Whaitiri Meka: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWhaitiri Meka: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 24 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19544. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MEKA WHAITIRI (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti):Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Tēnā tātou katoa. Ka noho ā-rangirua Te Rōpū Reipa ki Te Pire Reo Māori. Ka tū au ki te tautoko i ōku hoa. Nā Ngoi Pēwhairangi i tito o te waiata ā-ringa rongonui mō Te Reo Māori arā ko ‘Whakarongo’ te ingoa. Anei tētahi whiti ‘Whiua ki te ao whiua ki te rangi whiua ki ngā iwi katoa. Kaua rawatia e tuku e kia memeha e whakarongo!’[Greetings to us all. The Labour Party remains uncertain about the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill and I rise to support my colleagues. Ngoi Pēwhairangi composed a famous action song called Whakarongo. Listen; here is a verse from it: “Cast it to the world cast it to the heavens cast it to all the people. Never ever allow it to wane heed this listen!”]I stand with all members of the House to acknowledge the importance of revitalising Te Reo Māori in Aotearoa. Like members on this side of the House particularly we support this bill the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill going to the select committee. As previous speakers have mentioned we too have reservations on the intent of the bill. So let us look at what this bill is about. “The Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill seeks legislative changes to update and strengthen the Māori Language Act in relation to recognition of Māori language;”—no problem there—“the establishment roles functions powers and membership of a new independent statutory entity to be known as Te Mātāwai;”—we have some reservations there—“the roles functions powers and membership of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Te Māngai Pāho and the board of the Māori Television Service; the transferral of the roles functions and powers of Te Pūtahi Pāoho to Te Mātāwai; the disestablishment of Te Pūtahi Pāoho; and consequential amendments to other enactments.”So what does the bill do? The bill will make significant changes to the Māori Language Act 1987 to establish Te Mātāwai. The bill will replace the Māori Language Act 1987 and amend the Broadcasting Act 1987 and amend the Māori Television Service (Te Aratuku Whakaata Irirangi Māori) Act 2003. The bill will also establish Te Mātāwai. The purpose of Te Mātāwai is to act on behalf of iwi and Māori. Te Mātāwai is charged with providing leadership through its oversight in direction of Te Taura Whiri and Te Māngai Pāho in conjunction with both the Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister of Finance.As I mentioned earlier the Labour Party is committed to the revitalisation and building capacity of Te Reo teaching throughout Aotearoa. We too announced our Te Reo policy where we put down the challenge of ensuring that we commit to building good-quality teachers of Te Reo and that we ensure that Te Reo becomes what we consider a working language—a language that everyone can embrace ahakoa where you come from. The ability to speak Te Reo is I believe an opportunity for all New Zealanders to embrace not just our language but our culture as Māori tangata whenua. It is my pleasure to stand and acknowledge the importance of Te Reo in our nation not just in its cultural context but definitely in its social environmental and its economic context as we forge relationships internationally with potential trading partners many of whom have more than one language. So it is about relationships with people whom we deal with on a daily basis in overseas countries.My contribution really was to support the contribution made by the Hon Nanaia Mahuta in that we too want to ensure that legislation as important as this is not being rushed it has followed due process it has been widely consulted on and what comes out of the other end be it a structural change is going to meet the needs and aspirations of revitalising our reo. That is why we have made the suggestion that it should be sent to the Waitangi Tribunal so it can get a thorough examination of the intent of this bill. Twenty-one hui around the motu is what the Hon Pita Sharples mentioned. When I look at the legislation that will change under this one if it passes I know many many many more hui have been held to get to that outcome. So I want to leave it there as a small contribution to this bill.I want to take the remaining time that I have to acknowledge the Hon Pita Sharples. As a fellow kinswoman of the Hon Pita Sharples I stand—because it may be the only time I get to do this—to acknowledge your contribution Matua Pita and the mahi the years and the commitment you have given not only to our reo but to our education. The way that you have conducted yourself both in the House and around the motu will be sorely missed and I wish more than anything that I could spend more time sharing this House with you and learning from you as you go on to other deeds. Matua Pita I feel quite sad that you depart in this way but I did want to go on record acknowledging the contribution you have made to this nation. Nō reira e tōku pāpā e Pita anei ōu wiki whakamutunga ā ka tū te mihi poroporoaki ki a koe ā te pō nei ki te Whare Pāremata. Ka haere mai te tini me te mano o te hau kāinga ō ngā hau e whā ki te whakanui i a koe me āu mahi. E kōrero ana tērā pāpā ōku a Ngāhiwi Tōmoana ki ahau e Meka he uri nō Kahungunu koe tua atu i tērā he mema Pāremata. Ko taua pire tērā e Pita. Ka mihi hoki ahau mō āu mahi huhua mō Tamaki-makau-rau mō te motu whānui. He mea harikoa tērā ki tō tātou Whare nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou kia ora tātou katoa.[Therefore my fatherly figure Pita with your final weeks at hand a farewell tribute to the House will be held for you this afternoon. The very many and the infinitely very large number from back home and the four winds will come to honour you and your achievements. That fatherly figure of mine Ngāhiwi Tōmoana commented Meka you are a descendant of Kauhungunu and a member of Parliament furthermore. That’s a reference to that bill Pita. I recognise your many accomplishments for Auckland and the nation at large as well. That is an ecstatic thing to our House and so acknowledgments and accolades to you collectively and a thank you to us all.]