Henare PeeniHon PEENI HENARE (Minister for Whānau Ora): Tēnā koe e Te Māngai o Te Whare. I kī mai tōku tupuna Ko Te Reo te kākahu o te whakaaro me te huarahi ki te ao tūroa o te hinengaro" nō reira ka noho tonu ahau ki roto i Te Reo Māori hei kaupare ake hei ruruku tōtika atu ki roto i ngā kōrero tikanga kua rangona e waku taringa i te wā i haere ai tēnei tautohetohe.Ko te pātai ka waiho nā atu ki te hunga i kī atu "Ehara tēnei i te tikanga Māori" ko tāku e mea atu nei he tikanga i mua i te taenga mai o tauiwi he tikanga Māori tūturu rānei?Mehemea ka pānui atu te hunga i ngā hītori i rīkoata ai e ō tātou mātua e ō tātou tūpuna ka āhei Te Māori te whakatere atu te whakatere ake i te matenga ki runga i tētahi atu tētahi tangata kua taumaha tētahi tangata kua pāngia nei i tētahi māuiuitanga kīhai kua roa rawa e kite.Nō reira kua kī mai e ngā mātua tupuna "Korekau he raru kia whakamāmā ake te haerenga atu te matenga rānei o tētahi tangata ki te pō."Nō reira ko tāku e mea atu nei ki tō tātou Whare mehemea ka hiahia tātou ki te tautohetohe i te kaupapa tikanga ko tāku e mea atu nei: ehara tēnei te whare mō taua tautohetohe. Ka kī atu he mea rerekē te ture ki ngā tikanga o ō tātou mātua tūpuna.Nō reira ka kī atu he maha ngā hui Māori ka āhei tātou te āta tautohetohe i tēnei kaupapa. Ko tāku e kī atu hei kaupare ake i ngā kōrero tikanga kua rangona e waku taringa mai i te tīmatanga o tēnei kaupapa tae noa ki tēnei wā.Kei te mahara ake ahau ki ētahi atu o ngā kōrero o ngā tino taniwha o Te Ao Māori ki roto i te rautau kua pahure ake nei. Ka kī atu "E hoa ahakoa ngā pāngia ki runga i te tangata ka kīia kei a au te tikanga kei a au te mana motuhake ki te whakaae ki te whakakāhore rānei ki tētahi āhuatanga ka pā ki a koe."Nō reira ko tāku e mea atu nei ki roto i ngā tikanga a ō tātou mātua tūpuna rawa au e whakaae ki ētahi o ngā kōrero kua rangona ki roto i tēnei Whare.Kāti ka kapohia ake ahau i te kōrero a te rata a Shane Reti. I te mea kua wahaina mai te Mema i taku ingoa ki roto i tana kōrero i te tīmatanga o tēnei pō.Ko tāku e kī atu: kei a au tonu taku tikanga. Mehemea e hiahia ana au māna taku whānau e tiaki e tauawhi ki roto i tēnei ao kei a au taua tikanga. Mehemea e hiahia ana au kia mate ohorere kia mate tere rawa atu ki te pō tā te mea kua pāngia nei tētahi mate kia kore au e hoki mai ka kī atu kei au anō tonu te tikanga.Nō reira ko tāku ki Te Ao Māori: me āta whakaarohia. Ko tēnei tū āhuatanga he tikanga nō tētahi wāhi nō tētahi iwi kē atu? He tikanga motuhake o Te Māori rānei? I a au e āta whakarongo atu ana kua rongo atu ahau i te taumahatanga kua rongo atu ahau i te mamae nō reira ko tāku ki tō tātou Whare: i te wā i pāngia tētahi mate kino rawa atu ki tōku tūpuna i īnoi nei taku tupuna whaea ki te atua kia haere mai kia kapohia ake te ringa kaha o aituā i tōku karani pāpā. Ko tāku ki tēnei Whare kīhai ia i tae mai kīhai ia i tae mai. Nō reira nā runga i taku kitenga i te wā i tipu tamaiti ahau ka whakaae au ki tēnei pire.I kōrero atu ahau ki te mema i kawea mai te pire ki roto i tēnei Whare āe ko reira ētahi āhuatanga e hiahia ana au te whakatikatika te whakapakari ake. Ko tāku kua kite nei ki roto i te pire kua tutuki e ia i tēnā o ngā hiahia.Nō reira ko tāku ki tēnei Whare anō hoki i Te Ao Māori kei waho atu i ngā pātū o tō tātou Whare: kāore e kore he kaupapa tautohetohe ka kitea ki runga i ngā marae maha puta noa i te motu whānui heoi anō ko tāku ki roto i tēnei Whare: e mau ana i taku pōtae Māori e mau ana i taku pōtae mema Pāremata me te kī atu ka tautoko au i tēnei pire.[Greetings to the Speaker. My ancestor grandfather once said "The Māori language is the cloak of thought and the pathway to the natural state of the mind" therefore I will remain in Māori to defend and to delve into the depth of discussion about customs that I have heard during this debate.The question I ask to those who say "This is not a Māori custom" is this: are you talking about a custom that has existed since the arrival of non-Māori or is it a true Māori custom?If these people read up on the histories that have been recorded by our ancestors they will see that Māori were able to hasten the death of another if that person was terminal if that person was afflicted with a disease that ensured that they are not long for this world.Therefore my ancestors have said to me "There is no issue with easing a person's departure or a person's passing into the long night."Therefore I say to those of us in the House that if we want to debate custom-based issues I would say: this is not the house for that type of debate. I say that laws are different to the customs and traditions of our ancestors.Therefore I would say that there are numerous Māori occasions in which we can carefully debate this matter. I respond to those who have continually referred to customs from the beginning of this debate until now.I remember the old words of one of the real powerhouses of the Māori world from the past hundred years. That person said to me "My friend regardless of its impact on a person I have the final say about what happens to me I have independence to allow or to disallow something to impact me."Therefore I would say that regarding the customs of our ancestors I will not go along with some of the things that I have heard in this House.Well then I refer to the words of the doctor of Shane Reti given that he has chosen to bring my name up in his remarks earlier in the night.I say this: I have my own customs. If I want him to be the person to look after my family to protect them in this world that is my decision. If I want a quick death if I want to go quickly into the night because I have a terminal illness from which there is no coming back I say again that is my decision.Therefore this is my observation to the Māori world: think carefully about this. Is this a custom from somewhere else? From another race? Or is it a unique Māori custom? As I was listening I have felt the weight and I have felt the pain. Therefore this is my take to those of us in the House: when my grandfather was afflicted with a terrible illness and my grandmother prayed to God prayed that God come down and take my grandfather away quickly I say to this House that God did not come quickly. God did not come. Therefore based on what I saw as a child I support this bill.I said to the member who brought this bill before this House: yes there are some elements that I want fixed or improved. From what I can see in the bill he has succeeded in addressing those issues.Therefore my final words for this House and for the Māori world outside the walls of this House: there will no doubt be further debate on this on marae throughout the country; however I say this in this House wearing my hats as a Māori and as a member of Parliament that I support this bill.]"