te Heuheu Georgina: Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee 
te Heuheu Georgina: Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:625;Page:20258] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 As the Committee well knows the reason for the referral of settlement bills to a select committee is largely for the committee to scrutinise whether a bill is basically in order with the deed of settlement—to make sure that the deed of settlement is being implemented. With that being the case however it does mean that the opportunity to amend settlement legislation is very limited indeed and mostly it is limited to technical issues only. 
In this case particularly with regard to the title and name of this bill I just make reference to the fact that the bill as introduced identified Ngati Tuwharetoa only. The Maori Affairs Committee in looking at the bill and also being very mindful of the fact that there are Ngati Tuwharetoa in the Bay of Plenty and Ngati Tuwharetoa in the Lake Taupo area itself came to the view that it would propose as the most appropriate title that the bill be called the Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill instead of the “Ngati Tuwharetoa Claims Settlement Bill”. But to do that the Crown had to seek the agreement of the claimants although it was certainly a committee view that we should avoid any doubt as to which part of Ngati Tuwharetoa the settlement referred to. Obviously if we include “Bay of Plenty” in the title then it is very clear that this settlement is not applicable to those of Ngati Tuwharetoa—indeed my own people—who live by the shores of Lake Taupo. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: They’ve got a monster claim as well. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: This is not a monster claim and nobody would refer to any claim as being a monster claim. But in any event under clause 10(2) of the deed of settlement the deed is able to be amended if the amendment is in writing and signed by or on behalf of Ngati Tuwharetoa Bay of Plenty and the Crown. The bill as introduced actually matched the deed as it was originally called. 
Happily the claimants agreed to the change. I want to pay particular tribute to Bev Adlam who has driven the claim along with all the others—family I suppose I could call them in the end—and in particular I just want to pay tribute to the work that has been done by her. This bill is now more aptly and appropriately named Ngati Tuwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) Claims Settlement Bill so there is no doubt as to which part of the Tuwharetoa tribe we are talking about. Hopefully the Minister Mita Ririnui will use his good administrations to make sure that the bill comes on to the Order Paper reasonably quickly for its third reading because he and I both know—as do others—that Bev Adlam has been very very committed and dedicated to driving this settlement through but it has taken its toll. So it would be a good thing for it to be passed into law. Of course I suppose the Minister hopes that he will get the bill through before the election. But I hope that he will get it through in any event because it would be great to see this settlement passed into law and completed as a tribute to Bev Adlam and the great work that she has done in this matter.