Horomia Parekura: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
Horomia Parekura: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
[Volume:628;Page:81] 
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Minister of Maori Affairs) 
: 
 E tika ake ano i te mihi ki nga mate o ratou o raua a Jack te papa o John tetahi o nga Minita Maori e mahi ake ano tona mahi i roto i te Whare Miere. Me tera tangata o te Wairarapa a John Fallon mo to ratou rere haere. Mihi ake ano ki a John mo tona kaha ki te manaaki ake ano nga iwi me te hapu i Wairarapa. 
E nui ake ano nga korero mo te piki whara ra a te Kaiwhakahaere a David Lange. Kua tono ake ano te tangi o tatou katoa nga kanohi Maori a te tuakana a Pita engari e tika ake ano I tu mihi ake ano ki a ia. Mai i tona tae i Te Taitokerau i te manaaki ake ano nga koroke i reira me tona hokinga ki Tamaki-makau-rau i te tautokotia ake ano ratou kore he mahi kore he kainga ratou o te tangata whenua e tika ake ano ki te mihi kau ano ki a Rawiri. I roto i a ia i tona kaha i te manaaki ake ano ratau o tatou te tangata whenua i tae ake ano i ro whare o te whare herehere e whai kaha ake ano a Rawiri i te haere ake ano i nga koti i te tautoko ake ano ratou kore he moni kore he ahua i te tautokotia ake ano i tona mahi. Na te pai o tona ngakau te humaria i roto i te tangata nei kua korero ake ano te tangata i roto i te Whare nei e mihi kau ana ki tona rere haere. 
I a koutou o Te Ropu Kakariki e mihi kau ana e tangi hoki te ngakau i a koutou a Jeanette ma koutou katoa tena koutou. He nui ake ano nga whakaaro mo te tangata nei a Rod. Mai i toku tutakitanga tuatahi ki a ia e mau rite ake ano a ia tona kaha i te mahi ake ano i nga mahi e korerotia ake ano e tatau. He rite ake ano i a Rawiri i te whawhai mo nga taputapu pakopako i te manaaki ake ano i te pakanga. Kare e whakaae kare te nui o tatau o te tangata whenua e whakaae e whawhai takahi ake ano raua no reira mihi ake ano i a Rod mo tera. 
E rongo ake ano ki te tino waiata o tatau e mahi pera i a Tari ma i wera ra te nui o te rawakore ‘Ka Tu te Kahikatea’ e tangi hoki te ngakau i te rongo ake ano ki tera waiata paku. Te nui o nga ropu e mau kaha mo tera tito. 
Mo ratau ma tatau e mahi tahi pera i a Margaret Crozier a Pete Vink a Gary Moore nga tangata o oku hoa mahi o wera tau a Wally Stone i roto i aku te nui o oku whakaaro mo to tatau whawhai tahi mo nga take e rite ake ano i a Rod. 
E mihi ake ano i a Rod i toku tae i konei i tae ake ano a Rod ki toku wahi e korero ake ano mo te mau neketai. E pirangi ake ano a Rod e haere a muri i a ia i te whawhai ake ano ki te Whare nei mo te mau neketai. I tetahi ra i korero ake ano a Rod ki a wau e tae tahi ake ano taua i konei kore he neketai. I tae au i konei whakapanga ake ano te Kaiwhakahaere o te Whare ahau i waho ra kare i taea a Rod. 
Tena ano te whakaaro i roto i ahau mo Rod. He tino hoa tatau wetahi o tatau. Kare mo te noho i roto i te Whare Miere anake. Mo nga tau e oti ake ano. Kua rere ake ano wetahi o nga tino tangata e whawhai tonu ake ano mo nga take pera i a Rod. No reira tangi hoki te ngakau i a koutou te Kaiwhakahaere tena koutou mo tera. 
Mo nga mate i roto i a tatau a te koroua ra a Tahu Asher e tangi hoki te ngakau. Mo tona kaha o tera tino pakeke o tatau e rere haere ake ano. Na ratau pera i a Puti Murray te whaea o Te Tai Tokerau e tangi hoki te ngakau. Mo toku papa koroua o te kainga a Hiki Te Kani e tangi hoki te ngakau. E haere tahi ake ano raua a Darkie Downes ma i te taha o Rod i tera wahi e mohio ake ano tatou kei te mau mahana nga tipuna. Ahakoa te taumaha ki penei ake ano ki a koutou kia kaha ki te manaaki ake ano te rere haere o Rod. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
It is appropriate that I acknowledge those losses in particular of Jack the father of John a former Minister of Maori Affairs and what he did in Parliament. I also acknowledge the death of that man from the Wairarapa the Hon John Falloon and his efforts among his local people to look after them be it iwi or hapu.  
There have been many tributes to that big man former Prime Minister David Lange. While elder brother Pita has already expressed the grief of all Maori present it is apt that I too should rise to pay a tribute to David. Throughout the time he spent in the north and helped the people up there until his return to Auckland he really supported the unemployed and homeless among the local people. It is fitting that Rawiri should be acknowledged. He had the strength within him to care for those less fortunate among Maori who ended up in the prison system. His energy was boundless as he visited courts to assist those needing help with money even dipping into his own personal resources. Because of the sort of person he was and his humility which others in this House have alluded to I too acknowledge his passing. 
To you of the Green Party Jeanette and others my heartfelt condolences to you all. Greetings. I have many memories of Rod. From the first time that I met him he worked with the same boundless energy on the things we are recounting today. He shared the same views as Rawiri about nuclear warfare. He did not agree with it. We the majority of Maoridom did not either. They fought against it. And so I really acknowledge Rod for that. 
To hear that really lovely song of ours “Ka Tu te Kahikatea” by Tari and most of the others certainly touched the emotions. There are many groups who hold fast to that song. 
I bring to mind others of us like Margaret Crozier Pete Vink and Gary Moore colleagues of mine of former years; and Wally Stone who fought for issues similar to ones that mattered to Rod. I hold fond memories of those times when we jointly fought for issues.  
I acknowledge Rod in another way as well by recalling the time when he fronted up to my office when I first arrived in Parliament to discuss the wearing of neckties. Rod sought my support to ban the wearing of ties in this House. One day Rod raised the matter again with me and between the two of us we decided that we would turn up in the House without a tie on. Well I turned up first without a tie on and got ordered out of the House by the Speaker but Rod did not turn up at all. 
That is how I felt about Rod. Some of us become very close to each other—not just as colleagues in Parliament but long afterwards. Some really great people who fought for the issues that Rod took up have passed away as well. So like the others I too grieve within. I give my thanks to all. 
In respect of the deaths upon us specifically of the elder Tahu Asher I mourn for him as well. The efforts for us of that elder of ours who has passed away is acknowledged. Similarly I grieve the death of the grandmother figure of the north Puti Murray. I grieve the passing of my grandfather as well Hiki Te Kani from home. He and Darkie Downes are going together with Rod to that place that we know warms the ancestors. Despite the weight of it all let me say this to you be strong and caring with this loss of Rod. 
] 
Waiata 
Ki a koe Metiria te kanohi Maori i roto i te ropu ra kia kaha ki te mau hoki ake ano i nga mea katoa i roto i a koe. Tena koutou katoa. 
[ 
And to you Metiria the face of Maoridom in your political party be strong in your endeavours to hold on to everything within you. Greetings to you all. 
]