Davis Kelvin: Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Davis Kelvin: Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:673;Page:19840] 
KELVIN DAVIS (Labour) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Chair 
.  
Kua roa ahau e ngaro atu ana ki tenei Whare i te mea i te Raki ahau e whakataetae ana ki te turu o Te Tai Tokerau engari e pai ana ki te hoki mai. I runga i te tikanga o tenei wiki ara te Wiki o te Reo Maori ko te tino tumanako ka taea e au te whakamaramatia oku whakaaro e pa ana ki tenei kaupapa i roto i to tatou reo rangatira. Ka tu hoki ahau hei tauira mo ratou e kore e taea ratou i tupu ake penei i ahau ara horekau te reo Maori te reo tuatahi. E tu ana hei tauira mo ratou kia mohiotia e taea ana e tatou te korero mo enei kaupapa ahakoa te hohonu me te whanui he whakamaramatia atu ki te tini ki te mano. 
E miharo hoki ana ahau ki te kaha o oku hoa hei whakamaramatia o ratou whakaaro e pa ana ki tenei pire me te hohonu o o ratou matatau o ratou mohiotanga ki wenei kaupapa. Ahakoa e roa ana e korero ana mo tenei pire he tohu tenei e hapai ana i te mana o tenei ropu ara te Royal Society of New Zealand. E tika ana kia korerohia wenei korero e pa ana ki tenei ropu me te whaititanga hoki kia korero pu ahau kia hangai atu ahau ki tenei te wahanga tuawaru e korero ana kia kore e riro e nga mema o tenei ropu i nga putea i nga moni ranei mo a ratou mahi. Na reira mihi kau ana ki a ratou e whakapau ana o ratou kaha i roto i te ao torangapu te ao putaiao te ao hangarau te ao e pa ana ki nga tikanga tangata ratou e mahi ana i o ratou mahi hohonu mo te kore utu. Kore ratou e whiwhi he paku aha mo a ratou mahi mihi kau ana ki a ratou. 
Engari tua atu i a ratou ko te wahanga rua me te 
section 8(2)(a) ka hoatu he putea ki a ratou nga kaimahi o te ropu o te Royal Society of New Zealand. E tika ana kia utua ratou mo a ratou mahi i a ratou e mahi ana hei whakatutuki ai i nga wawata o te Royal Society of New Zealand. Na reira e tika ana tenei i te mea mohio ana a Aotearoa ko matou te Ropu Reipa te ropu e ngakaunui ana ki nga hiahia o nga kaimahi. Na reira e tika ana mo ratou kia riro ai he utu he putea mo a ratou mahi mo te Royal Society of New Zealand. E tika ana hoki kia whakahokia nga putea kua whakapaungia e nga kaimahi i a ratou e mahi ana ara i te wahanga 8(2)(c) 
  
“the payment of expenses incurred in the performance of office;” 
  
e tika ana kia whakahokia nga putea na ratou i whakapaungia. He ahuatanga pai hoki mo ratou kua whiwhi i nga taonga i roto i te wahanga 8(2)(d) ratou i whiwhi i nga taonga mo a ratou mahi. Na ratou i tae ai i whakatutuki ai i nga ahuatanga e pa ana ki te rangahau o te putaiao me te hangarau. E pai ana mo ratou kia riro ai i a ratou he putea hoki. Na reira e pa ana ki tenei wahanga tuawaru o tenei pire he wahanga pai pera i toku hoamahi a Grant Robertson i whakamaramatia ai. Na reira mihi kau ana ki a ia mo tona kaha ki te hapai i tenei pire. 
[ 
Thank you Mr Chair. I have been away from this House a long time because I was in the far north contesting the Te Tai Tokerau seat. However it is good to be back. Because of what this week means being Maori Language Week the real hope is that I will be able to express my thoughts on this matter in our revered language. I stand also as an example for them who grew up like me without the Maori language being my first language. I stand as an example to them so they know that it is possible for us to address these matters despite their depth and breadth and explain them as well to the masses.  
I admire the efforts of my colleagues in explaining their thoughts on this bill and the depth of their knowledge and understanding about these matters. While the debate on this bill has been lengthy this signals that it is endorsing the status of this organisation the Royal Society of New Zealand. It is right that comments about this organisation be made but I must confine my comments directly to and focus on section 8 of the Royal Society of New Zealand Act which states that members of the society cannot receive funding or money for their work. So I pay tribute to those people who worked hard in the political scientific technology and humanities sectors doing their work at great depth for nothing. They receive no financial rewards for their efforts and therefore I truly acknowledge them.  
But beyond them there is section 8(2)(a) which provides funding to the staff of the Royal Society of New Zealand. It is right that they be paid for their work in fulfilling the goals of the Royal Society of New Zealand. This is right because New Zealand knows that we of the Labour Party are the most committed to the needs of workers. It is right that they be paid for their work at the Royal Society of New Zealand. Workers should be reimbursed for what they spend while carrying out their duties as in section 8(2)(c) which states “the payment of expenses incurred in the performance of office”. It is right that expenses incurred by them be reimbursed. Those who have received gifts as provided for in section 8(2)(d) which relates to those who receive gifts for their work have achieved and completed scientific and technological research. It is wonderful that they be paid as well. As my colleague Grant Robertson said section 8 is a good section. I acknowledge his efforts in promoting this bill. 
] 
It gives me great pleasure to return to the House after a 6-week absence while I was contesting unsuccessfully the seat of Te Tai Tokerau. Unlike my colleague Su’a William Sio who today will have his first opportunity to speak on the Royal Society of New Zealand Amendment Bill I spoke on this bill 6 weeks ago and it is great to come back to the comfort of a bill that we have come to know and love so fondly. It is great to see that my colleagues are upholding democracy in this way. This is just a short continuation for the benefit of those who did not understand what I was saying earlier. 
Briefly in terms of honouring Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori for people who are trying to learn to speak te reo this is a good example of how second language learners like me are able to stand as an example and use te reo Maori to cover the breadth and depth of subjects. We should be able to speak te reo Maori regardless of what the topic is. 
I also acknowledge those people who have expended a lot of energy for the Royal Society of New Zealand. They have achieved great things and have not asked for a cent in repayment. I just acknowledge them. It is wonderful that we have people working in the sciences the technologies and the humanities who are able to expend their energy in areas and fields that they love for the benefit of New Zealanders and who do not expect a cent in return although of course we in the Labour Party—the party of the workers—do agree with section 8(2)(a) of the Royal Society of New Zealand Act 1997 which states: “remuneration to employees of the Society … in return for services rendered …”. We believe that workers need to be paid justly and congratulations go to the Royal Society of New Zealand on that. I refer also to section 8(2)(c) of that Act which states: “the payment of expenses incurred in the performance of office;” and section 8(2)(d) which states: “the grant of awards or prizes …”. People need to be acknowledged when they achieve great things in the sciences the humanities or the technologies. They receive prizes and good on them for that. 
As I said earlier it is great to return to the House despite an unsuccessful campaign but of course there is always 26 November. Kia ora.