Earthquake—Canterbury Statement

Ministerial Statements : Te Ururoa Flavell, Acting Leader, Maori Party
Earthquake—Canterbury, Tuesday 7th of September 2010

Huri noa i te Whare, tēnā tātou katoa. Ko tāku noa ake ko te whaiwhai haere i ngā kōrero kua puta i tēnei ahiahi me te tautoko ake i ngā kōrero katoa. Kua kī kē au i roto i tēnei Whare, kei roto i nga waiata Māori, ngā haka, ngā poi ko ngā kōrero katoa mō ngā āhuatanga o tēnei ao. Mai i te orokohanga ki a Ranginui e tū nei, ki a Papatūānuku e takoto nei, he whakamārama tonu mō te hau, te moana, te noho o te tuakana rāua ko te teina, tēnei mea te mate, te ora, te wehenga o te tāne me te wahine. Kei reira ngā whakamārama katoa. I a Ngāti Porou e haka ana i tā rātou haka, he kōrero anō tērā mō Rūaumoko, te tamaiti kei te kōpū tonu o tōna whāea e whanawhana nei, e ngunguru nei. Koirā te tikanga o tērā kōrero: “Ko Rūaumoko e ngunguru nei—au, au, auē hā!”. Nā, mō tātou te tangata, e kore e taea e tātou te karo i te mahi a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku me wā rāua tamariki. I te pērā i te tīmatanga mai, kei te pērā anō hoki ināiatonunei.

Ka huri ōku whakaaro ki te rohe o Ōtautahi, tae rā anō ki ngā hapori huri noa i tērā takiwā. E hoa mā, he aha he kōrero māku? Koinei pea, kia kaha, kia toa, kia manawanui. Tērā anō hoki te whakataukī e mea ana: “Ahakoa whati te manga, e takoto ana anō te kōhiwi—although one branch may be broken off a tree, if the foundations are strong our survival is assured”.

Koirā pea te tikanga o tērā kōrero, Ōtautahi. Tau tahi, kotahi tonu te wā i te tau ka eke a aituā ki runga i a rātou. Tērā tērā. Ka rua, o ngā tau katoa kotahi tonu te wā ka tau a aituā ki runga i a koutou, i a rātou. Koirā te tūmanako, arā, kia kore a Rūaumoko e hoki anō rā ki te hapori o Ōtautahi.

Ki ngā ringa raupā e whakapau kaha nei ki te āwhina, ki te tiaki i te hapori, pirihimana mai, tākuta mai, nēhi mai, tauira mai, te hapori tonu, me mihi rā ka tika. Kei reira hoki taku hoa a Rahui Katene me tana tari e āwhina ana i te hunga rā. E ai ki ōna kōrero, he nui ngā tāngata nō Hornby e whāngai ana i wā rātou kōeke, arā, ko te hunga pakeke—kuia, koroua hoki. Tērā tētahi kuia e noho ana i Poihākena, e hiahia ana ki te āwhina i ōna whanaunga o Ngāi Tahu. E mīharo ana ahau ki te rongo i ērā momo kōrero. Ka nui te mihi ki a Bob Parker, ki te Minita tonu, ki a Hone Kaata me āna kaimahi o te civil defence. Koia rā rātou, ērā e ārahi nei i ngā mahi whakatikatika. Ki a Tūmatauenga, ngā wātene ka mutu, me whai wāhi au ki te mihi ki te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu e toro nei i ōna ringa ki te hunga e rongo nei i te pōuri, i te mamae.

Mēnā he painga o roto i te kino, tērā pea koia tēnei. He mea whakaohooho nei i a tātou ki te whakariterite i a tātou anō, mō te taunga mai o aituā. Kaua e tatari ki te meneti whakamutunga. Kaua e pōhēhē, e kore a aituā e pā mai ki a koe, ki ahau, ki a tātou. Ka tū tonu a Ranginui ki runga, ka takoto tonu a Papatūānuku ki raro, ahakoa pēhea, kei a rāua te kupu whakamutunga. Te rohe o Ōtautahi, kia kaha, kia toa.

[Greetings to us all, throughout the House. I merely follow on from the speeches delivered this afternoon, and endorse all that has been stated. I have already said in this House that Māori songs, posture dances, and poi movements explain all of the phenomena in this world. Since the beginning of time, to the time of the Great Sky Father above and Mother Earth below, there is an explanation for the wind, sea, relationships between siblings, death, life, and separation of men and women. The explanations are there for everything. Ngāti Porou perform their posture dance, which is about Rūaumoko the Earthquake God, the child lying within the womb of his mother, kicking and rumbling. Hence the phrase: “This is the Earthquake God rumbling here—oh, oh, indeed it is!”. Now, in terms of people, we cannot prevent whatever the Sky Father and Earth Mother and their children do. It was like that at the dawn of time, and remains so at this moment.

My thoughts are with the region of Christchurch, including its communities throughout that area. Fellow parliamentarians, what can I say? This, perhaps: be strong, be brave, and be stout-hearted. There is the aphorism also that says: “Although one branch may be broken off a tree, if the foundations are strong our survival is assured”.

That may possibly be the meaning of that word “Ōtautahi”: “tau” year, “tahi” one—tragedy strikes them only once in a year. That is the take on that. Secondly, in all the years, tragedy will fall upon you and them once only. The hope is that the Earthquake God does not return to the community of Christchurch again.

I must acknowledge those who have worked hard to help and protect the community: the police, doctors, nurses, students, and indeed the community itself. It is only right that we acknowledge them. My colleague Rahui Katene and her office are there as well, helping the people. According to her, many people from Hornby are feeding their aged—the elderly men, and the elderly women too. There is an elderly Māori woman living in Sydney who wants to help her Ngāi Tahu relatives. To hear that kind of talk is amazing to me. I commend Mayor Bob Parker and the honourable Minister John Carter and his staff from civil defence, as well, who are leading the rebuilding effort. I acknowledge the army and Māori wardens also. I mention the Ngāi Tahu tribal authority, which has reached out to the vast number who feel traumatised and in need of comforting.

If there is anything positive in the disaster, then it might be this. It is a wake-up call for us to prepare ourselves as well, should it happen to us. Do not wait until the last minute. Do not take it for granted that it will not happen to you, me, or us. Sky Father will always be up there, and Mother Earth will be down here, always. Regardless of what happens, they will always have the last say. Be strong and courageous, the Christchurch region.]

ENDS