Sharples Pita: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSharples Pita: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 24 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19524. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Minister of Māori Affairs):I move That the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill be now read a first time. Tēnā anō koe Mr Speaker. E Te Kaihautū o Te Whare tēnei au ka mōtini kia pānuitia tuatahitia Te Pire mō Te Reo Māori. Ka whakaingoa hoki au i Te Komiti Whiriwhiri i ngā Take Māori māna hei tirotiro tēnei pire. Hai te wā rite ana e mea ana au ki te mōtini i tērā me whakahoki mai taua komiti i tāna kōrero mō te pire ki tēnei Whare a te 20 o Poutū-te-Rangi 2015 ā kai taua komiti hoki te mana ki te hui i ngā wā e hui ana Te Whare hāunga i te wā mō ngā pātai ā-waha i te pō rānei o te rā e noho nei Te Whare ā i te Paraire rānei o te wiki e hui ai Te Whare ahakoa ngā whakaritenga a Whakataunga Tūroa 188 me 191(1) (b) (c).Hai tīmatanga kōrero kōrerohia Te Reo. He tāonga Te Reo Māori nō ngā iwi o te motu me ngāi Māori nui tonu. He wāhanga nui hoki Te Reo nō te tuakiri ahurea o ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa. Hai Te Kaihautū. Kai te mōhiotia whānuitia ngā kōrero mō te tāheke o Te Reo Māori i te tau 20 kua hori nei. Ā i te tīmatanga o tērā rau tau e 100 percent te katoa o ngā Māori e kōrero Māori ana. Eke rawa atu ki ngā tau e 70 kua tāheke tēnei kaute mā te 20 percent ā kua kaumātua noa te tokomaha o ērā tāngata. I poropititia e ōna ake tōhunga āhua reo pāpori teitei rawa tērā ka mate Te Reo Māori i roto i te whakatipuranga kotahi. Ka tahuri ngā iwi ki te akiaki i te kāwanatanga i ngā tau e 70 kia whakaakona Te Reo Māori i ngā kura; kia whakaritea mai he wāhanga motuhake mō Te Reo Māori ki roto i Te Kaporeihana Pāho. Kāre i roa ka whānau mai ko Te Ātaarangi hai kaupapa whakaako i te hunga pakeke ki Te Reo Māori.[Thank you once again Mr Speaker I move that the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Māori Affairs Committee to consider this bill. At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be reported to the House by 20 March 2015 and that the committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting except during oral questions during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House despite Standing Orders 188 and 191(1)(b)and (c).As an introduction speak the language! The Māori language is a treasure of tribes and Māori people and an important part as well of the cultural identity of all New Zealanders. Mr Speaker it is well documented that the health of the Māori language declined over the course of the 20thcentury. At the start of that century 100 percentofour people spoke Māori. By the 1970s this had declined to about 20 percent and these people were mainly the elderly. Its own leading sociolinguists predicted that the death of the Māori language would be within one generation. In responsetribes began to urge government in the 1970s to teach the Māori language in schools andto set aside a special Māori language unit within the Broadcasting Corporation. Before long the Cuisenaire rods method of teaching the Māori language was born and used as a basis to teach the Māori language to adults].Te Ururoa Flavell: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker he kaupapa nui tēnei mō te Minita o Te Reo Māori. Kai te hoihoi rawa ngā taha e rua nō reira kai te īnoi atu māu rātau e whakatika kia āhua ngāwari te kōrero.[Mr Speaker this is an important matter for the Minister of the Māori language. Both sides are making just a little too much noise and so I am begging you to tell them to modify the volume of the discussions somewhat.]Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am going to uphold that point of order. Members need to show a little more decorum. I know that this is a time when members traditionally leave the House and organise the afternoon’s activities but we do have a member introducing a bill and I would just ask for decorum. Thank you.Tracey Martin: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Look is this an extension of what I have just dealt with?Tracey Martin: I just want to alert you to the fact that there is no translation.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Thank you. Right I understand there are some difficulties with translation. It is coming through quite clearly in my headset and yes the Clerk has it as well so I am not sure what that member’s problem is. [Interruption] Look let me just say irrespective of whether or not people have a translation there is no reason for the disorder that is currently continuing.Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES: Tēnā koe Mr Deputy Speaker. Kāre i roa ka whānau mai ko Te Ātaarangi hei kaupapa whakaako i te hunga pakeke ki Te Reo Māori. Kātahi ka hua mai ko Te Kōhanga Reo i Te Wānanga Tū Tangata nō muri mai ko Te Kura Kaupapa Māori ko ngā Kura ā-Iwi ā ko ngā Wharekura ko ngā Wānanga hoki. Tērā anō ngā piki me ngā heke o te kaupapa nei ēngari ia kei wareware tātou ko te tino kaupapa o ngā mahi katoa nei ko te tuku i Te Reo o ngā mātua tīpuna ki ngā mokopuna. Kāre i kō atu kāre i kō mai.Nō te tau 1987 ka whakaturetia Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori. Koia rā te whakaaetanga atu a Te Karauna he taonga Te Reo Māori nō ngā iwi me ngāi Māori. Ā ko te whakature hoki tērā he reo whai mana ā-ture Te Reo Māori ki a Aotearoa nei. Nō ngā tau o nā tata nei tērā ētahi arotake e rua o Te Rautaki Reo Māori: ko Te Reo Mauriora (2011) i whakaputahia e taku Paepae Motuhake ā Ko Aotearoa Tēnei (2011) te pūrongo a Te Rōpū Whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi mō Wai 262.Nā runga i te āhua o ngā whakakitenga nei ka tono au ki Te Uepu Minita kia whakaaetia aku kaupapa mō te whakahou i Te Rautaki Reo Māori. Nō te Hui-tanguru i tēnei tau e whitu ngā hui mō Te Rautaki Reo Māori hou ka kawea ki ngā tōpitotanga o Aotearoa. I taki taetae mai hoki ngā tāpae ā-tuhituhi nei a te takitahi a ngā rōpū reo Māori anō hoki. I tae ā-tinana ahau ki ngā hui e ono. Kei te āta whakapono au i rangona ngā reo o te hunga e hiahia ana ki te tuku kōrero mai hei aha wā ētahi atu. I tātarihia ngā tāpaetanga katoa e Te Puni Kōkiri. Nō te Haratua o nā tata nei ka whakaaetia Te Rautaki Reo Māori 2014. Ka riro mā tēnei pire e whiriwhiri nei tātou i tēnei rā e whakatutuki ētahi wāhanga nui o Te Rautaki Reo Māori nei.Nā mō te pire nei e rua ngā whāinga a te pire mō Te Reo Māori; ko te whakapiki i te whai mana tangata ā-ture o Te Reo Māori; ko te whakaū hoki i te rangatiratanga o ngā iwi me ngāi Māori nui tonu ki tō rātou Reo. Mō te rangatiratanga o ngā iwi me ngāi Māori i tō rātou reo ko Te Mātāwai tērā arā ko tētahi whakahaere motuhake ka whakatūria ki roto i te pire nei. Ka noho here a Te Mātāwai nei ki ngā iwi me ngāi Māori ā ka riro māna e whakatinana te kaitiakitanga o ngā iwi me ngāi Māori i tō rātou Reo. Ka riro anō mā Te Mātāwai e ārahi e tohutohu a Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori a Te Māngai Pāho. Ka mahi tahi ia i Te Minita Māori me Te Minita Pūtea ki te ārahi i Te Whakaata Māori. Ka tukuna te rangatiratanga o ēnei whakahaere katoa e Te Karauna ki ngā iwi me ngāi Māori nui tonu.Heoi anō māku e kī atu ki Te Whare nei ēhara rawa i te mea ka motua e Te Karauna ōna herenga ōna kawenga ki te tautoko i Te Reo Māori. Ka mahi tahi kē te Karauna arā ko Te Minita Māori me Te Mātāwai. Ka tekau mā rua ngā mema o Te Mātāwai. Tokowhitu o rātou ka tohua e ngā kāhuinga iwi e whitu. Tokotoru ka tohua e ngā māngai o ngā rōpū whakahaere Reo Māori ngā kaiako me ērā atu. Ka kīia tēnei rōpū ko Te Reo Tukutuku. Ā tokorua ka tohua e Te Minita Māori mō Te Karauna. Kia oti te whakatū i a Te Mātāwai me whāngai ki tētahi pūtea āwhina ka tīkina atu i Te Pōti Take Māori ā tōna wā e tika ana. Hai Te Kaihautū tēnā koe.Ka whakarerekē tēnei pire i te Māori Television Service Act2003 arā ka whakakorea Te Pūtahi Paoho. Ka whakawhitia katoatia āna mahi kawenga hua taunaha ki a Te Mātāwai. Mā tēnei ka kotahi te waka mō ngā iwi me ngāi Māori nui tonu. Me mihi au ki ngā mema o Te Pūtahi Paoho mō tō rātou tautoko i Te Whakaata Māori i te tekau tau kua hori nei. Ka whakarerekē hoki tēnei pire i te ture mō ngā Hinonga Karauna 2004 mā te tango atu i Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori me Te Māngai Pāho i Wāhanga 2 o Te Āpiti 1 o tēnei Ture nō te mea ka mutu te noho a ēnei whakahaere hei hinonga karauna. Ka mau tonu rāua ki ō rāua āhua o tēnei wā. Ka mau anō hoki ki ā rāua mahi ā rāua whakahaere o te wā nei me ō rāua kawenga.Ka noho mai ko ngā mema o ngā poari me ngā kaimahi katoa i runga i ngā kirimana me ngā whakahaere o tēnei wā ēngari ia ka noho here a Te Taura Whiri me Te Māngai Pāho ki a Te Mātāwai. Mā konei mā Te Mātāwai nei e noho here ai rāua ki ngā iwi me ngāi Māori nui tonu. Kua whakapakarihia e tēnei pire a Te Māngai Pāho. Ka whakapakari hoki i a Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo. Ka hikia te pūtea āwhina ki a rāua mō ngā reo irirangi mō ngā kaupapa kei roto i te hapori Māori whānui hoki. Nā reira kei te koa katoa ahau ki te kōkiri i tēnei pānuitanga tuatahi o tēnei pire me te tuku i a ia ki Te Komiti Whiriwhiri Take Māori. Kei te pōuri ahau kāre au i te noho mai kia tutuki rā anō ngā wānanga ngā wāhanga katoa o te pire i roto i Te Whare nei ēngari ia ko te kaupapa te mea nui kaua ko te tangata kotahi. Me āwhina tātou i tō tātou Reo ā me whakapau kaha ki te tautoko i a ia i te ao i te pō. Koirā au ka tono kia whakaaetia te mōtini kia whakahokia mai ngā kōrero ki tēnei Whare a te komiti whiriwhiri mā te 20 o Poutū-te-Rangi 2015.Hei kōrero whakamutunga harikoa au ki te mau i ngā kōrero a ngā kaiārahi o ngā iwi e tautoko ana me ngā kaiārahi o Aotearoa nei ā me te huinga o ngā iwi kaiārahi. Nā reira ahakoa he wā poto ka mihi au ki a koutou katoa e kawe nei i Te Reo ahakoa ki whea kōrerohia ki roto i ngā kāinga ki hea rānei. Nā reira tēnā tātou kai raro.[Before long the Cuisenaire Rods method of teaching the Māori language was born and used as a basis to teach the Māori language to adults. Language nurseries which sprung up from a Stand Tall Humans tertiary institution came next and later Māori medium schools Tribal schools and later still Māori medium secondary schools and Māori medium tertiary institutions. This philosophy has had its ups and downs but without a doubt we must never forget that the enduring commitment behind all these programmes is the transmission of our ancestral language to grandchildren. No more no less.The enactment of the Māori Language Act took place in 1987. That was the acknowledgment of the Crown that the Māori language is a treasure of tribes and Māori people. It enacts the Māori language as well as an official language of New Zealand. In recent years there have been two reviews of the Māori Language Strategy: The Language and a Living Life Principle (2011) produced by anindependentpanel I commissioned; and This New Zealand (2011) the Waitangi Tribunal report forthe Wai262 claim.After consideration of these findings I sought Cabinet agreement to revise and modernise the Government Māori Language Strategy. In February 2014 seven regional consultation seminars were held across New Zealand. Written submissions were also received from individuals and groups. I attended six of the consultation seminars and I am confident that interested New Zealanders had ample opportunity to have their say. All the oral and written submissions were assessed by the Ministry of Māori Development. In May of this year Cabinet approved the Māori Language Strategy 2014. The legislation that we are considering today will give effect to some important elements of the Māori Language Strategy.Thebill itself the Māorilanguagebill has two aims. It seeks to strengthen the recognition of the Māori language and the leadership roles of iwi and Māori.Te Mātāwaiwill be responsible for providing direction and oversight of the Māori Language Commission and the Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency. It will undertake certain functions with regard to the Māori Television Service jointly with the Minister of Māori Affairs and the Minister of Finance. In short the authority for these Māori language entities will be transferred from the Crown to tribes and Māori people.However I want to be clear in what I say in the House that the Crown will not divest itself of its responsibilities and commitments for the Māori language. Rather the Crown through the Minister of Māori Affairs will undertake its roles in conjunction withTe Mātāwai. It will consist of 12members sevenof whomwill be appointed by regional clusters of tribes three members appointed by a Māori language stakeholder group and two members appointed by the Minister of Māori Affairs on behalf of the Crown. When established I anticipate thatTe Mātāwaiwill require an operating budget which will be sourced from within Vote MāoriAffairs at an appropriate time.This bill amends the Māori Television Service Act 2003 in order to disestablish the Māori Television Electoral College and transfer all its functions duties assets and liabilities toTe Mātāwai. This will ensure that tribes and Māori people are represented by a single coordinated entity. I acknowledge the contribution by members of the Māori Television Electoral College to the Māori Television Service over the past decade. This bill also amends the Crown Entities Act 2004 by removing the Māori Language Commission and the Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency from Part 2Schedule 1 of that Act as these two organisations will cease to be crown entities. They will retain their current functions and responsibilities and all board members including staff will be retained under existing employment terms and conditions.The significant change is that the Māori Language Commission and the Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency will be accountable toTe Mātāwaiin the first instance. Through it they will ultimately be responsible and accountable to tribes and Māori people. This bill will strengthen the Māori Broadcasting Funding Agency and the Māori Language Commission. Funding for both will increase for Māori radio and projects within the wider Māori community. And so I am totally pleased to advance the first reading of this bill and refer it to the Māori Affairs committee. I am disappointed that I won’t be remaining here until all deliberations stages and readings of this bill through the House are completed. But the task is the most important thing not the individual. We must help our language and support it day and night. Hence I urge this motion to be agreed to andthe billreported back to the House by 20 March 2015.In conclusion I am delighted to take up the supporting discourse by tribal leaders as well as leading figures here in New Zealand and the tribal leaders’ group. Thereforedespite the time being briefI acknowledge all of you who have taken up the languageand regardless where you use it speak it in the homes or wherever. Thank you I resume my seat.]