Flavell Te Ururoa: Immigration Bill — In Committee 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Immigration Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6679] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 I was saying over the dinner break that I was not going to take any more calls on the Immigration Bill—and perhaps the Minister in the chair the Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman will respond to Mr Cunliffe’s earlier comments. But I was moved to take a call and I suppose it is to make a plea to the Minister. Not long ago—in fact about 5 minutes ago—I went next door for a short period of time because my darling wife had said there was a discussion on television that I might be interested in. She said the mayor of Whanganui was on television—a Mr Mark Laws. Is that him? 
Hon Members 
: Michael. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL 
: Michael Laws. 
Hon Member 
: Whatever you want to call him is fine. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL 
: Yes whatever we want to call him. I am sorry; I mispronounced his name. Ken Mair a good friend of mine a radical activist from former days was also on the programme. 
That discussion stirred the blood a bit. I started to wonder why it is that when we start to mention words like “the Treaty” and “Maori rights” that when we start to fly flags like this one and that when we start to talk about terms like tino rangatiratanga for some reason that polarises the country. It seems to put people in the “Yeah I’m with you.” line or the “No I hate your guts.” line. Tonight I saw on television a person who is so wound up that he is telling the whole country that Whanganui has its own culture which has nothing to do with Maoridom. He says the culture has developed over X number of years and the Maori perspective the Maori tikanga the word “Whanganui”— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: Come back to the bill. 
TE URUROA FLAVELL 
: —I am getting there Mr Chairman—have no part to play in this country. 
I suppose to bring my comments back to this bill this is why I listened to the discussion from the Hon Lianne Dalziel about the place that a Treaty clause might have in this bill. OK we might not accept the placing of it but I suppose I am looking to the Minister in the chair and saying to him that if the parties do not accept where the clause should be or the clause itself I hope we can accept the sentiment behind it. That sentiment is about I suppose opening the door on the current issues we face as a country about allowing a space for Maoridom in there somewhere. I listened to the discussion as I said from the Hon Lianne Dalziel and I understood what she was talking about. If Supplementary Order Paper 18 in the name of Hone Harawira is voted down so be it but I would really hope that thought is given in the practical implementation of this bill to finding that space. I would hate to think that the mayor of Whanganui considers that his—I mean he said at the end of his comments: “I will fight this with every breath in my body.” or something like that. That hopefully will not—oh I had better not go there. I suppose it is a sad indictment on our society that we can have that sort of disregard for the place of Maoridom in our country. 
That is the point I wanted to make really. I ask the Minister and his officials to give some consideration as this bill is passed to finding that space in the discussion. I would hate to think that just because people happen to put up a flag wear a T-shirt or believe that their language and culture are very important to them other people disregard them. I would hate to think that that is the way our country is heading. I hope it is not and I hope the Minister will help in placing the practical drop-down effects of our new clause 3A on Supplementary Order Paper 18 if it fails so it can still find a place in the bill somewhere. I leave that as a thought for us tonight. Kia ora tatou.