Marcroft JennyJENNY MARCROFT (NZ First): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. It is an absolute privilege to stand on behalf of New Zealand First and make my contribution on this Te Pire Haeata ki Parihaka / Parihaka Reconciliation Bill now in its third reading. I extend a very warm welcome to you all here today to the leaders and whānau of Parihaka. You have honoured us by being here today. To the Parihaka Papakāinga Trust welcome. To the previous Minister for Māori Development the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell and our former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations as well the Hon Christopher Finlayson for the work that you did to bring us here today to this third reading I acknowledge you and it's lovely to see you here in the gallery. Minister for Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis for shepherding us through the House too today and to all the officials some I see in the gallery for the work that you have done collating the stories bringing together the documents—the culmination of all your work is today in the House that we are now speaking to.The Māori Affairs Committee—I was privileged to be a member of it while we visited you in Parihaka for the hearings and then also for the second reading. It was a privilege for me as well to be a part of that process. The chair of the committee Rino Tirikatene thank you for your work leading the committee. As Rino has said this is an historic moment tinged with sadness but also the optimism as now from this point on a new day has begun. Ko Taranaki maunga muruhia. Ko Taranaki whenua muruhia. Ko Taranaki moana muruhia. Ko Taranaki tangata e tū tonu nei. Tihei mauri ora. The Crown has apologised for its historical actions at Parihaka. The Crown has committed to reconciling its relationship directly with the Parihaka community and so it should. The atrocities that were conducted—it is not for me to tell you your history; it not for me to lay before you all of those atrocities. They are now down in Hansard so it is a record that will be for ever in this House. But what I would like to put on the record is that the legacy of peace of passive resistance will ripple across the planet for all eternity and your suffering has provided a gift to the world. Something else that doesn't really equate with the totality of what that means is that there is a dollar figure that's been attached to this reconciliation bill because actually no money would be enough to compensate and to reconcile for what has happened. We can only use the past to help shape our future to learn from the past and to truly understand and regret what happened at Parihaka and to make it right. Only then is reconciliation possible. For me it was an absolute privilege to come to Parihaka with the Māori Affairs Committee to hear the submissions both there and in Wellington. I'm the granddaughter of a woman who grew up in Kaponga. My sister now lives in Pātea. So we have a connection to Taranaki and I don't take it for granted now that I've been to Parihaka. Something that I'd like to mention in this House is that whenever there is a significant moment in our history—of which this is one absolutely at the top of our consciousness—art is always a way of expressing what has happened. The story of Parihaka has captured the hearts and the minds of our artists our poets our musicians and film makers as well. This creative artistic expression in all of its forms is a way of us expressing what has happened during that particular historical moment.Next week as some of you may know there will be the launch of a new documentary the Stories of Waitara and it's been put together by Mihingārangi Forbes and the amazing Annabelle Lee-Mather. I note in it that one of your leaders Ruakere Hond features in it. I'm very much looking forward to the launch of that documentary. One of the features in the documentary is the pakō pakō pakō the drumbeat of the poi and that's the symbolism that will echo through the documentary. It replicates the sound the beating sound of the drums of the soldiers. So I think this is a documentary which will have a great impact on not just the telling of the story to New Zealanders but for the future telling of that story. The augmented reality the recreation of the pā in the documentary—this is going to be something worth watching. There have been art exhibitions—Parihaka: The Art of Passive Resistance. This gathered together some of the most significant artists in New Zealand history: works by Colin McCahon Ralph Hotere Tony Fomison Gordon Walters—this artistic legacy that has been inspired by the story of Parihaka. My father died in 1972 and my mother went and bought a painting and it hung in our house for many many years. It was called Tangi" and it was painted by Colin McCahon in 1972 from the "Necessary Protection" series. Only just recently did I realise it was about Parihaka. When we find the threads of how our lives are interwoven with yours we are able to see the magnitude of what that means. To be in the House today and to echo the words that we've heard—what the Minister has said about the apology from the Crown but how it is now a new day and a new dawn for you—that is something for us all to celebrate. In 1989 Tim Finn and Herbs put together a song that was called "Parihaka": I know Te Whiti will never be defeatedAnd even at the darkest hourHis presence will remain.I'll sing for you a song of Parihaka. I'll sing for you a song of Parihaka.Come to Parihaka.Weep for my lost brother. The spirit of non-violence Has come to fill the silence.Come to Parihaka. He kororia ki Te Atua runga rawa. He maungārongo ki runga ki te whenua. He whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa.[Glory to God above. Peace and harmony on the land. Kind thoughts to all people.]This whakataukī this proverb comes from Luke 2:14 and it's been reproduced on the tiki the memorial stone of Te Whiti o Rongomai of Parihaka. So I'd like to conclude my contribution this afternoon by saying that New Zealand First wants to join in taking a role in ushering in a new day of hope and prosperity for the people of Parihaka the people of Taranaki. Today with my colleagues we want to celebrate a forward-looking vision to see beyond te pōuri nui o Parihaka. I commend this bill to the House."