Kapa-Kingi Mariameno; O'Connor GregMARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI (Te Pāti Māori —Te Tai Tokerau): Kia ora tēnā tātou te Whare. My support of Māori wards came from my belief in the power of Māori political representation as a means of Tiriti justice. I will not waver in that belief despite the nonsense that I've heard across the House.I am realistic enough though in this Government; it is not actually concerned with what is right nor logical or pragmatic. The removal of Māori wards now prompts a wider discussion that rests outside of Māori representation at a local council level. Deeper questions must be asked.We cannot plead ignorance in the face of racism. All the bills amendments removals and disestablishments to date are this Government's attempt to normalise racism in the face of our nation so that no one including their own will speak up to fight for us when it reaches to that point; that today may seem so unbelievable but tomorrow a reality. I see this reality dawning upon us with the introduction of the Treaty Principles Bill. The strategies and actions from Government are not new nor misguided; unfortunately they are calculated and I listened to the calculation speech across the House earlier. All the numbers but nothing about actual tangata whenua people. The Government may mask their call for the removal of Māori wards behind the absolute lie that is democracy in this country but I want them to know that we see you; we see you to the left of me in the back and I see you in front. We Māori see you. We know what you are doing and just understand this: we are ready.The removal of Māori wards is merely another open invite to racists across this whenua to the open season against te Iwi Māori. This open invite is welcomed by this Government and in fact it reinforces their agenda that would see our open and upfront extermination as a people in whatever sense that may be. Hon Member: Come on.MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI: Hold it just hold just hold you can do it—whether that be in the healthcare system in the State care system or as it is in this case within systems of local council. It is shameful that this Government in their efforts to deliberately remove Māori has exposed us in particular our taiohi to racial slander and hateful discourse not just in this reform but many gone and still on the go. Why does this Government hate us? Why are they taking everything away from us? These are pleas that councillors from just over the way at Hutt City Council have heard from the rangatahi in their communities. It is nothing short of disgraceful that our rangatahi are forced into a position of questioning their own worth in this country on their own whenua.This Government is purposely strengthening and perpetuating reservations in the minds of our young Māori and non-Māori on what it means to be Māori—not something that you just stumbled across in the last few years possibly—associating it with being inferior less than and a nuisance. This influence on the consciousness of our society is perhaps the greatest harm. Our mokopuna do not deserve being belittled by society before they are even born.Over the course of the submissions process I sat and listened to council after council plead with the select committees asking for retention of Māori wards but clearly that fell on deaf ears. Councils in these processes alluded to the risk Māori communities will now face in becoming an isolated people isolated and ostracised from politics.In my closing comments:[Authorised te reo text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.][Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.]I absolutely reject and despise this bill. Tēnā tātou. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Greg O'Connor): The question is that the motion be agreed to.