Rurawhe Adrian; Kerekere ElizabethVALEDICTORY STATEMENTSSPEAKER: Members following the valedictory statement of Dr Elizabeth Kerekere the House will suspend for the dinner break. I call on Dr Elizabeth Kerekere to make her valedictory statement.Dr ELIZABETH KEREKERE: Tēnā rā tātou katoa. E tika ana kia tuku mihi ki ngā atua ngā kaitiaki me ngā tipua e karapoti nei i a tātou i tēnei wā. Ki te hunga mate koutou kua riro atu koutou kua takahi i ngā tapuwae o ngā mātua tīpuna ki a Georgina Beyer Pat McGill Aki Paita Patsy Tamihere. E moe e moe moe mai rā i tō moenga roa.Tahuri mai ki te hunga ora Te Ātiawa Ngāti Mutunga otirā Taranaki Whānui tēnei te mihi ki a koutou. Ka tuku mihi hoki ki ngā kaiwhakarite ā-mana whenua o Pāremata Kura Moeahu kōrua ko Ali Houpapa.Te Māngai e te Mana Whakawā ka tū koe ki tō ake mana ki te mana o ngā iwi o Te Taihauāuru hoki.[Greetings to us all. It is appropriate to offer greetings to the deities the guardians and the powerful that surround us at this time. To the deceased you who have passed on you who have followed in the footsteps of our forebears to Georgina Beyer Pat McGill Aki Paita and Patsy Tamihere sleep sleep rest in peace on your eternal bed.I turn now to the living. Te Ātiawa Ngāti Mutunga indeed Taranaki Whānui this is a greeting to you. I offer thanks to the mana whenua facilitators of Parliament Kura Moeahu and Ali Houpapa.Mr Speaker you stand on your own mana and the mana of the iwi of the western regions of the North Island.]Mr Speaker thank you so much for support and advice especially over the past few months. I also acknowledge the former Speaker the Rt Hon Trevor Mallard who once sent me a note in the House to say that my purple sequin jacket was stretching the definition of business attire".Shout-out to Parliamentary Service who indeed are the best people supporting the best Parliament in the world and especially my relationship manager Jane McKenzie and those who have supported my office as we've transitioned. Ka mihi au ki a koutou ko aku hoamahi tōku whānau me ōku hoa ōku hoa katoa kua tae mai. Tēnā rā tātou katoa.[I thank you my colleagues my family and my friends and all of my friends that have arrived here. Thanks to all of us.]Greetings to my colleagues my whānau all of our friends and community people who are here in person and watching online as we #PaintParliamentPurple one more time. I have gathered you here to tell you a story. It is a story of hope of expectation of hard work and very late nights of laughter and of tears—not mine though; apparently I'm not allowed to cry. There is scandal because no one is surprised that I would challenge the powers that be but there is also betrayal because the powers that be don't like to be challenged.As No. 4 on the Green Party initial list this year I thought I was on a heart-warming two-part series and it turns out I was on Survivor and I did not see The Blind Side coming. However it is ultimately a story of triumph because very few people ever get to be an MP. And I sit proudly on my seat up in the naughty corner because it is an incredible honour to serve those who put me here and I will work hard for them every day. Mihi atu ki Te Paati ACT for granting me this space to speak to you all here tonight. As I said in my maiden speech change happens at many levels and for some change for takatāpui Māori and rainbow whānau it can only happen here. And I'm really proud of the things that I've helped usher through because real power and real change lies in community and with whānau where I come from and where I gladly return.In 2020 I came in as part of the most-diverse Green caucus ever and with four rainbow MPs we proudly claimed to be the proudest party in the proudest Parliament in the world. I continue to hold out hope for our next trans non-binary or intersex representative who will one day follow in the footsteps of the late and great Georgina Beyer. I came into the Green Party and eventually into Parliament after over 40 years of working for our people on Te Tiriti o Waitangi and kaupapa Māori things and over 35 years on youth development and rainbow issues. My focus has always been on our health and our wellbeing and for suicide and violence prevention. I led the Māori strategy as chair of Te Mātāwaka the Māori-Pasifika caucus of the Greens—and shout-out to the incredible Te Mātāwaka staff who supported that mahi. Tēnā rā tātou katoa.A highlight was our meetings with the authors of Matike Mai and He Puapua to focus our efforts for the rights of tangata whenua radically shift the way we make decisions together in this country and to work towards a future our ancestors dreamt of when they signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We supported occupations around the motu including at Ihumātao Pūtiki Aotea and Mau Whenua. We encouraged whānau hapū and iwi to reach out so we could work alongside them using our platform and resources to amplify and progress their kaupapa.Operation Pātiki ki Kohupātiki Marae reached out to us through the Greens' Hawke's Bay Te Matau-a-Māui branch—and welcome to both rōpū who are represented here today. In February 2022 Aki Paipper known as "Te Kuini o Te Awa" shared a vision to restore the mauri of the awa and enhance the wellbeing of the people through the return of its original name: Ngaruroro ki Moko-tūā-raro ki Rangatira. We supported their petition two full applications to the Geographic Board visiting Hastings every month and talking almost every day on the phone. In June we celebrated that success. It was an exciting exciting day with the official renaming of Te Awa o Mokotūāraro. We were devastated when only a month later Aki passed away in her sleep. Her legacy lives on and my office will stay committed to Operation Pātiki in her memory.Another favourite was when the whānau of Te Waimana Kaaku who are also represented here tonight reached out to us a year ago. I was proud to host them here in Parliament. They shared their vision of their people with jobs and houses on their whenua and the devastating impact of the sudden halt of a joint hapū-Government project that had promised—or they thought had promised—to bring their vision to reality. After I raised questions in the House and arranged meetings for them with Ministers and their officials they had their deposits returned and the project looked set to resume. Now those houses aren't built yet but again we remain committed to supporting them until one day we're seeing those being built and the whānau back home.It is in the rainbow space that we have been the most transformative Government. Shout-out to Rainbow Greens who were with me every step of the way and several of whom are here in the House. In 2021 the Greens led the news at Waitangi for the first time talking about takatāpui rights and banning conversion therapy. My record-breaking petition was launched at Auckland Pride—and garnered over 157000 signatures in one week—pressuring the Government to pass legislation sooner rather than later. I joined the Justice Committee for the also record-breaking numbers of submissions and hearings. I also joined the Governance and Administration Committee for the Births Deaths Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 2021 to ensure that our trans non-binary and intersex whānau could more easily change their birth certificates. We've made progress for those people who are born here but there's work to do on those who are born overseas. We will keep going.One of my single proudest things is putting the term "takatāpui" into legislation for the first time—in the Pae Ora legislation—after so very long of researching promoting and advocating. To be able to do that was an incredible incredible thing for me. My member's bill—I put that in the biscuit tin like just around my maiden speech and it got drawn just in time to exist. We'll see what happens in the next Government but it was the Human Rights (Prohibition of Discrimination on Grounds of Gender Identity or Expression and Variations of Sex Characteristics) Amendment Bill—again putting a stake in the ground in law for our trans non-binary and intersex whānau. In a quick shout-out to the Human Rights Commission and the cross-party parliamentary rainbow group we have supported the International Day Against Homophobia Biphobia and Transphobia and loosely through our respective parties contributed to all the legislation that has happened in this area. So that was some of the great stuff. There are other things not so great.A few months ago I had a falling out with the co-leaders of the Green Party which led to my resignation from the party and my retirement from Parliament. I don't know if anyone here noticed it it was handled quite discreetly and actually it was not fun. Day after day week after week month after month I watched while increasingly unfounded and increasingly elaborate allegations were made about me. They also claimed that these issues were being resolved by some sort of process that they had under way. I categorically dispute all such allegations. So this email was sent to my lawyer from the so-called process team dated 7.14 p.m. Wednesday 3 May—a full four weeks after the original incident. And I quote: "As previously discussed please find attached draft terms of reference for the next steps in our process. You will note that the list of complainants are just Marama and James this is because we have not received formal complaints from anyone else at this time."So to recap no formal complaints no natural justice and never a process let alone a tikanga-based one. I consider this to be an epic failure of leadership. I've been a leader for most of my life and mentored many other leaders especially amongst our young rainbow people. So here's some tips on how to be a good leader: if the staff person or MP expresses concerns with how they're being treated address it immediately. Follow a good faith and restorative process. If a staff member or MP is bringing concerns about racism or other behaviour from other MPs and senior staff perhaps address those issues. If allegations have been made about someone perhaps talk to that person to clarify the facts before you start vilifying them in public. And lastly if your organisation has a clear principle of non-violence perhaps do not engage in ongoing abusive behaviour.Many people have asked even after all this why I still support the Green Party. I support the vote in the House except of course for the therapeutic bill. But I'm as committed to our charter principles of ecological wisdom social responsibility appropriate decision making and non-violence as I ever was. I support the Green kaupapa and policies—several of which I helped write—and use of Māori frameworks I created. As in fact the entire restructure of the party was based on a Māori framework I created. Some of the people I love and trust the most in this world are Green Party members including my wife—under duress—and my staff Kerry Peipi and the former party co-convener Wiremu Winitana. I mihi to all the Green members from the across the country who are in the House here tonight particularly to the other former party co-convener Penny Leach and her girls who are here all the way from Munich. Because I still think of this as my party and one day I plan to be back. I've got work to do but I will never apologise for calling out racism homophobia and transphobia wherever it occurs.Speaking of calling out like many people I thought the theatre of the debating chamber was indicative of relationships in this House. But of course it is not. The thing that most surprised me when I became an MP was how collegial it was and we know we get most of the real work done in our select committees and cross-party parliamentary groups. I am such a big fan of the Health Committee. I am so proud to do that work and it is the time when I most feel like a lawmaker is in that space working with my colleagues. I have such huge respect for the chairs and the members of that committee. And just a shout-out to the staff who do incredible work—we've gone through 67 petitions in our job and I have appointed myself as the editor-in-chief of all reports and papers that come through that committee.I also became co-chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for North America with my colleague Nicola Grigg and I'm a member of the Europe Friendship Group that involves hosting a meeting online with dignitaries across those regions. Last year my highlight was visiting colleagues in six European countries in just two weeks including seeing the European Parliament in action and listening to Paul Goldsmith play music of a Lithuania composer on a grand piano in Lithuania. Less fun was when our entire delegation's luggage went missing and it chased us across Europe for the last week.I was also part of the Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development and supported events by the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians. A highlight for me was the combined celebration we held last year for being the first Parliament in the world to get 50 percent women representation. But I am most proud of being chair of the Artworks Committee. Shout-out to Tasha Fernandez and the crew for their stellar work. We opened Te Papakura gallery and increased the representation of women and Māori artists in the collection with the purchase of six new major works.This is a workplace unlike any other. Being in Parliament leaves its mark on all of us—like I never used to work with the TV on but now Parliament TV has been the soundtrack of the last three years. Now not only can I recognise every single voice in this House without looking I don't know how I will function without hearing the dulcet tones of Andrew Bayly or Grant Robertson or hearing the Hon Ginny Andersen tell the Hon Mark Mitchell one more time including today how "the 1800 extra police will help New Zealanders feel safe." I have never taken this job for granted because the goal was never to be an MP the goal was to do what only an MP could do. Now I know how everything works I can operate better as an advocate in the future. I said in my maiden speech that I would work respectfully across the House and I hope that my colleagues have found this to be so and that regardless of who is in Government after the dust settles those MPs who remain will take my call if I ring. And to be clear I'm not starting my own lobby company—only because none of the communities I represent can afford to pay me. After Parliament I will put my energy back into my research and ensuring Pae Ora actually delivers everything it claims it will for Māori Pasifika women rainbow people people with disabilities in rural areas and with rare disorders.Now I promised a triumphant end to this story. When I became an independent MP we heard the horror stories of previous independents who struggled without the machinery of their party. I aimed to number one be the best independent MP ever in this Parliament and number two to go out in style. History will decide the first and I would like to thank all of you here today for helping create the second. My colleagues you are all welcome to join our party tonight. There will be food drink a cashless cash bar and dancing. Shout-out to my favourite band White Chapel Jak who have come down from Auckland to perform for us because if you want to catch up with me you will need to go on to the dance floor.Finally as I like to say why do we get up in the morning if not to change the world? I've done that in every other part of my life and with all of you I've done that here and I'll strive to keep doing it after I leave because this is not the end of my story. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou kia ora huihui mai tātou katoa.[Applause hongi and harirū]Waiata—Karanga AotearoaSitting suspended from 6.04 p.m. to 7 p.m."