Davis Kelvin: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
Davis Kelvin: Local Government (Auckland Council) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:657;Page:6430] 
KELVIN DAVIS (Labour) 
: 
 Tena no koe Mr Chair. It was great to hear the history lesson from my colleague Phil Twyford. I will extend that history lesson and put in a plug for my iwi of Ngapuhi when it comes to mana whenua. Those of us who know our history will know that years and years ago our tupuna Kupe stopped off at Pokeno and left a kohatu a rock there. He claimed all the land from Pokeno right up to Te Rerenga Wairua. Based on that Ngapuhi could claim all of Tamaki and all of that area in between. It is really important that people know history and that people know what went on back in those days. I do not want to throw a spanner in the works. I will not stand here and claim that— 
Hon Mita Ririnui 
: Fooled me! 
KELVIN DAVIS 
: I will stand up for Ngapuhi anyway. It is really important that people know our history. 
I feel sorry for the Hon Tau Henare and the Hon Georgina te Heuheu. We know that they went out and batted for Maori seats on the council of the Auckland super-city. We know that they would have argued with their caucus members and we know that in the end they were basically sidelined. It is really hard to be a brown peg in a square hole. I take my hat off to the Hon Georgina te Heuheu and the Hon Tau Henare who went out and batted for the Maori people of Auckland be they Ngapuhi Tainui Ngati Whatua or wherever they come from. They went out and batted for them. 
It was unfortunate we did not see those members on the hikoi. There were 7000 people—7000 Maori Pakeha Pacific Islanders. They all went out and marched saying they wanted Maori seats. As I said earlier this morning it is sad that although the Government says: “We listened. We listened. We listened.” the evidence is there that it has not listened because Maori do not have their seats. 
I bring up the point that people of all ethnicities marched that day. That is really important because if Maori have no voice on the Auckland super-city then what hope do our brothers and sisters from the Pacific Islands from India from Asia or wherever have? If Maori as tangata whenua do not have a voice on the Auckland super-city council what hope do other ethnicities have of having their points of view represented at a governance level in Auckland? 
The whole issue of Maori being denied representation—Maori seats—on the council of the super-city also brings into question the integrity of the relationship between the National Government and our whanaunga in the Maori Party. While others are going out to bat for and talking up Maori seats on the council the Maori Party members are distracted. They are sent off on a wild goose chase they are sent down the garden path to deal with issues such as a Maori flag. They are told to take four options for a Maori flag to 21 meetings over 3 months at marae across the country and come back and tell the Government what the answer is. Would New Zealanders in general put up with that sort of process? Would New Zealanders say it is fine for somebody to take four versions of the New Zealand flag to community meetings in rugby clubs and community halls in places such as Hukerenui and Broadwood then come back and say: “Here New Zealand; here’s a flag.”? The flag issue is a diversion and it also shows contempt. It is quite condescending and patronising. The Government told the Maori Party to go down the garden path while the Government deals with the real issue of Maori not having a voice in governance a voice that would allow Maori to have a say in how their city is governed. It is patronising and it is condescending. 
In 2002 my colleague Mita Ririnui was instrumental in introducing the Bay of Plenty Regional Council bill that allowed two Maori members— 
Hon Mita Ririnui 
: Three. 
KELVIN DAVIS 
: —three Maori members excuse me—on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. As our colleague Moana Mackey pointed out the world did not end.