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NGĀTI HĀUA CLAIMS SETTLEMENT BILL
First Reading
Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations): I seek leave to present a legislative statement on the Ngāti Hāua Claims Settlement Bill.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: Leave has been sought for that course of action. Is there any objection? There is none and leave has been given. That legislative statement is published under the authority of the House and can be found on the Parliament website.
Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH: I move, That the Ngāti Hāua Claims Settlement Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider the bill.
[Authorised reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
[Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]
In March I was welcomed on to the Ngapuwaiwaha Marae in Taumarunuito sign Te Pua o Te Riri Kore, the Ngāti Hāua deed of settlement. It was a great occasion, and I’ll never forget it. The sun was shining in Taumarunui and I received a warm greeting. I want to thank the members of Ngāti Hāua who have gathered to watch the bill being read for the first time, both here in the gallery and online across the motu. You have shown great strength and determination in coming to this point.
It was a special occasion. I did make the mistake of deciding to drive myself from Auckland to Taumarunui and I got a ticket on the way back, but that’s by the by. I’ll set that aside. Today marks a significant milestone for in the shared history of Ngāti Hāua and the Crown, and it’s a testament to the commitment of everybody involved that the Ngāti Hāua settlement journey has been a long one and it’s important today to remember and pay tribute to leaders and the many whānau members who passed on before they could see the fruits of their efforts.
One significant leader was the late chair of the Ngāti Hāua Iwi Trust, Eugene Taupene who passed away in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdowns. I personally didn’t have the honour of meeting Eugene but his rich legacy has guided these negotiations. I want to acknowledge and thank the Ngāti Hāua negotiation team for their collective effort—the chair Graham Bell and his team. Your wisdom, patience, and determination were critical in achieving this settlement, which truly promotes reconciliation.
On the Crown’s side I acknowledge the work of my predecessors, the Hon Christopher Finlayson and the Hon Andrew Little. I particularly want to acknowledge the work of the Chief Crown Negotiator, Dr John Wood. I want to thank my ministerial colleagues, Crown agencies, local authorities, and members of Parliament who are here today to mark this occasion.
Today’s speaking marks another milestone for Ngāti Hāua in their settlement journey. Negotiatons started in 2017 but Ngāti Hāua have been looking for justice for generations. As Ngāti Hāua negotiations manager Aaron Rice-Edwards said, “We’ve been an iwi that has been pushed in the shadows but we’ve always been a tough fighting iwi. We never give up. It’s taken us over 160 years to come to this point, to realise that vision of riri kore (no more fighting.)”
The settlement is grounded in the Crown’s acknowledgments and apology for its many breaches of Te Tiriti. I formally delivered the Crown apology to Ngāti Hāua at the signing of the deed of settlement in March. During the ceremony we all felt the enduring hurt of Ngāti Hāua. The day was a poignant reminder of the importance of the Crown recognising and acknowledging its wrongdoings. At the ceremony I also spoke of the statutory pardons for Ngāti Hāua tīpuna and Mātene Ruta Te Whareaitu and Te Rangiātea, which are facilitated through the Ngāti Hāua settlement. Alongside the deed, this bill records the Crown’s treatment of Te Rangiātea and Mātene and the resulting intergenerational stigma and mamae experienced by their uri and by Ngāti Hāua. This bill will enact long-overdue statutory pardons for these Ngāti Hāua tīpuna who were treated so harshly by the Crown.
In recognising the harm caused, we’ve worked with Ngāti HHāua to build a redress package that addresses these grievances, provide for the return of 64 sites of deep cultural significance to be transferred as cultural redress, including sites that will be jointly vested with some other groups, a cultural revitalisation fund, recognition of the innate connection of Ngāti Hāua to their rohe, and their obligations as tangata tiaki, through a range of mechanisms such as Te Pou Taiao a joint management committee, relationship redress with many Crown agencies, and financial and commercial redress of $19 million for the right to purchase a number of commercial properties.
The deed of settlement also recognises the importance of Te Pou Tikanga to Ngāti Hāua, the innate values that underpin Ngāti Hāua’s aspirations for Treaty settlement and the vision for a restored relationship with the Crown.
It’s my hope that this settlement will mark the beginning of a strengthened relationship between Ngāti Hāua and the Crown, based on mutual trust, cooperation, and partnership.
Madam Speaker, friends: no settlement can fully compensate for the loss and prejudice that Ngāti Hāua people suffered. Through this settlement the Crown hopes to retore its honour and alleviate Ngāti Hāua’s deep sense of grievance. Today is about looking forward to the future while acknowledging the long and difficult journey it’s taken to get there.
I believe that the settlement lays the cultural and economic foundations for Ngāti Hāua to reestablish their connection with their rohe, strengthen their identity, and provide for a stronger cultural, social, and economic future for generations to come.
I think there are huge opportunities in the decades to come for Ngāti Hāua, particularly the new generation coming through, to thrive and prosper and build on the opportunity that is provided here, and to restore particularly economic prospects. I acknowledge that this is the first reading of three to support the passage of this legislation through the House, and my preference is that the bill should proceed without delay to the Māori Affairs Committee so that we can progress this settlement as soon as we can. I commend this bill to the House. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.
