25 May 2018

He mihi tēnei ki ngā mate kua whetūrangitia ki te korowai o Ranginui. E te rangatira, e matua Kingi, hoki atu ki te poho o te whenua, ki ngā ringaringa o ngā mātua tūpuna. Takoto mai, takoto mai, takoto mai rā.

Ka tuku i ngā aroha mutunga kore o Te Rōpū Kākāriki ki te whānau pani me ngā hapū o Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua hoki.

It was with great sadness that the Green Party learned of the passing of Ngāpuhi rangatira Kingi Taurua (Ngāti Rāhiri, Ngāti Rehia, Ngāti Whātua) yesterday.

“I am very saddened by the passing of Kingi Taurua and acknowledge this huge loss for his whānau, for Te Tii Marae and Ngāpuhi and all of Te Ao Māori,” said Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson.

“As a descendant of Ngāpuhi I pay my respects to Kingi and acknowledge his significant contributions to Aotearoa. I was always deeply honoured when he would claim me from for being from the North.

“Kingi was a great friend to the Greens, hosting us at Te Tii for Waitangi commemorations year after year, and supporting common kaupapa such as Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the TPPA.

“I particularly enjoyed being interviewed by him over the radio in his role as a host on Radio Waatea. We shared political kōrero responding to his unique interviewing style and mita.

“Kingi was a veteran of the Vietnam War and as someone who suffered PTSD and the lasting effects of Agent Orange, he was always a great advocate for veterans. He never stopped serving his people and his country; he was a corrections officer for many years, and served both Labour and National governments as an advisor.

“Returning home to the North, Kingi then took up a role as a guardian of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and held the Taumata Kaumatua at Waitangi together for many years,” said Ms Davidson.

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