Flavell Te Ururoa: Appointments — Assistant Speaker 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Appointments — Assistant Speaker 
[Volume:645;Page:14553] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Madam Speaker. Kia ora tatou i tenei po. When this Government notice of motion appeared on the Order Paper I noticed an increased interest in the proceedings of the House from the honourable member for Te Tai Tokerau Mr Hone Harawira. For someone who enthusiastically studies the Standing Orders I can say that Standing Order 30 really got him going. It describes the criteria for the appointment of an Assistant Speaker as being limited only by the constraints that no member who is a leader of a party or who holds office as whip is able to be appointed to this role. In the case of the Maori Party that meant we had only one potential nominee for the role Mr Hone Harawira. I come to the debate today obviously disappointed that the expertise of Mr Harawira has been overlooked but also on behalf of the Maori Party to express our best wishes to the Hon Marian Hobbs for the opportunity she has been given to hold office during the remaining term of this Parliament. 
In doing so I want also to convey our appreciation to Ann Hartley for the contribution she made to the Chamber when she negotiated cajoled conducted and directed the proceedings of this House. We wish her every success in her role as a North Shore City councillor. Her experience as a former Mayor of Birkenhead and her last 8 years in national politics will no doubt be of huge benefit to regional politics and we wish her and her whanau well. 
Regarding the motion the Maori Party is happy to support the proposal for Marian Hobbs to take the role of an Assistant Speaker. It is always interesting for me as a former school principal to see the influence of educationalists in this Chamber. As I understand it Marian has been involved in playcentre management she has been a principal of girls’ colleges in Christchurch and Wellington she was a co-founder of the Four Avenues Alternative School she has been a member of the Canterbury University council and has also been involved with countless community ventures. I believe that presiding over the debate in this Chamber will pretty much come as a breeze to anyone who has been charged with motivating secondary school students to stay awake during class. 
We have watched Marian working alongside Mr Mark Blumsky on Wellington issues such as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary and hope that the capacity to put aside party political positions will be a priority for her in her role as an Assistant Speaker. We hope too that the varied life experiences she brings to the floor including her association with the Chippenham commune and the Quaker movement will be influential in encouraging peaceful and respectful debate in the House. 
Tena koe Marian. Nei ra nga mihi o te Torangapu Maori ki a koe kua eke ki tenei taumata o te Whare Paremata. Maku a Hone e korero kia tau tana wairua kia ngawari ai te ngau o mamae na tana kore whiwhi i tera o nga turu. Kia kaha ra. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Congratulations Marian. These acknowledgments to you from the Maori Party for reaching this pinnacle of Parliament House. I will speak to Hone to settle him down and to ease his disappointment at not securing that seat. Best of luck. 
] 
Finally Madam Speaker I want to take this opportunity to welcome the new list MP to this Chamber Louisa Hareruia Wall. Ko Tongariro te maunga ko Taupo te moana ko Tutemohuta te hapu ko te Pakira te marae. Ko Ngati Tuwharetoa te iwi ko te Heuheu te tangata. E te uri o Ngati Tuwharetoa o Tainui hoki nau mai hara mai. He kitenga kanohi ka hoki nga mahara ki to matua ki a Les ki o matua keke a Nick a Te Whakapumautanga ara ko ratou kua ngaro atu nei ki tua o te pae. 
Hoi ano waiho ratou kia moe. Ko koe tenei e whai nei i o ratou tumanako. E te uri o Tutemohuta e rarau nau mai. Nau mai e te Rau Hiriwa nau mai e te Rau Pango. Kua tau mai ki roto i tetahi kahui toa mo te hakinakina a he mema Paremata ano hoki. Ara ko Te Rangi Hiroa tera toa o Aotearoa o te motu mo te peke tawhiti. Ko Puti Watene kapene o te tima riki o te motu. Ko Ben Couch ratou ko Grahame Thorne ko Chris Laidlaw o te Tima o Pango. A Tutekawa Wyllie no te tima Maori a Paul Adams taraiwa motoka nei. Tae ra ano ki tenei Paremata ara ko Colin King toa mo te kuti hipi mo nga wa e toru. Ko Bob Clarkson o te tima hoki me te toa o te motu mo te taraiwa waka whiroki nei. Ko ahau hoki ara mo te tima o te motu o nga whare wananga tima o te motu mo nga kura mahita mo te whutuporo. Ko te tima hoki i raro o te tekau o Ngongotaha. Kei te mihi atu ki a ia kua eke ki nga taumata o te motu a-hakinakina nei kaua mo te wa kotahi noa iho engari mo nga wa e rua. 
No reira e te Whare koi nei te mihi o Te Torangapu Maori ki nga mea e rua ara a Marian Hobbs mo tana ekenga ki tera taumata otira ki tenei kanohi hou kua tau mai ki roto i te Whare Paremata. Tena korua tena korua tena korua. No reira ka hoki ra ano ki te kaupapa korero he mihi ki tenei ki a Marian Hobbs he mihi ano hoki ki tenei kanohi hou kua tae mai ki roto i te Whare Paremata. Otira ki a Louisa Wall mo tana ekenga mai ki te Whare Paremata. No reira tena korua tena koutou kia ora tatou. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Tongariro is the mountain Taupo is the lake Tutemohuta is the subtribe and Pakira is the marae. Ngati Tuwharetoa is the tribe and te Heuheu is the man. To the relative of Ngati Tuwharetoa and of Tainui as well welcome welcome. To see the face brings back memories of your dad Les your uncles Nick and Te Whakapumautanga all of whom have passed beyond the veil. 
Enough leave them there to rest. It is you indeed who is present here pursuing their aspirations. Welcome the descendant of Tutemohuta draw near. Welcome the Silver Fern welcome the Black Fern. You have landed here amongst a band of former champions on the field of sport as well as members of Parliament such as former MPs Te Rangi Hiroa a New Zealand long-jump champion; Puti Watene captain of a New Zealand rugby league team; and people like Ben Couch Grahame Thorne and Chris Laidlaw all former All Blacks; Tutekawa Wyllie former Maori All Black; and Paul Adams a New Zealand Rally champion. And down to this Parliament to Colin King three times New Zealand Golden Shears winner; Bob Clarkson an Olympic hockey champion and seven times winner of New Zealand titles in dragster racing; myself included as well as a New Zealand universities and New Zealand teachers representative in rugby right down to being a Ngongotaha under-10s representative. My congratulations to her on achieving national status in sport not once but twice.  
So I say to the House the Maori Party acknowledges these two Marian Hobbs for becoming an Assistant Speaker; the new member as well taking her place in Parliament. Greetings to you two thrice over. Again I go back to the purpose for this address which was to congratulate Marian Hobbs and Louisa Wall. So greetings to you two greetings to the assembled and us 
.] 
Motion agreed to.