Marcroft JennyJENNY MARCROFT (NZ First): E tū ake ana ahau kei raro i te korowai aroha o ōku tupuna—I stand here embraced in the loving korowai of my ancestors. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. I am honoured to speak on behalf of New Zealand First on Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / Parihaka Reconciliation Bill.He kaupapa tino pōuri tino taumaha hoki. Kia kaha. Ngā manaakitanga i runga i a koe he korōria ki te Atua Runga Rawa he maungārongo ki runga ki te whenua he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa.[This is a very sad very serious occasion. Let us be strong. Blessings upon you glory to God on High peace on earth goodwill to all men.]From Luke 2:14. Those are the words that are inscribed on the headstone of Te Whiti o Rongomai and I welcome today all of those from the Parihaka whānau who are here in the gallery to witness this significant day.I'd like to make acknowledgment of those who have spoken before me and who are still to come to speak on this bill and the emotional experience for all of us who have been a witness and who have learnt about what has happened in history at Parihaka. It is a day for all of us to take stock to learn and to move forward with hope in our hearts that healing can take place and we can all move forward together.I would like to talk a little bit about the history because I feel it needs to be on the record and not just for myself to be able to express it. At a time when the greed for land was greater than the recognition of our tangata whenua there were violations of tapu violations of whakapapa and violations of whenua. Now we cannot absolve ourselves of the past. We cannot undo the damage that has been dealt—damage that is very relevant yesterday today and tomorrow. There is a cascade of grief when we look and see what was endured by Parihaka in the name of New Zealand. Like a ripple of water as a stone drops into its clear surface the tidal waves of the disturbing devastation of the peoples of Parihaka saturate the establishment of this country with shame with guilt and with a legacy of devastation and terror.And when we look at the story surrounding the invasion of Parihaka in 1881 as we know it was a story of rape and pillage. It wasn't rape and pillage by accident by an out-of-control mob—nothing like that. It was rape and pillage by design. It was following legislation which was written by the New Zealand Parliament that the destruction the imprisonment and all of the horrors inflicted on the peaceful protesters of Parihaka began. There is a sentence that really struck me in that legislation of 1879. It's an Act that empowered the Governor to set or change the date or place of trial for those committed for offences against the public order if for any reason it is expedient"—if for any reason it is expedient. "Expedient"—that was the word that was written. It is quite possible the meaning of "expedient" has changed over time and it was more like "do what you think was best". But even when you apply that generous reading of that word when you look at the rest of the enabling legislation of 1879 it's an instruction to "Smash 'em up and lock 'em up." which is why "expedient" meant "take the path of least resistance". If they don't do what they're told do what you like—it's a cover word a carte blanche word. Why do you burn these people's homes and sacred places? Because it was the expedient thing to do at the time. May this House never give in to expediency. May this House do what is right. There is a figure attached to this settlement. Is there money enough? Who can say? There is no amount of money that can wash the stain of Parihaka. We can only use the past to help shape our future to learn from the past and to truly understand and regret what happened at Parihaka and make it right. Only then is reconciliation possible.Now Parihaka as we all know was a prophetic movement born from the ideas of peace and goodwill. Parihaka grew as a refuge for other Māori in Taranaki who were displaced run off their land—refugees. It was a well-run organisation a well-run community a modern settlement of those times—stocked with crops and livestock a butcher's shop and a bakery—but you were damned if you did and damned if you didn't. If you fought for your land in came the militia. If you peacefully tried to defend your land and make your point of view the response was exactly the same.Te Whiti and Tohu the visionary leaders of Parihaka tried a new way with the fencing and the ploughing—those protests to try to avoid the bloodshed and tragedy that eventually many suffered. And when the militia did come to Parihaka they were greeted by women and children singing and with flowers. But characteristically there was to be nothing visionary in the way the Native Minister John Bryce employed 1500 soldiers: Te Whiti Tohu and the men of Parihaka locked up without recourse and the women and children left defenceless in the waves of violence rape and destruction.Now if we're genuine about this reconciliation—and I believe we all are here in this House today—then of course we must see it as much more than the sorrow and the sins of Parihaka and the crushing of a protest movement. Because the protests sprang from a much greater well of thought and experience we need to understand and learn from the lives and the objectives of Tohu Kākahi and Te Whiti o Rongomai. This journey of reconciliation must be one that restores balance it must restore mana and it also needs to be a turning point for those in New Zealand who have never understood who have never known about this part of our shameful history. So while we have hope—and much hope for the people of Parihaka—let's hope too that the rest of New Zealand can understand and learn from this experience.The past has always been present for our people in Parihaka and while many Pākehā are only just beginning to learn the truth the mamae of Parihaka transcends generations and Government elections and the horrors that haunt our very history. The desecration of Parihaka is a stain on New Zealand etched in the pages of history: Te Whiti Tohu and the gospel of pacifism; the prophecy of Parihaka; the vision of the albatross that swept down the feather that fluttered to the ground; the raukura a Tohu; a prophecy of peace; the unique symbol of the white raukura—the white feather—and the pakō pakō pakō the drumbeat of the poi becoming the beating of the heart of the people of Parihaka. Now a new drum is beating as this settlement is seen as a point of healing as the people of Parihaka and the Crown begin to march closer together.New Zealand First wants to join in taking a role in ushering in a new day of hope and prosperity for the people of Parihaka the people of Taranaki. Today with my colleagues and our leader we want to celebrate a forward-looking vision to see beyond te pouri nui o Parihaka. Tēnā koutou katoa."