Flavell Te Ururoa: Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill — Procedure First Reading Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill — Procedure First Reading Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:670;Page:17137] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker kia ora tatou katoa e te Whare otira koutou e whakarongo mai na ki nga korero e paoho atu nei ki a koutou i tenei rangi. Katahi ano au ka whai wahi ki te tu ake ki te tuku i waku mihi waku poroporoaki penei i wetahi atu i nga wiki kua hipi ake. Katahi ano au ka tu ake ki te ki atu ki te hunga kua ngaro atu i te tirohanga kanohi e moe e moe e moe. Ko koutou tera ko te hunga i mate i Te Tai Poutini i nga marama kua hipa ake. Haere koutou ki te wahangutanga. Haere koutou ki Hawaiki nui ki Hawaiki roa ki Hawaiki pamamao. Moe mai i roto i nga ringaringa o te wahi ngaro ma ratou kotuou e manaaki e tiaki. Hoi ano ka hoki mai ki a tatou ki a tatou e noho nei me ki nga urupa o ratau ma tena koutou tena tatou katoa. 
Ko tera parekura nui i te 22 o Hui-tanguru kua tuhia ki roto i te ngakau i te wairua o te tangata me ki o te motu o Aotearoa mo ake nei. Ahua pera tonu ki tera hunga i mate i raro i te whenua i Te Tai Poutini. Ko etahi o te Whare nei kua tae atu ki te Otautahi. Kua rongo koutou i te tangi. Kua rongo koutou i te mamae. Kua rongo koutou i te ahuatanga o mate. Kua kite koutou i nga uauatanga nga mamaetanga o tena o tena o tena e noho mai ra ki tera takiwa. Ko ahau kare ano kia tae atu. He mataku pea noku he mataku penei na tera pea mena ka haere au ki reira ka kite atu i nga whare kua turakina. Ka kite atu i te ahuatanga o nga kaimahi e keri nei i te whenua kia kitea mai ai mena he tupapaku ki reira tera pea ka tangi. 
Kare e kore ka tangi kia kite atu i tera momo ahuatanga. Hoi ano ka taea te whakatu ano i tetahi whare hou ka taea te hoki ki te kura ka taea te whaiwhai haere i nga taonga i roto i nga whare engari ko taku noa ake e kore pea te hunga e noho mai o roto o Otautahi e kite i te puawaitanga o nga moemoea kai mua i te aroaro engari ko te mea tino nui rawa atu kua tau mai te ahuatanga o te mamae o taumaha o anipa o awangawanga ki runga i a ratau mo ake ake nei. Koi nei te aroha atu. 
Mena ka hoki mai au ki toku Ao Maori ara no etahi kaupapa e korerohia ana. Ko tetahi ana kai te putake o tenei pire. Ko te ingoa o tera tikanga e kiia ana ko te poroporoaki. He aha te poroporoaki? He wa e taea ana e te marea e te marae ranei e te tangata ranei te tuku i tona ake korero ki te hunga kua mate. Ahakoa kotahi nei he ika hui rua ranei he parekura ranei. Koi nei te ahuatanga o te poroporoaki. Ko ta te poroporoaki he whiu i te kupu korero ki runga i te tangata he whakahe i a ia i etahi wa engari ko te nuinga o te wa he whakanui i a ia. He whakanui i nga mea kua kitea nei kua rangona nei e te nuinga. He wa ka whai wahi nga tamariki ki te tuku i etahi korero tera pea kaore i korerohia i te wa i a ratou e ora ana e takatu ana i te mata o te whenua. 
He wa kia heke te roimata heke i te kanohi nei nga paparinga o te tangata ana ma enei tohu o te hupe me te roimata i korerohia mai na e te Honore Pita Sharples ka ahua ngawari mai te ahuatanga o tenei mea o te mate. Engari ko te 18 o nga ra o tenei marama katahi te tangihanga ko tera. He tangihanga nui whakaharahara mo te motu whanui tonu. No reira ko taku patai ki a tatau pehea e taea ai e te motu te whakanui ranei te whaiwhai haere ranei i tenei mea o te poroporoaki i te mea ara ano etahi raruraru penei ta te Honore Trevor Mallard i korero mai na ina tata nei. Penei i ta Honore Annette King penei ano ra i ta Keith Locke i te mea ara ano nga raruraru. Tuatahi ko te tangata nei ko Joseph Pohio no tera takiwa. Ko ia tera i to mai i tetahi wahine ki taku mohio a i te wa o te ru. Na kite mai ai tana tinana tana tupapaku kua tukuna na tana marae a ia i poroporoaki kua tapukengia ki te whenua kua hoki ano ra ki a Papatuanuku. Ko ia tetahi i mahi nei i roto i te civil defence 
  
e ai ki taku mohio mo nga 21 tau hipa noa atu. Pehea e taea ai te tuku roimata i te mea kua ea tera? 
Pehea mo nga matua o te pepi nei o Taneysha? E rima wiki noa iho tana pakeke. Mo Baxter? E rima marama noa iho tona pakeke. He pepi kare i kite i te puawaitanga o nga moemoea kaore i kite i te ao. Me pehea hoki te tuku i te roimata mo te hunga pakeke koeke koroua ranei kuia ranei? E ai ki nga korero ko Stuart raua Lucy Routledge. He whaiaipo i a raua e tamariki ana 50 tau raua e noho tahi ana. Tera pea ko Maureen Fletcher? Pera ano hoki tera kuia e ai ki taku rongo. E hia ke nei nga ingoa e hia ke nei nga maumaharatanga. Kua turakinatia katoatia era ahuatanga katoa. Me pehea e taea ai e tatau te whakatau i tera hunga te kahui kua ngaro atu i te tirohanga kanohi. 
Ko taku ko te mihi ki nga kaipapaho e ngana nei me ki ki te paoho i nga korero o tena o tena o te hunga kua ngaro. Na ratou ano ra te korero mo Jaime Gilbert. Ko ia tera i mate nei me tana mohio i te ora tana tana tuahine. Ko ta ratou ko ta te kaipapaho he paoho i nga korero kia kitea a-kanohi a Aotearoa otira te ao i nga taumahatanga kua tau mai ki runga o Aotearoa. 
Ko taku patai e penei ana. Me pehea te hunga kaore ano kia whakahokia ki nga whanau pani? Kai te tatari tonu kai te tatari tonu ratou ki o ratou ake tupapaku. Pehea e taea ai te tuku i te korero i te mihi ki te hunga kaore ano kia hoki mai ki roto i o ringaringa? Koia nei kai te putake o te korero a te Honore a Trevor Mallard. Pehea e taea ai te tuku i nga korero hohonu whanui mena karekau he tupapaku. Na kei te ahua tukituki tera momo ahuatanga ki roto i te Ao Maori i te mea ko ta te Ao Maori he kite atu i te tupapaku i te wharenui a katahi ka tuku i te mihi i te poroporoaki. No reira enei korero katoa. Pehea e taea ai te tangi te auwe te waiata te whaikorero ranei te karanga ranei enei tikanga o roto i te Ao Maori engari ki taku mohio he tikanga ano ra kai tena kai tena kai tena. He uaua te tuku i te mamae i te roimata i te hupe mena karekau tetahi i reira. No reira me whai whakaaro tatou mo era. 
Ka mutu he hunga ano o tawahi he pera ano te ahua. I rongo au i te reo irirangi ko nga whanau o roto o Japan he pera ano wa ratou tikanga. Kai te tatari tonu ratou kia hoki mai nga tupapaku ki a ratou. No reira kei te ahua aro tonu oku whakaaro ki era kua korerohia. Ae he kaupapa nui ae me whakatinana ae me tautoko engari tera pea he ahua moata rawa mo etahi. Kai kiia mai whakateretere tatou i te haerenga o te hunga mate ki a Hinenuitepo. Ko taku e ki nei mahia te mahi kare he he o te whaiwhai haere i enei ahuatanga katoa engari me whai tatou mo te hunga kare ano kia kite i o ratou ake tupapaku. 
I korerohia mo te ahuatanga o tenei mea o te rahui. Ko te rahui he momo taiapa kia kore te tangata e haere ki reira penei i nga taiapa i te taone o Otautahi i tenei wa. He aha te tikanga o te rahui? Kia waiho ki tona ahua. Kia kaua e pa atu. I te ngahere ka waihotia kia tipu kia puawai ano ra nga kai. Mo te rahui o te hunga kua ngaro kia waiho ake kia noho i runga i te ahuatanga o te tapu. He wa tona ka whakanoatia kia taea e te hunga te whakatau i te ahuatanga o mate. 
Ka mutu ko taku korero whakamutunga kia whai wahi ano ra ko te ahuatanga o te karakia kia whakangawari i te noho i Otautahi me te mohio ano hoki kare ano etahi tinana kia kitea noa. Ma te karakia pea ka whakangawari mai ai te noho o era tupapaku ki reira. No reira ko ta matau he tautoko he tautoko engari te tumanako ia kua rongo i te tikanga o enei korero kaua ki te whakahawea engari ki te ki atu ara ano etahi take e noho tarewa ana. Huri noa i to tatau Whare kia ora tatou. 
[ 
Greetings Mr Assistant Speaker and the House and to those listening in today to this broadcast. This is my first opportunity to offer up words and farewells as others have done in these weeks past. This is my first opportunity to stand here and say to those who died rest in peace; abide with those who perished in the disaster on the West Coast mere months ago your voices hereafter mute. Depart to great Hawaiki to long Hawaiki to distant Hawaiki. Rest in the world of the spirits who are to care and tend you. Returning here to us as we sit here—the remnants so to speak—I greet us all.  
The disaster that fell on 22 February has for ever left an indelible mark on the hearts and the souls of the people of Aotearoa. Its effect was similar to the mining disaster on the West Coast. Some of the members of this House have visited Christchurch. You heard the lamentations. You sensed the pain. You felt the foreboding of death. You saw the effects of the disaster and the pain borne by the individuals of the region. I myself have not yet gone there. Perhaps I am fearful of going lest I see the collapsed buildings lest I witness the rescue workers digging through the rubble searching for bodies and lament.  
Having to look upon those sights I have no doubt that that is what would happen. Buildings can be rebuilt students can in time return to school and household possessions can eventually be replaced. I maintain however that the people of Christchurch will never see their dreams realised and pain darkness worry and anxiety will be a permanent companion. For this I extend my love.  
Allow me to turn to aspects of my Maori World Mr Assistant Speaker and speak of things therein that here pertain. One of those aspects or customs is at the heart of this bill. That custom is poroporoaki. What is poroporoaki? Poroporoaki is the opportunity given for the multitude or individuals usually at a marae to speak to the departed. It matters not whether one person is lying in state or two or many deaths due to disaster. In a poroporoaki words of farewell are offered to the deceased. There are times when harsh words may be uttered but most speeches extol the virtues of the deceased the good that people saw and heard. Often an opportunity is given for young people to say farewell perhaps share things they never said to the person when he or she was alive.  
This is a time for acknowledging loss and expressing our grief. For it is the shedding of tears and mucus referred to by the Hon Pita Sharples that alleviates some of the pain caused by death. Come the 18th day of this month we will grieve; the whole country will be in mourning. So my question is how can the nation appropriately acknowledge and be engaged in the farewell to the dead? For as the Hon Trevor Mallard only recently stated there are difficulties. The Hon Annette King and Keith Locke have also raised concerns. How do we pay our respects to them? How do we pay our respects to Joseph Pohio of Christchurch? During the earthquake he dragged a woman away from danger. When his body was found it was taken to his marae to be mourned then interred in the bosom of the earth. I understand he had worked for civil defence for 21 years. How can we mourn this one if it has already been done?  
And what of the parents of baby Taneysha? She was only 5 weeks old. What about Baxter? He was only 5 months old. Those were babies who never got the chance to enjoy life. So many families are bereft left without the wisdom and cultural heritage of their elders—Stuart and Lucy Routledge childhood sweethearts married for over 50 years; grandmother Maureen Fletcher ever remembered for her uplifting spirit—so many names and memories and shattered dreams that we in this House cannot possibly do justice to.  
I want to acknowledge the media for trying to record the stories of the dead. They told us about Jaime Gilbert who died with a smile on his face knowing that his sister was out of harm’s way. They have accurately recorded this tragedy so that the people of the country and the world can know the calamity that has befallen Aotearoa.  
I pose this question: what of the dead who have not yet been returned to their grieving families? The families are waiting for the release of their loved ones. How can one grieve for the dead if there is no body to address? That is at the heart of the address by the Hon Trevor Mallard: how can the appropriate words be said if there is no body? That conflicts with Maoridom for it is only when the deceased is lying in state in the meeting house that observations and farewells can be made. So in these circumstances how can Maori acquit their customs their lamentations their mourning their songs their oratory?  
I acknowledge that others have their own customs and practices. It is difficult to release the pain the tears and the mucus if there is no body. Think about that. Foreigners were also victims of the earthquake. I heard the media make mention of Japanese students who lost their lives. The Japanese have their own rituals and customs surrounding death somewhat similar to Maori. They await the return of their loved ones to them. I listened to the comments on the proposed day of commemoration and agree; yes it is a very significant occasion it should proceed and it should be supported by all. But some say that perhaps it is too early to hold a commemoration; accusations of moving with indecent haste to bury the dead are being made. I say carry on with the task in hand. There is nothing wrong with carrying on with these proceedings but give all support to those who still await the return of the bodies of their loved ones to them.  
I turn now to the term “ rahui”. That term refers to a kind of fence or barricade that prevents people from entering similar to the warning fences around parts of Christchurch. What is the purpose of rahui? Things are left alone untouched. In the forest rahui allows for regeneration and protection of food sources. For rahui in relation to the dead let it remain in place sacred. At the right time the rahui will be removed and the grieving will settle.  
And finally has space been afforded for the appropriate prayers to be given to give succour to Christchurch in the knowledge that there are still bodies not yet recovered? Prayers may help to bring peace to those still buried under the rubble. We are in support. But we hope that our words are heeded not to be taken as criticism but to bring to the attention of all that some matters still need addressing. So to us all throughout our House thank you 
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