Third Reading Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) (10:17): I move, That the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill, and the Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time. Tihei mauri ora.Ki te mana whenua o tēnei rohe, e Te Āti Awa, tēnā koutou.E ngā rau rangatira o Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui me Ngāti Hei, tēnā koutou. Piki mai, kake mai ki Te Upoko-o-te-ika. Tēnei taku mihi atu ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. [The breath of life. To the territorial authority of this region, Te Āti Awa, greetings. To the many leaders of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei, greetings. Welcome, welcome to Wellington. I hereby acknowledge you, greetings and thanks to you; indeed to us all.] Madam Speaker, it’s great to be here to speak today for this rare occurrence of three Treaty settlement bills being read for a third time together. It’s a notable occasion as it brings a significant step closer to completing the individual settlement journeys for Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei. Their journeys have been long and, some m…
Read full Hansard debate
Third Reading
Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations) (10:17): I move, That the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill, and the Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill be now read a third time.
Tihei mauri ora.Ki te mana whenua o tēnei rohe, e Te Āti Awa, tēnā koutou.E ngā rau rangatira o Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui me Ngāti Hei, tēnā koutou. Piki mai, kake mai ki Te Upoko-o-te-ika. Tēnei taku mihi atu ki a koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
[The breath of life. To the territorial authority of this region, Te Āti Awa, greetings. To the many leaders of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei, greetings. Welcome, welcome to Wellington. I hereby acknowledge you, greetings and thanks to you; indeed to us all.]
Madam Speaker, it’s great to be here to speak today for this rare occurrence of three Treaty settlement bills being read for a third time together. It’s a notable occasion as it brings a significant step closer to completing the individual settlement journeys for Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei. Their journeys have been long and, some might say, arduous, and I want to begin by acknowledging those from Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei who join us in the House this morning—many who have travelled long distances to witness this occasion.
I also want to acknowledge those who are tuning in on live stream or listening on the crystal sets back at home in the Coromandel. It was wonderful to have some time together this morning to hear from your speakers and to sing together and to have some food together. Thank you very much for the opportunity to do that. As I said this morning, to take a break from the tumult of politics and to consider some of the deeper things that we are considering through Treaty settlements and recognising the three settlements together today shows the deeply intertwined relationships of the Hauraki iwi, which have been a feature of the negotiations. These agreements will allow each groups’ bill to progress to third reading today. I just want to thank everybody for being a part of that.
Recognising the three settlements together today shows the deeply intertwined relationships of the Hauraki iwi which have been a feature of the negotiation, and these agreements will allow each group’s bill to progress to third reading today, and I just want thank everybody for being part of that.
I want to pay tribute to the tūpuna and kaumātua who took the first and many subsequent steps to seek justice for Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei. Their path wasn’t easy, and as I said this morning, we do acknowledge the emotions that come to the surface on a day like this when we remember those who have been part of this over many generations but also, quite recently, who are no longer with us today.
I want to thank the iwi for their unrelenting efforts and especially acknowledge the mandated negotiators: for Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu, Jill Taylor and Nicola Scott; for Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Amelia Williams and Russell Karu; and for Ngāti Hei, Peter Matai Johnson and Joe Davis.
A special mention for three people who have played a significant role in the iwi settlement, who are no longer with us. I refer to Mapuna Turner, one of the original negotiators for Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu; Kiri Karu, a trustee of the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Trust, who, sadly, passed away earlier this year; and the late Peter Tiki Johnston, the original negotiator for Ngāti Hei. Their leadership has not been forgotten, and it’s a great sadness that they are not physically with us today. All of those who shouldered the heavy mantle of representing their iwi over the last 15 years have acted honourably and reasonably in our negotiations. We’ve sat across the table at the end to get this concluded. We’ve been pragmatic, and we’ve got things done. I’m grateful for that.
I also want to acknowledge that the previous Treaty settlement Ministers—Christopher Finlayson and Andrew Little—and the many Government agencies representing the Crown. I also thank the Thames-Coromandel District Council, the Hauraki District Council, and the Waikato Regional Council. I also want to extend my thanks to the Hon Rick Barker, in the House today, and Michael Dreaver, who were chief negotiators for much of the negotiations, and also to Brian Dickey KC, the chief negotiator in the final stages, supported by the officials from Te Tari Whakatau.
Today, we recognise that the Crown severely wronged each of the iwi in the years after the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Treaty of Waitangi. The history is set out in the
Waitangi Tribunal’s 2006 Hauraki inquiry report. The historical record shows that successive generations of iwi raised these concerns and these grievances, and successive Governments failed to deal with them. Recognition of, and redress for, these grievances are long overdue. In each settlement, the Crown has acknowledged historic Treaty breaches and offered an apology, which will be permanently enshrined in our nation’s law through the legislation passed today. For all the iwi, the Crown apology acknowledges that its actions and omissions left their people, essentially, landless. It eroded tribal structures and dislocated iwi members from their pā and their kāinga. Itcaused physical and spiritual hardship that remains deeply felt today.
While there are many commonalities between the three, each iwi has a unique experience, and Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu sent men to Waikato to fight Crown forces and, as a result, suffered the confiscation of land in which they had interests in the Tauranga area. Over the next century, Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu, who lived on land surrounding Te Aroha maunga, lost most of that land largely through Crown purchasing. This included land that the Crown promised to reserve for them in 1880 when Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu entered an agreement to enable the opening of the gold field. Over time, this deprived Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu of their rangatiratanga over significant sites, including Te Aroha’s mineral springs.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui also lost land in which they had interest through the Crown’s confiscation and acquisition of Tauranga land. The Crown then used monopoly powers and advance payments to individuals to acquire collectively owned Hauraki land goldfields. In the following years, Ngāti Tara Tokanui kāinga on the banks of the Waihou River and the Ohinemuri River suffered significant pollution to their water supply after the Crown authorised the discharge of mine tailings, including cyanide-treated waste, into those waterways. The impact on the health of Ngāti Tara Tokanui was significant.
Ngāti Hei hold a unique place in New Zealand history. In November 1769, the first written account of a pōwhiri between Māori and Pākehā occurred when Captain Cook was invited to the fortified pā of Ngāti Hei paramount chief Toawaka in Whitianga. He and his crew stayed days. Despite this positive beginning, the impacts of Pākehā settlement affected Ngāti Hei even before the Treaty was signed. A Crown investigation into pre-Treaty land transactions saw Ngāti Hei lose much of their coastal whenua. From 1858, the Crown acquired significant areas of land in the Ngāi Hei rohe, without providing reserves and sometimes without consultation. This left Ngāti Hei unable to participate in the new economic opportunities and challenges emerging. These settlements, acknowledge the impact of Crown actions, provide redress that recognises the traditional cultural and spiritual association.
The Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu redress includes financial redress of $5.5 million with the right to purchase two commercial redress properties. This includes the vesting of 17 individual and joint cultural redress properties. The significant seven of the cultural vestings and significant overlay classifications are on the slopes of Te Aroha maunga, the ancestral maunga at the centre of their existence.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui redress includes $6 million in financial redress and the right to purchase and lease back to the Crown the land underlying Paeroa College; seven individual and two joint cultural redress properties, including Ngāti Koi Domain in the transfer to Ngāti Tara Tokanui.
Ngāti Hei redress includes financial redress of $8.5 million, with the ability to purchase three commercial properties, including Whenuakite Station when Ngāti Tamaterā complete their settlement. It includes also the vesting of 15 individual and two joint cultural redress properties in the foothills of Te Paeroa-o-Toi to the beaches around Whitianga.
Each iwi is also party to the Pare Hauraki Collective Redress Bill, which contains shared and individual redress for Hauraki iwi. The Crown remains committed to advancing that bill once the collective deed has one more signatory.
This settlement represents a commitment to reset the relationships and to start a new journey, and I heard the speeches this morning about the need to continue that conversation, and we will do that. We won’t always agree, but we will continue the conversation.
I conclude by looking to the future. The passing of these bills means that each of the iwi post-settlement governance entities has initiated, or within a year will initiate, trustee elections. Moving towards governing significant assets is an exciting phase, and I wish each iwi well as they do that. Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei, the Crown looks forward to working with you as you elect those who will represent you in the future. I commend the Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill, and the Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill to the House. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
Hon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour) (10:28): Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare. Ko te mihi tuatahi ki te Atua nāna nei ngā mea katoa. Ko te mihi tuarua ki te Whare e tū nei, tēnā koe.
Āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga mate ki te hunga mate. Āpiti hono, tātai hono, te hunga ora ki te hunga ora.
He mihi mahana ki a koutou, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu and Ngāti Tara Tokanui. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
[Thank you to the Speaker of the House. The first greeting is to God, to whom all things belong. The second greeting is to the House that stands here; greetings.
That which is joined remains an unbroken line of descent, the deceased with the deceased. That which is joined remains an unbroken line of descent, the living with the living.
Warm greetings to you, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, and Ngāti Tara Tokanui. Greetings to you, greetings to you, greetings to us all.]
To the representatives of all iwi gathered today, a warm welcome. It was a pleasure and an honour to be invited along this morning to join you to share in your speeches and waiata, so thank you for the opportunity of doing that first thing this morning.
To the kaumātua, to the kuia, to the historians, researchers, trustees, to the negotiators, Rick Barker and Michael Dreaver, those two battle-worn negotiators, thank you for your effort in bringing the three separate settlements to this point in time—three separate pieces of legislation, which are, for the first time I can remember, being brought together in one final reading speech. I’d like to acknowledge that it was done with the agreement of all three iwi that we would have an extended third reading speech that brought all of these three separate negotiations together, but I would also like to note my personal view. We’re always told in in politics not to have a personal view, but my view is that the least we could have maybe done today is have three separate third reading speeches. You’ve come a long way, you’ve travelled a long way to be here, and the least we could do was to have three third readings for your settlements today and not have them brought together quickly. But I acknowledge that you chose to do that, and on Labour, we agreed because that was your choice.
These settlements are the result of people refusing to allow the experiences of your tūpuna to be forgotten. They are also reminders of the responsibility that this House carries when the Crown has failed to uphold its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. No settlement can ever fully compensate confiscation of land, raupatu, destruction of economic foundations, the suppression of authority, or the grief that has passed from one generation to the next. This House has no power to undo what has happened, but settlements like these can be acknowledged by the Crown that the wrong was done, that obligations were breached, and the relationships must be rebuilt on a different foundation.
Today, we recognise three iwi with distinct histories, distinct experiences, and distinct relationships with their whenua and their waters. I’ll start with Ngāti Hei in Coromandel. Many New Zealanders know those places that are yours: Whitianga, Cooks Beach, Hāhei, the coastline surrounding Te Whanganui-a-Hei. But behind that beauty that so many New Zealanders enjoy is also the history, which maybe many New Zealanders don’t know, and I hope through this legislation more will understand the history of your area.
The historical account shows how Crown purchasing practises and the Native Land Court placed huge pressure on customary systems and the fragmentation and land loss that ensued after that that was imposed by the Crown. Like many iwi, Ngāti Hei experienced the cumulative effect of those forces that had massive impact over time. In the apology in the legislation, the Crown acknowledges that these actions breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi and caused lasting damage. Those acknowledgements are important because they place the Crown’s responsibility clearly on the record, as do our speeches in Hansard today.
The cultural redress within your settlement reflects the enduring connection in areas across your area. Those sites are not simply parcels of land; they carry memory, they carry identity, whakapapa, and also obligation, which is passed through in the next generations. What stands out strongly in your settlement is the determination of Ngāti Hei to protect and restore your relationship with the natural environment. The coastline, the harbours, the waterways of eastern Coromandel are central. They are places where generations gathered kai, maintained pā, and had a real relationship over time from one generation to the next. It’s my real hope that the provisions in that settlement strengthen that and maintain that connection for many generations to come.
I acknowledge all of those who contributed to reaching this point, particularly the negotiators and the whānau who carried the weight of the claim on their shoulders over time. The responsibility of ensuring that history of your people was properly recorded and properly recognised. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, Ngāti Hei.
Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu—this is the point where I find it a bit jarring, right. We’re just going to another iwi, but kei te pai. This settlement tells the story of an iwi whose relationship with the Crown was marked with raupatu, warfare, marginalisation, and also loss of land. We know that Crown military action across the central North Island and the long shadow of conflict cast across generations. Large areas of land around Taupō western shores were lost through Crown purchases and practises, again of the Native Land Courts, as occurred elsewhere across the country. For Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, those losses were profound because whenua was a foundation of that economic independence, which was sustenance, identity, and also the social wellbeing that came from that.
The Crown’s apology, which lays before us on the Table in legislation, acknowledges the breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and recognises that damage done through actions and admissions. Despite generations of pressure, the iwi has retained its identity, connections, and determination to seek justice through this process. The cultural redress in the settlement reflects the continuing relationship with those sites that are deeply significant. Those places hold stories of tūpuna, of conflict, and also of survival.
Treaty settlements are often discussed in financial terms, but the financial component is only a fraction of part of these agreements. What many iwi seek is strong recognition of what happened, the wrongs that were done, and the experiences that were gone through. For many whānau, this process has taken decades. Some of those who began this journey are no longer with us to see this legislation pass, but we feel their presence here today. The reality should never be lost that so many have worked over the years to bring this point in time to now.
Thirdly, with two minutes to spare, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, I would like to acknowledge you in this House today. I would like to acknowledge the historical account that is a part of your bill, that between 1865 and 1868, the Crown confiscated 290,000 acres of land around Tauranga. Ngāti Tara Tokanui interests were included in those confiscations. The Native Land Court, again, processed and accelerated that land loss. By 1875, six of the seven owners of Owharoa had sold their interests, and today, only two acres of those original holdings remain in Māori ownership.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui entered agreements that enabled gold mining within their rohe, yet those benefits, that economic activity did not flow fairly back to iwi. Rental income was applied by the Crown towards repayment of advances, and at the same time, the environmental degradation and consequences were laid with iwi. Mining waste and cyanide-treated tailings were discharged into the Waihou and Ohinemuri rivers. By 1900, Crown officials themselves acknowledged that parts of the river system were polluted and unfit for human or animal consumption.
The Crown apology in your settlement acknowledges the wrongs that were done, not only the land loss, but those environmental damages that were done; and the cultural redress package recognises the enduring connection of Ngāti Tara Tokanui to important sites, including Mimitu Pā and Te Pou o Tiki Te Aroha, and others including Ngāti Koi Domain.
This settlement is also important because it recognises the relationship between the environmental damage that it’s done and the cultural harm. When waterways are polluted, when wetlands disappear, and when traditional food sources are no longer available, that has a direct impact upon people. It affects identity, tikanga, and the relationship between people and place. That history deserves to be acknowledged honestly in this House.
In conclusion, these three separate settlements are different in their history, different in their details, but they do share common threads. Each records the damaging impact the Crown actions undermined tino rangatiratanga, alienated whenua, weakened tribal structures, and left enduring consequences for generations to come. Despite this, we are here today, and despite this, we have three separate bills in front of us that we are passing a third and final reading, and it is my genuine, heartfelt wishes that you take all of this and make it the best you can for the future generations of each of your three iwi.
He mihi mahana ki a koutou i tēnei rā. Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, huihui mai tātou katoa.
[Warm regards to you today. Therefore, greetings and thanks to you, to us assembled here.]
STEVE ABEL (Green) (10:39): Kia ora koutou, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Ngāti Hei. I wondered, Ginny, if the iwi agreed to hear it all at once because they’re sick of hearing the politicians talk and want to get on with it, which I’ll interpret that being the reason behind it and respect that.
I do want to give a gentle rebuke to the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. Minister, I feel that we can do better, sometimes, than cramming in so many things in the space of a morning around iwi settlements. The pōwhiri was powerful this morning, but the Māori Affairs Committee members had to leave before the end of the pōwhiri to attend hearings of Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana. That was only a half-hour hearing, at 8.30, that we had to attend, and then we had to get back to the House for W’anganui, first reading. I think we can do better than that, Minister, and give a bit more time for each of those iwi, for us to afford the respect that we are here to show as part of reparations for the atrocities of the Crown and the evils of the Crown.
To those of you here in the gallery, the iwi represented today, I will try to run some sort of theme in the logic. Each of these settlements is unique; each of the experiences of your iwi is unique, but there are these chilling themes that run through the settlements. Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, we visited your beautiful maunga in Te Aroha and understood your gifting of the maunga to the Crown with an understanding that you would still have use of your tapu springs, the hot springs there. But by the early 20th century, Māori no longer had free access to the springs or input to the management of this tapu site. I mentioned this in the second reading, but it was a chilling experience for us to see the segregation that occurred on the flanks of Te Aroha maunga, where the actual iwi, who are mana whenua, were given a little building down the bottom of the hill where they were only allowed to use the springs, and the main part of the springs was for tauiwi. It was segregation, undeniable; an example of segregation in our history.
The Crown also regarded Māori that defended Aotearoa New Zealand from the invasion of the British and the Waikato as rebels, and Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu tūpuna were punished. Land was confiscated in the Tauranga district between 1865 and 1868. This is a familiar story, and now—and I mentioned this earlier today—we recognise that those who fought in the New Zealand Wars in defence of Aotearoa New Zealand are heroes in our history, not rebels.
What is another familiar theme is that the promise of what would be attained by iwi Māori in the relationship with settlers very rarely came to fruition. The land that was taken was exploited in ways that invariably destroyed the cultural and the economic base of iwi Māori. In the case of Ngāti Tara Tokanui, these examples are glaring as well.
There’s a theme across all three iwi of gold mining, the negative effect of gold mining. There was no income from the gold mining that occurred in Tara Tokanui’s rohe. Between 1877 and 1882, the monopoly powers claimed by the Crown meant that Māori had no option but to alienate their land to private parties if they needed to sell it. As Ginny Andersen pointed out, the discharge of the mine tailings in the Waihou and the Ōhinemuri led to cyanide poisoning of those wai—300 people needed an alternative water supply. We’re still doing this mining—can you believe it? Mining is still happening in the Hauraki District, and it still produces cyanide.
The other striking thing which we see across Hauraki is the destruction of the magnificent rākau—the incredible forests, the kahikatea wetland forests that grew massive buttress trees. The tallest trees that have ever stood in Aotearoa New Zealand were in the Hauraki District. They were cleared, they were burned, and the wetlands were drained. Here in the bill is recognised the draining of the Hauraki Plains, which were a significant source of food and other resources for Ngāti Tara Tokanui in the early 1900s, when the Crown established the Hauraki Plains drainage scheme to drain that land and develop it for farming. By the end of this whole process, in 1896, there were only 232 acres remaining as Māori freehold land. So, again, the promise of the benefits of the relationship with the colonisers turned out to be ashes in the hands of the iwi.
Ngāti Hei: likewise, *“The Crown acknowledges that the degradation of the environment arising from gold mining, gum digging, flax milling, commercial fishing, deforestation … associated burn-off, siltation, introduced weeds and pests, farm run-off, and other pollution has been a source of distress and grievance to Ngāti Hei. The Crown further acknowledges that this greatly harmed traditional sources of kai, and that Ngāti Hei actively protested environmental damage in their rohe.” Ngā mihi, kia ora, you who defend te taiao.
There is another phrase in the Ngāti Hei settlement which I want to finish on: “The Crown acknowledges the harm endured by many Ngāti Hei tamariki from decades of Crown policies that strongly discouraged the use of te reo Māori in schools.” The relationship between the Crown and Ngāti Hei might have been one of mutual advantage. Mutual advantage was the promise of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The promise of Te Tiriti was mutual respect and mutual advantage. Māori welcomed the opportunity for cultural and economic exchange in a binding relationship, and their goodwill was exploited and betrayed.
The Treaty is for ever. It is not something that can ever be settled. It is more than merely a contract; it is a covenant. This is a settlement, but the relationship between the Crown and te iwi Māori is a living relationship. We must lean into that principle that there might’ve been mutual advantage, and there must be mutual advantage and mutual respect in the relationship from here onwards. That is the promise of these settlements. That is the commitment that we should be making as the Crown, Minister and colleagues of the House, because there can be no thriving in Aotearoa New Zealand if there is not justice for Māori. There can be no cohesion and no unity if we do not uphold that promise of our founding agreement, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which recognises the tino rangatiratanga of iwi Māori. We commend these three settlements to the House today. Kia ora.
CAMERON LUXTON (ACT) (10:49): Thank you, Madam Speaker. Tēnā koutou e ngā mana whenua o Hauraki rāua ko Coromandel. E ngā uri o Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, o Ngāti Tara Tokanui, me Ngāti Hei. Nau mai, haere mai ki tēnei Whare. Tēnā koutou katoa.
[Greetings to you, the terrestrial authorities of Hauraki and Coromandel. To the descendants of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei, welcome, welcome to this House. Greetings to you all.]
A triplet of settlement bills is before the House today. The Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill, and the Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill represent an immensely important step in acknowledging historical injustices and restoring the relationship between the Crown and these iwi of Hauraki and eastern Coromandel. I thank you three triplets—if I can say that—for agreeing to read these bills together, as has been agreed by every party of this House. I have been able to speak on the three bills separately at previous stages, and I’m grateful to contribute to this special third reading of these three settlement bills together.
These bills represent an important moment for each of these iwi and for the Crown, which we are speaking for here in the House. They are the result of many years of work, negotiations, research, and perseverance by whānau, kaumātua, historians, negotiators, and everybody who has carried this, as we’ve heard, for generations. At the centre of these settlements is a simple truth: the Crown failed in its obligations under the Treaty. Each of these settlements have parts in there where the historical account is put down, importantly, for posterity for New Zealanders to always be able to see the apology as well as what we can make in the form of redress.
For Ngāti Tara Tokanui, the Crown itself acknowledges that its actions severely undermined the wellbeing of the iwi—severely. It eroded tribal structures and resulted in the loss of most of the ancestral lands.
For Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, whose rohe extends across the Te Aroha, the Kaimai Range, the Hauraki Plains, and the Coromandel Peninsula, this settlement recognises the enduring impact of confiscation, of swindling and Crown purchasing, and of mining activity, on the iwi and its people and the whenua.
For Ngāti Hei, whose deep connection to the eastern Coromandel and all of those beaches and heads stretches back many generations, this bill gives legislative effect to the deed of settlement first signed in 2017, and records and acknowledges apologies made by the Crown. And may I take a second to congratulate you on your involvement in the fisheries in that area at the moment.
There is no settlement which can fully compensate for the loss suffered. No financial redress can ever truly measure the damage caused by the erosion of language, identity, and economic opportunity, and the intergenerational connection that has been attacked. Settlements matter because they are an acknowledgment, an acknowledgment that the Crown failed to uphold the promises. But, importantly, these bills are not just about addressing the past, they are about the future, they are about creating a platform for development, cultural revitalisation, and an opportunity for generations to come—generations of Kiwis—to live together. These settlements, which have been worked on for so long, span many generations. The work began on this journey a long time ago, and many did not get to see the conclusion, but many are represented by the uri here in the House.
It is also important to recognise that these settlements reflect the endurance and resilience of these iwi. Despite the injustices, despite land loss and marginalisation, these three iwi have retained their identity, whakapapa, tikanga, and connection to their rohe. These three bills, read together in this unique way, are part of New Zealand’s ongoing Treaty settlement process, a process that, while imperfect, remains an important mechanism for confronting our history honestly and building a strong future together. As members of this House, we have a responsibility not only to settle historic grievances but to make sure future generations inherit a country where the mistakes of the past are neither forgotten nor repeated, but, as I say, are a foundation to make our country stronger for every citizen that calls this place their home. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
JENNY MARCROFT (NZ First) (10:54): Thank you, Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of New Zealand First in support of the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill, as well as the Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill. It is a privilege and an honour to stand here today in this House and speak to these three Treaty settlement bills. I just acknowledge the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations for bringing these bills in for a landing today in their third and final reading. He noted that it is, in fact, a notable occasion—because of those deeply intertwined relationships across this particular area, the agreement to have these three final readings read here in the House today. I’d like to send my warmest greetings and that of my leader, the Rt Hon Winston Peters, as well as Matua Shane to whānau of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, as well as the whānau of Ngāti Hei, who are here in the House today.
It’s always with some trepidation that I speak to these bills, because it is so impactful when you read the historical accounts set inside each and every Treaty settlement bill. You’d have to be a real cold fish if you didn’t get moved by what you read in the historical accounts, and so I think it’s very important for every member of Parliament to take the time to read about what has happened in our past. It is great how we can come together, as a Parliament, from all political parties and speak in unison as we move these bills forward—albeit making note that Steve Abel did give the Minister a bit of a growling. But, together in the House, we are combined in our kaupapa today.
I would like to extend my greetings to the whānau of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu who have travelled here to witness this moment. As I mentioned, it is an honour to stand before you as we move the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill in for its final reading. This is the final legislative milestone of a 15-year journey, but, actually, just that last part is 15 years, because we’re in the House today to witness the moment of justice that has been over a century in the making. The history we acknowledge today is one of profound loss. Through the Crown’s historical actions, unjust land laws, and the confiscation of land, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu were rendered virtually landless. That was not just a loss of soil but a severing of a physical connection to the maunga Te Aroha and also their ancestral identity.
A financial redress package of $5.5 million—the Ngāti Tumutumu Trust will have the resources now to invest in its people, but, as we know, the heart of any settlement actually isn’t just about the pūtea, it’s about the return of the land. The heart of that settlement lies in the land. During the select committee stage, submissions underscored that while financial redress is, of course, necessary, it’s the return of the land that causes the healing, so I wish, for all of those in your iwi, that that healing process has begun.
This bill gives effect to the return of 17 sites of immense cultural significance. We also acknowledge the commercial redress, including the land at Te Aroha College, ensuring that iwi have a stake in the infrastructure of their own rohe. While this bill marks the final legal resolution of these historical claims, submitters during the select committee stage also noted that it is a beginning. It’s a new way forward for the people of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu.
I now turn to the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill. I’d just like to make a note that, while we’re reading these bills together—there is a saying in my whānau “Same same but different”—I want to speak individually to each of these because of the differences. While there is some collective historical grievance, what I feel is important for me to do is to speak individually to these bills.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui, today we are also acknowledging a significant milestone for you. The passage of this Treaty claims settlement bill is not just a legislative formality, it is a profound act of recognition, a very long overdue apology, and a commitment to a shared future. Once again, your historical reading and the account in this bill makes for, actually, very sombre reading. It details a history where the Crown’s actions and its failures to act—just as importantly—had a devastating impact on the people of Ngāti Tara Tokanui. So, to whānau of Ngāti Tara Tokanui, this settlement cannot undo the decades of struggle, nor can it replace the tūpuna who did not live to see this day.
However, it does offer a new beginning; it’s a new way forward where the mamae of the past can be acknowledged but not embedded into the very DNA of the generations to come. No settlement—and we all in this House can acknowledge that—will ever fully compensate for the magnitude of loss. This package, though, does provide a foundation for the future. There’s a $6 million redress package that will provide a foundation for economic self-determination, and also the vesting of seven sites of cultural significance, including the Ngāti Koi Domain—stewardship of ancestral lands finally returned to their rightful kaitiaki.
I’d like to speak now to Ngāti Hei and their claims settlement bill in its third and final reading, also today marking the culmination of a journey that has spanned generations. It’s a day of profound significance, not just for Ngāti Hei but for all of New Zealand. I want to acknowledge the negotiators, the kaumātua, and the whānau of Ngāti Hei, who have worked tirelessly for decades to reach this point. Many who began this journey are no longer with us, but their spirit and their dedication are woven into the fabric of this settlement. Your perseverance has ensured that the voices of your ancestors have been heard and that the rights of your mokopuna are being secured. As we gather in this House to finalise this settlement, we acknowledge a history of resilience, a struggle for justice, and a commitment to a shared future.
This bill, based on the deed of settlement signed in 2017, represents our collective effort to address these historical wrongs. It’s not a complete remedy for the past, however—no legislation could ever truly undo the pain of loss—but it is a vital step towards reconciliation and restorative justice. The historical record is clear: Ngāti Hei suffered the loss of their ancestral lands, the erosion of their traditional authority, and the marginalisation of their culture and identity. These were not just historical events; they were deep wounds that have impacted the social, economic, and spiritual wellbeing of Ngāti Hei for over a century.
The redress provided in this bill, both cultural and financial, is a testament to the endurance of Ngāti Hei. The vesting of culturally significant sites, the statutory acknowledgments, and the financial resources are more than just legal transfers; they are tools for the future. They provide a foundation for Ngāti Hei to revitalise their culture, strengthen their communities, and pursue their own economic aspirations on their own terms.
In closing, let us honour the past, celebrate this milestone, and look forward with hope to the future that Ngāti Hei will build. I commend the Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill, the Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill, and the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill to the House.
HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE (Te Pāti Māori—Hauraki-Waikato) (11:03): Tōia Tainui tapotu ki te moana. Mā wai e tō? Mā tātou e tō. Mā Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu e tō, mā Ngāti Hei e tō, mā Tara Tokanui e tō.
Nau mai ki tō koutou Whare i tēnei rangi. Nau mai ki te Whare Pāremata. Nā koutou tēnei rangi, waihoki ngā ruruhi koroheke, ō koutou mate i whakawhārikihia i te ata tonu nei ki te āta kōwhiri.
Nā koutou, Te Āti Awa, te reo pōwhiri ki a mātou o waka, waihoki o Hauraki whānui i tēnei ata. Nei rā te reo mihi.Tainui
Kua ara ake ahau i te papa o te whenua, kua kite ahau i ngā whetū e tū takitahi ana: Ko Matariki te kairūri, ko Atutahi kei te taumata o te Mangōroa. Kei tō tātou Arikinui, Kuīni Nga wai hono i te po, koe e whakakanohi i a tātou ki Ingarangi i tēnei wā tonu ki ngā kāhui ariki o reira. Rire rire hau, pai mārire. Pai mārire.
Ko te whakahirahiratanga o tēnei rangi, koinei ngā kerēme, ētehi o ngā kerēme whakamutunga o te waka o . Kātahi anō, i ngā tau tata nei, i whakanui i te 30 tau o mātou, ngā uri o te raupatu, i roto i ngā kerēme raupatu.Tainui
Nā reira tangihia rā ngā mate, tangihia rā ngā mate, kawea mai ki konei ki te Whare o te raiona, ki te Kāwanatanga me ngā uri o te raupatu. Tēnā rā koe e te Pīka.
[Haul the Tainui all the way down to the sea. Who will haul her? We will haul her. Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu will haul, Ngāti Hei will haul, Tara Tokanui will haul.
Welcome to your House today. Welcome to the Parliament House. Today is yours, and, also, the elder ladies and gentlemen—your deceased, who were arrayed this very morning.
It was yours, Te Āti Awa, the voice of welcome to us of the Tainui confederation, and also of wider Hauraki this morning. Here is the voice of thanks.
I arose from the bed of the earth; I have seen the stars standing alone. Matariki is the one who serenades in farewell, and Atutahi is at the zenith of the Milky Way. To our great monarch, Queen Nga wai hono i te po, you who represents us in England at this very moment among the royal families of that place: peace and goodwill be upon us. Goodwill be upon us.
The significance of today is that these are the claims, some of the final claims of the Tainui confederation. It has only been in recent years that we celebrated the 30-year anniversary of ours, the descendants of confiscation, in the context of confiscation claims.
Therefore, grieve for the deceased, grieve for the departed, and bring them here to this House of the lion, to the Government and the descendants of the confiscation. Thank you, Mr Speaker.]
Settlement bills often arrive in this House wrapped in language of closure and resolution. But let us be honest: in this House today, there is no settlement that can truly compensate for what was taken from our people. No settlement can restore generations lost to land alienation. No financial quantum can fully heal the mamae of displacement from ancestral whenua. No Crown apology can undo the erosion of mana motuhake, the disruption of whakapapa relationships, or the intergenerational harm inflicted through decades of Crown breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Across all three of these settlements, we see the same patterns repeated: the erosion of whenua, the undermining of tribal authority; the disruption of mātauranga Māori, and the passing down of tikanga between generations. These are not simply historical grievances locked away in the past; these impacts continue to be lived realities for our people today.
For the iwi of Hauraki especially, these histories are deeply connected to whenua and wai. For Ngāti Tara Tokanui, the Crown’s pursuit of extraction came at enormous costs to the people and to the environment. The Waihou and Ohinemuri—the very pepeha that we try to protect today in even the fast-track legislation bills—carry the burden of mining, pollution, and environmental erosion, while the iwi carried the burden of loss.
For Māori, environmental destruction is never simply environmental destruction. When the wai is harmed, the people are harmed. When the whenua is stripped and exploited, something within the identity of the people is also impacted, because our relationship to the whenua and wai is not symbolic; it is ancestral.
For Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Te Aroha from the summit of the maunga to the Waihou River is a wāhi tapu. An early name for the maunga is Puke Kakariki Kaitahi, the place where the kākā parrots flocked to feed. This is symbolic of the abundance of food and resources the maunga supplied, Te Tatau ki Hauraki whanui, the doorway to Hauraki widespread. The mountain has two names, one for each of its two peaks: Te Aroha ki ta and Te Aroha a tai, meaning “love for the land” and “love for the sea”, the names originating in Hawaiki.
The hot springs at Te Aroha, because they flow from the heart of the maunga, are also part of the mountain, symbolising the giving, caring nature of the maunga and the ancestors of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu. The environmental damage done to your sacred maunga as a result of mining has eroded your capacity to fulfil your kaitiaki responsibilities and created deep mamae.
For Ngāti Hei, the relationship to Te Tai Tamahine, to Tikapa Moana, and to Te Whanganui a Hei remains central to who they are as a people. Those places are not tourist destinations. They are not commercial brands. They are ancestral landscapes layered with whakapapa, tikanga, wāhi tapu [genealogy, traditional practices, sacred sites], and memory. When ancestral names are restored through settlements like this, something powerful occurs. The ancestor returns visibly to the landscapes; the stories return; the people return; and public memory begins to shift. Te manawanui o ngā iwi [the resoluteness of the people]: despite everything that was taken—despite every Crown breach, despite generations of marginalisation and dispossession—our people endured. That is the story sitting beneath each of these bills: the endurance of iwi who never relinquished their identity, who never surrendered their obligations as kaitiaki, and who maintained ahi kā, whakapapa reo, tikanga [the home fires of authority, genealogy, language, traditional practices], and connection.
I te rangi nei ka whakamaumaharatia ngā whakareanga kua tae mai i mua i a koutou.
[Today, we commemorate the generations that came here prior to you.]
A lot of people die for settlements to get across the line. Recently, at the pōwhiri this morning, I talked about some of our own stalwarts who championed the Waikato-Tainui settlement, such as Shane Solomon. Many of the iwi here today have brought in their loved ones who never got to see this day.
E whakamānawa ana, e maumahara ana i ō koutou mate.
[We honour and commemorate your deceased.]
Those who petitioned, those who travelled, those who sat through hearings, those who documented histories, those who relived painful stories over and over again simply so the truth would finally be placed on the record of this nation—because the settlement process itself asks a great deal of our people; it requires whānau to revisit histories of trauma in order to seek justice. It requires us to be confrontational with each other. That is a hard part. Sometimes not the Crown part but with ourselves as hapū, and it’s those mamae where it’s divide and conquer strategies. That emotional labour must be acknowledged in this House today.
Kāore anō kia oti ngā mahi.
[The job is not yet finished.]
While we support these settlements wholeheartedly, we also say clearly that settlements are not an endpoint of justice. They do not extinguish Crown obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti is not confined to historical settlements processes—Te Tiriti is a living document.
Hei tirohanga whakamua [as we look to the future], today we acknowledge the pain that made these settlements necessary, but we also acknowledge the strength, the resilience, and the vision of the iwi themselves.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, nā koutou tēnei rā. Whakanuia tō koutou rā i tēnei rangi ki tēnei papa o te Whare Pāremata.
[Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, today is yours. Celebrate your day today on the floor of Parliament House.]
To your tūpuna who carried these grievances before you, and to your mokopuna who will inherit the outcomes of your perseverance, may these settlements support the rebuilding of your aspirations.
Māku anō tōku nei whare e hanga. E kore tēnei whakaoranga e huri ki tua o āku mokopuna. Anei ko ngā tongikura a Kīngi Tāwhiao ki a mātou.
[I will erect my own house. This struggle for restoration will not go beyond my grandchildren. These are the royal statements of King Tawhiao to us.]
May they strengthen the connection of your future generations to whenua, wai, and moana, and may they contribute towards a future where the mana of iwi is restored. Me te mea anō hoki kāore anō kia oti ngā kerēme katoa o Hauraki.
[Furthermore, not all of the Hauraki claims have been completed.]
I look forward to the day where we see Ngāti Pāoa, ngā hapū maha o Hauraki whānui kua tae mai ki roto nei, ki te Whare Pāremata [the many hapū of wider Hauraki come here inside the House of Parliament]. Nō reira tūrou Hawaiki, rire rire hau, pai mārire.
Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON (Co-Leader—Green) (11:12): Tēnei ka mihi atu ki runga i ngā āhuatanga i whai wāhi ai koutou ki te haramai ki tēnei o ngā Pāremata. Ko tēnei haerenga ehara i te haerenga māmā, ehara i te haerenga ngāwari, engari he haerenga mokopuna, he haerenga rangatira nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora mai tātou katoa.
Tēnei o Te Taitokerau, o Hokianga, o Te Rārawa, Ngāpuhi, o Te Tairāwhiti hoki, o Ngāti Porou, o Waikato Tainui, o Ngāti Tahinga e mihi kau ana ki a koutou. Kia ora rā.
[I hereby acknowledge you, in the context that you have had the opportunity to come to this particular Parliament. This journey is not an easy journey, nor is it a simple journey, but a journey for your grandchildren, a noble journey, and, therefore, greetings and congratulations to you, hello to us all.
This is one from Northland, Hokianga, Te Rārawa, Ngapuhi, the East Coast also, Ngāti Porou, Waikato Tainui, and of Ngāti Tahinga that acknowledges you. Hello, there.]
I last had the honour of speaking to a Treaty claims settlement bill back in 2024. Today we had a last minute and late notice opportunity for an extra 10 minutes for us to be able to acknowledge this incredible day and achievement for Ngāti Rāhui Tumutumu, for Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and for Ngāti Hei. It’s an opportunity that we wouldn’t normally have had. And yes, it was late notice, but we decided to take the opportunity. That is why I find myself here with the privilege of being able to speak, to acknowledge your mahi, your mokopuna, your tūpuna, your whakapapa, your maunga, your awa, your mahi.
The reason why it has been some years since I have spoken on Treaty claims settlement bills is because I am proud that we have now got more of us. It doesn’t just depend on me to be able to uphold Te Tiriti as Te Pāti Kākāriki, not the least my colleague Steve Abel, our tangata Tiriti spokesperson, and Hūhana Lyndon, our Māori affairs and Māori development leader, and you will hear from all of us today. If we can, please, similar to these bills, take all of our speeches together as well, because there is absolutely no way that any one of our speeches can do the full justice, to squashing three. I understand that with your generosity you have agreed also to having these bills taken together and you want to get on with the mahi. I respect and honour that. I, therefore, am going to do my best to acknowledge each of you all in your own rights while remembering that you also have intergenerational connections, stories, and relationships.
OK, so I actually decided that I would try and use my short time that I had to prepare to acknowledge the actual bills and to focus on the injustices, because Aotearoa, all of our generations need to fully understand just how generous—just how generous—our iwi and hapū always have been when it comes to settling claims, and understand that these claims and the settlements and the redress in them, as all of our colleagues have said, go absolutely no way to the actual injustice, but provide an important platform, an important point for continuing the mahi mokopuna work that you all are doing.
I earlier in the readings today did happen to hear an actual mokopuna singing their tangi out to the House. I say, nau mai, tangi mai, Whakatau mai, mokopuna [welcome, welcome; grieve and welcome, child]. This is your Parliament and you belong here, and so does your tangi.
I’m going to start—OK, got my papers in the order that they’re in. I’m going to start with the Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill. My colleague is having a chuckle because we’ve just got to go with it. I want to highlight that some of the injustices that Ngāti Hei have faced are about the loss of much of their coastal whenua in some, I suppose, quite shady and unclear trades that were happening around the 1830s. Then we had Crown purchasing. This happened throughout settlements, and certainly across these settlements, where the Crown processes of acquiring land, of stealing land, of buying land were often done in a way to pit other iwi and hapū against each other. The Crown purchased Ahuahu from other Hauraki iwi without evidence that Ngāti Hei were actually consulted on that purchase. There was permanent whenua alienation from Ngāti Hei.
I think I’ll go back to quickly mention the history of extractive industry in Ngāti Hei rohe, including kauri logging, kauri gum digging, and the damage that that did to their precious whakapapa environment and the impacts and the grievance that holds.
Continuing to particular public works agreements. I want to acknowledge my colleague Hūhana Lyndon again for continuing to hold a public works member’s bill that would just say no—no more land alienation for the little bit of land that Māori have left through public works acquisition. That is a whakapapa that continued from Catherine Delahunty actually, and that I was also proud to hold and push. Public works acquisition injustice also for Ngāti Hei, which had many impacts, including the separation of Ngāti Hei—being left virtually landless, the socio-economic deprivation, the discouragement of te reo. Discouragement is a word, I suppose—it was violent. The discouragement of te reo across our generations was, in fact, a violent discouragement.
With that injustice, then, there is redress. There is some financial and commercial redress. There is some returning of sites of cultural significance to Ngāti Hei, and there are agreements and protocols to have an actual relationship and working properly together.
We know—I’m going to say this after every single iwi, hapū—it’s good, it’s positive. I know you will do the best with it, Ngāti Hei. And we know it’s generous for Ngāti Hei to enable the Crown to have this type of redress, in this case. Kia kaha koutou. Ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou. Kei konei a Ngāti Tara, kei konei koutou o Ngāti Tara.
[Be strong. Loving greetings to you. Ngāti Tara is here; you are here, Ngāti Tara.]
I want to again talk about the injustices for Ngāti Tara—looking at the clock. The goldfields at Ohinemuri. The accumulated debts through having to try and chase up the injustices, which then led to owners being forced to sell off land. Ngāti Tara Tokanui did not receive any income from gold mining in their rohe. There were the further Crown purchases, the further Crown alienation, and the discharging of mine tailings into the Waihou and Ōhinemuri rivers—tūpuna awa.
There was the disregard for the whakapapa of Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and the wetlands—the wetland areas of the Hauraki Plains. There was drainage to develop it into farmland, and, once again, public works acquisition in relation to the drainage scheme, where, again, it has left a tiny bit of freehold land today.
Ngāti Tara Tokanui, I acknowledge the years of work, and the generations of the people who, as with all of these claims, are no longer here to celebrate their mahi and the mahi to come for future generations. Kei konei koutou, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu. Kei konei koutou, kia ora mai.
[You are here, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu. You are here; hello, there.]
I wanted to acknowledge the Crown-initiated war in the Waikato, with armed forces crossing the Mangatāwhiri stream, and the confiscation punishment that was often an injustice from the Crown for anyone standing up for their whenua, for their hapū and iwi, or for their mokopuna. I want to acknowledge that deeds were supposed to provide for reserves and those reserves were not provided for. I want to acknowledge the Crown purchasing and the ongoing, shady receipts of payment, and, once again, the land gifted by iwi to the Crown in order for them to have ongoing rights to the springs, but, actually, those ongoing rights, which were supposed to be part of the deal, no longer remain today. Once again, it was an injustice.
Your hard mahi done by your people and your generations is now arriving at the announcement and the starting point from today, but overall, e te iwi, once again, we face a grown-up conversation, I would hope, about the place of te ao Māori and iwi and hapū across our country. What can happen when we call for accountability is that, in actual fact, we see iwi and hapū generosity once again, but we also see iwi and hapū working hard to uphold the integrity of te taiao—our living systems—and uphold the living conditions, social justice, and economic justice, for we are wanting to see not just Māori do well but all of our communities across Aotearoa do well.
I want to acknowledge that working together with the Crown, instead of the Crown working over the top of our communities, actually leads to benefits for all of us, and in today’s celebrations and the joyous recognition of the work that you have done and the travel that you have committed to, I acknowledge you all. It was a privilege to be able to come back to this House to speak to all of your settlement claims today. Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa. Kia ora.
Hon SCOTT SIMPSON (Minister for ACC) (11:22): I want to join with others from across the House in welcoming representatives to this place, to this Parliament—to the people’s House—who have travelled a long way today to be here for what in some aspects is a conclusion. In reality, it’s not actually a conclusion—more of a beginning than an ending—but it is a marker along the way for three iwi that have three different pathways to being here in this place today. They are three different iwi with their own histories, their own burdens, their own challenges, their own debate, and their own internal anguish that has gone on over the years to get us to this point today, and so how did we get here and where are we going?
Well, earlier this morning at the pōwhiri, I had an opportunity, thanks to the gracious endeavours of my colleague Tama Potaka, to speak briefly at the pōwhiri, and I was reflecting on the broader picture of what the Treaty settlements mean and how they came to be. I reminded those folk at the pōwhiri this morning that late last year, I had attended the funeral of Jim Bolger, the former Prime Minister, and it was Jim Bolger who, along with Doug Graham and others, embarked upon this process without really knowing quite what it would do, how it would be formed, what shape it would take, or how it would be manifested. But they were, with their colleagues, sometimes under intense scrutiny, criticism, and challenge from within their own ranks, but they were determined to embark upon a process to do what Jim Bolger said was the right thing—to do the right thing—and they were brave.
So how have we ended up here, all these years later, debating in this House the third readings of three important pieces of legislation that are relevant to three iwi in the area that I have the honour and privilege to represent in this Parliament? It is the area across the Coromandel and the Hauraki, through to Te Aroha, and down into the Bay of Plenty? They are important, beautiful parts of the country, but they are not without their challenges, and as we mark today the constitutional, the legal, and the parliamentary process that we are finishing here, I’m very conscious of what is yet to come.
It was at Wharekaho in November 1769, as the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations said earlier in his presentation, that James Cook had the first pōwhiri with Ngāti Hei. That was in and of itself remarkable because on a personal note, that’s where my great-grandparents came to live, at Kūaotunu, which is just a beach or two around from Wharekaho. Those members of my extended family are still resident there, my roots are still there, and that shared land, that shared whenua, is very much part of my personal story and family, as well as it is for the iwi of Ngāti Hei.
We have a journey to gather and to traverse together from that first contact in November 1769 to today, to the vision and the hope and the aspiration that was thought through by Jim Bolger and his colleagues back in the day. After hours, days, months, and years of negotiation, of meetings, and of interminable hours spent to get to this point, we have arrived today, and I want to congratulate you and those who have gone before and who are not with us today on that input of dedication and commitment to do the right thing—to do the right thing.
Now, does it mean for one minute that everything is going to be sweet and dandy tomorrow? Does it mean that everything is going to be sweetness and light? Does it mean that every issue will be resolved and that there will be nirvana across the rohe? Probably not, but it’s a step along the way. It’s a step along the way for three important iwi who are, I think, going to use this process to move forward, not just for themselves and not just for us who are here today in this place and our generation, but for the future of the generations that we are privileged to guide a pathway for. My hope and aspiration is that as long as I have an opportunity to be a representative in this place, I and my colleagues will continue to walk that pathway with people who want to engage positively not only for the future of their own iwi and their own whānau but also for the future of our nation and its collective wellbeing.
Later today, when we have completed this process and we’ve had the vote—and it will be happening, you’ll be pleased to know, mercifully soon—we will then have a document. There will be three separate bills that will go to the Governor-General. The Governor-General will, on behalf of King Charles III, complete the Crown’s obligations in terms of this process—this legislative, parliamentary, legal process—and it’s that relationship with the Crown that is important and it should not be forgotten today. The Minister and the Crown have apologised. That is of itself significant and worthy of a starting point for future discussions because there are many issues that remain unresolved. There are many debates still yet to be had. There are many, many issues that we must collectively unite to find.
Others have traversed the specific detail of each part of the redress and the compensation: the financial, the cultural, and the land. I’m not going to traverse that again, but I do want to commend these three pieces of legislation to the House, and I wish those of you who have travelled here today well. Thank you for making the time and taking the effort, and thank you for your sincerity and commitment to this process. Kia ora. Travel well.
Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Labour) (11:30): Ki a koutou, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui me Ngāti Hei, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou i whakarangatira i a mātou i tēnei wā. He hōnore nui ki te mihi ki a koutou, e mōhio ahau he rā nunui, he rā whakahirahira mō tātou katoa. Tēnei te mihi ki a koutou.
Ahakoa he rerekē tēnei tikanga, ngā pire e toru, ko te mea nui kei konei. Koinā te mea nui i tēnei wā. Ahakoa e whakaekehia ana te Māori i ia wiki e tēnei Kāwanatanga, ahakoa he whakaparahako i ia wiki e tēnei Kāwanatanga, i te iti rawa, kei te whakanui tonu rātou i ēnei whakataunga.
Koinā te mea nui, pea, i tēnei wā. E tika kia whakakotahi mō te kaupapa, ahakoa tino hōhā, tino riri te ao Māori i tēnei Kāwanatanga i tēnei wā. Koinei te mea nui i tēnei wā.
Nō reira tēnei te mihi ki a koutou, tātou katoa i tae mai nei ki te tautoko, ki te whakanui i tēnei kaupapa.
[To you, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, and Ngāti Hei, I hereby acknowledge you who have honoured us at this time. It is a great honour to greet you, I know that this is a big day—a significant day for all of you. I hereby acknowledge you.
Despite this unusual arrangement—the three bills—the main thing is that we’re here. That is the main thing at this time. Despite Māori being assaulted every week by this Government, despite the discrimination every week by this Government, though it may be small, they are still celebrating this settlement.
That is the important thing, perhaps, at this time. It is appropriate to unite for the work, despite the irritation and the real anger of Māori society towards this Government at this time. This is the most important thing at this time.
Therefore, I hereby acknowledge you, all of us who have come here to support and to celebrate this work.]
Good to see everyone here and hear the challenges this morning at our pōwhiri. I was thinking back to when Ngāi Te Rangi came down here and we actually were very, very close to a bit of a whawhai on the forecourt out here, such were the emotions of our people. It was a reminder—I’ll never forget that day, when Andrew Little was the Minister, and we were challenged as a Government in terms of our handling of the kaupapa, in terms of, obviously, tribes of Hauraki. Jan Tinetti was there, she was a Minister at the time, and out there giving tautoko to the kaupapa, and MPs from all sides. It was a reminder, as it was a reminder this morning, of how difficult this process is—incredibly, incredibly complex, so many compromises, so many concessions. On that day, I was wondering—and I’m serious, I thought we were close to violence on the forecourt.
Hon Marama Davidson: Yep. Yep.
Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Violence on the forecourt, hey Marama? It would have been terrible, but it was that close. I put myself in the other side’s—I can understand that. I’m not condoning violence, but that’s what our process does to us. I’ve been having good kōrero with the negotiator over here, Rick Barker—he’s an old friend and former Labour Party Minister—as we were going through it. I mean, how do you navigate your way through things? It was interesting when Jim Bolger and Doug Graham were going through stuff, and Rick was explaining you’ve had the overlapping claims, you had the interlapping claims, and then the best way through that, Doug Graham and Jim Bolger were saying, was that we must have a collective. I’m not sure if that was the best way, but here we are today.
Then you have to traverse your way through a system, so you have Tamati Kruger, who’s not exactly the favourite of Tūhoe, is he? But I mean, brilliant man, Tamati, brilliant man. He tries to help Ministers like Minister Goldsmith and formerly Minister Finlayson and Minister Little, and in many ways within the system you have to choose between winners and losers and people who miss out. I was going over it with Rick, and then Tamati talks about how you have to break things down in the different areas in terms of who has the mana. He says, first of all, you have areas where iwi are dominant; secondly, you have areas where iwi have influence; and then, thirdly, you have areas where iwi have interests. If that helps the people, I’m not sure—it certainly helped Tamati, anyway, didn’t it? He’s working his way in terms of Tūhoe, obviously.
This is the complicated system and process we have, but I was listening to our man Koro over there—kei konei tonu a Koro? [Is Koro still here?] Ā, kia ora e hoa, pai tō kōrero i tēnei ata. E tika ana ki te wero atu ki a mātou, e tika ana. E mihi ana ki a koe, e hoa.
[Yes, hello, my friend. You spoke well this morning. It is right to challenge us—it is right. I acknowledge you, my friend.]
We had challenges this morning to—we have to come and kōrero e pā ana ki ngā piki me ngā heke [discuss the ups and downs]. Because, as has been said 100 times by members in this House, the system is almost against our people, but our people find a way through it—putting iwi against iwi, hapū against hapū, whanaunga against whanaunga, and never, never more exemplified than that day we had out on the forecourt.
It’s a tribute to former Ministers and this Minister—and I don’t mind to give him congratulations even though he’s not been particularly good on other kaupapa, as you all know, and even though he wants to get rid of Treaty references and hammering our reo and he’s generally confused about a lot of kaupapa Māori at the moment. But apart from that, he’s done a good job with this kaupapa and I want to mihi to him today. I want to mihi to our people because we find our way through even though we’re dealing with the Government, we come together i tēnei wā kia tutuki ngā moemoeā me ngā hiahia me ngā tūmanako, eh—koinā te mea nui i tēnei wā [at this time to realise the dreams and desires and hopes, eh—that’s the most important thing at this time]. We’re able to put the current issues aside where we want to deal to this Government and kia whakakotahi for the kaupapa i tēnei wā [to unite for the work at this time].
So congratulations to all the whānau, all the hapū, and all the iwi who’ve come today. I won’t go through all the intricacies of it because that’s already been traversed, but I just think that it’s—when I think back on the history and I think of what the Ministers have had to work through, and people like our negotiators, Rick over here, Rick Barker, and Mike Dreaver, who might still be here—it really is a tribute to this country that we’re able to find resolution even though we can be angry at each other. We can be furious in terms of history, we’ve got all the hapū, iwi stuff, we’ve got the change of Governments, but it’s a tribute to our people and to this country that we’re able to get there in the end.
As Marama Davidson said, the country owes Māori—we are owed in terms of the way we’ve compromised and the way we’ve said, “Well, yes, we’ll take the pittance, we’ll subsidise the country, we’ll do a Treaty settlement process”. I don’t know what it is at, Minister Goldsmith, maybe it’s $1.5 billion, maybe $2 billion now—not too bad an amount when you consider the concessions from iwi all around the country. So that’s how desperate we are in terms of getting on with things, and so the challenges remain for our Hauraki collective and the different hapū, different iwi, to find a way to utilise the pūtea—which does not at all compensate for the loss, but find a way to fulfil all the dreams, the hopes, the aspirations within the system that we have now.
I always look forward to that. I am so pleased that you’ve been able to whakakotahi for this. Hauraki iwi, of course, has a challenge because, again, we know that there’s the huge iwi who get all the kudos, who get all the support, who get all the publicity—that’s Tainui and Ngāi Tahu and probably Ngāti Whātua. But it’s iwi like the three groups we’ve talked about today who have to make their mark now, so I wish you well. I wish you well and congratulate you and I also thank you, Koro and others, for the challenges laid down today—rightful challenges that we in Labour will look forward to taking up.
Nō reira he hōnore nui ki te kōrero ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou, tēnā anō tātou katoa.
[Therefore, it is a great honour to speak to you. Greetings to you, and again to all of us.]
GREG FLEMING (National—Maungakiekie) (11:40): Ki a Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, ki a Ngāti Tara Tokanui, ki a Ngāti Hei, tēnā koutou. Nōku te tino maringanui ki te tū ki tō koutou tirohanga, ā, ka whakanui i tō koutou haerenga, tō koutou manawanui ki tēnei rā.
He maha ngā whāinga o te tukanga o te kerēme. Akenepea ko te whāinga tuatahi ko te whakapūāwai o te reo Māori puta noa i te motu nei. Nā reira ka kōrero au i te reo Māori anake i tēnei ata. Manawanui mai.
Huri ōku whakaaro ki te mihi whakatau i tēnei ata, inā koa ki te kōrero e pā ana ki tō kaikōrero tuarua. I pēnei, kei konā te kōrero, kei konei te hōhā, te raruraru. Kei runga te kōrero, kei raro te hōhā. Ā, i a au e whakarongo ana ki a ia, i huri ōku whakaaro ki tēnei Whare, ā, ka whakaaro koirā te āhua o tēnei Whare, ne? Tēnei te hōhā, tēnei te wāhi o te raruraru, ā, ki a koutou, koirā te wāhi o te āta kōrero, te āta whakaaro, te āta whakarongo.
Nā reira, tuatahi e mihi ana ki ngā kaiwhiriwhiri kua whiriwhiri i tēnei kerēme. Ahakoa te uauatanga o te tukanga, ehara i te tukanga hapa-kore, heoi he tukanga pai, he tukanga tūmanako.
Ahakoa tērā uauatanga, te pierenuku, akenepea, o tērā tukanga, kua kōkiri ki tēnei wā, ki tēnei whakanuitanga, ki tēnei mutunga.
Ka huri ōku whakaaro hoki ki tō kaikōrero tuatahi, ā, tāna mea mai, “kāore au e kume i te kōrero”. And pai tērā ki a au. Waihoki kāore e roa taku kōrero ki a koutou i tēnei ata.
Tuarua, ki te tukanga, he aha ngā whāinga o tēnei momo tukanga, and ki ōku whakaaro e toru ngā otinga, e toru ngā hua. Ko te tuatahi, whakaaetia te hītori. Nā reira kaua tātou e wareware te hītori. Koirā te mea tuatahi.Tuarua, ko te whakapāha. Ko te mutunga kē mai a te Kāwanatanga ki a koutou mō te hara o ngā tau kua hipa.Tuatoru, ko te whakahokinga o te whenua me ngā pūtea kia tautoko ai i tō koutou whakarauora o tō koutou hapori.
Tē taea e mātou, e te Kāwanatanga, te whakarauora ngā hapori. Tē taea. Kāore tērā i te haepapa, kāore tērā i te āheinga o tērā momo rangapū.Koirā te mana o ia hapori, ā, nō reira ko te tino whāinga o tēnei tukanga kia tautoko i te whakarauora o tō koutou hapori.
Mai rā anō tō koutou mana kia whakahaere i tō koutou wāhi, heoi mā te awenga o ngā hapa a te Karauna ki a koutou, kua whakaiti tō raukaha. Nō reira, ki a au, ki a mātou katoa, ko te tino tūmanako o tēnei tukanga kia whakapapa, kia whakanui i tō koutou raukaha, tō koutou āheinga, kia whakamōmonatia ai te ora o tō koutou hapori.
Nā reira, tēnā anō koutou mō te haere mai ki tēnei rā, ki tēnei wāhi. Kua kitea ngā whakaahua o ō koutou tupuna kua mate i te pononga o tēnei haerenga roa. Tēnei whakanuitanga, tēnei whakatau, ko te wawata i wawatatia e rātou.Nā reira, ka tuku i te pire nei ki te Whare.
[To Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, to Ngāti Tara Tokanui, to Ngāti Hei: greetings to you. It is my good fortune to stand in your view, and to celebrate your journey and your perseverance today.
There are many objectives of the claims process. Perhaps the first objective is the flourishing of the Māori language all across this country. Therefore, I will speak only the Māori language this morning. Your forbearance, please.
My thoughts turn to the formal welcome this morning, particularly the speech from your second speaker. It went like this: “There is discussion, there is irritation and trouble. Discussion is valuable, and trouble is undesirable.” As I was listening to him, my thoughts turned to this House, and I thought that such is the nature of this House, right? Here there is irritation, this is a place of trouble, and to you, this is the place of careful discussion, careful consideration, and thoughtful attention.
Therefore, first I would like to acknowledge the negotiators who have negotiated this claim. Despite the difficulties of the process—and it is not a process without problems—it is a good process, and a hopeful process. Despite those difficulties—the calamity, perhaps, of that process—it has progressed at this time to this celebration, to this conclusion.
My thoughts also turn to your first speaker, who said, “I will not drag out the speeches.”—and that seems good to me. Therefore, my speech to you this morning will also not be a long one.
Second, to the process: what are the objectives of this type of process? In my opinion, there are three results, three outcomes. First, history is acknowledged. Therefore, we must not forget the history. That is the first thing. Second is the apology; the epitome of Government to you for the sin of past years. Third is the return of land and funds to support your revitalisation of your community.
We, the Government, cannot revitalise the communities. It cannot be done. That is not the responsibility nor the ability of that type of organisation. That is the remit of each community, and, therefore, the primary objective of this process is to support the revitalisation of your community.
Your authority to manage your own places is long established; however, through the power of the Crown’s mistakes with respect to you, your capacity has been diminished. Therefore, to me, to all of us, the true hope of this process is to empower and celebrate your capacity, your capability, and to expand the wellbeing of your community.
Therefore, I thank you again for coming today to this place. The portraits of your ancestors who passed throughout the duration of this long journey are seen. This celebration, this settlement, is the dream that they dreamed. Therefore, I commend this bill to the House.]
HŪHANA LYNDON (Green) (11:46):Tēnā koe e te Speaker, tēnā anō tātou katoa. Tēnā koutou e ngā uri o Tara, koutou o Ngāti Tara Tokanui. E mihi ana ki ngā rangatira o ngā iwi o tērā rautau, Tūwhakaea, Matarehua, Tiki Te Aroha, Te Whakamaro Maioro.
Koutou o Hei me Tia, ngā tamaiti a Atua Matua, nau mai rā. Ngā uri o Moehau maunga, te ahi kā o Hauraki, tēnei rā te mihi atu ki a koutou.
Mai i Onemana ki te tonga, ki Whakapaua ki te raki, me ngā motu o Tīkapa Moana, nau mai rā.
Te Aroha te maunga, Waihou te awa, Tīkapa Moana te moana, Tumutumu te marae, Te Ruinga te tangata. Tēnā koutou, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu.
E mihi atu ana ki a koutou ki runga i ngā tū whaiāhua o te wā, otirā i tēnei, te pānuitanga whakamutunga mō ā koutou kerēme Tiriti te take.
Me taku unu i taku hē mō taku korenga i te pōwhiri i tēnei ata. E māuiui ana ahau engari e tika ana me puta mai ahau ki te tautoko i a koutou ki te whakawaha i te reo tautoko o te Rōpū Kākāriki ki mua i tō koutou aroaro, e ngā whanaunga o Hauraki. Tēnei rā te uri o Ngāti Whanaunga e mihi atu ana ki a koutou. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.
[Thank you, Mr Speaker, greetings to us all. Greetings to you, the descendants of Tara, those of you from Ngāti Tara Tokanui. I acknowledge the iwi leaders of the last century, Tūwhakaea, Matarehua, Tiki Te Aroha, and Te Whakamaro Maioro.
Those of you of Hei and Tia, the children of Atua Matua, welcome. The descendants of Moehau mountain, the home people of Hauraki, I hereby acknowledge you.
From Onemana in the south, to Whakapaua in the north, and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, welcome.
Te Aroha is the ancestral mountain, Waihou is the river, Tīkapa Moana is the marine waterway, Tumutumu is the marae, and Te Ruinga is the noble leader. Greetings to you, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu.
I acknowledge you all with regard to the current considerations, indeed, in this, the final reading for your Treaty claim.
I also apologise for my absence during the formal welcome this morning. I was sick, but it is appropriate for me to come to support you to convey the voice of support of the Green Party before you, my relations from Hauraki. This descendant of Ngāti Whanaunga hereby congratulates you. Greetings, thanks and congratulations to you, and to all of us.]
It is a humble pleasure to stand before this House with words of tautoko, alongside colleagues of all sides who come before, humbly, the people of Hauraki as they roll out. They’re rolling out to see this final reading of legislation long overdue. I am also mindful that our people have had to endure generations of harm, generations of landlessness, of dislocation and loss, and then had to endure a 7 o’clock pōwhiri this morning.
Nā wai i teka e tika ana tērā, kia puta koutou i te whitu karaka i te ata mō tētahi pōwhiri? Āi e mara. Nō reira e mihi ana ki tō koutou kaha, tō koutou kaha me te whakaiti ki te whakaae ki tētahi pōwhiri i te whitu karaka i te ata.
[Who said that is appropriate, that you come out at 7 o’clock in the morning for a formal welcome? Geez, man. Therefore, I acknowledge your strength, your strength and humility to agree to a formal welcome at 7 o’clock in the morning.]
But here we are, and I won’t take long, i te mea he roa rawa tā koutou noho ki konei []. But e tika ana me mihi atu ki a koutou, ngā tūpuna, ngā kaumātua, ngā kaikerēme, rātou i pīkau i ēnei o ngā kerēme ki tēnei wā tonu. Me te pakeke haere, te pakeke o te wehetanga o te iwi, te tohe tātou i a tātou, anō ngā tohe ki te Kāwanatanga kia tika ā ratou mahi. Ko ahau tētahi o ērā e totohe tonu ana ki te Kāwanatanga i roto i aku hapū, anō hei mema Pāremata. Nō reira tū kaha koutou, tū kaha koutou.Tērā pea he tīmatanga tēnei mō koutou, mō tātou, mō ngā hiahia me ngā wawata o te iwi.because you have been sitting here for a long time
[But it’s appropriate to acknowledge you, the ancestors, the elders, the claimants; those who carried these particular claims to this point. And the growing difficulty, the challenge of division of the people, the fighting amongst ourselves, and fighting the Government to do the right thing.]
E tātou mā, of course I’ve got an issue with these Treaty settlements, because our people are so gracious in accepting the 1 to 2 cents in the dollar for the immense loss for the people of Hauraki. When you read the settlement and you understand there is, what, some 2 to 3 percent of whenua left in the hands of our Hauraki people, the three iwi that come before us today are humble. You are very gracious and patient with the House that had taken so long to come to our side of the bridge.
You know that arawhiti? It’s the Māori that always have to hīkoi across the bridge, engari ināianei ka āhua haere mai te Kāwanatanga ki tēnei taha, kōrero ai ki te Māori[but now the Government has kind of come across to this side, to speak to Māori]. Nō reira ki roto i ēnei momo whakataunga, tihei mauri ora. Tihei mauri ora mō tō koutou kaha. Tihei mauri ora ki tēnei Whare te tae mai ki te tautoko i ēnei o ngā kaikerēme, ngā iwi e putaputa mai ana i ia marama.
[So, within these types of settlements, hallelujah. Hallelujah for your strength. Hallelujah to this House that has come to support these particular claimants, the people that come out every month.]
You are one of a number of iwi that are coming before us right now and you know that the journey can be a decade, it can be 30 years to get to this point. We commemorate those who worked hard but we also look to the future. The future is in your hands, with the settlement redress of a dollar, of relationship agreements, of some assets, whenua, what you may have that comes back to you for mana whakahaere. It’s a start and I think it opens the door, but again, as colleagues have already shared in this House around the building of that bridge and the connection and the desire for the ongoing enduring relationship, the relationship that can span across generations and see honourable kāwanatanga meet mana ki te mana with you as hapū, iwi, marae, iwi kāinga, ahi kā.
For Hauraki has lost so much, and for you as Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Hei, I thank you for your patience and your grace in coming to the House for this, the final reading, but may this be the piriti. May this be the bridge of connecting generations within our own tribes and protecting our whanaungatanga and inter-tribal relationships too. Through the building of your capacity, your capability, and what you might receive, there are opportunities for mahi tahi, for together we are stronger.
For our mokopuna it is the āpōpō—and I see mokopuna in the room and we’ve heard mokopuna in the House. It is an exciting time to be Māori, to be from Hauraki. As a mokopuna raised in the north but with deep connection to Hauraki through Ngāti Whanaunga and my tupuna Ripeka Titiparu, who moe-ed into our whānau in Ngāti Hine, we come home often and spend time and really have to reflect on the battles of the past. It was through battle, the hononga that brought us together as tribes but also the enduring connection to place. Whilst you may only retain at this time some 2 to 3 percent of whenua, it is your enduring ahi kā, the way that you have been on the whenua, pou te whenua, tiaki i te taiao, tohe ki te Kāwanatanga, tohe ki te kaunihera hoki []—don’t forget about the kaunihera. Ko koutou tērā.embed the land, protect the environment, struggle against the Government, struggle against the council, too [That is you.]
While we are celebrating a win today, it is the āpōpō that we look forward to and the strengthening of the bridge and the relationship with Crown and those tari kāwanatanga that you will have these relationship agreements with moving forward—the way with which you are receiving assets, resources, whenua, and some financial, commercial redress as a start. And, of course, acknowledging our trustees, those that have to do the mahi to pīkau the aspirations of the people. It’s not an easy task. Sometimes you need a stab-proof vest, eh, when you’re going into the hui. Do you survive the AGM? It’s torturous sometimes—a bit torturous like some of our kauwhau today, too, you know, because you’re waiting for the mahi to get done. I’m just so happy that we are here as a united House to tautoko this occasion and know that this is an opportunity for growth, for potential, for a strong taiao, for a strong mokopuna, our future generation. Kia tōpū te reo, kia tautau tonu i te ahi kā, ko koutou tērā e noho nei, e pakari nei ki runga i tō koutou, ō tātou whenua. Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora tātou katoa.
[So that the language is consolidated, and the burning fires are stoked, that is who you are, seated here, strong upon your—indeed, our—lands. Therefore, greetings and thanks to you, to all of us.]
DAVID MacLEOD (National—New Plymouth) (11:55): Tēnā koe e te Māngai. Ki ngā uri o ngā iwi e toru, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. Nau mai, haramai ki tō Whare, tō Whare Pāremata.
[Thank you, Mr Speaker. To the descendants of the three iwi, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, Ngāti Hei, and Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, greetings and thanks to you all. Welcome, welcome to your House, to the House of Parliament.]
Welcome to you all. It’s a pleasure for me to stand in this third reading, the last part of what the Minister described as a bit of an arduous task, the Treaty settlement itself. I acknowledge all those that have been involved with this in all degrees—obviously, the people of the negotiating teams from the three iwi but also our Crown representatives in the negotiations and members of Te Tari Whakatau, etc., that actually has got this to where it is today.
I personally currently play a part in the Māori Affairs Committee, and I did have the wonderful occasion of visiting Te Aroha and being wonderfully hosted there by Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu. Unfortunately, I wasn’t on the committee for the other two settlements that we’re actually talking about today, but I also want to join Steve Abel’s comments earlier on—my apologies for not being able to stay for the full mihi whakatau this morning. I would have liked to have heard the further speeches, but as Steve said, we actually had another settlement that we had a hearing for back here that we had to return for to do that in itself. I welcome you here for this very, very important occasion.
I want to talk about the wrongdoings. We had another settlement that we had a first reading from this morning, Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui, and it wouldn’t surprise you that there are similar traits throughout all settlements, particularly with land loss and the significant land loss—we’re not just talking about small parts—to the point where it’s repeated in the historical accounts that iwi are left virtually landless. Opportunity is taken away from you when you lose your access to whenua, and as a result, many of your people have to move away for work and to survive in that.
What you have today is trying to turn that back around. Although you all have ahi kā, the fact is that many of your people—and if I look at the number of people that are registered with each of your iwi, many are not ahi kā any more, and for very good reasons. That is the injustice that has been imposed on Māori that has caused that to actually happen.
I look back at the many travesties and my head shakes. It’s almost like how could that ever be what the Crown of the day did? I think of the opportunity that was lost and the anger that that must bring and the huge disappointment that that must be on all Māori when it comes to looking at the challenges that exist today. A lot of the work we do down here in Wellington is trying to get better outcomes for all New Zealanders, but particularly for Māori, because of the results of the wrongdoings of the Crown in the past. It’s absolutely appropriate that this is recognised. I’ve always said that if you want to understand the history of our country, your first visit should be the historical accounts, the acknowledgments that are within Treaty settlements. If you read your Treaty settlements—if your kids, your tamariki of your schools in your rohe were taught the history here, that is a great basis of understanding where things are today; why there are challenging conversations today; why there is anger at the Crown that remains today. It’s because of this history here.
We talk about teaching our tamariki Te Tiriti o Waitangi; that’s important, but I tell you, I’d almost say that all the adults of a place need to be taught this history as well. A lot of our neighbours and our community of locals, they look at the anger that’s actually expressed, and they think, “What’s that all about?” Well, read these settlements, and you’ll get an understanding of what this is all about. We have people, individuals who are not too many generations from us today, who we’re talking about here—people who have lost their lives over time because of the wrongdoings of the Crown—in Treaty settlements.
History is important. Without understanding your history—without understanding your past—how can you appreciate where you are today and move forward as a community? I thank you for, as many other speakers have said, making the compromise of what Treaty settlements are—the huge compromise; Hūhana Lyndon said the 1 or 2 percent of what it’s worth; well, in fact, it’s probably a lot less than that, to tell the truth. The fact is that Māori make compromises with every Treaty settlement with the purpose of trying to move forward, to rebuild—and I say “rebuild” because you have been deconstructed. We have been deconstructed so much because of the wrongdoings of the Crown.
This process that we’re running now is just a moment in time, but what’s so important is how we take this acknowledgment, this apology, this recompense, this cultural redress—everything that’s within settlements—and use that positively to move forward as a people and to be able to contribute to a wonderful nation that Aotearoa can actually be.
I look forward to this getting Royal assent, but it is just the beginning—it is just the beginning of the new phase of where we’re going to. It needs to be recognised, it needs to be acknowledged, but now it also places a very important part on the Crown once this gets Royal assent. The commitments that are written in here—the Crown needs to make sure that it does not fail again into the future. That is one of the very important subjects that the Māori Affairs Committee looks at annually. We measure the Crown’s performance against settlements that we’re not just going back to where we’ve been, and that we’re fixing the wrongs of the past, not creating new wrongs.
I look forward to the new beginning; I look forward to you all prospering with what these settlements provide you. The monetary recompense is a pittance, really, but we need something for you to start off with, and I hope you do well with what this opportunity presents. With that, I feel privileged; I think every time anybody in this House is speaking on a Treaty settlement, we write ourselves into the Hansard of this place here. We become part of the history of what this is, and it’s actually a privilege, I think, for us to be able to partake in that. I’m very happy to commend these bills to the House on this third reading, and I wish all of you all the very best. Kia ora.
Hon JAN TINETTI (Labour) (12:04): Thank you, Madam Speaker. E Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, kia ora, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou .
As my colleague across the House David MacLeod just said, it is very much my honour to be able to stand here and speak on your settlement bills in the third reading today. We remember today and farewell the tūpuna who have paved the way, protected mana, and held fast to the cause. To those here today and watching from afar at this moment, we honour your communities’ perseverance, your faith, and strength in pursuing justice and truth. Despite the long journey, this stage has been reached, and what an exciting day it is—but it has been a long journey.
I want to start by acknowledging my colleague Willie Jackson’s speech about the time that we stood out on the forecourt quite a number of years ago. It was really disconcerting. It was such a traumatic moment for us all—for you, and for us. That was a moment that actually started well over 150 years ago when rights were taken away from you. The pathway and the determinations of the Crown at that time caused that traumatic experience that we witnessed those few years ago.
I’m excited that we are at this point; I’m excited for you that we have reached a resolution and that you’re at a new beginning right now. People will say that this is the end of the process, and, as I’ve just heard from across the House, this is actually the new beginning. We get to the end of one process, and we get to the start of a new beginning. The new beginning, as we’ve heard, is about an apology; it’s about a monetary figure; it’s about land being given back to you; but it never will make up for that hurt and that mamae that you have suffered for so many years. Some of you have suffered, and your tūpuna have suffered, and suffered, and suffered. It gives us the opportunity to make sure that your mokopuna, your tamariki, going forward, won’t suffer any more. This is the opportunity for the Crown to say that enough is enough, and from this day, we move forward together in that new beginning.
Can I also say that the Crown has also been on that journey. It is a journey, again, on which I have heard, “How could this happen? How could the Crown have done what they did?” That is horrific when we see it, and it is not acceptable, but the Crown has been on a journey to get where we are today for this acknowledgment. We’ve heard about some of the players that have been there over time, and my colleagues around the House have mentioned previous Ministers and previous Prime Ministers. I also want to take this opportunity in the third reading speech here today to acknowledge some of the main players that actually started that process. One was Matiu Rata, who established the Waitangi Tribunal, and which he said himself would settle the deeply felt and longstanding grievances of the Māori people over the Treaty, which they regard as the foundation of their rights. That was a kind of start and a point in time that the Crown stood up and changed.
Someone who was also a personal hero of mine in the work that he did was Geoffrey Palmer, in 1985, leading the work where Parliament granted the Waitangi Tribunal retrospective powers to hear grievance dating back to 1840. I just wanted to make sure that those two people were acknowledged here, because it was part of the journey that we have been on as a Crown, so that we can acknowledge the hurt and the pain that you have been through, what has brought you here today, and what has got us to this point of this new beginning.
Like the previous speaker, I had the absolute honour of being on the Māori Affairs Committee, albeit for a short time. It was only about nine months that I was on that committee for, but I remember saying, in the second reading of the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, that I believe that every member of this House should spend time on that committee. It’s about that understanding of history, and we heard again from the previous speaker how important history is. That’s why I’m such a passionate advocate for the now wiped Aotearoa New Zealand’s history curriculum. I’m absolutely passionate that we tell history from all perspectives. Your history has been silenced for so long, and that’s something that today rectifies, but we need to rectify that long into the future.
That visit that I had that particular day to Te Aroha and where we sat listening to the submissions that were being put forward on that particular bill was such a moment of change for me. It had such an impact on me that I went away from that day thinking we have to do better. We have to make sure that we take these moments where we’re working together in partnership and do better going forward so that, again, tamariki, mokopuna, and future generations will never have to share that same pain that you and your tūpuna have been through for so many generations.
I’ll never forget having that moment of clarity around what had been taken from iwi, how they had been treated in the journey, the promises that had been made, and the many broken promises that had occurred. Again, this is something that every member of this Parliament, and future members of this Parliament, needs to experience to understand how we can strengthen Māori’s hopes and ambitions. I shouldn’t say it quite like that. It’s about you telling us your hopes and ambitions and what can we do to support you. That’s what today is about, the new beginning around you taking control of the next stage of this journey, because it is about that next stage and it’s about you having control over where you want to go with your hopes and ambitions for today’s generation and future generations as well. Again, today doesn’t make up for that hurt. Today will never make up for that hurt, but it goes some way for you to start the next chapter for you and your people going forward. It’s a new chapter of a partnership that we can walk alongside, or behind, and support where you want to be for your future as a people.
I too want to say that it is, again, as I started, the greatest honour to be able to stand and support your part of the history of where you are going today. I don’t take that lightly. It is something that I will forever be grateful for and see, when I finally leave this place, as being the highlight of my career, being able to stand here and support that. Even though I spent a very short part of that time on select committee, it meant the absolute world to me. It makes me think, what can I do now going forward to help future iwi like yourselves? Enjoy today. I hope that it is a true celebration for you. I hope that you feel the joy that we have for you. I really sincerely want to look forward to seeing where you take your hopes and your aspirations in the future. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Kia ora.
RIMA NAKHLE (National—Takanini) (12:14): Thank you, Madam Speaker. It’s also my quiet pleasure to stand up and add my kōrero in support of this bill where we’ve combined the settlements of three bills, the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill, and Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill. I’d like to start by also bestowing a warm welcome to everyone that’s in the gallery today, and I thank you immensely for showing us, once again, how milestones like this are so important. We all know that travelling around is extra difficult these days with what’s going on overseas affecting us here, so thank you very much for being here today, all of you guests in the gallery.
I really love how our beautiful and young Hana-Rawhiti said that with moments like this, the public memory begins to shift. That really resonated, as I listened to Hana-Rawhiti’s speech, because it’s true. I don’t whakapapa to any Māori iwi, I whakapapa to Lebanon, but I can continuously and consistently learn about the grievances that our Māori brothers and sisters have endured in our past. It’s really quite a contradiction, and I think I’ve mentioned this before, that Aotearoa New Zealand is so beautiful—we have such beautiful landscapes, a lot of beauty—and yet there’s such, in some ways, an ugly history.
As Minister Goldsmith said in his speech, the Crown recognises and acknowledges the severe wrongs, because the wrongs were severe. Yes, we’ve placed these three third readings in one third reading because, as Willie Jackson said, this is how desperate we are to get along with things. So we are. We’re desperate for our guests and your whānau to get along with things.
I’d like to acknowledge the words that were mentioned this morning by Matua Koro. Although I’m not fluent in the reo and I didn’t understand everything that was said in the kōrero, I do feel that my heart understood the undercurrent. I thank you, Mr Koro, for sharing what you did, and I thank you for the challenges that you put to us because they were from your heart. One thing I know is that our Ministers listened, and my heart listened as well.
I too was not involved in the beginning of the processes for Ngāti Hei and Ngāti Tara Tokanui settlement bills, but the common thread is the severe loss of land in three of these settlements.
When I think of Ngāti Hei, in my first trip to New Zealand—because I was born in Australia to Lebanese parents—my beautiful husband took me to the Coromandel Coast, and I remember as we were driving there, he said to me, this coast is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. When I arrived there, yes, my heart broke with happiness with how beautiful your coastline is. I’m really glad. I’m very pleased that part of the cultural redress is that the key redress includes the vesting of Te Puia Hot Water Beach Domain, and the recognition arrangements over Cathedral Cove and Cuvier Island Nature Reserve are also part of that redress.
With respect to Ngāti Tara Tokanui, one of the 12 iwi and hapū with customary interests in the wider Hauraki area, again, there was major land confiscation and unfair dealings, and there’s little evidence to show that Ngāti Tara Tokanui actually signed sale agreements. Sometimes when we wonder why there is so little trust between some of our Māori and Government agencies. I guess history like this can make people stop wondering and understand more.
We were really pleased and very blessed to go to the whenua of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, and I mentioned this in my last speech—I loved it. Thank you very much. We were around the mountain of love, and we absolutely felt the love. In closing, I do wish all of the iwi well. I know that you put your mokopuna at the forefront of your minds when you’re going forward with these settlements. I hope, to a small extent, that at least some of the burden can be lifted, and I know you’ll make your ancestors proud. I commend this bill to the House.
GEORGIE DANSEY (Labour) (12:19): Thank you. I’m honoured to rise to speak to the third reading of the Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu Claims Settlement Bill, Ngāti Hei Claims Settlement Bill, and Ngāti Tara Tokanui Claims Settlement Bill. Nau mai, haere mai ki Pāremata.
I would like to start by acknowledging the iwi, the hapū, and the whānau who have come to the House today for this very important occasion, and commend you on your mahi and getting these bills to the third and final reading here in Parliament. I wish you all the very best for the future. Once this settlement is concluded, I hope that your whānau and hapū flourish, and that this settlement gives opportunity to all of your tamariki and mokopuna.
I sit on the Māori Affairs Committee, so it’s a real honour and privilege to be able to contribute to this process, to hear from iwi about the wrongs done, and to see that Crown apology written into legislation. Every settlement we pass in this House is a significant milestone for Aotearoa New Zealand and our journey in truly recognising Te Tiriti o Waitangi. But what we do here is such a small part; it is the iwi, the hapū, the whānau who do the real mahi working with the Crown to get the bill into legislation, accepting a settlement, and then working to ensure that that settlement provides opportunity for whānau while protecting your whenua.
Earlier in the year, as part of the Māori Affairs Committee, we had the opportunity to go and visit some iwis who have had their settlements concluded. Some of them were concluded in the last few years. Some of them were 20 years old. It was a really interesting kaupapa, because we were able to learn about what the iwi we did post-settlement: what they put the money into, what they did with their whenua, what they did as part of the redress. That’s a fascinating journey, and I hope, in years to come, that I can hear what it is that your iwis do in the future with this settlement.
It was a really huge privilege to attend the whakatau this morning and hear from you and celebrate this milestone with all three iwi. To hear your kōrero from the kaikōrero this morning was a real privilege. One of the important whakaaro that came out of it for me was the presence of ancestors, of tūpuna—that this settlement, as well as acknowledging the hurt, the apology, and the journey, really acknowledges those who have gone before. I think you articulated it much better than I, but I’ll give it a go: the whānau that endured that suffering, the loss of their tikanga, reo, and whenua—that sacrificed so much; the real honour is them today. It was incredible to see their photos there at the mihi whakatau and to see them in the gallery today.
Some of your kōrero today sends a strong message to the Government about the importance of honouring Te Tiriti, and I commend you for that. Settling a Treaty bill is one thing, but truly honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi is another, and we must go further. Frankly, right now, I don’t think we’re heading in the right direction. I’d love to see a true partnership with Māori; I don’t think we’re there yet. In order to achieve that full partnership, we must ensure that our tamariki and our rangatahi have the knowledge and history of Aotearoa New Zealand and the hurt that was caused. I hope that as part of your settlement, you’re able to share that kōrero and that journey with your mokopuna tamariki.
Through this settlement, the Crown seeks to atone for the injustices done and rebuild a relationship based on trust and honourable Treaty partnership. Other speakers have spoken to it never being enough, and I tautoko that: it’s never enough, but it’s a start. As I mentioned, I really look forward to seeing where you go with this and what opportunities you take for reconnection of your people to their whenua, tikanga, and reo so that the mokopuna of your iwi feel connected to their whenua, their awa, their tikanga, and te reo Māori.
It is with great pleasure that I commend all three of these bills to the House. Nō reira nei rā te mihi ki a koutou katoa. Kia ū, kia māia, kia manawanui. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
[Therefore, I present my greetings to you all. Be steadfast, be courageous, be resilient. Greetings and thanks to you all.]
CUSHLA TANGAERE-MANUEL (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) (12:25): Tēnā rawa atu koe, e te Māngai o te Whare.
Ehara i te mea nō nāianei te aroha
Nō ngā tūpuna i tuku iho, i tuku iho
[Love is not a thing of the present alone
It was passed down by the ancestors]
Nā reira ki a koutou, ngā uri tuku iho o Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Tara Tokanui, tēnā rawa atu koutou katoa.
Tēnei hoki te mihi atu ki a rātou mā e kawea nei i roto i ngā whakaahua, rātou i tae whakaahua mai, rātou i tae o roto o te whare o mahara, i roto i ō koutou ngākau, i roto hoki i ō koutou tūmanako.
Huri noa ki a tātou, tihei mauri ora. Tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa i tae mai i runga i te rau o te aroha.
[Therefore, to you, the descendants of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Hei, and Ngāti Tara Tokanui, many greetings to you all.
We also extend our greetings to those whose images are displayed here—those present in these photographs, and those held within the house of memory, within your hearts, and within your hopes.
Turning to all of us here—the breath of life. We extend our greetings to everyone who has arrived here, borne on the leaves of love.]
Although I don’t sit on the Māori Affairs Committee, it is indeed my pleasure to be here and take what will be the last contribution of this House in the third hearing of your bills.
Tēnei te mihi nui atu i a koutou i tae mai i runga i te rau aroha, i runga hoki i te hūmārie. Koutou i tae kotahi mai, ahakoa i tae mai koutou katoa i runga i tōu ake mana motuhake.
Kua tae mai koutou hei kanohi mō rātou mā kua wehe atu, kua tae mai koutou ki te kawe i ngā tūmanako o rātou kāre anō kia whānau mai ki tēnei ao. Ahakoa he ngāwari noa iho te waiata i tīmatatia nei e au, he waiata e kawe nei i tērā āhuatanga e tino whakapono ai tātou, te iwi Māori, arā te aroha.
Nā reira ahakoa ngā taumahatanga i pēhi nei i runga i ō koutou tīpuna, i tangohia ō koutou whenua, ō koutou moana, i tae mai koutou i runga i te aroha mō rātou mā; i runga i te aroha mō ō koutou whānau; i runga i te aroha mō ō koutou maunga, moana, awa, whenua; i runga i te aroha mō tō koutou whenua, o Aotearoa.
Nā reira tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou i tae mai i runga i te rau aroha kia neke ai tātou katoa o Aotearoa ki mua. Tēnei te mihi atu.
[I hereby greet you who have come here with compassion, and, also, in humility—those of you who arrived together, even though you all come under your own particular authority.
You have come as representatives for those who have passed on, you have come to bring the hopes of those who have yet to be born into this world. Despite the simple song that I began with, it is a song that conveys that particular thing that we, the Māori people, all very much believe in; that is, love.
Therefore, despite the difficulties that impacted your ancestors, that resulted in the taking of your land and your ocean assets, you came with love for those who have passed; with love for your families; with love for your mountains, oceans, rivers, and lands; and with love for your nation, Aotearoa.
Therefore, I hereby greet you who have come here with compassion so that all of us in Aotearoa may progress. Thank you.]
Earlier in the House, we heard Winston Peters talk about the peanuts that are received from these settlements—
Steve Abel: Winston Peters?
CUSHLA TANGAERE-MANUEL: Oh, sorry, Winston—no, I don’t think he said that! Willie Jackson. Easy mistake—easy mistake, whānau. We’ll leave them to decide who was either praised or insulted by that mistake.
Hon Tama Potaka: Brothers in arms. New coalition—new coalition.
CUSHLA TANGAERE-MANUEL: Future coalition, Tama Potaka reckons! Let’s not start rumours. Let’s stick to you guys, whānau.
He talked about—actually, I’ll quote him: through peanuts from these settlements, we see hope. That is true: although it’s been acknowledged across this House that the compensation received doesn’t even go near compensating for the wrongs that were done, there is hope.
I want to talk about the hope that Māori brings to this country that can sometimes be forgotten and refer to the amazing Māori economy, which is now worth $126 billion—$66 billion made-up by Māori business and employers, 14 by trusts and incorporations, and 19 by self-employed Māori. Our entrepreneurial nature has been there mai rā anō [ever since], and while this doesn’t go anywhere near compensating you for the wrongs done throughout generations, I look forward to hearing amazing reports of the contribution you make to this Māori economy as we move forward, because, let me tell you, the world is ready to do business with us all. Tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou.
[I hereby acknowledge you.]
Heoi anō rā ko taku kōrero ki a tātou [however, what I would say to us all]—it’s awesome to hear the contributions, the reo, the empathy, but how do we carry that on outside these walls? We must champion everything that’s being said across this House, not just in the way we write legislation moving forward but as we move through our communities in Aotearoa. Attitudes towards settlements and attitudes towards the contribution that our whānau, hapū, and iwi make as good kaitiaki, as good partners, must be carried beyond the legislation we write to our attitudes in our communities.
Heoi anō rā, hei whakakapi, tēnei te mihi anō ki a koutou, ngā uri o Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Hei, Ngāti Tara Tokanui. Tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa mō tō hūmārie, mō tō aroha nui ki tēnei whenua o tātou.
[However, to conclude, I hereby acknowledge you, the descendants of Ngāti Rāhiri Tumutumu, Ngāti Hei, and Ngāti Tara Tokanui. I hereby acknowledge you all for your humility, and your great love for this land of ours.]
Motion agreed to.
Bills read a third time.
[Applause]
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): I understand there will be a waiata.
Waiata—“Aakau o te Aroha (Ko Hauraki te Whenua)”
ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Maureen Pugh): Members, the House stands adjourned until 2 p.m.
The House adjourned at 12.34 p.m. (Wednesday)
This early draft is automatically published - it is not yet complete and reviewed.