperity and of trade and operating several trading ships. When approached to sell land they refused these things and hung on to all of their rawa and their lands and their mana. They refused to sell. What a change was about to take place in the next decade. 
In November 1865 large Crown military forces came to Turanga after fighting Paimarire converts on the East Coast. The Crown laid siege to the defensive pa of Waerenga a hika and captured it in November 1865. At least 71 occupants of the pa were killed during that assault. The Crown acknowledges that it used military force when there was no need to do so that it did not pursue all reasonable options for preserving peace in Turanga and that the Crown’s attack was unwarranted and unjust and caused severe and long-term prejudice to Rongowhakaata. 
In 1866 the Crown exiled approximately 116 Turanga men including Te Kooti Rikirangi to the Chatham Islands and we have heard korero about that. They were detained without trial or conviction for 2 years in harsh conditions until they escaped in 1868. The Crown acknowledges that the indefinite detention of many Rongowhakaata including Te Kooti Rikirangi on the Chatham Islands was an injustice that deprived them of basic human rights. It was wrongful contrary to natural justice and impacted not only on the prisoners but on their whanau and hapu who remained in Turanga. The Crown also acknowledges that the unjust treatment of Te Kooti Rikirangi gave him reason to distrust the Crown when he was offered the chance to return to Turanga after his arrival back on the Mainland. 
But in 1868 Rongowhakaata were pressured by the Crown to cede all their lands to the Crown. This cessation was made under duress as the Crown had threatened to remove all its protection unless the entire district was ceded. All Rongowhakaata’s customary interests in their lands were extinguished. By December 1868 Te Kooti Rikirangi and his followers had retreated to Ngatapa Pa where they were surrounded by Crown forces in conjunction with Maori allies. Te Kooti Rikirangi and some of his followers escaped in early January 1869 and were pursued for several days. The Crown again acknowledges that the Ngatapa siege and its aftermath caused the death of many Rongowhakaata and had a devastating impact on the iwi and the whole of Turanga. In subsequent years the Poverty Bay Commission and the Native Land Court awarded individual titles which only helped the alienation of those titles. 
These and other breaches have left Rongowhakaata virtually landless and without enough resources to meet their present and future needs. The breaches of the Treaty in the Turanga area were extremely significant and have had many lasting effects for Rongowhakaata so I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the Crown apology contained in the deed of settlement and subsequently this Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill. The apology is significant as it takes a step towards healing the hurt that is felt as a result of the Treaty breaches. I would like to refer to tera whare rongonui ataahua kua hangaia i raro i a Raharuhi Rukupo na e whakaae ana kia whakahokia tenei taonga ki te iwi [ 
that famous and beautiful house built under the guidance of Raharuhi Rukupo and I concur that this treasure be returned to the tribe 
]. 
But as with many Treaty settlement redress items there are costs associated with the return of wahi tapu or taonga. I am heartened to know that Rongowhakaata do not wish the return of Te Hau ki Turanga to create a financial burden for future generations. As such Te Papa Tongarewa will work with Rongowhakaata and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage to ensure a sustainable future for the whare particularly in relation to its relocation. This is a significant step towards righting the wrongs of the past and mending the relationship between Rongowhakaata and the Crown. 
This bill today also outlines the redress provided to Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi the other claim that we are hearing as well and I acknowledge Peter and Maever Moeau. It acknowledges and is in recognition of the stigmatisation of the descendants of Te Kooti Rikirangi. This redress includes the vesting of Matawhero Reserve the payment of $250000 for purposes of Te Whare Rakei o Te Kooti Rikirangi the payment of $200000 to Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi and a relationship with the Department of Conservation with regard to interpretation material that refers to Te Kooti Rikirangi. This redress is a significant step towards rehabilitating the reputation of Te Kooti Rikirangi and acknowledging the discrimination experienced by his descendants. 
The settlement also provides for the establishment of a central leadership group and a local leadership body. The central leadership group has been established to provide a forum for Rongowhakaata along with other Turanga iwi—and I think this is pretty important—to engage with central government departments and ensure that the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi are being implemented in a coordinated manner within the Turanga region. The local leadership body will work with the local council to contribute to the sustainable management of resources within the Turanga region. These redress items provide Rongowhakaata with a valuable opportunity to engage with central and local government on a range of issues that affect their rohe in the wider region. 
So tena koutou Noel. Tena koutou Ngai Tamanuhiri Rongowhakaata kua tae katoa mai koutou i tenei wa mo tenei rangi whakahirahira e tika ana kia mihi atu ki a koutou tena koutou tena koutou. 
[ 
Noel thank you and your people. Thank you Ngai Tamanuhiri and Rongowhakaata all of you are here at this point in time in regard to this momentous day. Therefore it is fitting that I acknowledge you collectively greetings and congratulations 
.] 
The settlement redress provided for in this bill seeks to recognise the seriousness of Rongowhakaata grievances and to build a positive foundation for future generations of their iwi. I therefore commend this bill to the House. Kia ora. 
BRENDAN HORAN (NZ First) 
:  
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 koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. E rau rangatira ma ka mihi atu i runga i te karanga o te ra tena koutou tena koutou tena ano tatou katoa. 
[ 
The muttonbird calls the parrot calls and I call as well behold the breath of life. To the tribes voices authorities and kinship groups greetings to you greetings to you and greetings to you all. Oh leaders of a hundredfold I pay homage to you in respect of the call of the day so acknowledgments salutations and congratulations once again to us all 
.] 
I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to acknowledge and support the third reading of the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill. I cannot help but wonder; I know the media is somewhere out there watching on closed-circuit television but just imagine if we were in the States right now. What would be happening? Every network would be screening this rich histories would be exposed and movie rights would be bought and sold. Even in Australia they would have this all over the networks. But what is going to lead the news tonight? Is this rich tapestry the tragic stories the amazing day that is today the settlement and the apology going to lead the news tonight? Or is gay marriage going to lead the news tonight? 
Metiria Turei 
: What’s wrong with gay marriage? 
BRENDAN HORAN 
: I feel very sad and yes I can understand the Greens saying: “What is wrong with gay marriage?”. What is wrong is that New Zealand’s history is at stake here; the knowledge the healing of New Zealand and New Zealanders—that is what is at stake. I think it is sad that tonight it probably will not lead the news; that tonight all of New Zealand will not be listening will not be hearing about what really happened and what a great day today really is. 
I agree with the sentiments of many of the speakers before me—in particular Parekura Horomia. The atrocities perpetrated by the Crown on Rongowhakaata are heinous and well documented. In 1868 in Nga Uri over a hundred Rongowhakaata including Te Kooti were put on boats and exiled without trial to the Chathams. This took place in the winter months of March to June. It is somewhat of a miracle and testimony to their prodigious strength that they even survived the journey and then to escape 2 years later is absolutely phenomenal and amazing. 
Around the same time we must think about the people of Ngatapa where a hundred men were lined up and shot in the head. Shortly after but still in 1868 Te Hau ki Turanga was confiscated from Ngati Kaipoho. For those people who are watching on television Te Hau ki Turanga is a mighty meeting house carved by Raharuhi Rukupo. Raharuhi is also the biblical term for Lazarus and with the imminent return of their spiritual home Rongowhakaata look forward to a Lazarus-like return to prosperity in body spirit and mind. 
The return of this meeting house is paramount and much anticipated and I must acknowledge the comments made by Minister Finlayson and the hope that he imbibes those comments. We look forward to that process being dealt with as expeditiously as possible. We also want to make sure that the Crown pays for the insurance as well because insurance costs are very high. But the meeting house the taonga has also been plundered over the years as the Minister alluded to with changes being made and also over 60 taonga missing from the meeting house. 
The hurt humiliation atrocities and terror inflicted upon Rongowhakaata can never be fully compensated for because after all who can raise the dead? In financial terms one cannot replace what was lost when Maori landowners were dispossessed of their land only to watch European farmers lease that land at peppercorn rates borrow on the equity and build empires whilst Maori were catapulted into poverty. As with so many historical grievances the journey to this point has been extremely hard—taxing arduous. So much hard work has been done by so many people who have passed on. I would say special praise and acknowledgment to two leading elders of the Gisborne region who are no longer with us but no doubt are here in spirit. I refer to Darcy Ria and Heni Sunderland. We mourn their loss but celebrate their inspiration which has led us to the achievement of this settlement and immensely special day. We also acknowledge and thank the negotiators Stan Pardoe and Jody Wyllie Meka Whaitiri Maever Moeau and Peter Moeau and also from the Office of Treaty Settlements Andrew McConnell and his team. Well done everyone involved. 
We in New Zealand First also celebrate the transparency of the Rongowhakaata Trust in putting forward their strategic plan last October. The 10 trustees were democratically elected from five marae and we wish them well in the implementation of their strategic plan. It is great to see the trustees committing to regular bimonthly updates through the Rongowhakaata website and Facebook. This settlement is long waited for and richly deserved. Now another journey awaits: one of self-determination. I will leave you with a Maniapoto saying given to Maniapoto before his journey over to England to make a plea to Queen Victoria. 
Ka hora te marino kia whakapapa pounamu te moana kia tere te karohirohi i mua i to huarahi. For those who are again out there and do not understand Maori: may the calm be widespread may the ocean glisten like greenstone and may the shimmer of many summers dance across your pathway. Kia ora. 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 Te mea tuatahi ki a au ki aku rangatira tena koutou a tena koutou i haere mai i tenei ra i runga i te kaupapa o te ra nei no reira nau mai haere mai. 
[ 
First of all acknowledgments to you my leaders who came here today in respect of the matter of the day so salutations and welcome welcome 
.]  
I suppose I should start off by saying there is a conflict of interest but I do not actually see it as a conflict of interest so I will not. Can I pass on my respects to Stan Meka Jody Willie and the team for Rongowhakaata and everybody else who has been involved in that side of it. 
As I said last week in the second reading of the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill I find this story to be one of the most interesting that has not been told in New Zealand’s history. I want to give you if I may some parallels to other happenings around the world. Around about the same time as the battle of Waerenga a Hika and as Ngatapa—20 years difference or so after the battle of Waerenga a Hika and the slaughter and massacre at Ngatapa—is one of the world’s better-known massacres and that is the massacre at Wounded Knee. I suppose it brings me to the fact that this country had better start owning its own history. This is not Rongowhakaata’s history; this is our history—this is New Zealand’s history. We should not refer to it as their issue; it is our issue. We had better start teaching this stuff in our schools because although to some people “ignorance is bliss” most of the time when there is ignorance around you do not know who you are and you do not know where you are going. And you certainly do not know where you come from. 
There is a whole brilliant history in Rongowhakaata not only about the sad occasions. There are happy occasions as well that we need to be telling our mokopuna our babies and ourselves about like the fact that Te Kooti was not some layabout who sat around thinking about how to diddle the Crown out of whatever. He was actually out there as a business person seeking betterment for his own people. That is a trait that I think everybody in this House should and most probably does stand up and applaud. 
About this “deal” to call it a deal—I suppose a deal in real terms is when both sides are getting what they want. You know you go down to the car market and make a deal with the guy whom you want to buy a car from. It is pretty obvious that this is not that sort of deal and that all the power is in the Crown’s hands. But having said that the two sides if I can use those terms have come together and decided on a historical account some cultural redress some commercial redress and some specific research for Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi. I pick up where Minister Finlayson Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations so eloquently left off and that is about Te Hau ki Turanga. This is not just about the stealing of a whare by some Crown agents because that was just the start of it. To try to fit it into the Dominion Museum they cut most of the carvings apart. So it is in the light of that ongoing I suppose rape of our culture and violation of our culture that to see the return of Te Hau ki Turanga in the most appropriate manner—and might I say maybe as an arts centre for New Zealand—is I think one of the most appropriate parts of this settlement. 
For too long Maori have been told they are sick dumb uneducated and poor. I do hope that what we do today says to our people especially that you are not sick dumb uneducated and poor; you are the most brilliant people this side of the southern hemisphere and most probably beyond. I have so much respect and love for our people that it is not funny. From this day forth I will not ever speak of anything that is bad about my own because it is about time that we patted ourselves on the back regardless of the statistics and said that we are on our way and we have been for a thousand years. We should not compare ourselves with Pakeha Samoans Chinese or whoever. We should compare ourselves with the bright lights of our own people. We should compare ourselves with people like Rukupo like Ngarimu and like so many of our other ancestors. I am not going to buy in to any more of the statistics that basically are used to keep us down and make us feel sad about ourselves. There is nothing to be sad about. I think this occasion and these occasions as we have started from 9 o’clock this morning show that our people are with it and that they can sit down with the best of them and negotiate a reasonable deal. I will not say it is a good deal; I will never say it is a good deal. A good deal would be having it all back. But we know that that is impossible and so this is a reasonable deal. 
I want to close by saying what I said and what I will say continually. My message to Rongowhakaata is this: beware of companies and shysters bearing good little ideas on how to spend your money. It is your money and it is your settlement. It is for you to show the way for the rest of us. So please beware of those people out there who knock on your door and say: “Boy have I got a deal for you!”. As soon as they say that shut the door and make sure you let the dogs loose. 
It is fun; I am full of happiness and joy for Rongowhakaata and for Maori that we can boost ourselves up and we can boost our people up especially when they deserve being boosted up. No reira e aku matua e aku koroua tena koutou tena koutou kia ora mai tatou katoa. 
[ 
So to my fathers and elders greetings salutations and acknowledgments to you and to us all 
.] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) 
: 
 Tena koe tena koutou. E tapiri atu aku mihi maioha ki a koutou Rongowhakaata i pakaru te kaha ki te whakatutuki i tenei kaupapa kei mua i te aroaro i tenei wa no reira ki a koutou katoa ka nui te mihi atu. 
[ 
Thank you and salutations to you collectively. I add my loving regards to you Rongowhakaata who worked really hard to bring this matter before us at this point in time to a conclusion. I acknowledge you greatly 
.]  
It gives me great pleasure to join in the previous comments supporting the legislation that is about to go through the House today the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill. Having read the historical background in the bill and also listened to Minister Turia and my colleague the Hon Parekura Horomia I will tread lightly on the history of Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi lest I tread in the wrong place. So please do not take my contribution as a diminishing of the intent of the legislation except to say I recognise in the bill a huge huge step forward in terms of the intent of Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi in coming together to work forward for the betterment of your people and most certainly for future generations. 
With that in mind there are five brief words in this bill that we should all cherish when we think about Treaty settlement legislation: “This Act binds the Crown.” Underpinning those five small words is a deed of settlement with much of the substance of the intent of Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi about what they want to aspire to. We should always remember that because this is Maori Language Week and when the good people of New Zealand look at Parliament and listen to the debates it is my sincere hope that they do not judge us just on question time. It is my sincere hope that they believe that we are contributing to trying to make New Zealand a better place and Treaty settlements are but one of the ways in which New Zealand is becoming a better place. Why? Because it resolves the historical injustices of the past. Why? Because it shows the magnitude and magnanimity of spirit that Maori have had despite history to try to move forward. Why? Because the Crown with some level of humility recognises that it has a long way to go to rectify the hurt of the past but also the necessity of ensuring the durability of settlements despite this. 
So to the good people of New Zealand who are listening to the debates on Treaty settlements in the House today it is my sincere hope that you see this as a positive step that can build a nation that is committed to rectifying history in some small way to telling both sides of the story. Part of Rongowhakaata’s bill seeks to rectify that story. We often tell the history of other iwi very poorly in this House and it is often drawn from what is written in the legislation but again it is my sincere hope that in the schools throughout New Zealand—and especially in this instance in the Rongowhakaata region itself in their schools—they can tell both sides of the story. They were never ever told to them their parents or the parents before them. But to their children yes history can be rectified. 
I also wanted to comment briefly on the magnanimity of the people of Rongowhakaata and Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi in ceding much of the varied claims in their rohe to be able to get to this point. Clause 14 outlines the extent and the nature of I guess the undertakings that had to be sought to be able to come to this point today. And we should never ever forget that many many smaller claims have made up the context of this bigger claim. 
It is important because often I have sat on a number of select committees where people feel very aggrieved at giving up their own Waitangi Tribunal claim to be able to join a larger comprehensive claim—that their particular grievances and hurts cannot be told. So I want to draw the attention of the House to each and every one of those Wai claims in clause 14 and I want to acknowledge for the record that it is no small matter that iwi have managed to consolidate collective interests of this nature. It is very significant. It is an important act of goodwill that I certainly as a member of this House want to acknowledge and I pay tribute to the leadership of those involved in negotiating the intent of this claim. Much of the debate has focused on the opportunities for successful implementation and again I remind us of those five key words: “This Act binds the Crown.” It should bind the Crown in every generation that seeks to give life to the intent of Treaty settlements but we have to be vigilant. Although politicians come and go the iwi collective memory is very vivid and it stays the same and people will carry the torch of intent of Treaty settlements in ways that we can never fathom or understand. We have to be diligent as parliamentarians and certainly when you are on the Treasury benches representing the Crown implementing the full extent of undertakings within Treaty settlements. So the cultural redress components are really important. 
Members before me have spoken about the need to return Te Hau ki Turanga back to Rongowhakaata and can I just say this one thing. Despite the nature by which this house has come into the public domain and provenance I want to acknowledge that this house has been a huge gift to the nation. For every person who has visited Te Papa Tongarewa for every person who has been able to get a glimmer of the richness and the value of Maori culture and its contribution to shaping the identity of New Zealand this particular whare has played a huge role. So I want to acknowledge that because it is not well said and expressed and I want that recognition to go into  
Hansard 
. 
The second aspect is really on the implementation of the protocols. Can I just say that there are a range of protocols here that give body to the opportunities going forward for the claimant groups. The conservation protocol the Crown minerals protocol the fisheries protocol and the taonga tuturu protocol—each of those will require the strong commitment of the Crown’s representatives through age and time to ensure that those protocols are able to be delivered upon. No matter which administration comes into force it is a minimum expectation. This is I guess the part of settlements where I become I guess very cautioned—probably by our own experience and our own settlement back home—that unless we as parliamentarians are diligent for the benefit of the intent of the Crown for successful implementation then memories will soon fade and the intents of these protocols will be lost and perhaps not as successfully implemented as is anticipated today. 
That is the very reason why I think the statement of the Minister is absolutely correct. When it comes to Treaty settlements this small part is a step along the way to a much greater intent and that is to see the full realisation of the dreams and aspirations of Rongowhakaata Nga Uri o Te Kooti Rikirangi realised in some very tangible ways which the Crown must give body to. 
With that small contribution again I want to commend the bill to the House and I am proud that our members of the Maori Affairs Committee have been unwavering and unstinting in their support of the four bills that have come before us today and have shown us that there is a lot to look forward to especially for the people of Rongowhakaata who are no strangers to providing opportunity for their people for looking for economic development opportunities for investing in the future of their next generation and more important for preparing themselves well to be able to move forward successfully. 
No reira i raro i tera o nga tino pitopito korero ka tapiri atu aku whakaaro ki era i waihotia i roto i te Whare nei tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
So after that really very brief contribution I add my thoughts to those presented by others in this House and commend you all. 
] 
LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupo) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker tena koe e te Whare. Tena koutou nga iwi rangatira o Rongowhakaata tena koutou. Ko McGill toku iwi ko Karapiro taku kainga ko Maungatautari taku maunga ko Waikato te awa. Kei ahau te rohe poti o Taupo ko Louise Upston ahau. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker and greetings to the House. To the revered people of Rongowhakaata salutations and acknowledgments to you collectively. My clan is McGill my home is Karapiro Maungatautari is my mountain and Waikato is the river. I have the Taupo electorate and my name is Louise Upston 
.]  
I am very proud to speak in the third reading of the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill. It is fantastic to see so many of you here on this very momentous occasion. This will be a day that goes down in your history and ours. 
One of the words that we use quite a lot when we talk about Treaty settlements is the partnership that is forged between iwi and the Crown. The completion of the legislation and the completion of the third reading here today will cement that relationship that partnership in a new way. We also talk about the fact that settlements unlock the economic potential for iwi for the region in which you live and for the country as a whole. But I think that more important it unlocks the potential of our people and I use the word “our” very deliberately because it is your people and ours who will benefit from the history that is made here today. 
Some of my colleagues have spoken at length in summary of your settlement so I do not want to traverse that in too much detail other than just to be very present to the fact that the Waitangi Tribunal has described the Treaty breaches arising from the Crown military action against the Turanga iwi as some of the worst in our history. That is part of our history that none of us should be proud of. But I think it is also important to acknowledge that it is part of our history. The settlement includes the historical account and the Crown acknowledgments which form the basis for the Crown apology to Rongowhakaata and that is what I want to just spend a bit of time on today in this House. On 1 October 2011 the Treaty settlements Minister the Hon Christopher Finlayson delivered the extensive apology for the Crown’s conduct in the 1860s which included the operation of the Poverty Bay Commission and the execution of between 86 and 128 unarmed prisoners at Ngatapa pa. 
I was not present as some of my colleagues were when that Crown apology was delivered but I was present for the Crown apology to Raukawa. Raukawa is an iwi in the Taupo electorate. I wondered if I could have your indulgence for a moment to share with you my experience of being present at that Crown apology. My memories of that day will be for ever etched as part of my history because it showed me a whole different level of partnership and what is possible—from the powhiri and through the speeches tears literally fell upon the ground at the memory of the history and the stories that were told of the challenges of the negotiation of the many hours of effort that went on and of the passing of those who were then not present on the day that the Crown apology was delivered. It was no surprise to me that day for the Raukawa apology that also the rain fell from the sky. To me that was the tears and the rain playing a part in cleansing some of that pain. I just feel so immensely privileged to have experienced a Crown apology. And I was immensely proud of Minister Finlayson. Some would say that that was the delivery of words of a speech but I can promise to those of you who are listening who may have never had the experience of witnessing a Crown apology it is a moment to behold and it is part of our history. 
I am sorry to those here from Rongowhakaata that I personally was not present for your apology but I can believe what was in your heart and your minds and your soul as you heard that apology. That is what we bring to this House on this occasion in the third reading of your settlement bill. The thing that was very present was aroha. I think that is the essence of partnership. When we talk about Treaty settlements being a partnership between iwi and the Crown that is where a new beginning is possible that is where that potential gets to be unlocked. It is exciting to be here today. 
Earlier today in the two bills that have gone before I have talked about making sure that we share the stories. You are very good at sharing your stories—far better than some of the rest of us are. So part of the story is to look at the new chapter and the new story. Perhaps it is a book or even a trilogy—trilogies are in these days. Perhaps what we should instead be focusing on is what comes next. And I look forward to hearing more of Rongowhakaata and where you take this day. 
I am very proud to speak in this reading to speak of the partnership between Crown and the iwi. In recognition of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori I hope we can imprint this in Te Reo as well as English to make sure that this moment in history—this moment in time—lasts for many more of us for our children and for our grandchildren. It is fantastic to see tamariki in the gallery to witness this moment. Congratulations. No reira tena koutou. 
CHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour) 
: 
 It is an honour to take a call in this debate and in particular to follow my colleagues on this side of the House the Hon Nanaia Mahuta the Hon Parekura Horomia and Rino Tirikatene because I want to associate myself with the remarks that they have made already in this debate. 
Next Wednesday I will have been a member of this House for 6 years but I have not asked to participate in a Treaty settlement debate until now. My conversation with my colleague Parekura Horomia earlier this afternoon led us to agree that I should do so on this occasion as shadow Attorney-General because as many people in the gallery know I am a person who was born and spent the first two decades of his life in the rohe of Rongowhakaata. My family and I experienced the great generosity of the tangata whenua of that part of our country while we were living in that part of New Zealand. I wish to add my personal words of tribute gratitude and acknowledgment to those who have already spoken in the debate today. 
My mother’s family arrived in Gisborne as immigrants from Scotland in the 1940s. My father came to Gisborne a little bit later. He came to New Zealand to go to school. He came to Gisborne to practice law. He did some work for a number of people whom I see present today helping them with their land and estate work before it was an area of practice that was popular or in vogue. He was very proud of the work that he did. In the 1970s and 1980s my sister and I went to school in your rohe. 
As I mentioned earlier the generosity that my family and I as manuhiri to that rohe experienced is always something that strikes me when I look back on my childhood and when we contemplate the context of the settlement debate today we realise just how extraordinary that generosity is. That is for at least two reasons. One is the fact that yours is one of the most blood-drenched episodes in our colonial history. I will not repeat the accounts that have been recounted earlier in the debates of the atrocities that your ancestors had to put up with at the hands of the Crown. But there is something that I think is even worse than the fact that those atrocities took place: it is the fact that many of us—most of us all of us—who went through the New Zealand education system in the 1970s and 1980s were not taught about them. So another important thing about this process is that we can record our history. Nobody will have the excuse to say that they do not know about it because all that history is now going to be recorded for ever in an Act of this Parliament and in the settlement documentation and that is absolutely as it should be. Earlier speakers are correct—we do not teach our history properly. And if we do not teach our history properly we cannot expect people to understand and appreciate the generosity that is being shown today by the fact that Rongowhakaata are accepting the settlement that we are now enacting. 
I have spoken about generosity several times in this call. It has always been on display by Rongowhakaata. The redress that they will receive under this settlement as with all Treaty settlements—and this an observation I think made many years ago now by the Hon Mark Burton—will never compensate the iwi for what it experienced from 1865 onwards. Never in a Treaty settlement is there adequate redress or compensation for the wrongs of the past. So it is very much always an act of generosity on the part of the Treaty partner to accept what is proffered by the Crown in a binding settlement. We are fortunate today that this Treaty settlement has been accepted and is being enacted. 
I think we are also very fortunate that the generosity that I mention has in a somewhat rare occasion in this House proved contagious. My colleagues earlier acknowledged the work that has been done by the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations in progressing this and other Treaty settlements and I join with them in acknowledging that work. 
The Minister in turn has very properly acknowledged another truth about the settlement process: it does not exist just in the present. The negotiators on both sides stand on the shoulders of giants and they rely on the work that was done in the past in order to bring the settlement about. For the part of the Crown the Minister properly acknowledged the work that was done by the Hon Michael Cullen as Deputy Prime Minister in the previous administration. The signing in principle on behalf of the Crown of the agreement for a collective settlement package in August 2008 was what enabled the detailed negotiations to occur and to progress to the point that they have today. The historical research that was done in order to back up the Treaty claim that was processed through the Waitangi Tribunal in the early part of the last decade was able to be done and resourced only because the fourth Labour Government had amended the Treaty of Waitangi Act in 1985 to allow for grievances back to 1840 to be heard and determined by the tribunal and for historical research and advocacy services to be resourced as part of that process. 
Thank goodness that that happened because that is how we were able to come to a definitive recording of the history that has been spoken about by previous speakers and will be recorded in the deed and in the Act of Parliament. It is a timely reminder that the Treaty process needs to continue to be resourced adequately. This applies to the tribunal and to those who present claims before it. It is no good to have a deadline for the cut-off of Treaty settlements if the process is not properly resourced by the Crown in all respects and we should all remember that in this House when we speak in support of Treaty settlements such as the one that is being debated today. 
It is an honour to have had an opportunity to speak in this debate. I want to conclude by again acknowledging the tremendous generosity of Rongowhakaata. I have been a beneficiary of it personally so I know that the people in the gallery will not be worried at all about what leads the  
One News  
tonight. You have more important concerns than that given the long time that it has taken the long wait for justice to be brought to you. To Rongowhakaata and to Ngai Tamanuhiri—because I am not sure whether I will have the opportunity to speak in the next debate—I want to say that it is a marvellous thing that the generosity that you have shown is now being shown to the nation as a whole. Thank you. 
Hon CHRIS TREMAIN (Minister of Internal Affairs) 
: 
 Tihei mauri ora. Whakataka te hau ki te uru whakataka te hau ki te tonga. Kia makinakina ki uta kia mataratara ki tai. E hi ake ana te atakura he tio he huka he hauhunga. Tena koutou. Ki te Whare e tu nei tena koe ki a Papatuanuku kei waho tena koe. Ki nga mate haere haere haere. Ki nga tangata rangatira kaumatua o Rongowhakaata tena koutou. Ki nga mema o te Paremata tena koutou. Ki a koe te Kaikorero hoki tena koe. Tena koutou tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
[ 
Behold the sneeze of life. Cease the winds from the west cease the winds from the south. Let the breezes blow over the land let the breezes blow over the ocean. Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air a touch of frost and a promise of a glorious day. Greetings to you collectively greetings to the House standing before us and greetings to Mother Earth outside. Depart the deaths depart farewell. Acknowledgments to you the leaders and elder folk of Rongowhakaata to the members of Parliament and to the Speaker as well greetings. So greetings greetings and greetings to us all collectively 
.] 
Well kia ora everybody. It is a real privilege to stand in the House at this third reading of the Rongowhakaata Claims Settlement Bill. I firstly acknowledge the work of members of Parliament across the House led by the Hon Chris Finlayson who has done an outstanding job I believe for this nation over the last 3 years. He continues in this term of Government to work tirelessly to bring about settlements throughout our nation. 
Just 2 weeks ago I was in the Chatham Islands with the Minister and he took me out to Pitt Island where he is working on a settlement with Moriori out on Pitt. He shows his passion for this drive by going to the outermost islands of our country to make this happen. He has demonstrated that through some 22 deeds of settlement that have been brought to the House in the last 4 years which is absolutely fantastic. 
But let us not dwell on those settlements; today is about the Rongowhakaata settlement. I do not want to dwell on what other members have said. Clearly your iwi your hapu had to go through unbelievable events in this country in our history. I am proud as the member from Heretaunga—from Hawke’s Bay—just down the road from “Gizzy” to be able to stand in this House to be part of the settlement process and to acknowledge what took place historically and what we are now doing to reconcile to see apologies made and for some form of redress to be made going forward. 
I will talk just briefly about that redress and also touch on what my colleague across the House said about our history and how important I believe it is that it is taught in schools going forward because it was not something that Charles or I were taught. I think particularly locally I am encouraging my children to understand what happened certainly in Ahuriri and Heretaunga and I think there is an obligation further up in Gisborne for schools up there to understand what happened at Ngatapa Pa. Clearly it is something that for all of us is not a fine time in our history—that is for sure. 
The whakatauki I used at the start of my speech—my whaikorero—today talks about a new dawn a touch of frost the commencement of a glorious new era. I guess that is essentially what we are trying to achieve. We are not going to solve all of the issues or be able to address everything but I think this is an outstanding effort by the Crown and iwi to come together in a partnership and to go forward. In that regard I encourage you as an iwi to make the very most of this opportunity. I think there are wonderful opportunities to be able to become even more a part of the Poverty Bay economic base up there and to drive real change as a result of this settlement. 
Without any further ado it is a privilege to be here and I acknowledge once again Mr Finlayson members across the House who have played a role in this and particularly the iwi who are here today. I will close by repeating that whakatauki because this is a new era a new dawn for Rongowhakaata. 
Whakataka te hau ki te uru whakataka te hau ki te tonga. Kia makinakina ki uta kia mataratara ki tai. E hi ake ana te atakura he tio he huka he hauhunga. 
[ 
Cease the winds from the west cease the winds from the south. Let the breezes blow over the land let the breezes blow over the ocean. Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air a touch of frost and a promise of a glorious day. 
]  
Bill read a third time. 
Waiata  
Karanga