Andersen GinnyVIRGINIA ANDERSEN (Labour): Ko Ranginui kei runga ko Papatūānuku kei raro ko ngā tāngata kei waenganui tihei mauri ora. Ko te mihi tuatahi ki te Atua nāna nei ngā mea katoa. Ko te mihi tuarua ki Te Whare e tū nei tēnā koe. E ngā mate rātou mā kua whetūrangitia haere haere haere atu rā. Tātou ngā kanohi ora tēnā koutou. Te Māngai o Te Whare tēnā koe. Ki ngā mema o tēnei Whare Pāremata tēnā koutou. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa. E tū ana ki te tautoko i tēnei taupatupatu i roto i te āhuatanga o te wā arā Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Ko te kaupapa o tēnei wiki Kia kaha Te Reo Māori." Ka mōhio au ehara au i te mea pai rawa atu ki te tū ki te kōrero kaha ki Te Reo Māori engari ko tēnei tōku whakaaro: me whakamātauria; kia kore e taea i te tuatahi whakakaha whakakaha whakakaha anō.Kei hea ngā mema o tērā taha o Te Whare ka taea te kōrero i Te Reo Māori i ēnei rā? Karekau. Taihoa arohaina mai tēnā koe Melissa Lee mō tō mihi tēnā koe. Ko te tūmanako o tēnei Kāwanatanga ki te whakanui i te rōpū kia taea ai ki te kōrero i Te Reo Māori arā ki te whakamana i Te Reo Māori. Ko te tino hiahia o Te Pirimia he miriona ngā tāngata kei te kōrero i tō tātou reo rangatira a tau e 2040. Pai atu tērā ki a au. Ko tētahi o ngā mea pai mōku mō te haerenga mai ki tēnei Whare ki tēnei Whare Pāremata ko te haerenga mai ki tētahi wāhi e taea ai e au te whakapakari i tōku reo. Kāore he kāinga mōku e kōrerohia ai Te Reo Māori i te huhua o te wā. Kāore he marae e hoki atu ai au e kōrerohia ai te Māori i te huhua o te wā. I ngā wā o mua ko Te Whakaata Māori me Te Reo irirangi tāku i whakarongo ai i te mātakitaki i Te Reo Māori. Kāore rātou i te whakautu mai i ētahi wā. Ko taku tino waimarie ki te whiwhi i tētahi rōpū mō ngā mema Pāremata hou. Ko ētahi o rātou i pēnei te pakeke i a au he matatau ki te kōrero Māori. Kātahi anō au ka whiwhi wā kia kaha ai te pātai "He aha te tikanga o tēnei? He aha te take o tērā? Me pēhea te whakahua o tēnei?" He mihi aroha ki ōku hoa Pāremata mō ō tātou mōhiotanga mō ō tātou manawanui hoki. Mehemea he maha kē atu ngā tāngata pātaitai ā ka maha noa atu ngā tāngata kaha ki te kōrero Māori. Ko tōku tūmanako āpōpō mō Aotearoa ko tōku kaha ki te haere ki te toa hokomaha tērā ranei te haere o aku tamariki ki te kura e kaha ana te kōrero Māori ā ki te whiwhi whakautu i roto i Te Reo Māori hoki. Ko te mea tino pai ki a au ko te ako i Te Reo Māori te homai tirohanga ahakoa he iti ki roto i te ao Māori. Ko tōku whakaponongia pai mō ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa tēnei ko te mahi mā rātou. Nō reira kia kaha Te Reo Māori. E Te Whare nei tēnā koutou tēnā koutou huihui mai tātou katoa. [Ranginui abides above Papatūānuku below and mankind is between them let there be life. I pay first respects to God to whom all things belong. Secondly I acknowledge the House which stands here greetings to you. To those who have passed beyond this realm farewell farewell farewell. Let us now turn to the living world. I acknowledge you Mr Speaker. Greetings to the members of this House of Parliament. Greetings to one and all. I stand to support this debate as per the present focus which is Māori Language Week. The theme for this week is "Let's make Māori language strong." I realise that I am not the best example to demonstrate strong Māori language but what I think is this: we must try; if at first we don't succeed let's strengthen more and more.Where are the members on that side of the House who are currently able to speak Māori? There are none. Wait sorry I acknowledge you Melissa Lee for your greeting thank you. It is the hope of this Government that we increase the number of able Māori speakers thereby honouring the Māori language. The Prime Minister would like there to be a million people who can speak our Māori language by the year 2040. That is better to me. One of the good things for me during my journey to this House this House of Parliament is that I came to a place where I am able to develop my language. I don't have a home where Māori is spoken most of the time. I don't have a marae to go back to where Māori is spoken most of the time. I used to have to rely on Māori Television and iwi radio to see and hear the Māori language. Sometimes they didn't reply. I am indeed fortunate to have a group for new members of Parliament. Some of them are my age and fluent in Māori. I have just plucked up the courage to ask "What does this mean? What is that used for? How do I pronounce this?" I thank my parliamentary colleagues for our knowledge and for our patience. If more people would ask there would be more Māori speakers. My hope for New Zealand in the future is that I will be able to go to the supermarket or my children will be able to go to school being able to speak Māori and to receive a reply in Māori as well. What I would really like is to learn Māori which would give me a glimpse however small in to the Māori world. It is my fervent belief for all New Zealanders. Therefore let's make Māori strong. Members of this House greetings to you all who are assembled here.]"