Sage EugenieHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green): Tēnā tātou e hui mai nei mō tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira. Ngā mihi aroha ki te whānau whānui e hoa mā o ngā aituā maha i ngā wā mua. Tēnā koutou katoa.[Greetings to us all whom have gathered for this important occasion. My profuse thanks to the wider family my friends the many who have passed on in the past. Greetings.]There were 15 flags flying yesterday at Oi Manawa the national memorial for the Canterbury earthquakes on the banks of the Ōtākaro/Avon River representing the 15 home countries of 185 individuals who lost their lives. On behalf of the Green Party I acknowledge the family friends and colleagues of all of those who passed and especially the families of students who were studying English in Christchurch who are so far away—in Japan Korea and elsewhere. Know that we hold your loved ones close and we remember them.Thanks to the news media more stories of courage and heroism have been recounted in recent days—ordinary people doing extraordinary things to save lives help and comfort others. I too acknowledge the endurance of those who were seriously injured and somehow survived. Like so many families living with grief your courage in overcoming physical injury and mental anguish is immense and an inspiration.In smashing buildings to the ground Rūaumoko also levelled people. Post-quake Greater Christchurch with its cracked and rumpty roads Portaloos on street corners was munted—no place for high-heels or fancy airs. There was no playbook for how to respond to a disaster on this scale. What emerged was a strong sense of community a down-to-earth openness about the shared experience of coming to terms with something unimagined of life being very different and grappling with a slew of practical changes every day—from how to get across town to how to cope with a broken sewerage system.New Zealanders were hugely generous in their response to the earthquakes. Rangiora folks sent fragrant baking across the city. We had the energy of the student army and the Farmy Army who mobilised hundreds of volunteers to help shift silt with shovels and wheelbarrows while billions of dollars flowed from Treasury. I acknowledge the support that we received in Ōtautahi Christchurch from all over Aotearoa and the world. People reached out to us and each other and that was powerful.Canterbury is known for its big skies. There is space for new ideas and new ways of being. New buildings and public spaces are creating a diverse and interesting city with a much more visible Ngāi Tahu presence like the beautiful steel-feathered korowai on the justice precinct. There are many more cycleways and pedestrian spaces and traffic is now slower in the city. I acknowledge groups like Gap Filler the mural artists and all of those for their creativity—ideas like the Dance-O-Mat—for showing us how to do things differently and rebuild.Much has happened over the last 10 years and the rebuilding of homes lives and communities continues. There is still much to do especially to those who struggle with inadequate housing in the city's eastern suburbs with post-quake stress and trauma and those who have been further disadvantaged by COVID. Kia kaha. Nō reira kore rawa mātou e wareware kua hinga rātou haere haere haere ki te pō.[Be strong. Finally we will never forget those who have passed. Rest in peace.]