Henare Peeni: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHenare Peeni: Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 09 March 2016. Volume:711;Page:9555. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]PEENI HENARE (Labour—Tāmaki Makaurau):Tuku mauri ora ki te wheiao ki te ao mārama tihei wā mauri ora! Ka wehi tonu ahau ki tō tātou Kaihanga nāna Te Reo Māori i hōmai nāna Te Reo Māori e kaha tiaki ki roto i ngā tau nāna anō hoki Te Reo Māori ka hāpai ki roto i ngā tau katoa kei mua i a tātau. Ka tautoko ahau i ngā kōrero me ngā tangi poroporoaki atu ki te hunga mate ngā mate kua wahaina mai e Te Minita ki roto i tana kōrero.I a au e rangahau ana i tēnei kaupapa Te Pire mō Te Reo Māori ka pānui ahau i ngā kōrero totohe o tēnei Whare i ngā tau waru tekau i whakatū i whakamana te Pire Tuatahi mō Te Reo Māori. Mehemea e whakaae ana e Te Māngai o Te Whare ka pānui ahau i tētahi paku kōrero ka kitea ki roto i ngā totohe o aua waru tekau tau. E ai ki te mema e kīia nei ko tōna ingoa ko Mervyn Wellington: “… I suspect merely respond to the demands of the radical intellectuals having identified the fact that it is the young university trained radicals coming out of the hands of Ranginui Walker.” Kāti ka tangi atu ahau ki tērā tupu ao ō tātou kua ngaro atu ki te pō rātau ki a rātau e Te Minita kua kōrero mai nā e koe i te ngākau o Pāpā kāti e tangi tonu ana ahau otirā te kāinga o Te Tai Tokerau koutou te hunga wairua ki a koutou e moe e moe okioki!E tautoko ana ahau i ngā kōrero o te motu whānui e mihi atu ana ki Te Minita me tana ngākau nui ki tō tātou Reo Māori. I hāpai ake i tēnei Pire Reo Māori i mahue mai nei e Te Tākuta Tā Pita Sharples ki roto i tana kōnae mahi. Nō reira e mihi atu ana au ki a ia ki ōna āpiha katoa i whakapau werawera mō Te Reo te take. Ka mihi atu ahau ki Te Rōpū Whiriwhiri i ngā Take Māori anā ko Te Heamana kai roto i Te Whare i tēnei wā e Tūtehounuku e mihi atu ana au ki a koe me ngā mema katoa o Te Rōpū Whiriwhiri. E tautoko ana ahau ki ngā rōpū i awhi i tēnei kaupapa mai i te pānuitanga tuatahi tae noa mai ki tēnei wā. Kua kōrero mai Te Minita mō Te Rōpū Tohutohu Reo Māori. Ko tana kōrero e kī ana ko ētahi kai roto i Te Whare i tēnei wā e mihi atu ana.E mihi atu ana ki tētahi atu rōpū e tautoko ana i tēnei kaupapa arā ko Te Paepae Motuhake mō ngā mahi katoa mō ō rātou ki te hui ngātahi me te iwi Māori. Ko wai hoki ko te motu whānui. E mihi atu ana au ki a rātou. E mihi atu ana ahau ki tērā kōrero a Te Minita e mea ana ko te kākano o tēnei pire nā tērā rangatira o tātou arā ko Tā Pita Sharples. I manakohia ai kia whakahoki atu te mauri me te mana o tō tātou Reo Māori ki ngā iwi ki ngā whānau ki ngā otaota o te marae. Ki roto i te roanga ake o ngā totohe e pā ana ki tēnei pire ka whakamātautau tātau mehemea ka tutuki taua hiahia. Ka whakamātautau tonu tātau mehemea kai roto i te roanga ake o tēnei pire me ōna whāinga katoa ka tutuki i taua hiahia a Te Minita a Tā Pita Sharples. Kāti ka mihi atu ahau ki a ia me te whakaaro nui.Kua roa rawa Te Rōpū Reipa e tautoko ana i Te Reo Māori. Kua kōrero ahau mō taku mahi rangahau i ngā kōrero me ngā totohe o ngā tau waru tekau kua pahure ake nei. Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki tērā tupu ō tātau a Te Honore Koro Wētere me tana kaha ki te kawe ake i tō tātou Reo Māori ki roto i tēnei Whare. Ka whakaaro ake ahau e Te Māngai o Te Whare mō te tūnga o Te Taura Whiri i taua tāima me te whakamana i tō tātou Reo Māori ki roto i ngā ture ki runga hoki i te mata o te whenua. Nō reira kai konei mātau e tautoko ana kai konei mātou Te Rōpū Reipa e tautoko ana.Ki roto i te roanga ake o taku kōrero me ngā kōrero o ōku hoa mahi ka rongo i wētahi pātai kai roto tonu i a tātou ka rongo i wētahi nawe wētahi āwangawanga ēhara i te mea he maunga ka kore e taea tātau te eke kāhore! Ēngari ka mea atu ki a koe e Te Minita otirā ki a tātou e Te Whare koinei hoki ko ngā kōrero a te iwi Māori ka hoki mai ki a au otirā ki a mātau ki roto i wā mātau mahi.Nō reira kāti; ka huri atu ahau ki te pire. Ka huri atu ahau ki tēnei pire e mihi atu ana ki te whakaaro nui ka whakamanahia tēnei pire ki roto i Te Reo Māori me te reo Pākehā. Āe mārika ka mihi atu ahau ki te hunga whakamāori; i whakamāori i ngā kōrero Pākehā. Kātahi au ka pānui i te pire ki roto i Te Reo Māori me taku papakupu hei whai atu i ngā kōrero katoa kai roto kātahi rā te ātaahua ō tō tātou Reo Māori. E mihi atu ana au ki Te Minita me tana kaha ki te whakarongo ki te iwi ki ngā pahupahu o tēnei ki roto i ngā tau kua pahure ake nei.Kua roa rawa au e mea ana kai hea Te Reo mō te hunga noho tāone? Kai hea Te Reo mō te mātatorutanga o Te Iwi Māori ka noho ki roto i tōku wāhi pōti o Tamaki-makau-rau? Nā kua rongo i Te Minita e hari koa ana. E hari koa ana ahau ka whai tūranga te hunga noho tāone ki runga i Te Poari o Te Mātāwai. Nō reira ka mihi atu ahau ki tērā āhuatanga. Ka mihi atu anō hoki tēnei ki te whakaaro nui o tōku pāpā me tōku tuakana a Pita Paraone e noho mai nei. Ka pupuri tonu tātau Te Iwi Māori otirā te motu whānui o Aotearoa i Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori. Kia kaua e motuhia i aua taura kia tuku pai kia tiaki pai i tō tātou Reo Māori me ōna nekehanga katoa nō reira ka mihi atu ahau ki tērā whakaaro nui e Te Minita.Ko ētahi o ngā take ka puta mai ki roto i wā mātou whiriwhiri i te take nei ko tētahi kua roa rawa mātau e mea atu ana he aha te take o te kākahu Pākehā ki runga i te taonga Māori? He aha te take kia whakatūngia i ētahi atu peka o te Kāwanatanga hai whakahaere i tō Tātou Reo Māori? Ko te hiahia me te whāinga matua o Tā Pita Sharples i a ia e kōkiri ana i tēnei take kia whakahokia atu te mana ki ngā iwi ki ngā whānau ki ngā hapū. Ko reira te oranga o te iwi Māori. Nō reira he aha te take o tētahi atu peka hei arataki hei tiaki i tō tātou Reo Māori? Ko tēnā te kōrero ko te kākahu Pākehā ki runga i te taonga Māori. Ko tētahi atu ka pātai atu mātau i te āhuatanga o Te Mātāwai e kīia nei ā ka tukuna mā te tokoiti hei whakahaere hei kawe ake i Te Reo o te tokomaha.I a mātou o Te Rōpū Whiriwhiri i ngā Take Māori e noho ana ki te whakarongo ki ngā kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei pire i puta mai tētahi kōrero ātaahua rawa atu ā e ki atu ana ki a tātau nō Ngāti Hine tēnei kōrero ko wā rātau anā nā Te Waihoroi. Hei tāna e mōhio ana tātau katoa ki ngā kau kai roto i te pāmu o Te Reo Māori i tēnei wā tonu. E mōhio ana tātau he aha ngā kau kai roto i te pāmu. Ko te hiahia ā kai hea ngā kau e hiahia ana kia uru mai ki roto i te pāmu hai whāngai i tō tātou Reo Māori hei kawe ake ki roto i ngā tau kai mua i a tātau. Anā ko ngā ingoa o aua kau ko Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga. Anā ko te ingoa o aua kau ko ngā tari Kāwanatanga kua roa rawa e aukati kua roa rawa e pēhi ana i tō tātou Reo Māori ki raro. Kāti he kōrero tēnā i kohia e mātou ki roto i wā mātou mahi whiriwhiri kōrero mō te take o Te Reo Māori.Ko tētahi atu take he aha nei te whāinga matua? E mōhio ana tātau i te hiahia o Te Minita tawhito a Tā Pita Sharples mō Te Reo Māori ēngari ki roto i te pire e ka waihona atu mā tātau anō ngā whāinga matua e tohutohu e kimi horekau he raru mō tēnā. Ēngari e mōhio ana tātau katoa ki roto i ngā whakatipuranga e toru tātau ka kite he aha nei ngā hua. Nō reira ka whakaaro ake me kimi tonu tātau he aha nei te whāinga matua mā tātau hai kawe ake ki roto i ngā tau kei mua i a tātau.Ko tētahi atu e pā ana ki te wāhanga tuatahi o te pire e mea ana ko te mahi arotake i te pire nei. Ka tukuna atu mā te toru tau ā ka mutu te toru tau ka arotakengia e tātau te mahi o Te Mātāwai me ngā hua katoa o tēnei pire. Kai konei mātau e aro haehae ana i ngā nekehanga o tēnei Kāwanatanga mehemea ka tutuki pai ngā moemoeā me ngā hiahia o Te Iwi Māori mō Te Reo te take.Hai whakakapi ake ka hoki atu ahau ki tērā kōrero mō ngā whāinga matua o tēnei pire. Ka whakaaro ake ahau ki ngā whare tupuna ka tū ki runga i ngā marae puta noa ko reira ngā maihi o ngā whare. Nā kua kōrero mai te pire nei ko te maihi Māori ko te maihi Kāwanatanga i a au e mātakitaki atu ana ki ngā whare e noho wahangū ki runga i te motu whānui ka whakaaro ake ka pēhea wēnei maihi e kōrero? Mā te tangata ngā maihi e kōrero kāti ka waiho anake tēnā whakaaro hei whakaaroaro mā tātau katoa ki roto i te roanga o tō mātau totohe i te pō nei. Ka rongo koe i ngā kōrero a ōku hoa mahi kāti huri tua atu ki a tātou katoa e Te Minita e Te Māngai o Te Whare; tēnā koutou tēnā koutou kia ora tātau katoa.[Let the breath of life come from the dawn to the world of the light; behold the breath of life. I pay homage to our creator who gave us the Māori language; he carefully nurtured the language over the years and he will assist in its maintenance in the years to come. I support the words and lamentations expressed for the deceased including those deceased mentioned in the Minister for Māori Development’s speech.While I was researching this matter the Māori Language Bill I read the various debates that occurred in the House in the 1980s when the first Māori Language Act was enacted. If the Assistant Speaker approves I want to read a little excerpt that I found in those debates of the 1980s. According to a member called Mervyn Wellington: “… I suspect merely respond to the demands of the radical intellectuals having identified the fact that it is the young university trained radicals coming out of the handsof Ranginui Walker.” Enough I grieve for that genius of ours who has vanished into the night. Minister you mentioned my father and his inclinations; alas I still grieve for him and indeed so do the people of Northland. May all the deceased abide with the deceased; sleep and rest in peace.I support the acknowledgments from all around the country directed to the Minister for his passion for our Maori language. He continued with the Māori Language Bill left by Sir Pita Sharples in his portfolio. So I want to thank him and all of his officials who expended a lot of effort for the language. I want to thank the Māori Affairs Committee and the chairman who is in the House at this moment. I salute you Tūtehounuku and all the members of the select committee. I support all the parties who embraced this matter from the time of the first reading until now. The Minister has spoken of the Māori Language Advisory Group. He mentioned in his contribution that some were present in the House; I acknowledge them.I want to pay tribute to another group that supports this matter and that is the Paepae Motuhake foritsgreat efforts in meeting with the Māori people; indeed with people from all around the country. I congratulateit. I want to acknowledge the words of the Minister when he said that the seeds of this bill were planted by that esteemed leader of ours Sir Pita Sharples. It was his desire to return the responsibility for the life force and authority of the language to the tribes to the families and back to the arena of the marae. For the duration of this debate we will be examining if indeed this will come about. We willstill examine throughout the duration of this bill and its aims the question of whether the will of the previous Minister Sir Peter Sharples will be realised. So I thank him for his great idea.The Labour Party has supported the Māori language for a long time now. I have talked about my research on the discussions and debates that took place in the 1980s. I am reminded of that other genius of ours the Hon Koro Wētere and his perseverance in bringing the Māori language to the attention of this House. I am also reminded of the establishment of Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori at that time and the enactment of legislation that made our language the official language of this country. Therefore we are supporting this bill. The Labour Party supports this bill.Throughout the period of my speech and from the comments of my work colleagues you would have realised that we have questions. You would have heard some concerns and some complaints. It is not as though it is an insurmountable mountain for us;indeed not. However I would say to you Minister and to us in the House that these are the thoughts of the Māori people that I hear; indeed what we all hear in our work.Therefore I return to the bill. I turn to this bill and acknowledge an important aspect which is that this bill will be given effect to in the Māori language and the English language. Yes indeed I want to thank the Māori translators who translated the English version. When I read the Māori version of the bill I needed to have my dictionary alongside me. What a beautiful language we have. I want to acknowledge the Minister and his tenacity in listening to the people and their commentary on this matter over the years past.I have for some time now wondered where does the language feature in terms of those who live in the cities? Where is the language for the majority of Māori who live in my electorate of Auckland? The Minister has heard and I am pleased. I am satisfied that the urban dwellers will have a position on the board of Te Mātāwai. So I acknowledge that point. I want to also acknowledge the great thought of my father and my elder cousin Pita Paraone who is present here. We the Māori people indeed the whole country retain the Māori Language Commission so that we do not sever those connections that deliver and care for our Māori language and all related aspects. So I acknowledge that very important gesture Minister.Other points that came out of our discussions on this matter and we have been saying this for some time now—why throw a Pākehā cloak over a Māori treasure to run it? The desire and primary goal of Sir Pita Sharples during his research was to return the mandate to the tribes families and sub-tribes. Its well-being is there! Therefore why have another branch to lead and look after our Māori language? That is what“a Pākehā cloak over a Māori treasure”is on about. Furthermore we question the situation concerning Te Mātāwai which states that this minority group will administer and be responsible for the language of the multitude.When the Māori Affairs Committee was convened to listen to the submissions in regard to the bill there was a poignant remark made—and I must say it emanated from Ngāti Hine. It was made by Te Waihoroi and he said that we all know about the cows that are on the Māori language farm at this very moment and we know why those cows are on the farm. Is there a need for more? Where are the cows that are willing to enter the farm and impart our Māori language and take it into the future? Well! One of the names of those cows is theMinistryof Education and those cows are all Government departments that have been suppressing our language for a long time now. Anyway this was a contribution that was taken on board in our deliberation on the issues of the Māori language.Another point that we are all aware of is what is the main goal? We know what the previous Minister Sir Pita Sharples desired for the Māori language but in the bill it is left for us to take advice on and to seek. There is no problem with that. We all know there will be three generations before we will see what the benefits are. Therefore I think that we are still trying to ascertain what the main aim is for us in taking our language into the future.On another matter regarding Part 1 of the bill where it mentions the review of this bill: at the end of 3 years the work of Te Mātāwai will be reviewed along with all the other outcomes of this bill. We empathise with the undertakings of this Government and hope that the wishes of the Māori people in regard to the language are realised.In conclusion I go back to that comment about the main goals of this bill. I think of all the ancestral houses that stand on all the marae around the country. That is where you will find themaihiof the ancestral houses. Now this bill makes reference to theMaihiMāori and theMaihiGovernment and I reflect on all the ancestral houses that are sitting in silence around the country. I wonder how thesemaihiwill speak; humans are required to make them talk. Anyway I will leave that thought for all of us to consider over the course of further debate this afternoon when you will hear from my colleagues; so enough from me. I turn now to face us all Minister and Mr Assistant Speaker; greetings salutations and acknowledgments to you and to us all.]