Retiring Party President Calls on Maori to “Mind Our Kids Ourselves”

In her address to the annual general meeting on Saturday of the Maori Party, of which she had been president for the past three years, Rangimarie Naida Glavish, ONZM, promoted the formation of a new organisation, MOKO (Mind Our Kids Ourselves) in memory of the young boy Moko Rangitoheriri, who died after brutal treatment by relatives to whom his temporary care had been entrusted. Following is the text of that address:

You are all familiar with these inspiring words by Ta Hemi Henare:

Maha rawa wa tatou mahinga te kore mahi tonu, tawhiti rawa to tatou haerenga te kore haere tonu. (We have done too much to not do more, we have come too far to not go further).

This was not some flowery whakatauki to be used to embellish korero, this was a whakahau, a command, from one of our greatest leaders.

This is about all of us, about our party, Te Paati Maori. It is our party that has come too far not to go further; it is our party that has done too much not to do more

It’s not what I want, but what's good for our party. So I repeat:

Maha rawa wa tatou mahinga te kore mahi tonu, tawhiti rawa to tatou haerenga te kore haere tonu. (We have done too much to not do more, we have come too far to not go further).

We have an election to win next year. We have to do more than just help Te Ururoa hold the seat of Waiariki. We have to help Marama win Ikaroa Rawhiti in her own right, and there are at least two other Maori seats we can win, because I know we will have candidates for each of them of the quality needed to defeat the sitting Labour members. Engari, we do nor need to put anyone down in order to leverage ourselves, we stand on our own mana.

We have strengthened our party administration. I want to thank those that give of their time and skill to advance our party, to our chairs and their electorate teams, to the Vice- Presidential office holders, Bayden and Susan and our National Secretary, Amokura. To the many advisory groups that I have been able to seek counsel and to you our membership, a huge thank you. And I add that all these people do so without financial gain while holding down full time work and in many cases are self-employed, again, my thanks.

We have more to do in fundraising, both at electorate and national levels.

However, brothers and sisters, the simple question before us is; What’s best for our Party? Do we stand, united; or do we fall, divided? How do we answer Ta Hemi and those other legendary leaders who have given our people so much cause for pride, thanksgiving and hope for the future?

Do we do the more that we know in our hearts we can do; do we go that much further we know in our minds that we can go?

I am sorry to have to say that I think we are divided, and some of that division revolves around me seeking re-election. So, for the good of the party, and with a heavy heart, I tell you now that I have decided to withdraw my nomination.

Just last Tuesday as the chair of He Korowai trust, we opened nine homes as kainga for 17 adults and 43 tamariki, and yesterday I chaired the Board of Te Runanga o Ngati Whatua, I’m on the NZ Heritage Trust, the Advisory to the Commissioner of Police and in my day job I work for two DHB’s Auckland and Waitemata so that’s enough to keep me busy for our people

I say for the good of the party, and I implore you to keep that in your minds and hearts as you decide on my successor.

Whanau, I have more than enough opportunities to advance Maori outside of the political framework that I have been privileged to lead. Some months ago I was given a stern message from Judge Joe Williams: “Naida, when are you going to do something to persuade iwi to stop our rangatahi appearing in courts for all kinds of misdemeanours. When are you going to do something to tell iwi that we have to stop abuse of our tamariki.” Well, now I’ll have the time to pick up that wero that Judge Williams threw at my feet.

I intend to play a leading role in a new organisation called MOKO – standing for Minding Our Kids Ourselves.

They are our kids, our tamariki, our taonga, our guarantee of a future for our people, it is up to us, not the government, not CYFS, no one but we ourselves, te iwi Maori, to care for and nurture our tamariki.

In closing, let me remind you of those immortal words of the late American President, John F Kennedy: “Ask not what your party can do for you; ask what you can do for your party.”

The party has, in fact, done a lot for me in honouring me with your presidency, and it is my earnest hope that you will feel that I played a small part in bringing the party to the threshold of what could be a great success next year if we maintain kotahitanga, and buckle down to the mahi needed to achieve that success. Thank you all for having me; it has been my honour and pleasure to have been of service.

Kia kaha! Kia maia! Kia manawanui!

Kia ora tatou.

ends

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