Fox MaramaMARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā anei te mihi atu ki a koe i tēnei Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Kai te hāngai atu au i aku kupu aku kōrero ki tō tāua Reo tēnei Reo e rere haere ana i runga i te mata o te whenua o Aotearoa whānui nei.Nā reira ka huri ake au ki tōku nei haerenga i roto i tō tāua Reo Māori. I ahau e tupu ake karekau taku Reo. Haere atu au ki Te Kura Kōtiro o Ōtautahi i reira au i ako i te reo Wīwī i te reo Latin rānei. I tēnei wā kai te kimi atu au i te huarahi mō aua reo i runga i te whenua o Aotearoa karekau. Moumou wā noa iho te whakaako i ērā o ngā reo ēngari anō ko Te Reo Māori. I ahau i haere atu ki te kōhanga reo ki te taha o taku tamaiti i tipu ake au i roto i Te Reo. Kai reira e whakawhānui ana i te mātauranga i mau nei i ahau. He aha ai? I runga i te mea ko Te Reo te matapihi ki Te Ao Māori ko Te Reo Māori te matapihi ki Te Ao Māori.I reira au i rapu kōrero e pā ana ki te hītori o ngāi tātau o te kāinga. I rapu kōrero ana au i runga i te hītori o Te Ao Māori. Ko taku tupuna tēnā i tito i tō tāua mātauranga o te whare wānanga. Kotahi rau rua tekau ngā pukapuka kai Te Alexander Turnbull Library e noho ana i tēnei wā nā taku tipuna i tito ki hea? I roto i Te Whare Pāremata. Ki hea i roto i ngā whare wānanga o te kāinga ēngari kāre mātau o Te Wairarapa e paku mōhio ki aua kōrero he aha ai? Kāre ō mātau Reo.Ki a au nei me ako ia tamaiti o tēnei whenua i tō tāua Reo i roto i te kura. Me ako! Ēhara i te mea ka wepua te tamaiti karekau. Ēngari e whitu kē ngā marau ki roto i Te Mātauranga o Aotearoa nei. Kai te whaiwhai mātau i te pūtaiao te hangarau te reo Tauiwi aua momo pāngarau. Kei hea te wāhanga mō Te Reo Māori? He aha ai me ako? Mehemea ko Te Reo Māori te matapihi ki Te Ao Māori ka whakakorengia te kaikiri i runga i te whenua. Ka whakakorengia rātou e noho ngoikore mō te hitori o ngāi tātau Te Iwi Māori ngā pakanga o te whenua aua momo mā Te Reo Māori e kite atu te tikanga i ngāi tātau.He aha anō tētahi take? I kite mātau mehemea ka mōhio te tamaiti te tangata ki tōna ake wheako ki tōna ake mana i roto i Te Reo i roto i Te Ao Māori ka eke ki taumata kē atu. Ko Mason Durie tēnā e kī mai ko tētahi o ngā hua o Te Reo Māori ā ko ngā ekenga ngā taumata o te whare wānanga. Tautoko rawa ahau i tēnā. Kua kite mātau i roto i ngā whare herehere mehemea ka hāngai ka whai atu i ngā tangata i roto i te whare herehere i Te Ao Māori ka huri te whakaaro ka whakaiti noa iho i te nama o rātou e puta atu ki te whati i te ture.Nā reira ka tae atu ki tēnei kaupapa nui ki a tātau i tēnei rangi mō Ngāpari Nui o Ngāti Ruanui kua whakahē nei te minita i tōna mahi i roto i te whare herehere. He aha ai? Mō te kākahu e mau nei i a ia. Rima tau ia e mahi ana kāre āna mahi whakahē i te ture kāre ana mahi whakahē i ngā tangata i runga i te tiriti kare kau. Ko ngā pirihimana tēnā. Ko te whare herehere tēnā e haere ake ki a ia ki te rapu āwhina mehemea he raru e puta mai ana i roto i tōna wāhi noho. Kai te whakahē Te Minita i te hiahia me te wawata o Ngāti Ruanui. Nā rātou tēnei tangata i whakamana. Ēhara mā Te Kāwanatanga hai whakahē ki te kore ia i mahi hē. Koi nei tāku ki a koe e Te Mana Whakawā nei te mihi kia ora mai tātau.[Thank you Mr Speaker I acknowledge you in this Māori Language Week. I am using words that are appropriate to my address and in our language this language that flows throughout all New Zealand.Now I turn to my journey in our Māori language. As I was growing up I did not know my language. I attended Christchurch Girls' High School and there I learnt French and Latin. At that time I was looking for a pathway in regard to those languages here in New Zealand; there was not one none at all. It was an absolute waste of time learning those two languages but not so with the Māori language. When I went with my child to the kōhanga reo I grew in the language. It was there that I was able to broaden my knowledge and I am now able to retain it. And why? It is because the Māori language is the window into the Māori world. I repeat the Māori language is the window into the Māori world.While I was there I looked for stories explaining the history of our home. I also looked for historical information on the Māori world. It was my ancestor who wrote about that knowledge for the university. At this moment there are 120 books sitting in the Alexander Turnbull Library in Parliament House in the learning institutions all written by my ancestor but we of the Wairarapa know only a little about that conversation. Why was that? That was because we did not have our language.To me every child of this land should learn our language at school. Learn! It is not as if they are going to be whipped no. There are seven curriculum levels in New Zealand. We are battling with science with technology with English with a variety of maths. And we ask: where is the place for the Māori language? Why should it be taught? If the Maori language is the window into the Māori world it would eliminate racism from this land. It would illuminate one's knowledge of the history of the Māori people—land wars events like that—and the Māori language would allow us to see what is right for us.What is another reason? We have noted that if a child an individual understands through personal experiences and their personal ability in the Māori language and the Māori viewpoint of their world he or she will progress to higher levels of understanding. Mason Durie stated that one of the benefits of the Māori language was reaching the pinnacle of university. I personally endorse that. We have observed in prisons that if it is relevant those people will follow the Māori world they will change their ideas and fewer people will break the law.And so we come back to this issue of huge significance to us today in regard to Ngāpari Nui of Ngāti Ruanui whose role inside prison the Minister of Corrections has opposed. Why is that? Because of the clothes he wears. He has been in the role for 5 years and has not been offside with the law nor been in trouble with people on the street—none. That is a police matter. It is interesting that prisons have gone to seek advice from him on workplace problems. The Minister denies the hopes and aspirations of Ngāti Ruanui because they endorsed the man. It is not for the Government to disagree if the person has done no wrong.This is my contribution to you Mr Speaker I acknowledge you and extend my appreciation to us all.]