Karakia

Mr Deputy Speaker, kāre au i te tino mōhio mēnā e tika ana kia pēnei ēngari, hei tīmatanga kōrero mō tātau ko te īnoi atu ki a koe kia whakaaetia, kia tuku karakia tētahi o Te Whare—ka tahi. Ka rua, kai te kite atu i Te Hōnore Mahara Okeroa, kai te īnoi atu kia riro māna tā tātau karakia e kawe i te tīmatanga mai o tō tātau rā; hei whakanui i te āhuatanga, ki te kore a ia e pīrangi, kia rere ki tētahi atu o tō tātau Whare, hei kawe i tā tātau karakia. Ki te kore, ko koe e Rurawhe, te mea e tika ana nō roto hoki koe i tērā takiwā.

[Mr Deputy Speaker, I am not really sure whether this is permissible but, to begin our contributions, I seek leave from you to allow someone of our House to say a prayer—that is the first one. Secondly, I note that the Hon Mahara Okeroa is present, and so I seek leave that he deliver our prayer to begin our day to honour that protocol, and should he not wish to do that, then for someone of our House to accord our prayer. Failing that, then it is fitting that you do it, Rurawhe, as you are from that area.]

💬 Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I do not think it is within the Standing Orders for a visiting member who is not a current elected member to do that. I would ask the Hon Te Ururoa Flavell whether he would open with a karakia.

Ā, mōrena tātau, kai aku rangatira tēnā koutou katoa. Hai wāwahi i te āhuatanga o wā tātau mahi i tēnei rā: “Tēnei te ara kei runga, ko te ara o tēnei Tipua, ko te aro o tēnei Āriki, ko te aro o tēnei Matua ā-iwi. Ko te aro o Ranginui e tū nei, o Papatūānuku e takoto nei, kia rarau iho rā ngā tapuwae o Tāne, tēnei Te Pō, nau mai Te Ao, taupokina Te Pō, hinga Te Pō turakina Te Pō, Te Pō uriuri, Te Pō tangotango, Te Pō oti atu, Te Pō hurihia ki tua. Hura Te Rā, kake Te Rā, mate ki Te Rā ki te pae o kare taitimu, kare taipari, kare taimoana, takapau whāriki Papatūānuku e takoto nei. Piki ake, kake ake Te Rā ki te pae tū o Rangihuakina.

Huakina te umu, huakina te umu nui, te umu roa, te umu o Tū-te-winiwini , o Tū-te-wanawana, o Tū-nganahau i te ata pō, i te ata hāpara, i te ata umurangi, huakina! E tuhi rā koe e Uenuku i te rangi āniwaniwa. Ko Matawhero, ko Tautoru, ko Tāwera te whetū takiata. Tākiri te ata, hura te ata, haehaea te ata. Ka hura ka ao, ka ao Te Pō, tākina Te Pō ki tua. Te au ko te moe o Matahi taua e hoki ko te moe o Matahi tuna, e ara ko te matatū o Rongo ki te tangi mai o te kō-kō-korimako. I te atatū, tū ka takatū, koia rā e Rongo, whakairia ki runga. Tūturu ō whiti whakamaua kia tina–tina! Hui e, taiki e!”

E kui mā, e koro mā, e tama mā e hine mā i te pō, whakapiri mai, whakatata mai ki tēnei huihuinga o mātau! Tēnei te whaiwhai haere i ngā kōrero i kōrerohia i roto i ngā pakitara o tēnei Whare. He īnoi tēnei nō mātau—kia riro mā koutou anō rā mātau e ārahi i roto i ngā kōrero ka puta i tēnei rangi, kia tau te rangimārie ki runga ki tēnā, ki tēnā. Kei wareware i a mātau te hunga e rongo nei i te ngau o mamae, o pōuri i tēnei rā, me tiki atu rā i te punawai o Hou-rongo kia maunu atu, kia makere atu, kia horo atu ngā weri o te kino. Kia tū tinana wātea te ngākau, te wairua, te tinana i te ara o takatū. Koia rā e Rongo, whakairia ki runga! Tūturu ō whiti whakamaua kia tina! Tina! Hui e, taiki e! Kia ora tātau.

[And so, morning to us. Greetings to you all, my esteemed ones. To open up our proceedings today: “This is the pathway above us. It is the front of this deity, this Lord, this father of the people. It is the front of the great heaven standing before us and of Mother Earth who lies here before us, upon whom man’s footprints settles upon. It is the void, welcome the dawn, overwhelm the void; it succumbs, it is overthrown. The intensely dark void is gone for good; turn it aside. Dawn has begun, the sun has arisen. It has arrived on the horizon of the ebbing and rising tide of the great ocean. Our birthmother lies beneath us. The sun has arisen and travelled to the standing perch of Rangihuakina (The sun revealed).

Reveal the oven, the great oven, the long oven, the oven of Tū the fearsome, Tū the all inspiring, Tū who persists at dawn, at first light, at the red appearance in the sky. Make way. May you appear Uenuku as the rainbow adorning the sky. It is Mars, it is Orion, it is Venus, the morning star. Breaketh the day, unveil the day, lacerate the morning. It has risen, it is day. Night has become day, extinguish the night. Light is the sleep of a warrior unlike the sleep of an eel catcher. Awaken the alert one of Rongo to the sound of the Korimako. It is dawn; stand and be prepared. Thus Rongo, suspend it high above us. Let it be permanently secured; draw together. Affirm. It is affirmed.”

Draw closer to this gathering of ours, you elderly women, men, and young folk of the void, come closer. The task here is to follow up on the talk that was delivered before inside the walls of this House. Our plea is that you guide us in our contributions today, to ensure that peace prevails upon each and every one. We must never forget those who experience pain and sorrow today, and we reach into the calming pool of Hou-rongo to clear away any harmful evil doings and to free up the heart, body, and spirit of mankind. Thus, Rongo, suspend it high above us. Secure it permanently, draw together; affirm it! It is affirmed!]

Tēnā koutou te iwi Te Atiawa o Te Iwi Taranaki, karanga mai, mihi mai aku rangatira, tēnā koutou te whānau o Te Whare Pāremata, kia ora koutou katoa. Ahakoa kāore ahau e āhei ki te kauhau i ēnei momo pire, i te wā e noho ana i runga i Te Tūru o Te Mana Whakawā, ka mihi ahau ki Te Atiawa o Te Iwi Taranaki i tēnei rā whakahirahira. Ka hoki ngā mahara ki te hunga kua wehe atu pēnei i a Wikitōria Keenan, he mea nui te mātakitaki i tēnei kaupapa. Kia pai te haere e hoa mā, ka w’hakarongo pīkari ahau, ahakoa kāore ahau i te kōrero, kei te waiata taku ngākau, ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. Nō reira tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

[Acknowledgments to you, the people of Te Atiawa of the Taranaki tribe; summon thus, extend salutations, my esteemed ones, and greetings to you, the family of Parliament House, acknowledgments to you all. Although I am unable to speak on these kinds of bills while I occupy the Speaker’s Chair, I acknowledge you, Te Atiawa of the Taranaki tribe, on this important day. My thoughts go back to those who have passed away, like Wikitōria Keenan. Observing this event is a wonderful thing; go well, friends. I will listen intently, and, although I am not able to make a contribution, my heart is singing. A huge appreciation to you collectively, so acknowledgments, greetings, and salutations to you all.]