Motions — New Zealand Olympic Team—Congratulations
Point of order. I seek leave, please. Our huge apologies, we didn’t realise that the other party wasn’t taking a call, and we would welcome the opportunity to take the call, particularly for the Olympics. My apologies.
Well, we can’t generally go back. Are you seeking leave for a call?
DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER: Yes, I said I was seeking leave. Sorry.
SPEAKER: Leave is sought for an additional call recognising the Olympic team. Is there any objection? There appears to be none.
Tēnā tātou. Tēnā tātou e te Whare. Ngā mihi nui i roto i ngā āhuatanga o ngā Taumāhekeheke o te Ao, me te whai wāhi o Aotearoa Niu Tireni ki roto ki aua whakamātautautanga puta noa i te ao, me te eke panuku, te eke tangaroa o ā tātou hau tipua i roto i ērā mahi.
Nō reira e mihi ana anō hoki i runga i ngā āhuatanga ki a Kahurangi Lisa Carrington, te uri o Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Te Whakatōhea, me Rongomaiwahine, otirā ki tērā hau tipua, Portia Woodman, i whakanuia whānuitia puta noa i te ao ki runga i ana highlight reels mō tōna hau tipuatanga i roto i te ao whutupōro.
[Greetings to us all. Greetings to all of us of this House. Many greetings with respect to the aspects of the Olympics, and Aotearoa New Zealand’s participation in those tests all across the world, and the successes of our supreme athletes in those activities.
I would also like to acknowledge, with respect to those circumstances, Dame Lisa Carrington, the descendant of Te Aitanga a Mahaki, Te Whakatōhea, and Rongomaiwahine, indeed to that other talented athlete, Portia Woodman, who was widely praised all across the world on her highlight reels for her prodigious talent in the rugby world.]
Te Pāti Māori would like to add our congratulations, and thank you for your grace, e te Speaker. Mihi to our athletes who went and represented our country so well, and, as has been said, Kahurangi Lisa Carrington, Dame Lisa Carrington, the descendant—proud descendant, I might add—of Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, of Te Whakatōhea, and the famous iwi of Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine. And who could forget—and I bet you no one missed—Portia Woodman’s highlight reels that spun around the world for a good two weeks; he uri nō Ngāpuhi, he hau tipua ki te reo Māori, a wahine toa [a descendant of Ngāpuhi, a champion of the Māori language, a strong woman] who is not only awesome on the field but is an awesome speaker of te reo Māori. Kia kaha rā ki a tātou.
Reflecting on the work that tēnei ankara ōku, a Tā Derek Lardelli, nāna i hautū i te taha ki ngā tikanga Māori hei tāwharau mō te katoa i haere i roto i te wāhi i noho ai ngā hau tipua ki Pou Tangata.
[Reflecting on the work that this uncle of mine, Sir Derek Lardelli, who led all things to do with tikanga Māori as a safe haven for everyone who went into the place where the athletes stayed, Pou Tangata.]
So I acknowledge also the mahi of Sir Derek Lardelli in his efforts to sustain and uphold a solid cultural platform for our athletes as they travelled across the world. And whilst we invest a lot of money into achieving great things in sporting success, it’s often the 1 percent that gets you across the line in first place. And the way you feel—so, the values, the passion, and, of course, the culture that they went with. Kia kaha rā ki a rātou, ki a tātou anō hoki. [May they be strong, may we too.]
Lastly, I’d like to pay tribute to the Minister Chris Bishop, who in his interview with Te Karere from Pou Tangata was very—you know, he sent the mihi to the world and acknowledged the importance of te ao Māori, te iwi Māori, and the Māori culture to the performance of our athletes on the international stage; I thought that was marvellous by our friend over there. Lastly, ki ō tātou whanaunga i roto i te whai kaha, me ō rātou Taumāhekeheke o te Ao e haere tonu mai ana, kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawa nui. Tihei mauri ora ki a tātou.
[Lastly, to our relations within the disabled community, and their Olympics that are still to come, be strong, be bold, resolute.]
Well, we’ve already voted on the motion, but since we are in a general agreement that the Olympic team have done so well and should be congratulated, I’ll ask everyone to stand and give them a round of applause.
[Applause]