Flavell Te Ururoa: Adjournment — Sittings of the House 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Adjournment — Sittings of the House 
[Sitting date: 21 December 2011. Volume:677;Page:72. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker. Kia ora tatou katoa. I missed the opportunity before to congratulate you Mr Speaker as you were not in the House at the time but I wish you all the best for the year. I appreciate your assistance over the last 3 years as the Speaker.  
Earlier I paid tribute to those who have passed on. One of the things that I find pretty much gut-wrenching actually when you are in Parliament is hearing about the many of those who have passed on—in particular of Te Ao Maori. I want to name a couple of them for the record and also acknowledge the huge contribution that they have made over time and in particular in 2011.  
I think about Dame Katerina Mataira the mover and shaker with respect to kura kaupapa Maori Te Ataarangi movement and many other language initiatives. I think of Ta Henare Ngata who was buried about a week ago; Alamein Kopu who was spoken about earlier; Jim Perry educationalist; Carmen of course just recently; Sir Paul Reeves and his contribution to the country; Whetu Tirikatene-Sullivan—ae Rino te ahuatanga kei a koe [ 
yes Rino 
and what you contribute 
]—Pae Ruha language advocate; and Waru Allen a pakeke who followed us on the campaign trail from the top of the East Cape all the way down to Wellington with his wife. He was buried about 2 weeks ago. I think of Te Kauhoe Wano a broadcaster and a young man in his prime taken way way way ahead of the time that he should have had. He had so much ahead of him. He will be sorely missed. I acknowledge his family from Taranaki.  
I also think about and acknowledge the various speeches earlier about Otautahi/Christchurch the loss of 181 lives and the devastation that those people down there have to live with. I have got to say that it sort of came home to me about 3 or 4 weeks ago when I was in Christchurch and walking down towards the main centre to look up at those motel rooms and see them still there with the curtains just blowing in the wind and no one around. It really does make you think about life and about those families who have lost loved ones over the year—in particular those from Otautahi.  
I want to also while I am on that topic acknowledge Rahui Katene and the huge work that she did. Others have talked about those members of Parliament who have gone on and I acknowledge Rahui because she spent a long period of time down there with other members from both sides of the House working as best as they could for those communities. She is no longer with us but I acknowledge her huge efforts. E Rino kei a koe i naianei.  
[ 
It is over to you now Rino 
.] 
I want to acknowledge also that we have just had an election. One of the things that really comes home to me in elections as other speakers have spoken about is just the sheer suffering that many people face around Christmas-time. I went in amongst communities where you could walk through and basically just about fall through the floor and there was not too much help around. I have been into communities where there is no furniture and have walked around those places where the tamariki have not got a lot on even in the coldest of times. So I acknowledge that all of us in the House no matter what political persuasion need to think about the pani me te rawakore and those who are suffering especially over the next period of time. Christmas is going to be a hard time and I heard on the radio this morning that the number of women who are going into refuges has gone up in a big huge spike. I hope that all of us can think about those who might suffer from abuse over this Christmas period and make every effort that we can to deal with that scourge that is amongst our community.  
But it is Christmas and leaving all those negative things aside—it is a year personally that I would rather get rid of kiss goodbye and look to the new year—we have been very fortunate as other speakers have spoken about today to have people around us who do care. They care about how we do our job and they give us their support. In that regard I want to acknowledge as others have all of those involved in the Office of the Clerk: Mary Harris the Deputy Clerk the Table Office the library team which provides the information that is so vital in terms of providing us with solid advice the Hansard Office—ka nui te mihi ki a koutou—and the interpreters. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou e hoa ma e whakarongo mai na ki tenei o nga kaupapa. Waimaria te Whare Paremata i a koutou i to koutou maia ki te tuku i nga korero o roto i te Whare Paremata ki roto i te reo Pakeha kia ngawari mai te rongo a tena a tena ki nga korero e putu ana i te reo Maori. No reira ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa.  
[ 
Much appreciation to you guys listening in to this one of the addresses. The House is fortunate to have you aboard with your capability of interpreting instantly into English what is being spoken in the Chamber in te reo Maori thus making it easy for each and every one listening in to understand what is being said in Maori 
. ] 
I acknowledge Copperfields of course Bellamy’s the information technology team the buildings staff the finances team the messengers the telephonists and the Parliamentary Service staff. And of course I want to acknowledge our own Maori Party team.  
The one thing—for new members of the House—that I remember when starting here was firstly the friendliness and the cooperation of all those who are involved in Parliament to give you a hand right down to telling you the direction back to your office if you get lost. So I acknowledge all of them for their work and I know that all of us are well served by not only their good nature and their manners but also their courtesy. 
I just want to take a brief time to acknowledge all of those associated with our Maori Party team. It is hard work in the small parties and they give it all they have over and above the call of duty. I want to acknowledge them: Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou e nga tuahine e nga tuakana. 
[ 
Your efforts sisters cousins elder brothers and cousins are greatly appreciated 
.] 
In closing I say that our people refer to this place as te ana o te raiona of which a transliteration might be the lion’s den. Putting aside the obvious association of some of the roaring and the things that go on in this Chamber it is a pretty accurate description in some ways. But what we know of the people in this place is that they proudly stake out their territory they defend it with passion and they work together supporting us as MPs to be the very best MPs that we can be during our time here.  
We would like to thank everyone who forms a part of this Whare. We wish all of them well and hope that they will have a whanau-focused Christmas a time to relax with loved ones and to revitalise themselves—myself included. We hope that they have a very happy New Year are safe and look after each other and look forward to next year with some vim and vigour. We hope that ma te wahi ngaro koutou e manaaki e tiaki a nga ra kei mua i te aroaro kia hoki pai mai kia hoki ora mai ki roto i nga pakitara o te Whare nei; ki konei tukituki ai upoko ki te upoko rae ki te rae koinei te ahuatanga o nga korero o nga matua o nga tupuna. Tena koutou tena koutou kia ora tatou meri Kirihimete me nga mihi o te Tau Hou. 
[ 
the place unseen will protect and look after you in the days ahead of you so that you return in good shape and nick inside the walls of this House to go head to head forehead to forehead with each other as issues are debated in a manner very much like the way the elders and ancestors did in their time. So greetings to you and to us collectively. Merry Christmas and compliments of the New Year 
.]