Ministerial Statements : Hon Dr Pita Sharples, Co-leader of the Maori Party
Earthquake—Christchurch
Tuesday 8th March 2011

Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Tēnei au e tautoko ana i ngā kōrero kua kōrerohia e aku hoa mema o te Whare Pāremata nei i tēnei rangi. Nā rēira māku e mihi atu ki ngā iwi, ki ngā rōpū, ki ngā tāngata katoa e kaha ana ki te tautoko, ki te āwhina i a rātau i tēnei parekura i Ōtautahi. Katoa mai ahakoa he mema Kāwanatanga, ā rātau kaimahi, ngā mema kaunihera me ngā kaimahi, ngā āpiha, ngā rōpū katoa, ngā rōpū tauira wānanga, ngā tāngata whaipāmu, ngā hōia, ngā wātene, ngā tākuta, ngā nēhi, ngā tāngata katoa i tae atu ki reira, e whakawātea ana kia tae atu ki reira ki te tautoko, ki te āwhina i ngā tāngata i tēnei wā pōuri mō rātau i Ōtautahi.

Nā reira, e tika ana kia tukua te mihi ki a rātou katoa; me ngā whānau, ngā rōpū o Aotearoa nei whānui i tuku pūtea, i tuku tautoko, i whāngai i ngā mea kua puta mai i Ōtautahi ki ngā marae, ki ngā tāone. Ahakoa ko wai rātau kua huakina ā rātau kūaha kia manaakihia ēnei tāngata e pīrangi i tēnei wā ki te haere ake mai i Ōtautahi ki tētahi atu wāhi. Nā reira, e tika ana kia mihi atu ki a rātau katoa e mahi ana i reira.

Kai te tangi tonu ki a rātau ngā tini aituā, rātau kua mate ana i tērā parekura. E kore e mutu ngā kōrero, ngā tangi, ngā roimata, ngā hūpē mō rātau. Nā reira, koutou ngā mate, haere, okioki pai mai i te mōhio kai te tangi te motu ki a koutou i tēnei wā. Nā reira, haere, haere atu rā. Ngā whānau pani anei rā mātau, ka tangi mai koutou, ka tangi atu mātau katoa. Anei rā mātau e tautoko ana i a koutou i tēnei wā pōuri. I tēnei tāima, ka mōhio koutou ki te koi o tēnei mea te mate. Nā reira, tēnei mātau e mihi atu, e tautoko ana i a koutou i tēnei wā.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. I endorse the sentiments expressed by my fellow members of this House today. So I acknowledge the tribes, the organisations, and all the people who worked hard to support and assist them in this disaster in Christchurch—all of them, be they members of the Government and their staff, members of the council and workers, officials, all organisations, university student groups, farmers, army personnel, wardens, doctors, nurses, all those who got there and those who made themselves available to get there to support and help the people in this hour of gloom in Christchurch.

It is apt that they are all recognised, including families and organisations from throughout New Zealand who contributed in terms of funding, who gave support, who fed the ones who appeared in Christchurch at marae and towns. Regardless of who they were, their doors were opened up to help those people who wanted to leave Christchurch at this time for other places. So it is fitting to acknowledge them all working there.

We continue to mourn the vast number who perished in that disaster. Stories, laments, and the shedding of tears and of mucus for them will never cease. So to you, the dead, depart and rest well there, in the knowledge that the nation mourns for you at this moment. Go, farewell. To the bereaved families, here we are, as you mourn before us, we all mourn for you in this time of darkness. At this time you are experiencing the sharp pain of death. We acknowledge and support you in this moment of time.]

We mourn with the families of Ōtautahi and throughout New Zealand who have lost loved ones in this tragedy in Christchurch-Ōtautahi. We particularly farewell their loved ones and we want to leave the message with the people, those families, that as you mourn and are orphaned, so are we, New Zealand. We share our tears and our mucous with you at this time, which is a sad time for you. I congratulate everybody involved down there and everybody involved outside of Ōtautahi, whether it is all those armies that we talk about: the students, the farmers, the real army, or the policemen, the officials, the non-governmental organisations, the workers, everybody who is down there working. We are so proud of you.

I acknowledge also how the cities and the towns have received people. They have opened up their doors, their schools, and the like, to take in people—hopefully, it is a short-time break for them, but whatever they desire, whether it is to be a long term or a short term. To the millions of New Zealanders who are fund-raising to save money, who are hosting people, who are crying with them, we just thank you for your support. You are showing the special character of New Zealand at this time. I acknowledge the overseas rescue teams. We will not forget you people, that you have come over here like this immediately and brought your teams to help us in our time of crisis. I also acknowledge local organisations like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the police—all those organisations that are ours that have given a mammoth effort down there. I am pleased, as the Minister of Māori Affairs, to report that on day 2 Māori gathered at the marae at Rehua and set up a hub from which they could distribute services, organise information, and so on.

That was at a time when they knew not of the extent of the damage, liquefaction, and so on. So now the marae of Ōtautahi—all of them—are available. They are centres for help, for overnight stays in some cases. They are the hub of Māori activity. I am very pleased with the tribes of New Zealand who are fund-raising: radiothons, 65,000; fishing, 100,000, and people coming to the party because they know that this is a whole-of-New Zealand effort. I convened three or four iwi hui. The iwi were so glad to be able to contribute in several ways: doctors and nurses have been sent down there to work. It is a great effort on behalf of New Zealand.

I congratulate Ngāi Tahu. I believe they have come to the party really strong. We have committed a lot of our Te Puni Kōkiri resources and leaders of the organisation down there. They are working hand in hand. They have set up a hub together so that they can work together. That has to be a good thing for Christchurch whānui. I acknowledge the wardens, many of whom have damaged homes and are quite poor. They chug along in their cars—I am not sure about their registration, but they get there and they go and do some liquefaction movement or something like that. That is a great thing.

I say this finally: despite the thousands of tonnes of liquefaction, the physical destruction of the central business district, the 10,000 homes that have to be destroyed, the 100,000 homes that need repair; and despite no power, no water, and no whare paku, no toilets for many, no communication for others, the thing that is strong in my mind is the psychological effect this has had on many of our relations and friends in Christchurch. They still feel the need to sleep under the table, they do not go upstairs. Others sleep fully-dressed with their shoes on, and so on. That is the effect of this tragedy. I know, though, that with the support, the care, and the love that all New Zealanders will share with the people of Ōtautahi we will move on beyond that and build a new, strong city. Tēnā koutou katoa.

ENDS

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