Flavell Te Ururoa: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFlavell Te Ururoa: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 24 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19530. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]TE URUROA FLAVELL (Co-Leader—Māori Party):Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Kia ora tātou katoa i tēnei rangi. Kātahi te rangi ātaahua ko tēnei! I te tuatahi i tae mai a Ngāi Tūhoe ā i tutuki pai tērā kaupapa. Ko te mahi tuarua ko tā Tāmaki-makau-rau. Kua tutuki pai tērā. I tēnei wā ko Te Minita mō ngā take Māori e kōrero nei e kōkiri nei i te pire mō Te Reo Māori mō ngā rā kei mua i te aroaro ā ka mutu ā kō ake nei ka puta te kupu whakamutunga a ō mātou kaiārahi a Tariana rāua ko Te Hōnore Pita Sharples. Nō reira kātahi te rangi pai ko tēnei!Tēnā ko tēnei pire i hangaia mai ai e Te Minita mō ngā Take Māori e whai nei i ngā huarahi e hia kē nei kua oti i a mātou Te Ao Māori te kōkiri i te take mō tō tātou Reo arā ko te tiaki i tō tātou Reo. Ēhara i te mea ka tāea e au te whakarārangi i ngā kōrero katoa ēngari arā anō ngā petihana kua tae mai ki tēnei Whare Pāremata. Arā nō ngā hikoi. Ko au tētahi i ārahi nei i tētahi hīkoi i waho ake nei ki Te Whare o Bowen i ngā tau kua hipa ake. He aha te take? Ko Te Reo Māori te take. He aha tā Te Ao Māori ki te whakapakari ake i tōna Reo? Ko Te Kōhanga Reo i ara ake ā nā wai nā wai ka puta ko Te Kura Kaupapa Māori. Arā nō tētahi rōpū pakupaku nei ēngari ā he māia. Ko te hunga e kōrerohia ake nei ko Ngā Tamatoa. Ā ko tērā o ngā tuāhine ko Hana Te Hēmara kua ngaro atu i te tirohanga kanohi. Ēngari nā rātou te huarahi o Te Reo Māori i kōkiri ki mua i te aroaro o Te Whare Pāremata otirā o te motu. Nō reira anei tētahi kaupapa hōu hei whaiwhai haere i waua kōrero rā.Ka mutu i a au e tū nei kei wareware au ko te kōrero mō te Minita i ngā rā o mua ko Te Hōnore Tau Hēnare ko ētahi otirā ko te nuinga o Te Ao Māori kāre i te tino mōhio nāna te pūtea o Mā Te Reo i whakarite i ōna rā. Kāore te nui o Te Ao Māori i te mōhio ki tērā ēngari me mihi rā ki a koe e bro. Ko koe tērā i kōkiri nei i tērā take. Kai te ora tonu a Mā Te Reo i tēnei rā. Nā te aha? Nā tōu angitu! Ko koe te mea i whakariterite i tērā pūtea. Kei reira tonu Te Puna ā kei te unumia Te Puna e Te Ao Māori mō Te Reo te kaupapa. Ka mihi rā ki a koe i tēnei rā kua tata ki te wā ka tō te rā ki runga i a koe tēnei Whare Pāremata ēngari anā kua tuhia ngā kōrero ki roto i Te Hansard.Nō reira kai te whai tēnei pire i aua kōrero anō hoki. Ko tāku ko te tautoko ake i ngā kōrero a Te Hōnore Nanaia Mahuta. Āe ko Te Reo Māori he taonga o tēnei ao. Kāore Te Reo Māori e kōrerohia ana i wāhi kē kei konei kei Aotearoa nei. Kei ētahi paku wāhanga o Te Arawa paku wāhanga nei. Nō reira i ngā rā tata kua hipa ake kua rongo nei tātau ko te ngoikore o te hunga o te iwi ki te haere ki te tono i wā rātou tamariki ki Te Kōhanga Reo. E pērā anō hoki ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori. Ko tāku e kī nei mēnā ka whai tonu i tērā huarahi ka heke haere anō rā te āhuatanga o te hiahia o Te Ao Māori ki tōna Reo. Koinei te pūtake o tēnei take. Me titiro ki tētahi huarahi hōu. Ki te pērā anō hoki te āhua ka pērā ōna hua ko taua āhua anō. Nō reira kei te mihi ki Te Minita ā māua tahi ko Te Pāti Māori e kaha tautoko nei i tēnei pire.Nā he aha kei te pūtake o te pire nei? Ā kua oti kē i a ia te kī atu ka whakaritea mai ai ka hangāia mai ai i tētahi rōpū hou kai i a rātou te mana o Te Reo ko Te Mātāwai te ingoa. Ka whai wāhi ngā iwi katoa o te motu ā-rohe nei ki taua rōpū. Ka mutu me whakahē i te kōrero o etahi e mea ana ā kua turakinatia a Te Māngai Pāho. Kāo! Kātahi te rūkahu ko tērā! Ko ētahi kei te kī ka turakinatia a Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori. Kāo! Kei te hē tērā! Kātahi te rūkahu ko ērā kōrero! Ka whai wahi ngā iwi katoa ki Te Mātāwai ēngari e tika ana tā Te Minita arā nō ngā wāhanga mō ngā mea e rua mā te kāwanatanga kia kore e whawhati ai te āhuatanga o te here o te kāwanatanga me kī ki te iwi Māori me tōna i raro i te korowai o Te Tiriti o Waitangi e kōrerohia ake nei e Te Minita.I kōkirihia tēnei take mō tō tātou Reo ki Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi i ōna rā ā ko tā Te Taraipiunara āe he wahi anō rā tō te kāwanatanga ki te tiaki i tō tātou Reo. Ko tā tēnei o ngā pire e mea ana āe kei reira tonu tērā here ēngari me whakahoki te mana o Te Reo Māori ki roto i ngā ringaringa o tēnā iwi o tēnā iwi o tēnā iwi. He aha i pērā ai te whakaaro? Māmā noa iho tērā. Mā wai kē atu Te Reo Māori e tiaki? Kaua mā te kāwanatanga. Māku mā Te Ao Māori! Nōku Te Reo māku e tiaki! Koinā kei te pūtake o tēnei o ngā pire! Ā kāti kua kōrero kē ia mō te hanga o tēnei o ngā rōpū. Whai wāhi anō rā ngā iwi whai wahi anō rā ngā mea pēnei i Te Kōhanga Reo Te Ataarangi a wai ake a wai ake. Mā rātou tērā e whiriwhiri te hunga ka noho nei te poari ka mutu ko te kāwanatanga.Nā mō te hunga whakahē mō te hunga whakahē! Ko ētahi kai te kī atu ka kore pea ētahi iwi e whai wāhi ki runga i tēnei o ngā poari. Hoi anō mā te iwi anō rā tērā e whakarite! Nā te iwi anō rā tērā e whakarite! Ka mutu ko etahi kei te kī atu kāre he paku take o tēnei pire ki te whakarauora ki te whakapakari ake i te āhuatanga o te kōrero o Te Reo Māori i Aotearoa nei. Kua oti kē i a au te kī atu āe ka pērā! Ko te tino pūtake o tēnei kia huria kia tangohia mai ai te mana o Te Reo mai i te ringa o te kāwanatanga ē ka whakahoki atu anō rā ki ngā iwi mō ake nei te tūmanako. Ko ētahi ka kī atu kāore i tino kōrerohia te take nei. Tērā rūkahu tērā! Tērā rūkahu tērā! I ngā tau e toru pea kua hipa ake nā te Minita anō rā i whakakao mai tētahi rōpū. He mātanga anō rā i roto i te āhuatanga o Te Reo Māori. I haere rātou ki te mata o te whenua. I rongo nei rātou i ngā kōrero pai mai kino mai ā ka mutu i tuhi pūrongo ka whakahokia mai ki roto i ngā ringaringa o Te Minita. He aha tā Te Minita? He whakatakoto ki mua i te aroaro o te kāwanatanga. He aha tā te kāwanatanga? Karekau! Tae rā anō ki ngā rā tata kua hipa ake me tana whakaae atu āe e tika ana! Mā ngā iwi anō Te Reo Māori e tiaki kaua mā te kāwanatanga!Nō reira ko ētahi kua rongo ake i te kōrero o Nanaia Mahuta e mea ana ka whakatakotohia tētahi mōtini ki roto i Te Whare Pāremata kia tonoa tēnei pire ki Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi. Kāore he paku take o tērā! Ā kō ake nei ka pāhingia tēnei wāhanga ka haere te take nei ki te mata o te whenua mā ngā iwi anō rā e kōrero ēngari i te wā i huri haere te ropu i te mata o te whenua i rongo nei rātou i ngā take. Ā tērā haerenga tērā ka mutu pēnei i tā Te Minita e kōrero nei i haere ia ā-tinana nei ki ngā hui katoa i whakaritea mai ai ki te rongo i ngā kōrero. Nō reira ko tāku ko te kī atu mō te hunga i kī ana he poto noa iho te wā kātahi te pōhēhē ko tērā!Nā e ai ki tā Reipa nā Te Ao Māori te hē mō te heke haere o te hunga e matatau ana ki Te Reo. Kāo! Ko ētahi kai te kī e kore e tāea e ngā iwi te tiaki i tō rātou Reo. Kātahi te hē ko tērā! Arā nō ngā wānanga o Raukawa kua tipu ake. Ko Te Reo o Taranaki tērā. Arā nō ngā kāinga Arā nō te kaupapa a Te Wai Pounamu a Kotahi Mano Kāika. Kua oti! Kua oti kē e te iwi te whakarite mā rātou anō e tiaki tō rātou Reo. Nō reira tērā tērā.Ko Te Rōpū Internet kei te kī atu kāore Te Rōpū Māori i te tautoko te aroha nei ki tō rātou Reo. Kātahi te pōhēhē kātahi te pōrangi kātahi te heahea rawa atu o tērā kōrero! Anei te tangata! Anei te tangata e tū atu nei! Nāna anō rā Te Kōhanga Reo i hanga i ōna rā me Te Kura Kaupapa Māori. Anei anō te tangata! Nō reira āna! Pēnei i a au nei me te reo irirangi! Kua oti kē i a mātau te whakariterite i ngā kaupapa mō Te Reo. Ēngari ka pātai i te pātai tērā rōpū? E kī e kī! Kai te whakahē i a mātou? Ēngari he aha tāu mō te ora o Te Reo Kim Dotcom? He aha tāu mō Te Reo? Ko tāku ko te kī atu kāore he paku aha! Kāore he paku aha! E pōhēhē ana rātou he kaha ake tō rātou mōhio mō Te Kōhanga Reo i tērā? Arā ko te hunga e noho nei! Tērā rūkahu tērā! Nō reira kāti. E tautoko ana i ngā kōrero a Te Minita. Arā nō ngā kōrero kua tae mai ki a mātau e mea ana āe kei te tautoko ake ngā iwi i tēnei o ngā pire. Tukuna te pire kia haere i tana haere kia haere ki te mata o te whenua kia kōrerohia anōtia i roto i te hātepe a Te Komiti Whāiti. Kia riro mā ngā iwi anō rā e wetewete ki te hōhonutanga o tēnei o ngā pire. Kāore mātou i te mataku ki tērā. Me kōrero ka tika! Nō reira kai te pai tērā. Kati ake!Hei whakakōpani i te āhuatanga o taku kōrero anei te kōrero a Tā Hemi Hēnare i te kerēme ki Te Taraipiunara o Waitangi. Ko tana kōrero e pēnei ana: “Ko Te Reo te mauri o Te Mana Māori”. Anei anō: “Ko Te Reo te mauri o Te Mana Māori”. Mēnā koinā te kōrero a tērā o ngā rangatira o Te Tai Tokerau me titiro tēnei Whare Pāremata otirā Te Ao Māori ki ētahi atu huarahi he huarahi hōu hei whakaora hei whakamana i tō tātau Reo. Ko tēnei o ngā pire te rongoā mō tērā huarahi. Ko tāku ko te kī atu anei Te Pāti Māori e noho pokohiwi nei ki te pokohiwi i te taha o Te Minita e whakatakoto nei i tēnei pire hei painga mō Te Reo Māori tukuna kia haere. Tēnā koutou kia ora.[Thank you Mr Speaker and salutations to us all today. What a great day this has been! First of all the tribe of Tūhoe arrived and that matter was dealt with well. The second task was that related to Auckland and it was completed well too. And now at this point in time it is the turn of the Minister of Māori Affairs speaking to and extolling the attributes of this bill about the Māori Language for the future and as well as that the valedictory speeches later today by our Hon Tariana Tūria and the Hon Dr Pita Sharples. So what a wonderful day this is!Now thenthe Minister of Māori Affairs created this bill from goodness knows how many procedures completed by us of Māoridom to advance the matter relating to our language and to look after it. It is not possible for me to detail everything but other petitions several of them in fact have arrived here at this House of Parliament. And there were several marches too. I was one that led a march out there years ago to Bowen House. And what was the purpose? For the Māori language thatis what it was about! And what did Māoridom do to strengthen their language? The Language nest movement emerged and eventually over a period of time Māori medium schools emerged too. There was another small but very bold movement called Brave Warriors and it included Hana Te Hēmara one of the sisters who has since passed on. But they thrust the procedure relating to the Māori language forward before Parliament House and indeed before the nation. So here is a new initiative to address that discourse.Furthermore while I am standing here before you all in case I forget the former Minister of Māori Affairs the Hon Tau Hēnare someindeed in fact the majority of Māoridomarenotreally aware that the funding for Mā Te Reo was his consideration in his daybut I acknowledge you bro I really do. It was you indeed that thrust that matter forward. Mā Te Reo is still alive today. And why may you well ask? Because of your success! You were the one who considered that funding. The pool is still there and Māoridom is still drinking from it in regards to this language proposal! I salute you indeed today as the sun is about to set on your time here in this House of Parliament but the discourse will be etched into the Hansard for posterity.And sothis bill follows that discourse as well. For me particularly I support the sentiments expressed by the Hon Nanaia Mahuta. Yes the Māori language is indeed a treasure of this world. It is not used anywhere else just here in New Zealand and in some small parts of the Te Arawa tribe just a wee part of it. So recently we heard how some groups some people have made feeble attempts to send their children to languagenests. The situation is the same with Māori medium schools. My contention is that should we continue to follow that tendency then the desire by Māoridom for its own language will dissipate also. This indeed is the root of this matter. We must look for a new method. If that is how the situation is looking its outcomes will be the same as well. And so I and the Māori Party jointly commend the Minister and support this bill strongly.So what isat the source of this bill? He—the Minister—has already outlined considered and created a new body calledTe Mātāwaiwhich will have effect over the language. All tribes of the nation and regions will be represented on that body. Furthermore I reject the discourse by some stating that the Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency has been disestablished. No! What a fabrication that is. Some are saying that the Māori Language Commission will suffer a similar fate. No! That is not correct! What utter fabrication! Every tribe will be represented onTe Mātāwai. Howeverthe Minister is correct government will have two seats on it. This is so that its obligation under the cloak of the Treaty of Waitangi to the Māori people shall we say is maintained as previously mentioned by the Minister.This matter relating to our language was thrust forward before the Waitangi Tribunal in its dayand the response from the tribunal was yes government had a part indeed to play in terms of looking after our language. This of the bills asserts that the obligation exists still but control over the language should be returned into the hands of that tribe that tribe and that one. It may well be asked what brought about that thinking? That is really quite simple! Who else should look after the Māori language? Not the government thatis for sure! I will Māoridom! The language is mine! I will look after it! And that really is at the source of this of the bills! Enough! The Minister has already spoken about the make-up of this of the groups. Iwi will have representation so too will organisations like the Language Nursery movement the Cuisenaire Rods method of learning the Māori language by adults and so on. Those groups will decide amongst themselves who will actually sit on this board alongside the two government representatives.Nowwithregard to those who hold opposing views who are totally against it! Some are saying that this bill has absolutely no value in that it will notrevitalise or strengthen the use of the Māori language here in New Zealand. I have already asserted yes that will happen. The real nub of this is to turn it around. Take control over the language away from government and return it once again into tribal handsforeverhopefully. Some are saying that this matter was never discussed widely.That is really not true at all! That is anutter fabrication! In the past 3years the Minister gathered together a panel of experts in terms of the Māori language. They travelled the length of the country and widely. They heard submissions some positive and some negative. They compiled a report and put it back in the hands of the Minister. And what did the Minister do with it? He placed it before government! And what did government do with it? Nothing! Right up to the past recent days when the Minister eventually came out and endorsed the report saying it was the right thing to do! It is for the tribes to look after the Māori language and not government!Now some have heard how Hon Nanaia Mahuta intends to put forward a motion in the House of Parliament to send this bill before the Waitangi Tribunal for consideration. That would be an absolute waste of time! Very shortly this part will be passed and will go before the country for tribes to once again discussbut they heard the reasons when the panel moved around the country before. Howeverthat was that journeyand in the end like what the Minister stated here he was present physically at all hearings that were considered for him where he listened to the discourse. And so Isay unto those of you who assert that the time provided is far too short that assertion is an absolute fabrication of the truth!Now according to Labour the trouble for the drop in numbers who are proficient in the language lies squarely at the feet of Māoridom. No! Not at all! Some maintain that tribes cannot look after our language. Thatis a fallacy! Take the Raukawa tertiariesfor example. They have grown! Other examples of growth are the language of Taranaki languages in the homes and letus not forget Kotahi Mano Kāika the language initiative of the South Island. Itis being achieved. Tribes have already succeeded in how they will look after their language. Now thatis that dealt with!The Internet-Mana Party accuses the Māori Party of not supporting our language and having any empathy with it. How fanciful crazy and idiotic talk that is! The man is here and standing right before you! He created the Language Nursery movement in his day and Māori medium schools! Here is the man again. So there you are! Just like me and radio! We have already determined the language proposals! And so that party poses the question about us? I say that’s being a bit rich! Is he finding fault with us? But what are going to do to ensurethat the language survives Kim Dotcom? What is yours for the language? I say to you absolutely nothing! Not one morsel! They are of the mistaken view that their understanding of Language nursery is greater than that? There that person sitting over there! What a sheer fabrication that is! And so enough! Not true. I am really endorsing the sentiments expressed by the Minister. We have received other feedback saying yes tribes are supporting this of the bills. Let the bill go forth on its journey for the nation to discuss in due course through the Māori AffairsCommittee process. Let the people disseminate this of the bill to its depth. We do not fear that. It is only right and proper that it be canvassed thoroughly! So thatis wonderful! Enough!In concluding my addresshere is Sir James Hēnare’s quote at the claim to the Waitangi Tribunal. It goes like this:“The language is the life principle of Māori status.”I repeat:“The language is the life principle of Māori status.” If that is the word of one of those leaders from the North then this House of Parliamentand indeed Māori must examine other methods to achieve it a new method to revitalise and give effect to our language. This of the bills is the remedy for that method. I say unto yousir the Māori Party remain here shoulder to shoulder beside the Minister who is introducing this bill for the well-being of the Māori language;allow it to run its course. Good wishes to you collectivelyand thanks.]