Donnelly Brian: Obituaries — Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu 
Donnelly Brian: Obituaries — Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu 
[Volume:633;Page:4752] 
Hon BRIAN DONNELLY (NZ First) 
: 
 E nga reo e nga mana e nga mema o te Whare nei kei te tautoko nga mihi ki Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu. 
[ 
To the languages authorities and members of this House I endorse the tributes paid to Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu. 
] 
From the outset I apologise for the state of my voice but I will not allow this affliction to deny me the opportunity to pay tribute to Dame Te Ata. The last week has seen a huge outpouring of grief across the nation as a result of the death of Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu. Some of this grief has justifiably stemmed from the loss of the Maori Queen—someone who had filled that role for more than 40 years with majesty grace and wisdom. Hers was a unifying role—a fountainhead of pride not only for all Maori but also for all New Zealanders. So at the loss of someone who had so superbly represented both Tainui and Kingitanga we as a nation mourn. 
But there is another reason for the depth and extent of the mourning for Dame Te Ata and that is who she was as a person. My earliest memories of her are somewhat less as a queen than as a strong supporter of rugby league. When a TV reporter claimed the night before her funeral that she would be carried up Taupiri mountain by members of her beloved rugby clubs I felt like saying: “Wash your mouth out!”. It was of course members of Taniwharau and Turangawaewae rugby league clubs who carried her on her final journey. 
I have eaten the mud of Davies Park on many occasions—probably since the age of 12. I played rugby league for both Auckland University and New Zealand Universities alongside her adopted brother who later became Sir Robert Mahuta but was then simply known as Bob. It is in that context that I first met her. She was simply a wonderful person. She always made people feel equal yet her demeanour was dominated by regal grace. She always made people feel at ease and she captivated them with that magical smile. My colleague Pita Paraone talked of her quiet dignity and that is a perfect description. She was a fierce supporter of her local league clubs of Waikato rugby league the Kiwis and in particular New Zealand Maori rugby league. Anyone who misinterpreted her pleasant nature and warm personality for a lack of steel did so at his or her peril. Yet her humility was engaging. 
Her influence also extended into the Pacific as the previous speaker Taito Phillip Field has mentioned. She was honoured and respected by leaders across Pacific nations. It was an honour recently to be in attendance at Hopuhopu where Pacific leaders honoured Dame Te Ata on her 40-year reign. What was even more fulfilling for myself was that the occasion was dominated by a huge contingent from Takitumu which included so many of my friends and ex-students from my time in the Cook Islands. 
At her funeral yesterday I was talking to an old Tainui friend about the enormous undertaking by Tainui Waikato to feed the thousands of visitors wishing to show their grief. He told me that all the hapu had cooperated as if they were one. He said that the rest of the time before this occasion they used to squabble like mad but this time they came together as one. So even in her death Dame Te Ata is a unifying force. I wish however to thank the hapu of Tainui Waikato for their labours to enable tribes from across New Zealand and all New Zealanders to pay their respects. I wrote last week in the condolences book that New Zealand had lost a precious jewel. I meant it. The life of Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu enriched all of us and her passing is indeed a loss to all of us. Farewell Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu; farewell Piki. Before I finish I wish to acknowledge the new king Te Arikinui Tuheitia Paki. He has huge shoes to fill but it is the belief of New Zealand First that he has all the necessary attributes to fill those shoes. No reira tena koutou tenakoutou tenatatoukatoa.