Sharples Pita: Motions — New Zealand Defence Force—Deaths of Corporal Luke Tamatea Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker and Private Richard Harris in Afghanistan 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Sharples Pita: Motions — New Zealand Defence Force—Deaths of Corporal Luke Tamatea Lance Corporal Jacinda Baker and Private Richard Harris in Afghanistan 
[Sitting date: 21 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4530. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Speaker. Ka tu ake au ki te tautoko i nga mihi o nga rangatira nga kaiarahi nga kaikorero o nga ropu o te Whare nei kua tukuna atu o ratou poroporoaki ki te tokotoru otira nga mihi ki nga whanau na reira tena koutou. Ki nga toa tokotoru o Tumatauenga ki a Luke Douglas Tamatea e 31 ona tau no Te Teko i Tamaki-makau-rau e noho ana. Tokowha ana tamariki i Kawerau e 12 ona tau i te pakanga i Te Taua o Tumatauenga. Ki a Jacinda Francis Elyse Baker e 26 ona tau no Otautahi he takuta tana mahi. I tera tau ka tohua ia ki te metara toa Chief of Army’s Commendation for courage. Ko ia te hoia wahine tuatahi o Aotearoa i mate i te pakanga i Afghanistan. Ki a Richard Lee Harris e 21 ona tau no Ngapuhi ki Hokianga ki Puketi me Ngati Maru. I Pukekohe ia e noho ana. Ka takoto ia ki Piki-te-Aroha marae takiwa o Rahiri ki te Hokianga. No te Ope Tuatahi me te Ope Tuarua hoki o te Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment ratou katoa e mahi ana ma te Taua Whakatika Takiwa i Bamian. E 145 nga mema o taua ropu e 9 tau ratau i reira. I haere katoa atu enei hoia ki Bamian i te Aperira Paenga-whawha o tenei tau. 
I mate i te pahu nui he mea huna na te Taliban i te rori i te takiwa o Do Abe e tata ana ki te wahi i mate ai o ratou hoa tokorua i nga wiki tata nei. I te wa o te pahutanga i te kawe ratou i tetahi hoa hoia ki te hohipera. E meatia ana na te pai o nga mahi a o tatou hoia ki te whakapakari i nga iwi i Bamian te take i tino pirangi ai te Taliban kia patua. No reira e mihi ana au ki tera ropu taua mo a ratou mahi toa i reira. 
Ko te tikanga ka hoki mai nga hoia katoa ki Aotearoa a te Paenga-whawha o te tau e tu mai nei. Tera pea ka tae ki te wa e tu ai nga iwi o reira i runga i to ratou ake rangatiratanga waiho ma ratou ano ratou e whakapakari. 
Na reira koutou hoki wairua mai ki a matou i Aotearoa nei. Hoki wairua mai koutou ki te whanau o nga hoia kia taea e o koutou hoa te tangi mihi poroporoaki i a koutou. Kia uhia nga korero ki runga i a koutou. Kia ringihia nga roimata me nga hupe ki runga i a koutou. Kia whakangawari ai i tena hikoi ki roto i o koutou whanau. Kia takoto ai koutou i o koutou kainga tuturu i waenga i o koutou whanau hapu iwi. Kia mihia koutou kia poroporoakihia koutou. Na reira koutou haere haere atu ra. 
Ki nga matua tipuna whanau o te tokotoru nei ehara tenei i te mahi mama kia kite ai nga matua i o ratou tamariki e hinga mai ana i mua i to ratou matenga. Na reira tena koutou kia kaha anei matou o te Whare Paremata e tautoko ana i a koutou i tenei wa pouri o koutou. Na reira koutou ki a koutou nga mate a tatou te hunga ora ki a tatou tena koutou kei raro. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to endorse the acknowledgments of party leaders leading figures and spokespersons of this House who expressed their farewell tributes to the three and indeed their condolences to the families and so thank you. To the three warriors of the New Zealand Army: Luke Douglas Tamatea aged 31 of Te Teko who lived in Auckland has four children in Kawerau and served in the army for 12 years; Jacinda Francis Elyse Baker aged 26 of Christchurch a medic who received a Chief of Army’s Commendation for courage last year and is the first New Zealand female combat casualty in Afghanistan; and Richard Lee Harris aged 21 a Ngapuhi from Hokianga Puketi and a Ngati Maru who lived in Pukekohe and will lie in state at Piki-te-Aroha Marae at Rahiri Hokianga. All three were from the 2/1st Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and were part of a 145-strong provincial reconstruction team stationed in the province of Bamian for 9 years. All these troops went to Bamian in April this year.  
The trio died in a massive explosion from a bomb concealed by the Taliban on the road to Do Abe close to the area where two of their fellow soldiers were killed in recent weeks. At the time of the explosion they were taking a fellow soldier to hospital. It has been stated that because our troops were doing such a sterling job to improve the lives of the people of Bamian the Taliban really wanted to target and kill them. So I pay a tribute to that troop for their courageous efforts there.  
According to what has been planned the expected withdrawal of all New Zealand soldiers is set for April next year. By that time perhaps the people of Afghanistan would have regained their independence and ability to make their own decisions. In terms of how best they can improve their lives leave that for them to determine. 
Therefore I say to you three return in spirit to us here in New Zealand. Return spiritually to the family of the army so that your fellow soldiers can mourn acknowledge and farewell you three. It will enable you to be shrouded with speeches and have outpourings of tears and mucus cast over you. Those elements will ease the journey back for each of you to your own families and to lie in state in your place of birth among your family subtribe and tribe. And it is there that they will acknowledge and farewell you. So depart go forth goodbye.  
To you the parents ancestors and families of this trio this is not an easy situation for parents to see their children predecease them. Hence I say to you be strong. We the members of the House of Representatives support you at this time of your sadness.  
To you the dead I say unto you remain there among your own and we the living I acknowledge us all and resume my seat 
.]