Sharples Pita: Disability (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Bill — First Reading 
Sharples Pita: Disability (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:648;Page:17289] 
Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker. Kei te raruraru tonu au ki te whakapakehatanga o tenei mea o te haua. Ko te haua ki te reo Pakeha he disability he kaha-kore. Kare au e pai kia whakakorea tetahi ahuatanga o te tangata. E ai ki te reo tauhou o te rangatahi ko te “dis” i te tangata he whakaparahako i a ia he whakaiti i a ia. Otira i a au e korero ana ki te tangata haua ahakoa na te aitua no te whanautanga mai ranei tona ahuatanga haua ka rongo au i te wairua motuhake o te korero. Tena kua rongo au mo tetahi waiata kaha nei kua waiatatia e ai ki ta etahi na Patrick Thompson i waiata mai koia hoki te kaiwhakahaere ratonga Maori o te Hunga Turi i tera wa. Ko tana waiata kahore he rangi kahore he reo engari ara ano te hohonutanga o te korero.  
He wa whakahirahira tenei e matapakihia ai te pire nei te Disabilities (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Bill kati me mihi atu au ki te turanga motuhake o Te Reo Waitohu o Aotearoa raua ko te reo Maori hei reo e whakapumautia i roto i nga ture o Aotearoa. “Ko te reo Maori te kakahu o te whakaaro te huarahi ki te ao turoa.” 
Penei i te reo rangatira e whakaputa ana i o tatou ake whakaaro hohonu rawa atu ma to tatou reo waitohu ka kitea ai nga taonga korero a te Iwi Turi. Kei roto i o ratou tikanga ka kite tatou i te hiahia manawawera o te iwi Turi Maori kia taea e ratou te ao Maori me tona reo motuhake. Me whai wahi nga tangata Turi Maori i roto i nga hui nga marae nga tangihanga kia whai wahi ai ki te reo me nga tikanga tuku iho tae atu ki te whakapapa.  
No ratou ano tera tikanga to ratou mana motuhake to ratou mana tangata e orite ana ki nga mana o nga iwi katoa o te ao. Ko te herenga o nga tikanga o te hunga haua ki nga tikanga o nga iwi taketake he take korero ka whakatakotohia ki tenei marae korero. Ko te patai nui ko tenei he aha te kawanatanga e nekeneke ai kia kaua e whakahaweatia tetahi momo tangata kia manaakihia ratou kia whakawhanaungatia ratou ko nga iwi o Aotearoa i taua wa ano ka kaha whakahe kia peratia ano mo tetahi atu momo tangata?  
Ko te tikanga o te pire nei he whakatika i nga pohehe me te ki ko a tatou awangawanga mo te hunga haua he rite ki te kahakore o te tinana haua tonu. No reira ka whakarere ke tenei pire i etahi atu ture pera i te ture e mea ana me kaua te tangata wairangi e tu hei mema komiti hei kaitiaki ranei. Na konei ka takataka mai etahi whakarere ketanga ture kia hangai tonu tenei motu ki te Kawenata o te Whakakotahitanga o nga Whenua o te Ao mo nga Tikanga Tangata Haua.  
Ko ta matou o te Ropu Maori e pirangi nei kia whakatika te kawanatanga i ona ake mate hinengaro e kore ai ia e manaaki i nga tikanga o nga iwi taketake. E whakahau ana matou kia whakamutua ana whakaaro koaro kia whakawangia nga whakaaro painga kanohi i waiho ai ko Aotearoa tetahi o nga whenua e wha anake i huri tuara ki te Whakaputanga o nga Tikanga o nga Iwi Taketake o te Ao. Kua tae ki te wa kia kaha tatou kia mutu te mataku kia awhina i nga iwi taketake ki te whai wahi i waenganui i nga iwi katoa kia pakari. Ko tenei te wa ki te ata whakaaro ake mo enei take ki te titiro whakamua ki te whakawatea mai i nga taiapa kia korero tahi me te iwi taketake.  
Koia nei te wa na te mea i nga marama tata nei kua tautoko te nuinga o te Paremata o Kanata i tetahi motini tautoko i taua whakaputanga nei. Ko te wa tenei hei whai atu i te kawanatanga o Ahitereiria kua tahuri nei ki te whiriwhiri korero kia takahurihia te whakatau whakahe i te Whakaputanga o nga Tikanga o nga Iwi Taketake. Ki te kore tatou e mataara ka whakarerea ko tatou anake o te ao ko to tatou kawanatanga Reipa e pupuri ana i nga ringaringa o Amerika e whakahe tonu ana i nga mana tangata o nga iwi taketake e kore nei tatou e tu ki te whakapai ake i te noho a nga iwi taketake o te ao.  
Ka kite matou i roto i a matou whiringa korero me nga iwi taketake haua ko te pire nei he taumata tiketike mo nga iwi haua. E mohio ana matou ki nga korero mutunga kore a etahi mo nga tikanga motuhake o te hunga haua ara nga arapiki ki nga whare nunui o te marea. He rite tonu ki nga korero no mai ra ano mo te iwi Maori nga korero e rangona ana i roto i tenei Whare mo nga tikanga motuhake e ai ki nga whakapae hei whakarangatira i a matou.  
Kahore he tangata kapo atu i te tangata kaore e hiahia ana ki te kite. Ko ta te pire nei he huri ano ki nga tauira kia hanga tatou i tetahi kaupapa awhina i te hunga haua kia orite o ratou tikanga ki nga tikanga o te katoa. He tohutohu tonu kei te haere kia whakakore i nga taiapa e aukati ana i te hunga haua kia whakawateatia ratou. Tera te whakatauaki tika “Taihoa e tangohia te koi i te kanohi o to teina kia tangohia ra ano te poro i tou ake kanohi.” 
E mohio ana tatou ko nga hua ki te hunga haua i Aotearoa nei he iti iho i to te hunga kaha: nga turanga mahi te utu mahi nga tohu matauranga te hauora o te tangata. Ka whakakaha ake te whakataunga nei i te Rautaki Haua kia ora ake ai te hunga haua. Ko te tumanako ma te whakaaetanga ki tenei kawenata e waia ai te hunga kaha ki te hikoi i te taha tonu o te hunga haua. He manaaki i nga wawata o te hunga haua ehara i te whai i nga taumata i tohua mo ratou e nga kaimahi kawanatanga. He whakangawari i nga ratonga mo te whanau kua ruarua noa iho nga kaimahi e torotoro ana i a ratou. Kia whakamauru atu te hunga haua ki nga tohunga kia riro ma te whanau ano e whakatutuki. Kia matau ake kia whai tikanga te whanau kia taea te hiki i nga taumahatanga o te wa koia nei tana mahi. Kia piri nga whanau ki nga ratonga kia piri nga ratonga ki te kawanatanga i runga i te whakapono me te aroha.  
Heoi ano ka waiho ki mua i te Whare tenei korero whakahihiko ngakau mai i a CCS Disability Action. Ko to ratou kupu whakakaupapa  
Te Hunga Haua Mauri mo nga Tangata 
Katoa 
 he korero mana. He korero whakamahara i a tatou he mauri to tena to tena he orite katoa. Ko ta ratou hiahia ki te whakapu ki roto i aua kupu korero kia noho kotahi nga iwi maha nga tangata rere ke katoa o Aotearoa. Kua taea tetahi taumata teitei mo tenei motu ki te tautoko i tetahi ture whakapumau i te Kawenata a te Kotahitanga o nga Whenua o te Ao mo nga Tangata Haua otira he ture ano hei whakapumau i te Whakaputanga o nga Tika o nga Iwi Taketake o te Ao. Kei Mr Assistant Speaker he tohu tera tuturu he orite katoa nga mauri! Tena koe tena tatou katoa. 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
The concept of disabilities is one I have always had a problem with. “Dis” is commonly applied to words to show an absence of something a removal a separation a disadvantage. In the lingo of the street to “dis” someone is to indulge in disrespectful talk. Yet when I speak with people who whether by accident or by birth experience limitations in their movements their senses or their activities I often find myself in awe of the additional powers they bring to our conversation. Indeed I have heard of what some say was the most powerful song they have ever heard that sung by Patrick Thompson who at that time was the Maori services manager for the Deaf Association. It was a song in which no sound was transmitted but the meaning was profound.  
It is a particularly powerful week to be considering the Disabilities (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Bill as I recognise the unique status of the New Zealand Sign Language and te reo Maori as two of the three official languages of New Zealand. “ 
The Maori language is the cloak of thoughts the way forward in a sustainable world.” Te reo rangatira enables our most vivid thinking to be understood; the use of sign language also enables the rich artistic expression of the stories and traditions of the Deaf culture. Within that culture we recognise the passionate desire of the Maori Deaf community to access te reo Maori and Te Ao Maori: Maori Deaf who deserve to be full participants in hui marae events and tangi and therefore to increase their access to Maori language and culture including genealogy.  
This is their right to self-determination to enjoy the full and equal entitlement of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. The intersection between the rights of people with disabilities and the rights of indigenous peoples is an association we are pleased to bring to this House. The irony that the Maori Party demands be part of this debate is to ask the question: how can the Government move to support rights to address discrimination and social inclusion for one group of New Zealanders while at the same time vehemently opposing them for another group?  
This bill before us now seeks to demonstrate that the accumulated myths and fears about disabilities are as much a handicap as may be any physical limitations that flow from actual impairment. So the bill has the effect of amending various statutes such as removing the automatic disqualification of persons with a mental health disability from certain public or fiduciary offices. The bill sets in train a chain of amendments that will make our nation consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 
What we are seeking as the Maori Party is that the Government seek to address its own mental health limitations in recognising the rights of indigenous peoples. We seek to urge this Government to overcome its prejudices to face the racist attitudes that have resulted in New Zealand being one of only four countries to oppose the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Now is the time to dig deep to confront those fears and to enable the full  
participation and engagement of indigenous peoples in society to progress unhindered.  
Now is the time because in the least few months a majority of the Canadian House of Commons have adopted a motion in support of the declaration. Now is the time to follow the leadership of the  
Australian Government in announcing that is consulting with stakeholders about reversing its opposition to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. If we do not watch out because of this Labour-led minority Government we will be the only country left in the world holding hands with the United States in rejecting the opportunity to respect the human rights of tangata whenua and to make a stand to improve the lives of indigenous peoples right throughout the international community.  
We understand from our consultations with indigenous peoples with disabilities that this bill today is being thought of as a significant benchmark to meet the needs of disabled peoples. We know the perpetual myths that some in society see associated with the signs of what they call special privileges for the disabled: the ramps and elevators of public buildings. It is a similar argument that Maori have always experienced: the references to so-called race-based special privileges that are so frequently chucked around this House. 
There are none so blind as those who will not see. What this bill does is to build on best knowledge about what is required to actually enable disabled peoples to enjoy human rights on an equal basis with others. It delivers guidance about how to remove barriers that may serve to deny disabled peoples the opportunity to take up their full human rights. It may be a case not so much of focusing on the splinter in your brother’s eye but of pulling out the log from your own.  
What we know in terms of outcomes for disabled peoples in Aotearoa is that they typically experience lower employment rates lower incomes lower education attainment and more inadequate health than non-disabled peoples. This convention will serve to strengthen the New Zealand Disability Strategy to help to make a real difference in the lives of disabled peoples. We hope that the greatest thing that could come from signing up to this convention is the willingness for non-disabled persons to walk in the shoes of the disabled. It is about respecting the outcomes that individuals and family are seeking rather than bureaucrats prescribing outputs that they consider in their best interests. It is about ensuring that service delivery is whanau-friendly minimising the number of agencies traipsing through their lives. It is about reducing the reliance on formal and specialist support structures by instead building up the strength of family capability. It is about families having knowledge and strategies that will give them greater resilience during cycles of stress. It is about building relationships of trust between both services and family and services and the State.  
Finally I want to leave with the House the inspiration I have found in the words of CCS Disability Action including all people. Their foundation statement Te Hunga Haua Mauri Mo Nga Tangata Katoa forms the basis of their identity. This statement is a powerful reminder that all people have a life force and that all life force is equal. The vision that CCS Disability Action believes in encompassed in its foundation statement is to build a truly inclusive New Zealand—a country that embraces diversity. It would be a moment of great significance in our history if we could not only move to support legislation to enact the 
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities but if we could also support legislation to enact the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Such an act would be a powerful sign that all life force is indeed equal. Greetings to you and to all of us. 
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