Jackson WillieHon WILLIE JACKSON (Associate Minister for Māori Development): Mr Speaker e tika ana ki te tautoko tō tātou reo i tēnei wā. Tuatahi ko te pātai nunui i tēnei wā ko wai te Rōpū Nāhinara ki te whakaparahako i a mātou? Koinā te pātai nunui i tēnei wā Mr Speaker. Ko wai rātou? Maumahara tā rātou hitori e pā ana ki a tātou te iwi Māori. I takahi rātou i runga i ngā beneficiaries i ngā wā o mua. Ko wai te kaiārahi i taua wā? Ko Paula Bennett. Ko tērā te wahine i takahi i runga i te mana o ngā beneficiaries i ngā wā o mua engari tēnei wā ko ia te wahine i whakahē i a mātou. E rerekē tā rātou rautaki; rerekē ki a mātou. Maumahara mātou te wā a Jami-Lee Ross ngā raruraru i taua wā. Engari i kore mātou i whakahē te Rōpū Nāhinara. Koinā te kōrero o tā mātou Pirimia i taua wā engari he rerekē te kaupapa mō te Rōpū Nāhinara moumou tāima ki te kōrero e pā ana ki tā rātou rautaki e tika ana ki te whakahoki ki te kaupapa o te rā Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Tēnei wā pīrangi au ki te whakanui maumahara ngā rangatira e rua—te rangatira Pita Paraone me te rangatira Tahu Pōtiki. Maumahara tēnei tangata Pita Paraone—tangata i roto i te rōpū New Zealand First te kaikōrero Māori i mua i a Shane Jones. He rawe tana mahi. He rawe tana mahi. Ka rerekē ki te whanaunga a Peeni a Shane kāore ia i runga i te pouaka whakaata; kāo tāngata noho puku engari he tangata tino pakari a Pita tino pakari nui ana mahi i roto i te hapori. Maumahara tana mahi i Waitangi i te wā o ngā porotēhi i reira. Nā Pita i tini te ture i reira e pā ana ki Waitangi Day. Nā Pita—ka tika me maumahara i tana mahi. Hōhā ia ki te whare parahako o ngā whanaunga a Peeni. Nā Pita i tini te ture i taua wā e tika ana maumahara tana mahi. E tika hoki ki te maumahara tana mahi e pā ana ki Te Reo ahakoa kāore i tupu ake i Te Reo; he tangata i ū ki te kaupapa. He tangata noho whakaiti; he tangata tino kaingākau mō Te Reo Māori. Ko tērā te mea nui ki ahau ahakoa kāore i tupu ake i Te Reo he tangata i tautoko tō tātou reo i ngā wā katoa nō reira e Pita moe mai moe mai moe mai rā. Ka huri ki Tahu Pōtiki he hoa tawhito ki ahau. Ehara i te mea māmā i te whakatipuranga a Tahu. Koirā tana kōrero kua kī ia ki ahau ko ia he gangster i ngā wā o mua. Āe koinā tana kōrero engari te kaupapa i tini tana ao ko Te Reo Māori. I haere ia ki te Wānanga o Raukawa; i ako i tō tātou reo i reira. Rawe tana mahi i reira. Mai i aua rangi i mua tae noa mai ki te wā o tana matenga ka noho i taha Māori i taha Māori i te pō. Nō reira e te hoa Tahu maumahara tō mahi ko koe te kaiārahi mō Ngāi Tahu kei runga i ngā poari katoa. Maumahara tērā ka kōrero a Colin James ko Tahu te tangata tino pai mō te Rōpū Nāhinara. Koinā te kōrero a Colin James i ngā wā o mua nō reira e te hoa moe mai moe mai moe mai rā. Heoi anō i kōrero au e pā ana ki te tokorua nei nā te mea ki ahau he tauira rangatira rāua mō te ao Māori i te mea kāore rāua i tupu ake i roto i Te Reo Māori Mr Speaker. Engari mā te pukumahi me te kaha me te māia i whiwhi i te whainga mō te kōrero Māori. Ko tērā taku karere i tēnei wā ki a koutou e pīrangi ana koutou ki te ako i tō tātou reo ki a koutou te Rōpū Nāhinara—kia kaha kia māia kaua e whakamā. Tino ngāwari ki te ako i tō tātou reo Māori. E maha ngā kaiako e maha ngā wānanga ki te ako i tō tātou reo. Hei aha ngā karo. Kaua e mataku ki te kōrero mēnā ka hapa i roto i te reo kei te pai. He tino uaua ki te kōrero pērā taku hoa Peeni Henare. Āe kei te pai tēnā ko te mea nui ko Te Reo. Koinā te mea nui. Kua rongo mātou te kōrero a Marama Davidson rawe tana kōrero. Ko te mea nui ko Te Reo Māori. Kaua e āwangawanga e pā ana ki ngā hapa. Kaua e āwangawanga e pā ana ki te whakahē; ko te mea nui ko te kōrero. Kaua e mataku. Kia kaha. Kia māia. Tēnei Te Wiki o te Reo Māori tēnei te mihi ki a tātou katoa tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā koutou katoa. [Mr Speaker it is indeed appropriate that we support Māori language at this time.Firstly the big question of the day is who is the National Party to be disparaging about us? That is the big question of the day Mr Speaker. Who do they think they are? I remember their track record with the Māori people. They ran roughshod over beneficiaries in days gone by. Who led the way at that time? Paula Bennett. She was the woman who trampled the dignity of beneficiaries in days gone by but now she is the one who takes us to task. To us their strategy is odd. We remember the time when they were having problems with Jami-Lee Ross. We didn't rake the National Party over the coals. That was what our Prime Minister told us to do at the time but the National Party is different and it is a waste of time to talk about the way the National Party does things so I should go back to the theme of the day which is Māori Language Week.At this time I wish to pay tribute to two distinguished gentlemen—Pita Paraone and Tahu Pōtiki. I remember this person Pita Paraone—a fellow in New Zealand First their Māori spokesman before Shane Jones. He did wonderful work. He was different from the brothers Peeni and Shane; he wasn't on television no he worked silently but Pita was very staunch and hardworking in his community. Remember his work at Waitangi when there were protests. It was Pita who changed the rules pertaining to Waitangi Day. It was Pita—it is right that we should remember what he did. He was fed up with the insults that were thrown by Peeni's relations. Pita changed the rules and it is right that we remember that. It is also appropriate that we remember his work around Māori language because he did not grow up with Māori but he was committed to supporting it. He was a humble person who was committed to the Māori language. That is a big deal to me that even though he didn't grow up with Māori language he could be counted on to always support it. Farewell rest in peace Pita.I now turn to Tahu Pōtiki my ancient friend. It has not been easy for Tahu's generation. That is how he described it to me that he used to be a gangster. Yes that is what he said but the thing that changed his world was the Māori language. He attended Te Wānanga o Raukawa and learned his Māori there. He did very well there. From that time right up to the time he died he lived his Māori side. Therefore Tahu my friend I remember what you did you who led Ngāi Tahu and who were on all the boards. I remember too what Colin James said that Tahu was suited to the National Party. That is what Colin James had to say in days gone by. My friend farewell rest in peace.I have talked about these two gentlemen because to me they are excellent examples for the Māori world since they did not grow up knowing how to speak Māori Mr Speaker. It was through diligence through perseverance and determination that they achieved their goal to speak Māori. That is my message today to those of you who wish to learn our language to you folk from the National Party—have a go and stick with it don't be shy. It is really easy to learn our Māori language. There a plenty of teachers and many places to learn our language. Never mind excuses. Don't be afraid to speak for fear of making mistakes it's all right even if it is difficult to reach the high standard of the likes of my friend Peeni Henare. Yes it is all right the Māori language is the main thing. We have heard the excellent speech of Marama Davidson yes excellent. The main thing is to use the Māori language. Don't worry about making mistakes. Don't worry about people pointing out your mistakes speaking Māori is what's important. Don't be scared. Have a go. Stick with it. This Māori Language Week I greet you one and all.]