Henare Tau: Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill — Procedure First Reading Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
Henare Tau: Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill — Procedure First Reading Second Reading Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:670;Page:17144] 
Hon TAU HENARE (National) 
: 
 Te mea tuatahi ki nga morehu ki nga whanau pani o te ru whenua o Otautahi ka nui taku mihi me taku aroha ki a koutou katoa. Ki nga mate o te parekura nei haere atu ra haere atu ra haere atu ra. He wa potopoto tenei mihimihi he wa potopoto tenei aroha ki a ratou engari nunui taku mihi nunui taku aroha ki a ratou katoa i roto i te rohe potae o Ngai Tahu. 
He patai taku ki taku hoa ki taku tuakana a Te Ururoa. He aha te kaupapa he aha te tikanga mo te ra e heke mai nei a te 18? No te mea kaore tera ra he ra nehu. Harakau nga tupapaku i mua i a matou no reira patai ai ki a koutou katoa i roto i te rangimarie. He aha te tikanga he aha te kaupapa o te ra nei? Ki ahau nei he whakamaumahara he whakahonore i nga morehu i nga tupapakui ranei i Otautahi. Kaore he ra nehu. 
[ 
First of all my immense sympathy and admiration to you all the survivors and grieving families of the Christchurch earthquake. In regard to those who died in this disaster I bid you farewell goodbye journey on. While this acknowledgment and tribute is a very very brief one my sorrow and regard to all of them in the Ngai Tahu region is immense.  
I have a question to my fellow member and senior relative Te Ururoa. What is the thinking and meaning behind the coming 18th? Because it is not a burial day. Those who died will not be lying in state before us. So I ask this of you all with respect and without malice. What is the purpose and meaning of this day? To me it is a day to commemorate and honour the survivors or those from Christchurch who died. It is not a burial day. 
] 
I have been trying to figure out in which box to put 18 March. I for one am not concerned about the day itself but I am concerned about the significance the tikanga and the protocol behind it all. To me it is not right and it is not wrong; my own personal point of view is that 18 March is a time to commemorate not only those who lost their lives but also those who survived and those who assisted with the recovery and the rescue. It is a day to honour all of those people of Christchurch. I am a fan of history so I have looked very hard at Napier over the years. I have looked at all sorts of incidents that have happened in our world over the last 100-odd years. But in my room at 10 to 1 on that fateful day I could not help but be transfixed and heartbroken at what I was seeing. 
I also say that that day will become a day for the people of Christchurch who regardless of their own personal circumstances have reached out to strangers and to people they would not even say hello to on a normal day. It shows the strength of Christchurch and of the people in Christchurch of people in New Zealand and also of people around the world that we can actually assist and help each other in a time of need. 
I commend the Canterbury Earthquake Commemoration Day Bill to the House. It is unfortunate that we have to use the word “holiday”—ehara i te hararei—but it is the only word that allows us— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: “Holy day”—pronounce it the old way. 
Hon TAU HENARE 
: I do not believe that it is a holy day. I do not believe that it is a holy day; I think it is a special day a commemorative day. Tera te tikanga o te ra nei ki ahau nei. Kaua e papouri ki toku nei whakaaro. 
[ 
That is what that day means to me—and do not be disappointed 
.] 
I commend the bill to the House. I think it is appropriate that we commemorate all those people who have been involved who have been hit and who have been hurt by this huge event that will live long in our memories as we go on. 
I give my special regards to Ngai Tahu and to all of the iwi who have rallied around and sent health teams. The brother-in-law has kept me informed of what Tainui has been doing so I congratulate Tainui. I congratulate Te Arawa Raukawa and all of those iwi who have seen fit to send teams of helpers to Christchurch to help not only Ngai Tahu but also their whanau. It shows that iwi can actually help each other in their time of need as well. 
Hoi ano ano taku mihi ano taku aroha ki a ratou ki o ratou mamae ki o ratouawangawanga hoki. No reira tena koutou a tena koutou kia ora mai tatou katoa. 
[ 
So my sympathy and admiration again to them for their pains and concerns as well. Greetings to you greetings to you and to us all 
.]