Dr Pita Sharples Delivers His Maiden Speech - Tena Koutou Katoa Kei Te Rohe O Tamaki Makaurau, Tena Koutou. Na Koutou Ahau I Whakato Ki Ro Paremata Nei, Hei Reo Motuhake Mo Koutou, Hei Pononga Mo Te Iwi Whanui. Tenei Ahau - Tena Koutou. Madame Speaker, Raurangatira Ma, I Acknowledge Your Presence And Your Mana - Tena Koutou. I Welcome My People Here Today And I Especially Acknowledge My Electorate Of Tamaki Makaurau Who Were Dedicated To My Being In This House. It Is Common Knowledge That Maori Do Not Enjoy The Same Socio-Economic And Educational Benefits As Non-Maori In This, Their Country Of Origin.

KEI TE MANU KORERO O TE ATA, MADAME SPEAKER - KEI NGA MANA, KEI NGA REO RAURANGATIRA MA O TE WHARE NEI. TENA KOUTOU KATOA.

KA HURI AHAU KI A KOUTOU - KI A KOUTOU KUA HAERE MAI NEI I TENEI RANGI - KOUTOU HOKI E WHAKARONGO MAI ANA

- TE TOARANGAPU MAORI

- TOKU IWI O NGATI KAHUNGUNU

- NGA WHANAU A HOANI WAITITI MARAE

- TE ROPU MANUTAKI

- AKU HOA

- TAKU WHAMERE

TENA KOUTOU KATOA

KEI TE ROHE O TAMAKI MAKAURAU, TENA KOUTOU. NA KOUTOU AHAU I WHAKATO KI RO PAREMATA NEI, HEI REO MOTUHAKE MO KOUTOU, HEI PONONGA MO TE IWI WHANUI.

TENEI AHAU - TENA KOUTOU

MADAME SPEAKER, RAURANGATIRA MA, I ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE AND YOUR MANA - TENA KOUTOU

I WELCOME MY PEOPLE HERE TODAY AND I ESPECIALLY ACKNOWLEDGE MY ELECTORATE OF TAMAKI MAKAURAU WHO WERE DEDICATED TO MY BEING IN THIS HOUSE.

IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT MAORI DO NOT ENJOY THE SAME SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS AS NON-MAORI IN THIS, THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. IT STRIKES ME AS SOMEWHAT AMAZING, THAT HALF THE COUNTRY AND PROBABLY HALF OF THIS HOUSE, ACTUALLY BELIEVE THAT MAORI ARE THE PRIVILEGED GROUP WITHIN OUR SOCIETY. CRIES OF RACIAL FUNDING, GRAVY TRAIN, SPECIAL COURSES, ARE CONSTANT WITHIN THESE WALLS, AND EAGERLY PUBLISHED BY EVERY ARM OF THE MEDIA TO PROMOTE A NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE OF MAORI.

IF MAORI ARE THE PRIVILEGED GROUP, WHY IN MY ELECTORATE ARE MAORI NOT LIVING IN PRIME LOCATIONS LIKE KOHIMARAMA, ST. HELIERS, MISSION BAY, OR CONVERSELY, WHY ARE MAORI CONCENTRATED INLAND IN STATE HOUSING SECTORS?

DOES PRIVILEGE MEAN WE MAORI DOMINATE CERTAIN ILLNESSES SUCH AS DIABETES, HEART DISEASE, ASTHMA, GLUE EAR AND OTHERS? AND THAT WE DIE TEN YEARS EARLIER THAN PAKEHA?

OR IS OUR REAL PRIVILEGE TO BE REVEALED BY THIS COUNTRIES DISGUSTING INCARCERATION FIGURES? I SAY DISGUSTING BECAUSE IN 1980, 1 IN 1000 NEW ZEALANDERS WERE IN JAIL. IN THE EARLY 90’s, 1 IN 800 WERE IN JAIL, BUT TODAY THERE ARE 6,961 PEOPLE IN JAIL. 1 IN 570 NEW ZEALANDERS IS IN JAIL. BUT FOR MAORI, THE PRIVILEDGED GROUP, 1 IN 180 PERSONS ARE IN JAIL WITH A TOTAL OF 3481 MAORI INMATES.

AND I ASK THIS HOUSE - WHY ARE MAORI BEING PROMOTED SO NEGATIVELY BY POLITICIANS, THE MEDIA, AND CONSEQUENTLY BY NON-THINKING AND REDNECK NEW ZEALANDERS? HOW CAN THAT BE GOOD FOR OUR FUTURE?

WHY WERE MAORI USED AS A POLITICAL FOOTBALL IN THIS PAST ELECTION CAMPAIGN? CRITICISM OF MAORI CULTURAL ICONS SUCH AS THE POWHIRI, THE POROPOROAKI, TE REO MAORI, WAIATA MAORI, WERE ALL PROMINENT IN ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPEECHES IN FACT THE NEGATIVE ATTACKS WERE SO COMMON, ONE MIGHT SAY THAT IT IS BECOMING TOO PC TO CONTINUE THEM.

AND THE BIG QUESTION FOR ME IS - WHY IS THERE SO MUCH RESISTANCE AMONGST PARLIAMENTARIANS TO ACCEPT THE CONCEPT OF TANGATA WHENUA AS SIGNIFICANT IN OUR COUNTRY’S ADMINISTRATION AND IN OUR HISTORY? WE LEARN ABOUT THE EVENTS IN WORLD HISTORY, OF CULTURAL ORIGINS, OF COUNTRIES CUSTOMS - WHERE IS THE RECOGNITION OF THE 1000 YEAR BOND BETWEEN MAORI AND THESE ISLANDS?

WHY DO WE ACCEPT THE WORLD’S HISTORY, AND NOT OUR OWN - THE SPANISH INQUISITION, THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO, PLATO, SOCRATES, ARISTOTLE - WE KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS - THESE PEOPLE.

SO WHAT OF TOI KAIRAKAU - OF RAURU - MY HISTORY - MY TANGATA WHENUA NESS - MY 1000 MISSING YEARS?

TOI KAIRAKAU CROSSED THE PACIFIC AND CAME TO NEW ZEALAND AT THAT SAME TIME, ERIC THE RED WAS EXPELLED FROM ICELAND AND VOYAGED TO COLONISE GREENLAND.

TOI KAIRAKAU IS MY ANCESTOR, HE LIVES STILL, IN ME - HIS HISTORY, HIS GENEOLOGY, IS MY HISTORY, MY GENEOLOGY, MY BONDING TO THESE ISLANDS OF AOTEAROA.

TOI’S SON WAS RAURU AND HIS SON WAS WHATONGA.

FROM WHATONGA CAME TAHATITI

FROM TAHATITI CAME UENUKU

AND AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY, WILLIAM OF NORMANDY CONQUERED ENGLAND AND BECAME KING WILLIAM THE 1ST.

FROM UENUKU CAME RUATAPU

FROM RUATAPU CAME RAKEIORA

FROM RAKEIORA CAME TAMA KI TE HAU

AND THESE ARE MY ANCESTORS - TANGATA WHENUA. AND THIS ANCESTOR, TAMA KI TE HAU LIVED AT THE TIME OF THE GREAT MILITARY LEADER GENGHIS KHAN WHO ESTABLISHED THE MONGOL EMPIRE UNITING ALMOST ALL OF EURO ASIA.

AND MY GENEOLOGY DESCENDS TO TAMA KI TE RA

TAME KI TE MATANGI

AND NOW THE MAGNA CARTA IS SIGNED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD.

I CONTINUE TO TAMA KI REIREIA MAI HAWAIKI

TE KAHUARERO

PITO

RERE

TANGI

MAIKA

TOTO

TO TAMATEA ARIKINUI

TAMATEA ARIKI NUI - BROUGHT THE TAPU CANOE OF TAKITIMU ACROSS THE PACIFIC. HE IS THE EPONYMOUS ANCESTOR OF ALL DESCENDANTS OF THE TAKITIMU WAKA.

AT HIS TIME, HISTORY RECORDS THE CRUSADE OF JOAN OF ARK IN FRANCE WHO WAS BURNT AT THE STAKE , AGED 19 YEARS.

FROM TAMATEA ARIKINUI

CAME RONGOKAKO

AND THEN TAMATEA POKAI WHENUA

AND HIS SON WAS KAHUNGUNU

KAHUNGUNU - WAS THE FOUNDING ANCESTOR OF MY TRIBE, NGATI KAHUNGUNU.

THEN CAME KAHUKURANUI

RAKAIHIKUROA

TARAIA

TARAIA - LED THE MIGRATION OF NGATI KAHUNGUNU SOUTH FROM WAIROA TO THE NAPIER HASTINGS AREA.

AT THIS SAME TIME COLOMBUS STUMBLED UPON AMERICA.

FROM TARAIA TO TE RANGI TAUMAHA

TO TE HUHUTI

TE HUHUTI MARRIED TE WHATUIAPITI

HE WAS A GREAT WAR CHIEF, HE HAD RED HAIR.

THESE ARE THE EPONYMOUS ANCESTORS OF THE SUBTRIBE, TE WHATUIAPITI.

THEN CAME: TE WAWAHANGA

RANGIKAWHIUA

TE MANAWAKAWA

TE RANGIKOIANAKE

NOW AT THIS TIME, CROMWELL OVERTHROWS THE BRITISH MONARCHY AND DECLARES A REPUBLIC.

TE RANGIKOIANAKE IS THE ANCESTOR OF THE SUBTRIBE NGATI RANGIKOIANAKE OF TE HAUKE. ALSO, MY GRANDSON CARRIES HIS NAME AND HIS SPIRIT.

HIS ELDEST SON WAS TE KIKIRI O TE RANGI, ANOTHER WARRIOR, ANOTHER FAMOUS WAR CHIEF, AND ANOTHER RED HEAD. HE LED MANY SUCCESSFUL FORAYS TO AVENGE THE DEATHS OF HIS TWO GRANDFATHERS. HE IS THE EPONYMOUS ANCESTOR OF THE SUBTRIBE NGAI TE KIKIRI O TE RANGI.

AND THE GENEOLOGY CONTINUES:

KANOHI TU HANGA

TE AROATUA

HORI NIANIA

TO PAORA KOPUKAU NIANIA

HE WAS MY GRANDFATHER AND HIS NAME AND HIS SPIRIT ARE CARRIED BY MY SON, WHO IS HERE TODAY, AND IN WHOM I ALSO LIVE.

FROM PAORA CAME MY MOTHER, RUIHA, AND THEN ME.

THIS IS MY HISTORY - THIS IS TANGATA WHENUA AND THIS IS NEW ZEALAND’S HISTORY. THIS IS YOUR HISTORY.

I HAVE CHOSEN TO USE THIS TIME TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONCEPT OF TANGATA WHENUA. I DO SO BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE FUTURE OF NEW ZEALAND IS DEEPLY INTERTWINED WITH THE FUTURE OF MAORIDOM AND IS, IN THE EYES OF THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY, UNIQUELY INTERTWINED WITH THE IDEA OF THIS NATION.

IN A WORLD INCREASINGLY HOMOGENISED BY GLOBAL COMMERCE, MIGRATION, COMMUNICATIONS, TRAVEL AND TRADE, MAORIDOM PROVIDES AN ENDURING POINT OF DIFFERENCE THAT OTHER CULTURES ENVY; A DIFFERENCE WE MUST PRESERVE.

FOR THIS NATION TO THRIVE ECONOMICALLY, CULTURALLY, AND WITH A SENSE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE, MAORI MUST BE ABLE TO PLAY A FULL ROLE IN ALL PARTS OF SOCIETY. NOT ONLY AS LEADERS, EDUCATORS, ARTISTS, BUSINESS CHIEFS AND SPORTING CHAMPIONS, BUT AS CITIZENS WHOSE RIGHTS, CULTURE AND FUNDAMENTAL WORTH ARE VALUED AND SUPPORTED.

WHILE MAORI HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES WITHIN KAUPAPA MAORI INITIATIVES, THE REALITY OF EQUALITY FOR MAORI IS STILL FAR OFF. WHILE MORE MAORI ARE IN JOBS, WE MUST LOOK AT THE QUALITY OF THOSE JOBS. MANY MAORI ALSO HAVE BEEN ISOLATED FROM THEIR IWI BASE - WHILE MANY FACE NEGATIVE IMAGES OF THEMSELVES DAILY IN THE MEDIA.

WE ALL HERE, IN PARLIAMENT MUST NOW WORK TOWARDS A SOCIETY EMBRACING MAORI CULTURE AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE; WHERE (AND LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THIS) - WHERE MAORI ARE ABLE TO ENJOY THEIR HEALTH AND EDUCATION, WHILST ALSO ENJOYING BEING MAORI; WHERE TE REO MAORI CAN BE HEARD ON THE STREETS AND IN THE SHOPS BY ALL PEOPLE - FREE EQUALITY FOR MAORI.

WE COULD BEGIN BY STOPPING USING MAORI AS A POLITICAL FOOTBALL - BY NOT HIGHLIGHTING NEGATIVE ISSUES TO PROMOTE A NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE OF MAORI.

OR, WE COULD BEGIN BY RECOGNISING THAT MAORI KNOWLEDGE IS AN APPROPRIATE AND VALID KNOWLEDGE FOR NEW ZEALAND AT THIS TIME. THAT DESPITE 200 YEARS OF COLONISATION, MAORI STILL WANT TO BE MAORI.

WE COULD ALSO RECOGNISE THAT DIFFERENT CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES MEANS THAT ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL. THAT DIFFERENT MODELS OF DELIVERY OF SERVICE IN ACCORD WITH THE DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES IS NOT ONLY APPROPRIATE, BUT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR FUTURE AS A NATION.

I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT BY INCREASED DIALOGUE ACROSS PARTIESS, WE AS A GROUP OF RESPONSIBLE PARLIAMENTARIANS CAN DO MUCH TO COMBAT THE NEGATIVE STEREOTYPES WHICH SERVE TO LOCK MANY MAORI INTO A NEGATIVE POVERTY MINDSET. WE CAN BE EMANCIPATORY.

I DO BELIEVE THIS EVEN THOUGH I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WHICH WE WILL NOT AGREE UPON.

WHAT IS CLEAR TO ME THOUGH, IS THAT THERE MUST BE NO MORE TRASHING OF MAORI PEOPLE, OF MAORI RIGHTS, AND INDEED OF THE TRASHING OF DUE PROCESS IN THE MANNER OF THE FORESHORE AND SEABED LEGISLATION. THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT SUCH A LAW WAS APPROPRIATE AND FAIR.

TO BEGIN WITH, THE DECISION TO LEGISLATE WAS MADE BY A FEW. WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH THE MAORI MINISTERS AND THE MAORI MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT. THEIR OPINIONS WERE NOT SOUGHT UNTIL AFTER THE DECISIONS WERE MADE.

SECONDLY THE LEGISLATION PRODUCED THE SINGLE GREATEST ACT OF CONFISCATION AGAINST ALL TRIBES SINCE THE FORMATION OF THIS WESTMINSTER GOVERNMENT.

IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT AT A TIME OF TREATY SETTLEMENT COMPENSATIONS, MORE THEFT COULD OCCUR.

“KO TE KAWANATANGA

TE RINGA KATAU - UTUA RAUPATU

TE RINGA MAUI - TAHAE TAKUTAI MOANA E”

THE RIGHT HAND PAYS OUT FOR LAST CENTURIES CONFISCATIONS, BUT THE LEFT HAND STEALS SOME MORE LAND.

THIRDLY, PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THIS LEGISLATION WAS SOUGHT BY PROMOTING THE IDEA THAT MAORI WOULD STOP PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE BEACHES, AND FURTHERMORE, MIGHT SELL THE ASSET OFFSHORE.

I REMIND THE HOUSE THAT MAORI CULTURE IS INCLUSIVE AND NOT EXCLUSIVE - THAT MAORI LEADERS REPRESENTING A POPULATION OF MORE THAN 100,000 SIGNED A CONTRACT AT WAITANGI ON 6 FEBRUARY 1840, TO A PEOPLE NUMBERING ONLY 2000, TO ALLOW THEM NOT ONLY ACCESS AND IMMIGRATION TO OUR ISLANDS, BUT TO ESTABLISH A GOVERNMENT AS WELL.

THEN TO ADD INSULT TO INSULT, THE GOVERNMENT USED THEIR MAORI MP’S TO SELL THIS BILL TO THE PEOPLE.

AND THE FINAL ACT OF GOVERNMENT WAS TO DISREGARD THE UNITED NATIONS REPORT CONDEMNING THE LEGISLATION AS RACIST.

THIS ABSOLUTE DISREGARD FOR MAORI, FOR OUR VIEWS, FOR OUR CUSTOMS AND OUR MANA, WILL NOT, WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

SO NOW I WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY CO-LEADER, TARIANA TURIA. HER COURAGE AND INTEGRITY IN OPPOSING THE LEGISLATION IN STANDING DOWN FROM THE GOVERNMENT WAS AN ACT OF HEROISM. HER STAND AGAINST THE PRESSURE OF HER MAORI COLLEAGUES AND THE GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP INSPIRED US TO ESTABLISH THIS MAORI PARTY. TARIANA TURIA, THE PEOPLE SALUTE YOU AND HAVE VOTED US IN, TO SUPPORT YOU.

NO MORE THEM. NO MORE. NO MORE.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING POSITIVELY WITH EVERYONE IN THIS HOUSE - TOWARDS EMPOWERING ALL OUR COMMUNITIES SO THEY CAN REALISE THEIR POTENTIAL. MY HOPES ARE TO ENSURE THAT BEING MAORI IS SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF.

THAT MAORI, LIKE ALL NEW ZEALANDERS, CAN ENJOY A GOOD MEASURE OF HEALTH, OF WEALTH, AND CAN PARTICIPATE WHEN REQUIRED AS GLOBAL CITIZENS, AND YET STILL LIVE AS MAORI IN THESE ISLANDS.

FINALLY, I WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY FAMILY FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF ME. ALL OUR CHILDREN AND MOKOPUNA. WITH MY PEOPLE, YOU ARE MY INSPIRATION AND MY LIFE.

TENA KOUTOU KATOA

ENDS

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