A gentleman's right of reply

Tena koe, nga mihi nui ki a koe

This month has been a whirlwind, crash-course in Politics 101.

I've been in debates on television or in community halls where you could cut the air with a knife between my two competitors. I've been heckled on the streets of Kaitaia by the Mana Party protest squad. I've been dismissed by some reporters on the basis of a faltering start. There are others who had determined the outcome even before I entered - proclaiming ‘this is a two horse race.'

Mistakes have been made, apologies given and we brush ourselves off, and get back up again, with a smile, a wad of talking points, and my absolute commitment to do good by the people, to continue to build the momentum of the Maori Party. One of the comments I've heard directly from the media is "you're a nobody, you have no profile."

First and foremost I am a proud father of three, grandfather of six and great-grandfather of one. But there is more - and I want the right of reply.

This letter is my way of saying, that our country needs representatives who come from humble backgrounds. Our Parliament needs people who have cared passionately for our children's wellbeing; who have worked all hours supporting our families to be the best they can be.

And for all those who have pre-empted the result let me tell you, when the going gets tough, Ngapuhi gets tougher. I am determined to carry the voice of Tai Tokerau into the House. I am determined to make a difference for us. Our resilience, our fighting spirit and our sheer resolve to do the very best we can for our people is an inherited gift we have been left from our tupuna.

All of Ngati Hine treasure the mana and the leadership, the power and the wisdom of our tupuna Hineamaru who was unflinching in her strength. She was known for her independence but also respected for her gift of manaakitanga. We reflect on the pepeha, kia tukau nga mara a Hineamaru: united through our descendency from Hineamaru, we stand strong, together.

The gutsy attitude of the North is probably best remembered by another woman who led the Land March from Te Hapua to Parliament at the ripe old age of 80. When she was 88, Dame Whina Cooper returned to Panguru, with a fire in her belly to find employment for our rangatahi. Her declaration to the people said it all "I will die fighting for my people."

I grew up in the Bay of Islands, Opahi and Motatau with the legendary heroism of Sir James Henare instilled in our minds. As Commander of the 28th Maori Battalion Sir James inspired courage through his actions in North Africa and Italy, my father being amongst one of his troop. But it was in his campaign to mobilize education as a liberating force for the people, that we loved him most.

We will never forget his fight, along with his whanaunga Hoani Waititi, to retain the District High School in Motatau. Although the system defeated them, Ngati Hine will remember forever his dedication to retain the College as a tribal centre of educational excellence.

I have learnt from their legacy, that the most important campaign is not one of political panels, balloons and placards. The campaign I have dedicated my life to, is the campaign of the hearts and minds of our people, to shape the best future we can to leave behind for our mokopuna.

I am the eldest in a family of 10. When my father returned home from the war, he worked in the freezing works most of his life, my mum was a teacher. I milked the cows, our parents worked every weekend weeding and planting. We were a poor family but we were never a hungry family.

We used to travel to school, three of us on the horse, riding for miles and miles. We couldn't travel the globe, but our Mum spent all her spare hours getting us to read and stretch the boundaries of our world. After my time at Motatau Native School, I've been everywhere man. I worked for the Ford Company in Auckland, I entered the Territorials and I was a fuel engineer for fourteen years.

I was determined that should I ever get dragged into war, I would be prepared, I would be trained. I give credit to the army for teaching me the skills to live in the bush for weeks on end, to thrive on the smell of an oily rag. It gave me discipline. And nobody irons my shirts!

I was given the chance to do officer training but I chose to stay in the ranks, with my men. I'm a people person, a team person, and loyalty matters. I've worked in Maori Affairs, I acquired a social work degree along the way and spent many years in the Department of Social Welfare. I saw at first hand the damage done to tamariki Maori who were taken by the State and brought up not knowing who they were. They came home angry and ended up in institutions of various sorts. I knew we could do better.

I've done a stint in prison - as an officer. And then I became Director of Maori Development in the Open Polytechnic, followed by a time as Manager of Community Development for Manukau City Council. After a restructuring of local government, I worked for Te Wananga o Aotearoa and eventually returned to local authorities, as Kaitakawaenga Maori for the Whangarei District Council.

I have put my hand up for the ticket because I want to give back to the communities, the whanau, the marae who have shaped and influenced me right throughout Te Tai Tokerau.

But most of all, I stood because I still stand in awe of the decision one woman made to cross the floor against the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act. I wake up every morning, proud that at long last we have a Maori Party in Parliament, who can advocate and agitate for our issues, on behalf of our people. No matter how loud the protest vote can be, being relegated to opposition backbenches is a frustrating and soul-destroying experience.

We cannot lose this chance to truly make Te Tiriti o Waitangi have power within the House of Representatives. The Maori Party has paved the way for Maori aspirations to be upheld. As a result of our fight, we have over $100 million in Maori education; we have the amazing transformation of Whanau Ora; we have Maori sitting at the seat of power in the broadband negotiations.

As Minister of Maori Affairs, Pita Sharples established a Maori Economic Taskforce, working to increase the leverage of the Maori asset. It has been the stuff of dreams, to see our priorities gaining traction through the difference made by the Maori Party.
While we have aimed for the stars, they have never lost sight of our greatest resource, our people. We successfully halved the costs of power and petrol during the Emissions Trading Scheme; we have gained public profile for proposals to remove GST off fruit and vegetables, to create a Treaty Commissioner; or to put measures in place for equitable Maori representation at local government level.

T here are approximately 76 maara kai spread across Te Tai Tokerau to be able to support whanau to grow their own kai and rebuild community connections in a time when money is tight. Tariana lobbied successfully for $12 million to fight off rheumatic fever; and she has galvanized support for a range of measures to keep our communities smokefree. Approximately 6000 whanau have benefited from having their homes insulated. And the list goes on.

Would this have happened if we sat outside of Government, waiting to be heard? Would this have happened if we were merged inside a big party with all the competing interests inherent in that?

This morning's paper called the Tai Tokerau vote a watershed for Maori.

I have done my best to stand up to the challenge, of ensuring the strong and independent voice of Maori - as it has been carried so clearly by the Maori Party - will be strengthened with the voice of Te Tai Tokerau. I have plenty to learn - and I relish the opportunity to grow, to be the best representative the people could ever want.

We cannot let this moment go. We have come too far to stand by and allow the potential of the Maori Party's vital leverage with Government to be minimized. I'm wired for this. I want the chance. Only the voters of Tai Tokerau can make it happen.

Kia ora.

Solomon Tipene
Ngati Te Tarawa
Ngati Hine
Ko Ngapuhi te whare tapu

ENDS

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