Turia Tariana: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Turia Tariana: Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:638;Page:8517] 
TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
Tena koe Mr Deputy Speaker. Tenatatou te Whare. One would think that the Human Rights (Women in Armed Forces) Amendment Bill is a fairly straightforward procedure. Indeed in today’s times one would want to think that most New Zealanders would not even blink twice at a proposal to amend the Human Rights Act to remove an exemption that discriminates against women. But I would like to say: think again. We have been surprised at the energy this bill has generated amongst some sectors about its proposal to ensure that there are no impediments preventing women from serving in active combat positions. This is despite the fact that women have served in the armed forces since 1914. However the resistance to women serving in active combat roles has been such that it was not until the year 2000 that the restrictions that prevented such a possibility were lifted. 
This House will be aware that we in the Maori Party take very seriously our responsibility to look deeply at our own tikanga and histories in order to understand the context of any legislation that passes through this Parliament. And so it was that I looked into the experiences of Heni Te Kiri Karamu of NgatiUenuku-kopako and NgatiHinepare iwi of Te Arawa to gain some insight into women serving at the front line of combat. Heni was descended from Ngatoro-i-rangi of Te Arawa waka and was probably born around 14 November 1840. She was literally born into the foundation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. She was fluent in Maori English and French. Heni—later known as HeniPore—became an assistant teacher and governess at the Three Kings Native Institution a boarding school for Maori children. 
Heni Te Kiri Karamu and her family supported the King movement of Waikato when the settler Government declared war in July 1863. They fought with NgatiKoheriki a section of NgatiPaoa led by WiKoka. The following year Heni Te Kiri Karamu and NgatiKoheriki joined the King’s forces at Te Tiki o Te Ihinga-rangipa at Maungatautari. But her contribution is probably most renowned for her involvement in the battle at Pukehinahina or Gate Pa on 29 April 1864. Heni was recognised as a woman warrior—a wahinetoa—who had refused to leave her brother Neri. 
Records of the time make for interesting reading including accounts that report that when the wounded British troops were left abandoned in the pa they were treated with compassion by the defenders. Indeed Heni Te Kiri Karamu gave water to Colonel Booth and other wounded men. So impressed were the Brits with the chivalrous conduct of Maori at Gate Pa that to this day there is a stained glass window in the chapel at Lichfield Palace in England that commemorates the heroic actions of tangata whenua. 
These are our stories our histories our background of revered ancestors who fought with strength and valour on behalf of their people. The legendary adventures of the daring Heni Te Kiri Karamu demonstrate that our women have been leaders in combat leaders in peace leaders at the front line and leaders who tended to the wounded. 
As of July 2006—143 years after the Battle of Gate Pa—2555 women were employed in the New Zealand Defence Force. The majority—1469—were in the regular force and 1086 were civilians. Of course it is not just the 2555 in the current forces but also the women of our future whom we are thinking of with our votes today. 
We note with great interest that five of the six submitters to the select committee supported the bill—namely the Human Rights Foundation the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women the Human Rights Commission the National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women and the National Council of Women. It was the view of these submitters that the proposals being debated today will enable women to legitimately enjoy the same employment opportunities as men. They also pointed out that the removal of the legal exemption will enable New Zealand to fully ratify its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women which is also known as “CEDAW”. 
This House will know that our record at the United Nations is at an all-time low. Just last month the Human Rights Commission released its report to the international Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The report  
Tui 
TuiTuituia: Race Relations in 2006 
 pointed out the significant challenges this nation faces due to persisting social and economic inequality between different ethnic groups. In March last year the report of the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples was tabled at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights alerting the United Nations to the significant disparities between Maori and non-Maori in employment health housing education the criminal justice system and their portrayal in the media. In the midst of such dismal reports the opportunity for this bill to enable compliance with international law creating a chance for New Zealand to fully ratify its obligations under the United Nations convention has to be supported. 
Finally I draw the attention of the House to the submission from the Human Rights Foundation of Aotearoa which states: “The Foundation emphasises that conflict situations are routinely associated with severe human rights violations as both cause and effect particularly against women and children and are inherently undesirable.” We in the Maori Party cannot ignore the irony that in the midst of passionate debate about the role that physical violence plays in exerting control we are debating to allow women to willingly go into war and we are expressing tacit support for women to be involved in active and armed combat. 
And we remind the House of the value that we would measure the role of armed forces within the context of a genuine progress index. We remind the House that for the price of 19 days of global military expenditure the world could benefit from access to adequate food clean water safe sewers basic health-care reproductive health-care for women and basic education. Every dollar that is spent by the military could be a dollar used to promote life not death. 
We know that there are other debates that should be had about the association of women with the armed forces: the fact that women are disproportionately harmed by militarism and war; the fact that violence against families increases dramatically in war zones; and the fact that war and military power emphasise a belief that violence can solve problems and that might is right. 
The Maori Party will support this bill. It allows legislation to be updated to fit with changes in practice it allows compliance with international law and indeed supporting the notion of women in active combat is consistent with the tikanga and the histories of some hapu and iwi. But we leave one thought with this House about this issue of military power. It is a thought that takes its origins from an African proverb: “Until lions have their historians tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.” We wonder who tells the stories of power and control. Who judges the victors and the victims? Who are the unnamed casualties of war and how consistently do we remind ourselves of the need for peace? When will we be able to learn from the example of Te Whiti o Rongomai and TohuKakahi pacifists of Parihaka? I think of the words of Te Whiti in 1880 to his people: “Though some in darkness of heart seeing their land ravished might wish to take arms and kill the aggressors I say it must not be so.” These are words that provide us with a message of hope to guide our future activities. Let us not forget them.