Fox Marama: Obituaries — Sir Graham LatimerText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFox Marama: Obituaries — Sir Graham Latimer[Sitting date: 08 June 2016. Volume:714;Page:11773. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party): Tēnā koe e Te Mana Whakawā. E tāpirihia taku kōrero ki ērā o ngā mihi kua mihia i tēnei wā. Haere atu rā e te hau tipua o Ngāti Kahu ki te paepae o Matariki o Rehua. Haere atu rā moe mai rā i te poho o Ranginui e tū iho nei. E haehaetia te ngākau o te whenua e te mamae![I add my condolences alongside those accorded at this point in time. Journey forth the famed deity of Ngāti Kahu to the threshold of Matariki and Rehua. Travel on and sleep there in the bosom of the Sky Father standing before us. The heart of the country is lacerated by the pain!]The Māori Party joins with the Whare today in lamenting the passing of Sir Graham Latimer who helped to bring the Treaty of Waitangi back into our nation’s consciousness. He was an outstanding leader who demonstrated the value of Māori working across the political spectrum. Although he was a staunch National Party supporter and member he worked with Labour MP Matiu Rata to gain greater recognition of the Treaty. When the late Matiu Rata was the Minister for Māori Affairs he established the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975 and Sir Graham Latimer was one of its first commissioners.Sir Graham Latimer was at the helm of the New Zealand Māori Council for 40 years during a pivotal time of the Māori renaissance. He also famously as we have heard mortgaged his farm to rally against the sale of assets. This generation is indebted to him for his foresight and his courage. Without the work and sacrifices made by people like Sir Graham we would not have the gains we have made in key areas like fisheries land forestry Te Reo Māori and broadcasting. His legacy continues today including the current debate about the allocation of water rights.Such was the commitment of his whānau to building a mature nation that Tā Graham personally funded a full-page advertisement in all major newspapers throughout Aotearoaon Waitangi Day in 1988. His open letter included a copy of the Treaty and challenged the nation to consider its impact on their lives. Our greatest gift to the whānau would be to see his wishes more fully realised.Although we mourn a public figure we know he will be deeply missed by his children his mokopuna his whānau and his friends and we extend our condolences to those grieving for his loss.You could surmise from the things that have been spoken here that Sir Graham may have been a Māori Party supporter. I know that in fact he would have been a supporter of making Te Reo Māori a core subject in our curriculum and also he would recognise the oaths and declarations bill that is coming to the House tonight in recognising the Treaty when you take an oath of office. Nō reira tāpirihia ngā mihi kua mihia tangihia te ngākau tangihia ngā roimata heke iho te hūpē kia whārikihia te papa e te mamae tēnā koutou.[Therefore append the tributes accorded allow the sorrow to be expressed the tears to be shed and the mucus to descend upon the land covered by the pain; my appreciation to you collectively.]