Valedictory Statements

Members, in accordance with a determination of the Business Committee, I call on Louisa Wall to make her valedictory statement.

Tēnā koe e te Māngai o te Whare. E ngā mana, e ngā reo, rau rangatira mā, ngā mana whenua o te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, te Kaiwhakarite Mana Whenua o Pāremata ko Kura Moeahu, te whānau o te Pāremata ko ngā hoamahi o mua me o nāianei te whānau me ngā hoa tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.

[To those in power, to all the voices, to all the chiefly peoples, to those who hold authority over the land in Wellington, to the Senior Cultural Adviser to Parliament, Kura Moeahu, to the parliamentary family, to my previous and current colleagues, to family and friends, greetings, greetings, greetings one and all.]

Given the discussions surrounding my resignation from Parliament, I have thought carefully about what is left to say in my valedictory statement. While I will speak about the highlights and acknowledge those who made things happen—I want to also talk about my new role—but there are a few things that I also feel I need to address, given comments that have been made over the last few days.

When I was forced out of my electorate in 2020, by the unconstitutional actions of the party president, Claire Szabó, and some members of council, I was devastated. The president accepted a late nomination, did not share the fact of its late receipt with the council until questions were asked, and then retrospectively tried to justify and legitimise her actions. But the devastation was not so much about the actions directed against me but about the devastation wrought on my Manurewa Labour Electorate Committee when their voting rights were removed to ensure that a central party vote would prevail.

I was lucky throughout my years as MP for Manurewa to have the staunch support of the Labour Electorate Committee (LEC). My nomination for 2020 was made by the Manurewa Local Electorate Committee, and I have the support of my union E tū and their members. The LEC that supported me was made up of a number of life members of the party, some of whom had served through the periods of the Hon Roger Douglas and George Hawkins. As I leave, I want to acknowledge my LEC members; a number are here today, and those that have sent apologies. I especially want to acknowledge Raewyn Turner and her late husband, Trevor, and Andrew Beyer, who all served on the executive of my LEC, and to thank them for their continuous support. Further, I want to apologise to them for the actions of the party president and council members who disenfranchised them, without any basis or explanation, after years of loyalty. For me, people like Raewyn, Trevor, and Andrew—and those who are here today—are the foundation of Labour. The way they were treated in order to punish me is reprehensible and it is as a result of that corrupt process that I am standing to deliver my valedictory statement today.

In recognition of that electorate role as MP for Manurewa, I also want to acknowledge Bill Marshall and Verina Kingsley-Jones, who were my representatives on the ground in my Manurewa office from the time of my election in 2011 until the time of my deselection in 2020.

In 2020, I agreed to leave because, irrespective of the merits of challenging certain actions, being in a team where there is no appetite for your contribution is not healthy. I took the opportunity to complete some of my ongoing work, including in the international advocacy space. I was placed on the list, just below where I had been in 2017, and accepted that I was to resign as an MP during this term. I want to record formally my gratitude to the Hon Michael Wood, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, and Tim Barnett for their integrity in assisting in a process of reaching an agreement.

And so I stand here today, fulfilling my part of that agreement, but I want to be very clear that this was not entirely my choice. I have been a member of the Service and Food Workers Union—now E tū—since 1986, and I joined the Avondale branch of the Labour Party on 4 March 1998. At the time, Avondale was part of the Mt Albert LEC, supporting its MP: the Rt Hon Helen Clark. I want to thank Helen and the LEC, particularly Joan Caulfield, for their support in having the confidence to begin my path to Parliament. It is that confidence that was acknowledged by then - party president Moira Coatsworth when I became Manurewa’s Labour candidate. Coincidentally, it was exactly 10 years later, on 4 March 2008, that I was first sworn into this House, when Ann Hartley retired. I have enjoyed the privilege of being a member of this House since March 2008 for a period of eight months, and then from 2011 as the proud representative of Manurewa.

I firmly believe that being a member of this House offers the opportunity to find solutions, to advocate, and to do what we all say we want to do when we enter this House, and that is to make a difference. I’ve approached this role in the same way that I have faced all other challenges. I will look towards the try line or the goal, and pursue the most direct path that will achieve the objective. To that end, I differ from some of my colleagues and those in leadership. Perhaps I am politically naive in that approach, but the time we have here can be short and it should not be wasted.

I have learnt that working across the House is the best way to make effective and long-lasting change. I have always been grateful to my colleagues in other parties who are willing to listen and are open to discuss issues, and I acknowledge that the engagement of colleagues on this side of the House has often been influenced by matters outside the issues. In my view, there is no place here for an us-and-them mentality. We need to be more kaupapa- rather than personality-driven.

For me, the journey to marriage equality in Aotearoa New Zealand was a rapid-fire course on processes and procedures. It would be fair to say that, despite legislative reform for our LGBTIQ+ community being included in our Labour manifesto, there was not universal approval to me putting my member’s bill in the ballot. Thankfully, the Hon Parekura Horomia tackled those who were opposed in a manner that shook many into acquiescence. So while my name is often associated with the passing of the bill, it would probably have never been realised without Parekura.

It was during this journey that I experienced most acutely how personal politics can override kaupapa. For me, the debate around marriage equality was rooted in basic human rights principles. How could the State deny the rights of a group of people to enter into the State-recognised institution of marriage? While the deputy leader of the caucus at the time wanted more recognition of civil unions, I believe that advocacy for marriage equality was based on fundamental human rights, and that civil unions became a stopgap measure because it was not clear that marriage would get over the line. When I expressed this view, I was told that this would be the end of my career and I would be on my own.

The success in achieving marriage equality is not mine or the party’s, though. The lobby groups throughout the country, Legalise Love, campaigns for marriage equality in various towns and cities, our rainbow community, and the commitment across parties in the House achieved that, and I shared the collective parliamentary leadership formally with Kevin Hague and the Hon Tau Henare.

One highlight from that time was reflected in the action of Major Campbell Roberts, and I know that many of our community were deeply affected by the position the Salvation Army took on homosexual law reform. But during marriage equality, I had positive discussions with Campbell, who advised me that they would take a neutral position on marriage equality. During the passage of the bill, the Salvation Army apologised to our rainbow community for the hurt occasioned by their stance during homosexual law reform. This leadership has contributed to the progression of the rights of rainbow peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand, and it is much appreciated.

Members’ bills are an avenue that allow debate and discussion on issues that may not be part of the Government’s agenda, or, if they are, may not be a priority for the respective Minister. I have had the opportunity to provide a platform for these discussions through members’ bills and the guidance of the atua to influence the draws from the biscuit tin.

During my time, I have been able to raise issues around housing, period poverty, female genital mutilation, surrogacy, alcohol policies, early education, revenge porn, safe zones, and protection of journalists’ sources. And I have been blessed to have the opportunity to facilitate two private bills through the House that allow children to have their parents properly recorded on their birth certificate. And the members’ bill process has allowed me to work with some wonderful people to ensure we are doing all we can to have legislation that achieves the outcomes we are seeking.

It is a privilege to have Dame Margaret Sparrow here along with Terry Bellamak, who have worked tirelessly for abortion law reform. I am for ever grateful to Professor Mark Henaghan, who provided invaluable advice on many issues, including end of life choice, and surrogacy laws. The staff in the Parliamentary Counsel Office and the Office of the Clerk have always been willing to listen and find ways to practically reflect aspirations.

One regret I have is that we have not, as a party and as a Government, had the courage to confirm in our Constitution Act the status of Māori as the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand. I have tried on a number of occasions to put the bill in the ballot but it did not get through caucus. For a fleeting moment, when we came into Government in 2017, there was talk of it being a Government bill, but no Minister agreed to that course of action. I was then able to put it in the members’ ballot but was directed to withdraw it prior to the 2020 election. As discussions around He Puapua, co-governance, and recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi become the focus of politicians and parties, having statutory recognition of Māori as tangata whenua and its first peoples would remove the propensity that allows people to ignore our reality as an indigenous people that continue to suffer the scourge of colonisation. Māori are not another ethnic group. In 2010, we signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, and it is time we took the most basic of steps and recognised our status as indigenous people in our Constitution Act.

In my maiden speech in 2008, I spoke of two Labour Party principles that were of central interest to me as I entered this House. The first was Labour’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand, and the second was a commitment to human rights. Statutory acknowledgment of our status as first peoples meets both those principles and is something I believe should be addressed sooner rather than later.

It is that commitment to human rights that will be uppermost in my mind as I move into my new role as ambassador for gender equality in the Pacific. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue work in an area that I am passionate about and to support this Government’s Pacific resilience strategy. I also welcome the opportunity to continue advocacy for LGBTIQA+ equality, both in the Pacific and internationally. I have been lucky to have the support of the Minister the Hon Nanaia Mahuta and the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Chris Seed, in appointing me to a role that will use the experiences I have had in order to promote greater representation of women, in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I also want to thank the Hon Margaret Wilson and Dame Marilyn Waring, two very special wāhine who have always provided sound advice and guidance.

My electorate office staff—Bill, Verina, and Karen Brake. My support staff in Parliament—Mereana Ruri, Jo Pettitt, Gina Anastasiadis, and Wendy Stevenson. Parliamentary staff—Jane McKenzie, Winton Holmes, and Wendy Hart, representing all the staff I’ve had the privilege to work with on various committees. The diplomatic community—Laura Clarke, unfortunately at home with COVID, always so willing to engage on issues that maintain global peace and security. My friend, lawyer, and former colleague the Hon Christopher Finlayson. Having all your collective support has enabled me to continue to do my job.

Finally, my love and gratitude to my whānau sitting in the Speaker’s gallery. My mum, who carries my dad on her shoulders every day. Uncle Tai and Aunty Chris Tahau. The Tahau-Hodges whānau. Cousin Charlotte Severne, and Joe, and all those representing my Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Hineuru, Waikato, and Ngāti Kurī whānau. My Ngāti Hine mentor and friend, Whaea Moe Milne. My fam—Catherine Smith, and we know you will be watching, Tina McCafferty. And my wife and partner in every sense of the word, surrounded by her children who we are so very proud of—Georgia and Thomas, who, with Prudence Jane Tamatekapua, have taken every step with me on this journey. We have been an awesome team and I know we will continue to support, nurture, and love one another.

So, while there have been obstacles to face and overcome, I leave knowing that I did what I could within those constraints. To use a sporting analogy: I left it all on the field. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou kātoa.

Applause.

Waiata.

The House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 May.

The House adjourned at 4.59 p.m.