Maiden Statements

Members, I will indicate that at the conclusion of Soraya Peke-Mason’s maiden statement to the House, the House will suspend for the dinner break and will resume in committee at 7 p.m.

In accordance with the determination of the Business Committee, I call on Soraya Peke-Mason to make her maiden statement.

Kia whai korōria hareruia ki a Ihoā o ngā mano ko te Matua, Tama, Wairua Tapu me ngā anahera pono me te Mangāi, tatū iho ki ngā tuakana wairua, Ārepa, Ōmeka, Piri Wiri Tua, Hāmuera o te Māngai kei roto āianei āke nei āe.

Otirā kia mihi ki ngā mate, nō reira hui tahi ngā mate ki runga a koutou, mātou, a tātou katoa otirā tō tātou kuini o Ingarangi, ko Irihāpeti, pērā i tō mātou tumuaki o te Hāhi o te Morehu, ko Harerangi Meihana kia mihia, kia tangia i roto i tēnei rā. Nō reira koutou te hunga mate, moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā. Nō reira, tātou te hunga ora, tēnei koutou, tēnā tātou.

E te Mana Whakawā o te Whare, te Pirīmia, koutou katoa ngā mema o te Whare nei, me ngā kaimahi, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.

Ngā rangatira mā, ngā kaumātua, kuia, pakeke, hoa, rangatahi, tamariki me ngā mokopuna, tēnā koutou, tātou katoa.

[Glory and hallelujah to the Lord God of the countless multitudes, to the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, the faithful angels and the mouthpiece. I bow before the spiritual mentors of the mouthpiece, Alpha, Omega, Piri Wiri Tua, Hāmuera, now and for evermore.

I also acknowledge those who have passed, all those being carried by you, by us, by all of us, including those such as the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth, and leader of the Rātana Church, Harerangi Meihana. We acknowledge them and mourn them today. Therefore, to you who have passed, may you rest in peace. And to us, the living, greetings one and all.

To the Speaker of the House, to the Prime Minister, to all the Members of the House and the staff, greetings one and all.

To the chiefs, to the male and female elders, adults, friends, young people, children, and grandchildren, greetings to you all.]

To the members of the Labour electorate for the mighty Rangitīkei, greetings to each and every one of you.

Mr Speaker, firstly, I acknowledge you as my whanaunga not just through my marriage to your cousin but also my Waretini side, to Nanny Iriaka. I was proud to stand before you today to be the first member of Parliament to be sworn in to the House, in your role as te Mana Whakawā hou o te Whare nei. Tēnā koe.

[the new Speaker of the House. I acknowledge you.]

Secondly, I wish to acknowledge my whakapapa and affiliation to iwi. On my mother’s side: Delphina Te Oraiti Taiaroa-Waretini, Te Awa Tupua, Ngāti Rangi, Uenuku, Tamahaki, Hinengākau, Ngāti Hauā, Tama Upoko, Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Tūwharetoa, Te Iwi Mōrehu, Kōtirana, Scottish side. And my father’s side: Joseph Peke, Ngāti Tamaterā, Hauraki Waikato, and my pāpā, John Hemi, Ngāpuhi.

This has been a long-game political journey, one paved by those around me, one of strategy, loyalty, hard work, sacrifices, and perseverance. Politics was not my chosen path; it was encouraged by others and circumstances—others such as my father- and mother-in-law, the late Harry and Betty Mason. It was paved by the Komiti o Ngā Rahui, the Rātana Community Board, the secular division of the Rātana morehu movement, the late Alf and Mere Williams, Uncle Nakata Taiaroa, Uncle Jack Smith, and te Iwi Morehu o te motu me Ahitereiria [the followers of the Rātana Faith of this country and Australia], who I served for over 13 years as their national secretary.

I grew up in the little coastal suburb called Kokohuia, also known as Castlecliffe, Wanganui, on the west coast of the North Island. Widowed in her early 20s, my mother was left to raise six children. She worked hard to keep us together in the house my father built, knowing it was critical; we had a roof over our head, somewhere we could always return to. Life was a struggle. We had little money. My mother worked nights cleaning to supplement her widows benefit, and would take her line and sinker to fish through the cracks of the Castlecliffe Wharf railway lines to feed us when kai was limited. Our whānau expanded after she met my pāpā, John Hemi, We lived week to week. Everyone worked at the local abattoirs, now known as AFFCO.

After spending time overseas, I returned to Aotearoa to see the world had changed. I grew up in a time before kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori, a time when Nanna and Koro only spoke te reo to each other, a time when we only saw tinges of our identity through tangihanga; a time when some were ashamed to be Māori. I watched my mother struggling to learn te reo Māori; I knew I had to find out who I am as wahine Māori. I knew then that this was a big hole I’d lived with my whole life, not knowing my true identity. It has been a struggle learning te reo. I still grieve for that loss, like many others; it’s a challenge we will take to our graves.

I married into the small village of Rātana and, as a result of my speaking out about the quality of the drinking water, I was encouraged towards local government. This was the beginning of my political journey. The town supply was discoloured, ugly to drink, yucky to bathe my baby boy in, corrosive and leaving clothing worse for wear. We need to be able to turn on the taps in the 21st century and get clean water. Rangitīkei is the third-largest general electorate in the country. Its soil is rich, ideal for agriculture. To have agriculture, we need water. We must protect this asset at all costs. Water is a taonga. Without water, the human race will not survive. I am reminded of Ruruku Whakatupua, Tupua te Kawa, Te Awa Tupua values, “Ko te mātāpuna o te ora”—the river is the source of spiritual and physical sustenance. Aotearoa, we would die without it. We treat it like a commodity and allow it to be flogged off for peanuts through permits. That cannot continue. The taking of water under the Resource Management Act must be changed. Its management for drinking must be taken seriously, be timely, and be accurate. It must meet the standards at all times.

I applaud and admire the Minister of Local Government, the Hon Nanaia Mahuta, for having the courage, for having the endurance, and for having the resilience to initiate transformative three waters change in the management of this precious, life-sustaining resource.

After spending two terms as a community board member, I was elected to the Rangitīkei District Council for 12 years. It took 10 years of continuous work and battling for a new town water supply to Rātana. It opened in 2016.

At the front end of local government, it was a lonely journey being the first elected Māori wahine to council. Times have changed; we celebrate diversity, inclusiveness, and a mind shift that local government has today for the better.

While I was on council, I banged on about the biggest potential for economic growth: partnering, working together, and combining our strengths with iwi. We all have similar aspirations for our whānau, for our communities, and for our future generations. This reminds me of the wawata, of the aspiration of my tribe, Ngāti Rangi, “Kia mura ai te ora o Ngāti Rangi ki tua o te kotahi mano tau.”—to vibrantly exist in a thousand years. Te aronga, the “how”: e kōkiri taha ana a Ngāti Rangi i ngā kaupapa hei oranga mō te katoa—together, we grow, and our communities.

Settlements are said to be some 2 percent of what was taken. They are meaningless if they are not put into action. We must uphold the mana of this House and ensure that, as the Crown, we meet the obligations of settlements, have common courtesy, and find ways to navigate existing legislation and push back from ministries and departments that get in the way.

The Rangitīkei means “heavenly bound”. How appropriate this is, where the heart of the legacy left by T.W. Rātana beats, where 40,000-plus Morehu across the motu and Australia come to fill up their cups. The only place where nine waka sit, including the Endeavour and the Heemskerck. A symbol—a great symbol—of kotahitanga, of unity, a value and a vision of a great leader who pulled Māori out of the darkness, into the light, when their lands were confiscated and alienated because of this very House. In 1936, the alliance between T.W. Rātana and Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage was cemented at a historic meeting. Rātana favoured the Labour Party because it had consulted his supporters when devising Māori policy at the time. We must continue to rise up and find a way to forgive. Times are changing. We are being swallowed up by globalisation, ever-changing technology, and climate change. It is this kind of leadership the world is seeking. I think of T.W. Rātana’s 1932 petition that exudes the value of unity at a national level. By bringing two nations together, we have one great nation.

Recently, I came off Te Aka Whai Ora, te Iwi Māori Partnership Board for our region, Te Matuku.

The health reform was long overdue. It makes common sense to abolish district health boards. It makes sense to put the needs of the communities first. At home, we call it wellness, not illness. This is an opportunity for our communities together—no matter where you are in the country, no matter who you are in the country—to create a service that meets your needs, fills your gaps, where it counts for your communities and your family, together. There is so much work to do, including working on immigration to sustain our medical workforce. It will take time. It will take effort. Let’s all grab this opportunity, put our best foot forward, and allow it the time it deserves and needs.

I am humbled to be part of the 53rd Government, led by leader, the Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern. I stand to acknowledge the significant events over the last four years: 2019, the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings; the handling of the COVID-19 response throughout 2020. Our Government and Prime Minister Ardern has been praised for being one of the few Western nations to successfully contain this virus. Hindsight is a great thing. There are always improvements and lessons to be learnt. The endurance of this Government in handling such matters must never be forgotten. We must never lose sight of how we saved many lives during the outbreak and developed a framework we can all follow to keep our whānau, our most vulnerable, and our communities together safe.

There are many firsts today. Firstly, my swearing in. Secondly, at the same time, we reached, for the very first time in the history of Government, gender equity. And, possibly, the first member of Parliament in the Commonwealth to swear allegiance to King Charles III—hopeful! It’s not just a special day for me; it’s a significant, historic day for Aotearoa New Zealand. The reality of coming in at this time is there is not a lot of time left in the term. The hard work has been done. My aim is to work across the electorate and advocate for the people of Aotearoa.

The Labour whānau has been responsible for honing my political skills. I spent several years serving on the New Zealand Labour Party council. During that time, the late Rudy Taylor and I represented Te Kaunihera Māori, where we worked alongside the late Ngareta Jones; Matua Haare Williams, Arena’s pāpā—all of whom mentored, inspired, and nurtured my political journey.

We cannot do our job without the help and belief of those behind us. To my passionate, committed, loyal, political Rangitīkei Labour electorate committee, who have never had a Labour MP in the House: we did it. So excited for you all. My campaign manager, Elayne Johnston; the chair, Hilary Humphrey; and the hard-working team, including region 3 rep Mark Andrew, Te Tai Hauāuru, Adrian, Gaylene, and the whānau: your commitment and your generosity to the Labour whānau is beyond words. Thank you—thank you for all you do.

Just as important are those who have shaped who I am today as wahine Māori: ngā iwi, including Mōkai Pātea, Ngāti Hinemanu, who were always there, quietly observing, guiding, and nurturing, and clipping my ears when I didn’t listen.

Remembering those who have passed on, too: uncles Archie Taiaroa, John Tahuparae, who served in this very House; Barney Haami, Koro George Waretini, our dear kuia Nanna Biddy Mareikura, who walked beside me when I chaired Ngāti Rangi post-settlement governance entity. Her korowai I wear now as a symbol of whakapapa, aroha, gentleness, and strength. Thank you, our Maungārongo whānau.

And those here today in the gallery, who still tune me up: Uncle Joseph, who would travel to hui with me. Now it’s Bro Hoani. All my aunties—you know who you are. Auntie Lynette, who gifted the maro I wore at swearing-in, that carries the mauri of this journey. My brothers and sisters, Kaumatua Kaunihera o te Awa Tupua and Nanna Piki Pongā-Waretini. I love you all.

My backbone, who keeps me grounded: my humble, most loving husband, Andre, and kids—now adults—Che, Levi, our beautiful late Tia, Tara-Eve, Arama, and their partners, who endure the most, having to put up with my workaholic, spontaneous, adventurous, un-boring personality: I love you infinitely.

To our mokopuna, this servant is for you. To those yet to come, for our communities together, and for this beautiful country we are blessed to live in, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa, Māngai rāua Piri Wiri Tua tautoko āe.

[greetings, greetings, greetings one all, with the mouthpiece and Piri Wiri Tua in support.]

Waiata

Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.