Flavell Te Ururoa: General Debate 
Flavell Te Ururoa: General Debate 
[Volume:677;Page:684] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson kia ora tatou katoa e hoa ma i roto i te Whare i tenei ahiahi. I etahi wa i a au e noho nei i te Whare Paremata ka ata wananga ki roto i a au ano he aha taku i konei he aha te putake o taku noho ki konei ka pera ano hoki matou o te Pati Maori. Na te kaha o te iwi ae na ratou tonu matou i tono mai ki konei ka mutu na runga ano i te here ki te Tiriti o Waitangi e mohiotia nei e tatou ko te tahuhu korero mo te whenua nei. Ara ko te noho tahi o te Kawanatanga o te Karauna me ki me te tangata whenua. I tonoa matou e o matou ringa raupa te hunga e noho mai ra i te wa kainga ki konei kia noho hei waha korero kia noho hei ropu motuhake mo te Ao Maori i roto i te Whare Paremata ka mutu kia noho hei kaitiaki hei mea akiaki i nga kaupapa tuku iho nga mea i waihotia mai ai e kui ma e koro ma a kia noho motuhake nei a Aotearoa mo ake nei.  
I nga marama tata kua hipa ake ko te kaupapa nui e korerohia ana ko tera ko te Tiriti o Waitangi. He pakanga i whakahaeretia mai ai kia whakairi te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te taumata tiketike e tika ana mo tenei take. I korero pakanga i te mea koinei te ahuatanga kua roa te Ao Maori e pakanga ana kia kitea mai ai te puawaitanga o tera moemoea a kia whakanuia te Tiriti o Waitangi ka mutu kia eke ki nga tumanako i tumanakohia e nga matua e nga tupuna. Kai te mohio tatou i te poti kowhiringa poti kua hipa ake i puta te korero i a Nahinara ko tana hiahia ki te hoko i te wha tekau ma iwa paiheneti o nga kamupene e wha. I kaha whakahe te Pati Maori ki tera whainga ka mutu i tuhia tetahi kirimana ki waenganui i a maua ko te Nahinara ara te korero e ki ana i te reo Pakeha “The Maori Party does not support partial asset sales. The Government agrees it will not put partial asset sales in confidence and supply measures.” 
Na koinei te putake o tera korero. 
Ko ta matau e whakapono nei ko nga rawa o Aotearoa me noho ki Aotearoa nei. Kaua e hokona ki wahi ke. Ko ta matau ko te ki atu ahakoa kai a Nahinara nga poti ara ki te taha ki te ACT 
me te United Future ka eke panuku tera kaupapa kaua ma runga i te ahuatanga o te poti o te Pati Maori. Ka kaha tonu matou ki te whakahe i tera kaupapa a koina ta matou e ki nei hei tiaki i nga rawa a Aotearoa ki Aotearoa nei. Engari mena koia tera tana e tumanako nei ko ta Nahinara e korero nei au kei te whakaaro ake matou ko wai i tua atu o nga iwi o nga hapu o Aotearoa kia noho hei hoa haere i te mea ka tiakina paitia nga rawa e te Ao Maori i te mea no konei mena ka pa ano ra ki nga rawa a-awa a-maunga no konei. Ka riro ma te Maori ma nga iwi tonu era e tiaki. No reira koinei matou e ki nei me noho enei rawa ki konei me whai wahi te Maori i roto i nga nekeneke o te hoko a-rawa.  
I nga wiki tata kua hipa ake e hia ke nei nga Maori kua eke atu ki roto i nga hui i karangahia mai e te Karauna e Wiremu English ma a ka mutu ko ta ratou ko te ki a kao kei te whakahe matau i tetahi paku korero e whakaiti nei i te mana o te Tiriti o Waitangi. Na wai ra na wai ra ka puta tetahi korero i te Treasury te Tari Putea me te ki atu a he mahi huna pea to etahi ki te ukui i nga korero e pa ana ki te Tiriti o Waitangi. Waimaria ana i kite mai ai e te Pati Maori a he mahi huna to tena ropu ka mutu i pera ano hoki te tirohanga o te tangata whenua. Ahua whakakeke nei te Ao Maori i tana noho i waenganui i tera hui na runga i tera mahi huna a te Kawanatanga engari i korerotia wa ratau korero mo te mamae mo te pouri o nga kereme Tiriti a mo te mamae ka hokona etahi rawa. Hoi ano ko te katoa i ki mai kao kaua e ukui i nga korero katoa o te Tiriti o Waitangi kaua e whakawaiwai kaua e whakaiti ranei i nga korero mo te Tiriti. Kua rongo a Nahinara i te korero o te Ao Maori mai i nga topito katoa. Puritia tiakina whakawhanuitia nga here o te Tiriti o Waitangi.  
Na kua ki mai te Wiremu English nei ka ata whakawhitia atu te wahanga o te Tiriti ki roto i te Public Finance Act 
  
tera pea kua eke panuku te hiahia o te Ao Maori kia pera rawa te ahuatanga o te Tiriti i roto i nga nekeneke o te Tiriti.  
I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Ka huri ki te reo Pakeha mo tetahi wa poto kia mohio ai he aha te tikanga o taku korero.  
[ 
Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker Robertson and salutations to my colleagues in the House this afternoon. There are times as I sit here in Parliament when I really have to ask myself what I am doing here and what keeps me here. All of us of the Maori Party think that too. The people have been strong about that yes because after all they were the ones who sent us here and furthermore because of the obligation to the Treaty of Waitangi which we know is the founding document of this country; and hence of the Government the Crown and presumably the indigenous population living together. Our people on the home front the ones back there sent us here to represent them and to be an independent party in Parliament for Maoridom and also to be a guardian and one to urge along policies handed down relating to things that our ancestors left to ensure that New Zealand remains independent for all time. 
In recent months the main talking point was the Treaty of Waitangi. A battle raged over the elevation of the Treaty of Waitangi to where it should be in respect of this matter. I say “battle” because Maoridom has fought for a long time to realise that dream for the Treaty of Waitangi to be celebrated and hence fulfil the hopes yearned for by parents and ancestors. We know for a fact that during the election just past National promoted the notion that it wanted to sell off 49 percent of four energy companies. The Maori Party strongly opposes that aim and as a consequence an agreement was written between us and National which says in English “The Maori Party does not support partial asset sales. The Government agrees it will not put partial asset sales in confidence and supply measures.” 
Now the reason for that statement is this. We really believe that New Zealand’s assets must remain here in the country. They must not be sold offshore. We say that regardless of the fact that National has the votes alongside those of ACT and United Future. The sale is a foregone conclusion but not as a consequence of the Maori Party vote. We will continue to vigorously oppose that policy and that is why we are making this statement: protect New Zealand’s assets; keep them here. If indeed that is what National is hoping to achieve I am thinking to myself who better than the tribes and subtribes of New Zealand to be in partnership with? Maoridom will do a fine job of looking after assets because they are from here. If the assets concerned relate to rivers and mountains from here Maori and their tribes will take charge of those. That is why we are saying these assets must stay here. Maori must be at the bargaining table for the sale of assets. 
Over the weeks just past many Maori have attended meetings called by the Crown by Bill English and by others and there they have said to them no we oppose a small statement that belittles the status of the Treaty of Waitangi. And then information eventually emerged from Treasury that some may have been secretly trying to delete sections relating to the Treaty of Waitangi. Luckily the Maori Party spotted this and found this group working away covertly. Local people also discovered this happening. Maoridom became somewhat muted in the midst of that forum due to the secretive actions of the Government but chose instead to confine their remarks to expressing their hurt and sadness in respect of the Treaty claims and the hurt at the intention to sell off some assets. Nevertheless everyone said to us no do not delete all references to the Treaty of Waitangi do not water it down and do not belittle the statements about the Treaty. National has heard the message from Maoridom across the country: retain protect and extend Treaty of Waitangi obligations. 
Now Bill English has said to us the part relating to the Treaty will be carefully referenced into the Public Finance Act as a means of fulfilling Maoridom’s aspirations in terms of Treaty involvement. 
I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I will switch momentarily to English so that the meaning of my address is understood. 
] 
I am aware that pretty much most of the speeches by new members have been given and in light of the fact that that is complete now and that almost in a sense we are almost starting with everybody on a clean slate I just perhaps draw your attention to possibly tomorrow or some other time asking members to look hard at the pronunciation of the Maori language in the House. I say that this is a matter of order because I am aware that it states in the Standing Orders that members must try as best they can. The part for me is simply to remind members—in fact to ask you if you could remind members—about that because unless we actually talk about it and put it in front of the House it might not be well known to new members. So I raise that in the hope that that might be considered for tomorrow. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the honourable member for his explanation. I am sure that members who are listening will take cognisance of what has been said. And the member is correct—people should try to make correct pronunciations in Maori. Thank you Mr Flavell. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.