Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi warmly welcome Adrian Rurawhe to his new role as Speaker of the House on this historic day.

“It is a huge privilege to formally congratulate Adrian today on behalf of Te Pāti Māori and the people of Te Tai Hauāuru. I would like to acknowledge his whānau who have shown up for this momentous occasion, and the whakapapa that binds us all together. The relationships between Rātana and Taranaki are deep and strong to this day, and our people share the immense pride of te iwi mōrehu today” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“Adrian will be the second Māori to hold the second highest office in our country’s democracy, and he will bring a lot integrity to the role. This is a huge day for Te Ao Māori. We now have a Governor-General who is Māori, a Speaker who is Māori, and when the Māori Party get our way we will have a Māori Prime Minister as well. I’m just happy to finally have a Speaker who can pronounce our names” said co-leader Rawiri Waititi

“We have always appreciated the grace and mana with which Adrian operates as a leader. He has proven that political progress, career promotion and even elections don’t have to be aggressive or ugly, instead acting with the humility and dignity of his tupuna” said Ngarewa-Packer.

“When I first came into Parliament I refused to address the Speaker as ‘Māngai’ because that title belongs to Rātana. How appropriate is it that Adrian will now be sitting in that seat” Waititi said.

“The historical significance of this day should not be understated. To have a mokopuna of the Māngai elected as Speaker of the House aligns with the tohu we are seeing with the revival of our reo and tikanga, the recognition of Matariki, and the drive for constitutional transformation that lives up to the vision of a Te Tiriti-based nation in Te Moananui-a-Kiwa” said Waititi.

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