Motions — New Zealand Defence Force—Deaths of Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone in Afghanistan 2012 Olympic Games—Success of New Zealand Team 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Motions — New Zealand Defence Force—Deaths of Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone in Afghanistan 2012 Olympic Games—Success of New Zealand Team 
[Sitting date: 14 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4289. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Tuesday 14 August 2012 
Mr Speaker 
 took the Chair at 2 p.m. 
Prayers 
. 
Motions 
New Zealand Defence Force—Deaths of Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone in Afghanistan 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister) 
: 
 I seek leave to move a motion without notice on the incident on Saturday 4 August 2012 in the Bamian Province of Afghanistan that tragically claimed the lives of two New Zealand soldiers and injured six more. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none. 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I move  
That this House express its deep sympathy and condolences to the family friends and military colleagues of the New Zealand Army soldiers killed in Afghanistan on 4 August and also express its sympathy to their six injured colleagues and its best wishes for their recovery. 
 On Saturday 4 August at around 8 a.m. local time members of the New Zealand Defence Force’s provincial reconstruction team responded to a request for assistance from an Afghan quick reaction force platoon which had come under insurgent attack in north-east Bamian. A New Zealand Defence Force patrol was immediately mobilised and assisted in engaging the insurgents until a second New Zealand Defence Force patrol arrived. It too came under attack during which some of our personnel were wounded. Two further New Zealand patrols arrived and during the ensuing fire fight the New Zealand Defence Force sustained more casualties including Lance Corporal Rory Malone who was killed at the scene. Seven wounded were evacuated and the most seriously injured soldier Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer died en route to hospital. 
 This incident has served as a tragic reminder of the risks that our men and women in the services face every day in unstable conflict zones. Rory Malone and Pralli Durrer are the sixth and seventh Kiwis to die while working selflessly on behalf of New Zealand and the international community in trying to stabilise Afghanistan. These Kiwis are willing to risk their lives defending not their homeland but strangers in another country. We could not ask more of them. We could not expect more of them. 
The Government has received messages from many other Governments and leaders who understand the terrible sacrifices that are being made in Afghanistan as we collectively do our best to create a functioning stable society there. We have always known that the task is both vital and dangerous. I know that for the Defence Force and their families accepting that there are risks in the job is part of daily life. However I also know that that knowledge does not make it any easier when the knock at the door that they hope will never come does come. The weekend before last it came for the Durrers and the Malones and also for their friends and colleagues inside and outside the Defence Force and for the Government and the people of New Zealand. On Saturday I attended the memorial service for Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone and the more I learn about them the more heavily their loss weighs. 
We are mindful today also of the injured. I am advised that three of the six returned to their families in New Zealand late yesterday. Three more remain in hospital in Germany all in a stable condition. One of them is Major Craig Wilson who was the commanding officer of the team involved in the attack. He has strongly praised the courage and the performance of Lance Corporals Durrer and Malone in the combat engagement that claimed their lives. It is hard to find any redeeming feature in this tragedy but at least in today’s conflicts we are usually able to repatriate our fallen and the Government thanks the United States Government for its assistance in evacuating the wounded and returning Rory Malone and Pralli Durrer to their families. 
Bamian is a better place because of the dedication effort and commitment of these men and their colleagues. Their sacrifice has been a dreadful price to pay but a reminder too of why we are there. Violence lawlessness and a brutal and wilful disregard of the rights of others should never be allowed to become a way of life. These two young brave men were fighting for a more secure Afghanistan and a more secure world. We are proud of them and their colleagues who right now as I speak are facing the same risks to uphold the same noble objectives. The Malone and Durrer families’ loss is New Zealand’s loss. We grieve for them and with them. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
: 
 On Saturday I attended the memorial service for the two brave young New Zealand soldiers who tragically lost their lives on 4 August while serving in Afghanistan. It was a moving experience to hear the families of Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer and Lance Corporal Rory Malone talk about the contribution these men made to their communities to the Defence Force and to our country. Both of their commanders spoke also of their enthusiasm in the army and the respect they earned from their mates who served alongside them. Their families are proud of them and so are we as a nation. 
Rory Malone is remembered as a quiet student with a wicked sense of humour who just got on with things. His steady determination continued when he entered the army in 2002. His great-great-grandfather Lieutenant Colonel William Malone was the commanding officer of the Wellington Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli who died at Chunuk Bair. He led his troops with much bravery. Rory showed the same family courage under fire. He reportedly dragged his company commander to safety before sadly losing his life helping another fallen comrade caught up in the battle. 
Pralli Durrer was a Southern Man born in Invercargill growing up in Christchurch. He is still remembered at his primary school as being a shining star. He survived the initial attacks supporting his comrades under fire. Sadly he was wounded and passed away en route to the base at Bagram. 
These soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice. They lost their lives doing what they believed in and we will always remember them for that. They are our heroes. Six other New Zealand soldiers were also injured in the attack. We wish them a speedy recovery. We also thank the Dutch German and American air forces which came to their aid in the aftermath of the attack. 
The deaths of these two young men come almost exactly 2 years to the day since New Zealand’s first fatality in Afghanistan when Lieutenant Tim O’Donnell was killed in the same area during an attack on his patrol. It is fitting that we remember him today along with all those New Zealanders who have died in Afghanistan and in other conflict zones around the world serving our country. They gave their lives trying to make the world a better place. 
Often these soldiers make an impact that is largely unseen. We look at the Bamian Province. How many kids are alive today simply because their work allowed vaccinations to happen? How many women survived childbirth because stability in the province brought about by their efforts ensured those women could get to hospital? Or the numbers of children—especially girls—who have attended school and now have possibilities for a much better life more than they had before. 
We thank our soldiers for doing us proud for contributing to peace and for contributing to making a better world. We respect and honour the sacrifice they have made we mourn their loss and we will never forget them. Our prayers and sympathies today are with their families. Rest in peace. 
Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM (Green) 
: 
 The Green Party stands to acknowledge the sacrifice that Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer and Lance Corporal Rory Patrick Malone made as members of the provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan. Both men have been taken from us far too young at 26 years of age. This loss the greatest loss of life and injury in active New Zealand service since Viet Nam is felt throughout the country. We also acknowledge those who were injured in the same action. We wish them a rapid recovery and know that everything possible will be done to assist them in their physical and psychological recovery. 
It takes courage to put one’s life on the line in the service of New Zealand and of humanity. We acknowledge the dedication the skill and the bravery of both men. Both had served overseas before assisting with the stabilisation force during times of trouble in Timor-Leste. Our thoughts are with the men’s families and their larger whanau at this sad time. I was privy to their powerful and moving statements of love and loss at Burnham on Saturday and to the invincible haka and the haunting bagpipes that sent Pralli and Rory on their final journey. May those grieving today be comforted in the knowledge that the pride in which they held their loved ones is shared by the rest of this nation. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 On behalf of New Zealand First I wish to express our condolences and utmost sympathy to the families and friends of Lance Corporal Rory Malone and Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer. The questionable issue of the continued positioning of our soldiers in Afghanistan should wait for another day. Today it is appropriate that we all join in this country and in this House to pay our respects to these men and their families and friends. They have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of this country. We also wish a quick recovery to those comrades-in-arms who were injured alongside both Lance Corporals Malone and Durrer. 
Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 Mr Speaker tena koe. Tu ana au ki te tautoko i nga mihi kua mihia nga poroporoaki o tatau o te Whare nei ki a raua a Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer a Lance Corporal Rory Malone i hinga mai raua i te pakanga i Afghanistan. I a raua e hoia ana e mahi ana kua puta mai te karanga i tera ropu hoia o Aotearoa kia haere ake ki te awhina ki te tautoko i tetahi ropu pirihimana o Afghanistan e raruraru ana i te pakanga. Haere ake te ropu o Aotearoa ki te pakanga. I taua pakanga i Do Abe ka hinga mai a Pralli ka hinga mai a Rory. Ka whara kino hoki etahi o o raua hoa kei te hohipera ratau i tenei wa. Na reira kua whakahokia mai nga tupapaku ki Aotearoa nei ki Burnham. I tu mai te tangihanga i te Rahoroi kua pahure ake. 
I tae atu etahi o matau nga mema o te Paremata nei ki taua tangihanga i kite matau i te whanaungatanga i waenga i nga hoia o Tumatauenga i tera ra. I rongo matau i nga korero a nga apiha o Tumatauenga e korero ana mo nga mahi toa kua oti e enei tokorua. I kite hoki matau i nga apiha me nga whanau e tu ana ki te korero ki a ratau. Ko Pralli no Ngati Kahungunu na reira i hui tahi matau me nga whanau i reira. Ki mai ratau e harikoa ana ratau ki te kite i etahi mema Paremata i tae atu ki tera tangihanga ki te tautoko i a ratau. Na reira ko taku korero ki a raua kia haere ake me nga korero i te mohio kua oti pai ta ratau mahi mo to tatau whenua o Aotearoa nei. Ka mau tonu a ratau korero a ratau mahi kei roto i te hitori o tenei whenua o Aotearoa. 
Na reira korua tahi haere. Haere kohikohingia nga tini mate o nga marae maha o te motu kia tae pai koutou ki mua i te aroaro o te Kaihanga. Na reira ko koutou era ko matau enei e tangi atu nei. Kai te tokorua haere haere haere atu ra. 
[ 
Greetings to you Mr Speaker. I rise to endorse our acknowledgments and the farewell tributes of this House to those two Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer and Lance Corporal Rory Malone who lost their lives in a battle in Afghanistan. While they were serving and performing their duties a call went out to the New Zealand Defence Force to provide assistance and support for the Afghanistan police force in difficulties in a battle. In that attack in Do Abe Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer and Lance Corporal Rory Malone were killed and some of their colleagues were badly wounded and are currently in hospital. The bodies were brought back to Burnham Military Camp and the funeral took place last Saturday.  
Some of us members of Parliament attended that funeral where we witnessed that sense of family connection among the army soldiers that day. We heard the speeches by army officers about the acts of bravery displayed and achieved by these two. We also observed officers and families standing and talking with each other. Because Pralli Durrer was from Ngati Kahungunu we and the family met there. They said to us how pleased they were to see some members of Parliament at that funeral to support them. I said to them to come up with their stories knowing full well that the two soldiers had served this country of ours Aotearoa well.  
And so to you two depart. Go forth and gather up the many deaths from the vast number of courtyards of the nation to ensure that you as a collective arrive before the Creator. So you are they and we are these ones here who mourn you. Therefore to you two in particular I bid you farewell farewell and go forth. 
] 
Hon JOHN BANKS (Leader—ACT) 
: 
 I rise today on behalf of the ACT Party to pay our respects to Lance Corporals Pralli Durrer and Rory Malone both 26 who died serving our country in an inhospitable and dangerous place on Saturday 2 weeks past. We offer our heartfelt condolences to their families and friends at this very difficult time. A mum’s boy a father’s son—no words can ever take away the pain of their loss. But we hope they can find some solace in the country’s recognition of their sons’ heroic contribution. 
The young men and women who choose to join the army do so knowing the high risks and inherent dangers of the job but they choose to do so willingly. On the gates of Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch the following words are written: “Remember that prosperity can only be for the free and that freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.” Lance Corporal Durrer and Lance Corporal Malone ordinary men who demonstrated extraordinary courage died doing exactly that. 
Hearing their colleagues speak about them was to know they were both men of much humour much fun and much wit. Their bravery came from their families. The shared values of loyalty commitment and patriotism were inherent in their background and indeed their sense of duty and sacrifice came from their great-great-grandfathers. Some of the greatest battles in history have defined this nation’s character from Cassino to Guadalcanal to Afghanistan—across the world a century of sacrifice and tragedy. This country stands apart for our role in the global destiny of freedom and peace and the common thread is young soldiers prepared and ready to go to defend our fragile democracy. 
At this time we are also thinking of Major Craig Wilson the commander of the New Zealand troops caught in the ambush at Bamian Province and their five comrades who were seriously wounded. We acknowledge and salute their bravery on this fateful day 4 August 2012. We wish them well. 
For the fallen Lance Corporal Durrer and Lance Corporal Malone: 
They went with songs to the battle they were young  
Straight of limb true of eye steady and aglow.  
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted  
They fell with their faces to the foe.  
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 Yet again we take time out from this House to pay tribute to the memory of brave talented and able young New Zealanders who have lost their lives in a field of conflict as horrific as barren and as desperate as Afghanistan. Today we pay rightful tribute to Lance Corporals Rory Malone and Pralli Durrer and we acknowledge the sense of loss that their comrades their friends and their families will be feeling at the circumstances of their deaths. 
I think it is time to recall also the memories we have every Anzac Day when we think about those brave soldiers a century ago who against incredible odds made the remarkable sacrifices that they did. We marvel about their bravery we marvel about their maturity and we marvel about their sense of duty and accomplishment. These two young men epitomise that spirit. We need marvel no longer. We have seen it demonstrated in our soldiers in the work they have done in Afghanistan and sadly in the sacrifices they have made. It is a historical coincidence that in the case of Lance Corporal Malone there is a linkage back to that great conflict at Gallipoli. But in every sense Lance Corporals Durrer and Malone are the modern embodiment of that Anzac spirit. 
Although our words give due solemnity to the occasion and although our words speak for the nation in the sense of paying its tribute to those men they will be only a form of comfort to the families who have to live now constantly with the loss. But maybe there is some consolation in memory. Maybe there is some consolation in the high regard that these young men were obviously held in and the gratitude that this country feels for their service and for their contribution. May they rest in peace. 
Motion agreed to. 
2012 Olympic Games—Success of New Zealand Team 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY (Minister for Sport and Recreation) 
: 
 I seek leave to move a motion without notice congratulating the members of the 2012 New Zealand Olympic Team. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none. 
Hon MURRAY McCULLY 
: I move  
That this House congratulate the members of the 2012 New Zealand Olympic team on their outstanding performance achieving six gold medals two silver and five bronze and finishing ranked 15th in the world 
. I believe that by any standards the 2012 New Zealand Olympic campaign can be judged to have been a substantial success. I want to on behalf of the Government acknowledge all of the athletes who were members of that team and congratulate them collectively on their achievement. In particular I want to congratulate the 13 athletes or teams that won medals. 
I was present in London for 3 or 4 days and the overwhelming impression that you got was one of the level of difficulty the sheer pressure to perform in such a challenging environment. For our people to have succeeded on such a scale against very difficult odds is a very significant achievement indeed. Six gold medals—one of which came along a little later than the others—two silver and five bronze are an outstanding achievement by any standards. It places New Zealand 15th overall on the tally of Olympic medals achieved in 2012 and on a per capita basis—and I think it is worth doing this piece of arithmetic from time to time—I understand that we finished fourth by comparison with all other countries. 
I want to recognise that this effort was something that was shared by more than just those who performed on the field. I want to recognise the coaches the support staff and the families who played such an important part in our Olympic performance. Although it is always difficult to single out any individual achievement I do want to note the achievement of the rowing head coach Dick Tonks whose previous successes on the international stage are well known but whose success at the 2012 Olympics was simply remarkable. 
I think it is fitting that we should recognise that many members of the team achieved personal milestones—some personal bests—and it is worth noting that by the end of the games New Zealand participants had achieved 35 top eight finishes and 72 in the top 16. All of this leaves New Zealand well placed for Rio in 2016. I think it is reasonably well known that we are part-way through a major expansion of high performance facilities and services towards enhancing targeted sports selected by High Performance Sport New Zealand. The notable feature of these games was the outstanding success of the rowers who have had the benefit of world-class high performance facilities for most of the build-up period and outstanding coaching and support services. If we are able to achieve on the strength of the enhanced facilities and services now embarked upon anything like the return that we have seen from rowing at these games that augurs extremely well for the future. Again I offer on behalf of the Government our congratulations to all of the members of the 2012 Olympic team. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
: 
 It has been an outstanding Olympics and I want to join with Mr McCully in congratulating our team on its fantastic effort. We have been richly rewarded for those efforts with 13 medals. Six of those are gold and I was—along with everybody else in this House—thrilled to see Valerie Adams trade her silver in for a gold first thing this morning. It was justice after all of the effort that she has gone through over the past weeks. 
Our rowers have done us particularly proud and I too want to acknowledge Dick Tonks and his efforts for the rowing team. I single out Mahe Drysdale because I remember 4 years ago his being sick but getting across the line for a bronze medal and in this Olympics he was rewarded with a gold. Their success on the water is richly deserved. Rowing is a well-organised sport that has worked hard to attract and nurture young and talented students. 
Our sailors have performed outstandingly along with Lisa Carrington in the canoeing and watching Sarah Walker was an inspiration as she overcame her fears to take the silver medal in that mad dash on her BMX. Our equestrian team always does us proud and once again represented New Zealand with distinction. Our cyclists blew away their opponents with an exciting performance that saw them take home bronze medals as well. 
We are proud of all the New Zealanders who represented us at the London games. It has been a real triumph and has lifted the spirits of an entire country. Many of us have been so caught up with this that we have come rather bleary-eyed to work. I have to say that I have turned up late to a few meetings but explained that I had been watching the Olympics and they said: “Oh that’s OK then.” We have lost that excuse unfortunately. 
We managed to win only one gold 12 years ago at the 2000 Olympics and it has been a complete turn-round since that time. It is a result of a commitment to develop invest in and grow our high performance sports. This has taken some time and a long-term commitment to sport. It involves growing interest at a grassroots level identifying and investing in young talent exposing our sportspeople to international competition and using the best training methods to allow them to achieve at this highest level. 
I also want to pay tribute to the work of New Zealander David Holman. Many of you may not know who he is but he is the director of the World Anti-Doping Agency or WADA. The World Anti-Doping Agency plays a key role in making sure our sports are clean and our athletes can compete fairly in a doping-free sporting environment. We thank David Hoffman for this work and— 
Hon Christopher Finlayson 
: Howman. 
DAVID SHEARER 
: —Howard sorry—for establishing New Zealand as a world leader in anti-doping. 
We are proud of our athletes and the spirit in which they compete. We thank them for their tremendous effort in London but we also thank all those who stand beside them: their families their coaches and the organisations that support them. In fact it is important to take a moment to thank all those New Zealanders who are involved in sports at every level. They give up their time their weekends with family and their energy because they love their sport. Their commitment allows us to develop athletes who are amongst the best in the world and we have seen the outcome of that commitment on the podiums in London over the past few weeks. Thank you to the entire Olympic team and all those who supported it for making these Olympics such a great one. 
KEVIN HAGUE (Green) 
: 
 On behalf of the Green Party I want to join other parties—and I am sure New Zealand First as well shortly—in welcoming home our Olympians and congratulating them on a fantastic effort. It has been a great Olympics. I think Britain did a superb job of hosting the games starting with Danny Boyle’s “camp-tastic” opening ceremony and right through until the close of the games this week and all of our athletes have done us proud. This is arguably our best ever Olympic Games because I think most of us would put an asterisk next to the Los Angeles Olympic Games with all of the countries that stayed away. I think the effort this year has eclipsed that one. 
 My personal favourite moments from the games were Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan pulling it out in that last 500 metres to take out the double sculls and Jack Bauer’s effort in the men’s road race—fantastic. But as the Minister for Sport and Recreation said it is invidious to select individuals and those are just my personal choices. 
Although winning medals of course feels good I was most impressed with the gracious modest and heartfelt comments made by all of our Olympians either in winning or in defeat. I believe that that is the mark of true champions and all of our team did us proud in that regard. 
I am looking forward to the Paralympian team’s efforts which are coming up and hopefully we will also as a nation share in the joy and the triumph of that team. 
I want to close with the words of our silver medal - winning BMX racer Sarah Walker. She said that being from a small town does not matter; it is possible to dream big and achieve those dreams. It is our job here in this House to enable all of our kids to be able to dream big and to empower them to achieve their dreams. Thank you. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 Every 4 years we take time out to marvel at the amazing feats that can be achieved by the disciplined human athletic body. New Zealand can take great pride in every one of our Olympic athletes representing our country amongst the best in the world whether they won or were placed somewhere way down the list. The success of each individual elite athlete in making the Olympic team represents years of gruelling physical training mental determination resilience and above all sacrifice by them and their families. 
There was disappointment mixed in with glory but this time we did perform above our weight. According to the 
 Guardian 
 which can be relied upon because it is an English newspaper per capita of population we came in fourth. Our congratulations to all our medal-winners and members of our Olympic team and best wishes to the Paralympians from New Zealand soon to be performing at that theatre in London. 
I just want to say something special about Valerie Adams and her coach whose face told us volumes during and after the event. But even though they suspected something was seriously wrong they acted with dignity said nothing and took it like we would expect a New Zealander to take what looked to be an ungracious circumstance where they were going to be defeated. Then of course we found out the truth and she is for the second time an Olympic gold medal - winner. I congratulate her on that and on the way that she and her coach in particular handled themselves—and indeed all our New Zealanders. But to Valerie Adams the words of the great Bard are true: “All’s well that ends well.” 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
:  
Tena koe Mr Speaker. Kia ora tatou katoa. I te tuatahi ka mihi ra ki te Minita nana i tuku tetahi putea ki te tautoko i wa tatau tangata kia haere ki tawahi ana kua kite mai ai tatau i nga hua i roto o nga Taumahekeheke o te Ao. Ina tata nei i rongo au i nga Maori e toru he tane tenei tokotoru ko ta ratau ki kua whiwhi i a Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki he metara koura. Koi na te korero. E ai ki ta ratau nga tane e toru kua whiwhi i Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki tetahi metara koura. He aha te take o tera korero? I te whakanui ratau i te mahi a Lisa Carrington i tawahi. No reira ae ko ta ratau kotiro tera kua whiwhi hoki i a ratau he metara. Kai pohehe etahi ae he panga ano ra o roto o Ngati Porou o roto o Tainui o roto o Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki engari ka ki au ki tenei Whare Paremata no Waiariki te kotiro nei no roto o Ohope no Whakatane no Waiariki. 
Kua korerohia ko te ahuatanga ki a Sarah Walker. No hea tera? No Kawerau no Waiariki. A tera tera. Kare ano kia korerohia te tangata nei o Rotorua a Carl O’Donnell. He whakapapa ona ki roto o Tuhoe o Ngati Awa i roto i te mahi kauhoe no hea tera? No Waiariki. 
Kua korerohia ko te ahuatanga o te poikiri ko te Kristy Hill o roto o Ngati Whatua o Ngapuhi whakapapa ae engari no Te Arawa tonu. Na ara no wetahi kai wareware i a au ko Karen Hanlen o Ngati Awa o Te Whakatohea. No reira me waiho era korero ki reira kei ki mai wetahi kai te whakahihi au i roto i nga mahi nui o roto o Waiariki. Kei wareware nga Chiefs me te Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic. 
Ko te tino putake o taku korero he ki atu ki te Whare tera pea kua whiua katoatia te putea e te Minita ki Te Waiariki tona kotahi! Ko taku e ki nei kao mo te motu tera putea. Nana tonu i tuku ki te katoa kia taea e tatau te eke panuku. 
Ko tenei mea te whakapapa he mea nui ki Te Ao Maori. Ka rongo i te ahuatanga o te whakapapa ka ki atu a naku tera. Ka rongo i te ahuatanga o te korero a tetahi a ngai taua naku tera era ahuatanga katoa he whakataetae he momo whakakatakata he mea whakangahau tangata engari i tenei ra me pera rawa ahau i te mea ko te mea o te whakapapa ka taea te ki i te kite i te whakahihi i roto i te tangata tuatahi. 
Tuarua kua eke ki te wa kia titiro me ki nga taiohi o roto i Te Ao Maori i nga Maori ka eke ki enei taumata. Koi na te tino putake o taku korero. Ko enei tangata katoa e korerohia ana e te nuinga kua eke ki tera taumata i te ao. No reira me titiro nga tamariki nga mokopuna ki a ratau me te ki atu ae ka eke au ki tera taumata. He Maori tera he mea ra a ko Ngati Porou tera—ka taea e au te eke ki era taumata. Koi nei au e whakanui nei i enei korero katoa a me te mihi ano ra ki nga whanau i tiaki nei i te ahuatanga o te wa kainga i a ratau tangata i wahi ke. I kite au i nga mea i te pouaka whakaata me te korero a etahi o nga mea hoe waka kaore ia i noho i te taha o tana hoa rangatira mo nga wiki e hia ke nei e aroha atu ana ki a ratau. No reira me mihi ki nga whanau hai whaiwhai haere i te ahuatanga o nga korero a wetahi. 
Me mihi ki te hunga i tiaki nei i nga momo hakinakina i Aotearoa nei kia taea e tenei hunga te haere ki tawahi; ko te hunga i kohi moni nei hai painga mo nga mea ka haere ki tawahi ka mutu ki nga kaiwhakawa nga kaitiaki wa nga kaitiaki putea otira nga kaitiaki o te tangata. 
Ka mutu ko tetahi korero kei roto i te waiata o Aotearoa e penei ana te korero: “Kia hua ko te pai kia tau to atawhai manaakitia mai Aotearoa.” Koi nei te rarangi korero o roto i te waiata Aotearoa. Ko taku e ki nei kua hua te pai na te atawhai o te tangata i a tatau katoa ka mutu na te whakahihi ki nga mahi nui kua oti nei i a ratau i runga i te atamira o te ao me mihi ra ka tika. Kia ora tatau. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker. Greetings to us all. In the first instance I commend the Minister for financially supporting our athletes to enable them to compete overseas. As a consequence we have seen the benefits from the Olympic Games. Just recently I overheard three Maori a trio of men saying that Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki had won a gold medal. That is what was stated. According to them the three males Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki had got a gold medal. What was behind that statement? They were celebrating what Lisa Carrington had done overseas. And so yes because their girl had won they had won a medal as well. Some might well consider yes there is a Ngati Porou a Tainui a Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki connection. My assertion to this House of Parliament is emphatic: this lass is from the electorate of Waiariki from Ohope and Whakatane.  
The circumstances relating to Sarah Walker have been well and truly documented. Where is she from? Kawerau and Waiariki. That is that. This person here Carl O’Donnell of Rotorua has hardly had a mention at all. He has genealogical links to Tuhoe and Ngati Awa and is a swimmer. Where is that person from? Waiariki.  
The situation relating to soccer and Kristy Hill from within the Ngati Whatua and Ngapuhi family tree is correct but she is really from Te Arawa. There are many others that I must not forget: Karen Hanlen of Ngati Awa and Te Whakatohea. However I must leave those stories there lest I be accused by some of hubris through highlighting outstanding achievements that occur solely in Waiariki. I must not forget what the Chiefs and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic have achieved as well.  
The real thrust of my address is to say to the House that it seems that the Minister’s entire fund went solely to Te Waiariki! My response to that is an absolute no as that fund was for the entire country. He distributed it to everyone so that we would all succeed.  
Genealogy is an important thing in Maoridom. As soon as genealogy comes up and a connection is made a call goes out—that one is a relation of mine. Regardless of whom it might be people take pride in one of their own succeeding. It is friendly rivalry and competition a cause for good banter amusement and entertainment. I must be like that today because people take pride in one of their own succeeding. It is friendly competition and that is first and foremost.  
Secondly the time has come shall we say for young ones in Maoridom to look up at Maori athletes making it to the top at these levels. That in a nutshell is the real thrust of my address. All these athletes referred to by the majority have reached that level globally. So our children and grandchildren should look up at them. We should say to them yes they have reached those levels. That is a Maori achieving that is so-and-so that one is from Ngati Porou—I can make it to that level. This is why I am magnifying all these tributes and at the same time acknowledging families who took care of things back home while their athletes were away at the games. I saw people and some rowers on television saying that they had not seen their partners for weeks. I sympathise with them. And so I acknowledge the families as others have.  
I also salute those in New Zealand here who take charge of all sorts of sports which enables these athletes to go offshore. I acknowledge the fund-raisers that these athletes going overseas benefit from and finally the judges the timekeepers and those who look after the finance and competitors’ needs.  
In closing there is a sentence in the Maori version of the national anthem that goes like this: “Kia hua ko te pai kia tau to atawhai manaakitia mai Aotearoa.” which translates as “May goodness flourish and your generosity flow defend New Zealand.” This is the sentence in the national anthem. This is what I am on about the goodness that has flourished because one person allowed generosity to flow upon everyone. Further to that the pride to perform at the highest level enabled them the athletes to achieve on the world stage. It is fitting indeed that they be congratulated. My thanks to everyone. 
] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Leader—Mana) 
: 
 I have just received a text from Dr Sharples to say that because of the translation service breaking down he would like me to translate what Mr Flavell has just said. Mr Flavell has just told the country that most of those Maori who got medals over at the Olympic Games were descendants of the  
Mataatua 
 canoe in the first instance. The  
Mataatua 
 canoe as Te Ururoa and the rest of Maoridom know is buried up in Tai Tokerau. So he would like to thank Ngapuhi for graciously giving all of their descendants for the glory of this country! Tena koutou kia ora tatou katoa. 
Hon JOHN BANKS (Leader—ACT) 
: 
 On the occasion of John Walker’s 40th birthday I had the privilege of meeting arguably the greatest athlete in the history of the world. On that occasion I said to Sir Roger Bannister: “Why is it that you have come all this way to New Zealand to celebrate this birthday? You’re leaving tomorrow morning back to London.” He said: “I’ve come around the world to give thanks and praise to one of the greatest athletes of all time and one of your great Olympians.” So today we give thanks and praise to our great Olympians: the young people who have made us proud these last 2 weeks. 
 Our success is a remarkable achievement for a small nation. It has promoted our country centre stage to the rest of the world with six gold two silver and five bronze—13 medals in all. These medals represent tens of thousands of hours of commitment and determination and much sacrifice. To those who came home victorious we stand here today and salute you. In rowing kayaking sailing and shot-put we showed the rest of the world that we were truly the best and in other sports we showed that we are a force to be reckoned with. 
The can-do can-win attitude of the New Zealand athlete is as time-honoured as that first 4-minute mile run by Sir Roger Bannister and the success in London in these past 2 weeks brings much credit to our small country. In one of my previous roles as Minister of sport I attended two Olympic Games—at Atlanta and at Barcelona. There is nothing like being able to experience the excitement privilege and responsibility of all the athletes their coaches their supporters and their families firsthand. I am sure Sir Roger Bannister would be glad that this Parliament is giving thanks and praise to our athletes who have done so well. 
On behalf of the ACT Party and all New Zealanders I extend to them all our warmest congratulations—to those who represented our country at these 2012 games in London. I also extend from the South-west Pacific my congratulations to Lord Coe. I was with Lord Coe on the day he was first appointed to the job of managing the 2012 Olympics. Britain has done us proud as the New Zealanders have also done us proud. 
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I want to join with others in paying huge tribute to the New Zealand Olympic team for its phenomenal achievements over the last fortnight. The team not only did our country proud; it upheld all of the Olympic traditions and it gave a real sense of uplift to this country in the middle of a very bleak winter. 
We acknowledge and we celebrate our six gold medallists. It is not true as the Australians like to gibe that we do very well in sports where we sit down and go backwards! Actually our rowers our yachties our canoeists and Valerie Adams all did extraordinarily well and surpassed most people’s reasonable expectations as did all our other medallists and we hung on their every achievement. They deserve our richest and fullest congratulations. But there were other members of the team who did equally well. I saw a statistic at the weekend that in the events New Zealand competed in at the games something like three-quarters of our competitors ended up in the top 16 in their event and over half of those were in the top eight. So when we make comparisons—and I think comparisons are probably invidious—about where we stand in the international rankings I doubt that many countries would have had that level of achievement with a significant number of their athletes and their performers ending up within the top eight in the world in their particular events and winning per capita the number of medals that we did. 
I thank our athletes our administrators and everyone associated with the Olympic performance for the uplift they have given our country in recent weeks and for the inspiration that the individual performances have given our young people who now all see themselves as a Valerie Adams a Sarah Walker a Mahe Drysdale or whomever because they have ambition and they have people to look up to. The real achievement of the Olympic ideal is not just the winning and taking part not just the being there not just the camaraderie but the inspiration of future generations and in that our team has done us exceptionally proud. I thank you all for what you have done for the sacrifice you have made for the dedication and the commitment you have shown and for your discipline for your performance and for your achievement. 
Motion agreed to.