Whanganui Iwi (Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Whanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill

Following on from the previous discussion on the Television New Zealand Amendment Bill, I fear for the freedom of speech in this country. That is what that charter did. Certainly, one of the key focuses in the Whanganui Iwi (Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Whanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill is to embellish the use of our language and to give people the right to choose and to ensure that there is assurance in our language, as it was handed down. I could carry on about the television charter and how we started Māori Television and all of those things, but I will not.

The Māori Affairs Committee certainly looked at these stages. We heard from the Southern Whanganui Cluster / Tūpoho working group. It strongly felt that the spelling of “Whanganui” should be with an “h”. I certainly commend the select committee for that. Seeing that the bill is about embellishing the language and ensuring that people of Whanganui got what they wanted, I want to proceed in our language, which I hope abounds with the new Television New Zealand Amendment Bill.

I rongo mātou i te kaha hiahia o te Kāihui Wherawhera take o Whanganui ki te Tonga, kia whakaurua te “h” ki roto i te pūngakupu o Whanganui. I te wā o Hakihea 2009 te 18, ka whakaputaina e te Minita mō Toitū te Whenua tana whakatau, arā, tua atu i te ingoa “Wanganui” me whakamahia te ingoa “Whanganui” hei ingoa tūturu i raro i te ture. Ko tāna ka tūmanako mō ngā hinonga Karauna i roto i te haere o te wā, kia kawea e rātou te ingoa “Whanganui”. He kaha anō hoki tō mātou hiahia kia whakaurua te “h” ki roto i te pūngakupu o Whanganui. Nā runga i tērā, ka tūtohu mātou kia whakatikangia te pūngakupu o “Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison” ki “Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison”, kia whakatikaina hoki a “Northern Part of Wanganui Forest” ki “Northern Part of Whanganui Forest” puta noa i te pire. Hāunga te “Wanganui” i “Corrections (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison)”; nā te mea te mate hoki, e waiho atu roaroa atu te kupu pēnei tonu te whakatikatika te kaha o te komiti te whakahuri atu.

[We heard from the Southern Whanganui Cluster working-group that they feel strongly that the spelling of Whanganui should be with an “h”. On 18 December 2009 the Minister of Land Information announced his decision to assign the alternative official geographic names “Whanganui” and “Wanganui”, and stated his expectation that Crown agencies would adopt the “Whanganui” form over time. We also strongly feel that Whanganui should be spelt with an “h”. Accordingly, we recommend amending the spelling of “Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison” and “Northern Part of Wanganui Forest” to “Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison” and “Northern Part of Whanganui Forest” throughout the bill, with the exception being “Wanganui” in “Corrections (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison)”; the trouble is that the word has been left like that for such a long time that the committee would find it difficult to rectify it.]

We heard from a whole lot of submitters—especially those people from Whanganui—that they felt that their town’s name was bastardised by the removal of the “h”. It took a whole lot of nerve, tenacity, and commitment by those peoples of W’anganui, both Māori and Pākehā, who were very supportive. There were some people who sat out on the extremes and believed that that would put everything asunder. I said in my last delivery that it was not too long ago when Naida Glavish, the great present Māori leader, dared to mention “kia ora” on the telephone exchange, and everybody went up into the air. That was what was happening in the broadcasting cartel in this country. People were minimising the delivery of the Māori language and the Māori programmes on both stations because of people’s world view in assuming that Māori language and Māori programmes were a waste of time.

We had an adjustment when National first came into Government. Some in the management were arrogant enough to suggest that a great time for Te Karere and Marae was at midnight or at 1 o’clock in the morning. That is how extreme people had become. But it is pleasing to notice that it is now in legislation. After this period of time it will be moved, hopefully, by the majority of the House. We will, as the Committee, be thankful that those people’s wishes in Whanganui have been put to the best test. It is a challenge. It has been a challenge. Even the mayor was really concerned about these issues and the relevance of this.

Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Tēnā koe, Mr Chair. Harikoa ana ahau ki te tū ake anō ki te kōrero mō tēnei pire e pā ana ki te Whanganui (Kaitoke) Whare Herehere. Ahakoa ko tēnei taku tāima tuawhā hei tū ake, hei kōrero e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa, e pai ana tēnā i te mea, e tika ana kia whakahōnoretia te iwi o Whanganui i runga i tēnei kaupapa. Nā reira, he mea pai tēnei.

[Thank you, Mr Chair. I am pleased to stand once again and to address this bill about the Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison. Even though it is the fourth time I have risen and spoken to this, that is fine, because it is right that the Whanganui tribe be honoured on this. So this is wonderful.]

It gives me great pleasure to stand yet again to talk about the Whanganui Iwi (Whanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Whanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill. It is only my fourth call on this particular bill in the Committee stage and each time has been a pleasure. It is such an in-depth bill and, in particular, this whole issue around the “h” in “Whanganui”. I know that many people will be wondering why we have to spend so much time talking about the “h” in the word “Whanganui”, but such, I feel, is the cost of defending democracy. We have traversed the topics, and I will let everyone know—we will put people out of their misery—that this is the last call, I believe, from the Labour Party on this highly important bill. It is important that it goes through the House forthwith so that the people of Whanganui iwi can actually reach the stage where justice will be served and this whole issue will be laid to rest.

I will just touch on the whole “h” issue once again and the issues around it, such as the way that the Mayor of Whanganui at the time, Michael Laws, was so adamant that “Whanganui” should not have the “h”. It was really sad to see the way he treated a group of schoolkids from Ōtaki Primary School who wrote to him to explain that they believed the “h” should be included in “Whanganui”. It was sad to see a person in his position as Mayor of Whanganui malign these kids by saying that their teachers and their parents had put them up to writing the letters, and that they should concentrate on the things that really matter, such as preventing Māori child abuse, as if these kids are part of the cause of Māori child abuse. I thought his arguments were quite ridiculous and quite rude to a group of kids, and to a group of parents who I believe were doing the right thing in talking to their children about the issues relating to themselves and to Māoridom. I think that those parents should be congratulated on taking such an interest in their children’s education.

I did briefly pass the Attorney-General, Chris Finlayson, a few minutes ago. He asked why Labour was “buggerising around with this bill”—those were his exact words—and I said to him that such is the emphasis that the Labour Party places on democracy, we will give this bill our full attention. But to be perfectly honest, it is time that we moved on from this, as I said earlier, so that the people of Whanganui can move on with their settlement and justice can actually be done.

💬 Paul Quinn: We won’t hold them up any longer, Kelvin.

It would be really great if my colleague over there, Paul Quinn—we spent so much time together in the Māori Affairs Committee—and also Simon Bridges, decided to stand up and pay tribute to the people of Whanganui over this issue, but I know Mr Quinn will be saving himself for great oratory later on in the evening. Of course, as members on this side always do, we are looking forward to the contribution that Mr Quinn can make to this Parliament. We understand how eloquent he is and what a great orator he is. He brings so much talent to this Parliament. It is a pleasure to have served on the Māori Affairs Committee that oversaw this bill at the time. Kia ora.

Clause 1 agreed to.

Clause 2 agreed to.

Bill to be reported without amendment presently.