Flavell Te Ururoa: Ministerial Statements — Earthquake—Canterbury 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Ministerial Statements — Earthquake—Canterbury 
[Volume:666;Page:13675] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
Huri noa i te Whare tena tatou katoa. Ko taku noa ake ko te whaiwhai haere i nga korero kua puta i tenei ahiahi me te tautoko ake i nga korero katoa. Kua ki ke au i roto i tenei Whare kei roto i nga waiata Maori nga haka nga poi ko nga korero katoa mo nga ahuatanga o tenei ao. Mai i te orokohanga ki a Ranginui e tu nei ki a Papatuanuku e takoto nei he whakamarama tonu mo te hau te moana te noho o te tuakana raua ko te teina tenei mea te mate te ora te wehenga o te tane me te wahine. Kei reira nga whakamarama katoa. I a Ngati Porou e haka ana i ta ratou haka he korero ano tera mo Ruaumoko te tamaiti kei te kopu tonu o tona whaea e whanawhana nei e ngunguru nei. Koira te tikanga o tera korero: “Ko Ruaumoko e ngunguru nei—au au aue ha!”. Na mo tatou te tangata e kore e taea e tatou te karo i te mahi a Ranginui raua ko Papatuanuku me wa raua tamariki. I te pera i te timatanga mai kei te pera ano hoki inaiatonunei.  
Ka huri oku whakaaro ki te rohe o Otautahi tae ra ano ki nga hapori huri noa i tera takiwa. E hoa ma he aha he korero maku? Koinei pea kia kaha kia toa kia manawanui. Tera ano hoki te whakatauki e mea ana: “Ahakoa whati te manga e takoto ana ano te kohiwi—although one branch may be broken off a tree if the foundations are strong our survival is assured”. 
Koira pea te tikanga o tera korero Otautahi. Tau tahi kotahi tonu te wa i te tau ka eke a aitua ki runga i a ratou. Tera tera. Ka rua o nga tau katoa kotahi tonu te wa ka tau a aitua ki runga i a koutou i a ratou. Koira te tumanako ara kia kore a Ruaumoko e hoki ano ra ki te hapori o Otautahi.  
Ki nga ringa raupa e whakapau kaha nei ki te awhina ki te tiaki i te hapori pirihimana mai takuta mai nehi mai tauira mai te hapori tonu me mihi ra ka tika. Kei reira hoki taku hoa a Rahui Katene me tana tari e awhina ana i te hunga ra. E ai ki ona korero he nui nga tangata no Hornby e whangai ana i wa ratou koeke ara ko te hunga pakeke—kuia koroua hoki. Tera tetahi kuia e noho ana i Poihakena e hiahia ana ki te awhina i ona whanaunga o Ngai Tahu. E miharo ana ahau ki te rongo i era momo korero. Ka nui te mihi ki a Bob Parker ki te Minita tonu ki a Hone Kaata me ana kaimahi o te civil defence. Koia ra ratou era e arahi nei i nga mahi whakatikatika. Ki a Tumatauenga nga watene ka mutu me whai wahi au ki te mihi ki te Runanga o Ngai Tahu e toro nei i ona ringa ki te hunga e rongo nei i te pouri i te mamae.  
Mena he painga o roto i te kino tera pea koia tenei. He mea whakaohooho nei i a tatou ki te whakariterite i a tatou ano mo te taunga mai o aitua. Kaua e tatari ki te meneti whakamutunga. Kaua e pohehe e kore a aitua e pa mai ki a koe ki ahau ki a tatou. Ka tu tonu a Ranginui ki runga ka takoto tonu a Papatuanuku ki raro ahakoa pehea kei a raua te kupu whakamutunga. Te rohe o Otautahi kia kaha kia toa. 
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Greetings to us all throughout the House. I merely follow on from the speeches delivered this afternoon and endorse all that has been stated. I have already said in this House that Maori songs posture dances and poi movements explain all of the phenomena in this world. Since the beginning of time to the time of the Great Sky Father above and Mother Earth below there is an explanation for the wind sea relationships between siblings death life and separation of men and women. The explanations are there for everything. Ngati Porou perform their posture dance which is about Ruaumoko the Earthquake God the child lying within the womb of his mother kicking and rumbling. Hence the phrase: “This is the Earthquake God rumbling here—oh oh indeed it is!”. Now in terms of people we cannot prevent whatever the Sky Father and Earth Mother and their children do. It was like that at the dawn of time and remains so at this moment.  
My thoughts are with the region of Christchurch including its communities throughout that area. Fellow parliamentarians what can I say? This perhaps: be strong be brave and be stout-hearted. There is the aphorism also that says: “Although one branch may be broken off a tree if the foundations are strong our survival is assured”. 
That may possibly be the meaning of that word “Otautahi”: “tau” year “tahi” one—tragedy strikes them only once in a year. That is the take on that. Secondly in all the years tragedy will fall upon you and them once only. The hope is that the Earthquake God does not return to the community of Christchurch again.  
I must acknowledge those who have worked hard to help and protect the community: the police doctors nurses students and indeed the community itself. It is only right that we acknowledge them. My colleague Rahui Katene and her office are there as well helping the people. According to her many people from Hornby are feeding their aged—the elderly men and the elderly women too. There is an elderly Maori woman living in Sydney who wants to help her Ngai Tahu relatives. To hear that kind of talk is amazing to me. I commend Mayor Bob Parker and the honourable Minister John Carter and his staff from civil defence as well who are leading the rebuilding effort. I acknowledge the army and Maori wardens also. I mention the Ngai Tahu tribal authority which has reached out to the vast number who feel traumatised and in need of comforting.  
If there is anything positive in the disaster then it might be this. It is a wake-up call for us to prepare ourselves as well should it happen to us. Do not wait until the last minute. Do not take it for granted that it will not happen to you me or us. Sky Father will always be up there and Mother Earth will be down here always. Regardless of what happens they will always have the last say. Be strong and courageous the Christchurch region. 
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