Kereama Pene Mana Candidate for Tamaki Makaurau
MANA MEDIA RELEASE
IN ENGLISH AND TE REO MAORI
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9 October 2011
Kereama
Pene Mana Candidate for Tamaki Makaurau.
Ratana Church Minister and descendant of Ngati Whatua O Orakei iwi, Kereama Pene is MANA’s candidate for the Maori seat of Tamaki Makaurau.
Kereama says he has spoken with members of the Ratana movement including its leader, Harerangi Meihana, Ngati Whatua elders and Maori King Tuheitia of his reasons for standing to represent MANA in Tamaki Makaurau.
“A week ago I was given the honour of officiating at the tangi of the King’s father Whakamoana Paki where I received the endorsement of Kingi Tuheitia of my decision to stand for MANA in Tamaki Makaurau.
“Receiving such endorsements from my rangatira is important. It is from those endorsements that I will draw strength in putting myself forward to represent Tamaki Makaurau in the next parliament.”
Kereama Pene has a lifetime history of protesting for Maori land rights including standing with Eva Rickard at Raglan who fought successfully for the return of the Raglan Gulf course in the 1970’s and also in supporting Matiu Rata in his battles to have the Treaty of Waitangi honoured and enshrined in New Zealand’s legislation.
He helped draft the Bastion Point Treaty of Waitangi claim for Ngati Whatua in 1983 and is a signatory of the first treaty settlement in New Zealand which arose from that claim.
“On the Foreshore and Sea Bed hikoi to parliament in 2004, Joe Hawke asked me to carry the Bastion Point occupation flag across the Harbour Bridge. I am very honoured that he will again pass the flag to me to carry during my campaign to win the Tamaki Makaurau seat for MANA.
“In 1840 Ngati Whatua gifted much of the land on which the city of Auckland has been built to the Nation in the spirit of partnership which is embodied in the Treaty of Waitangi and as a member of Ngati Whatua iwi if elected to parliament I would work to ensure that partnership is honoured,” Kereama Pene says.
He says after being an active member of both Labour and the Maori parties he has turned to MANA because it represent kaupapa values both those parties have espoused in the past but not lived up to.
“I heard Hone Harawira say in one of his first speeches that he would be prepared to die for the Treaty and that’s what led me to get behind MANA and its passionate and committed leader.”
Ka Tu te Rangatira a Kereama Pene mo Tamaki Makarau: Mana Ki Runga
He Apotoro
I te Hahi Ratana, He uri o Nagti Whatua,ka tu a Kereama Pene
mo te turu Maori o Tamaki Makarau mo te Ropu Mana.Kei te
korero ana a Kereama ki tetahi o nga Rangatira o te Hahi
Morehu,a,Hererangi Meihana me wetahi o nga Kaumatua o Ngati
Whatua tae noa atu ki te Kingi a Kingi Tuheitia pana ki te
kaupapa o tona tu kei Tamaki
“I te wiki e pahure ana I
whakahaere ana au te hui mate o te papa o te Kingi, a,
Whatumoana, i te tangi ra ka tuku te Kingi tona Tautoko ki
ahau mo toku nei tu I Tamaki Makarau”
Mo te nuinga o
tona ora ka tu a Kereama ki te whawhai mo te Tiriti me te
tinorangatiratanga o nga tangata Whenua, I awhingia e ia a
Eva Rickard mo Raglan Golf Course, ka tu e ia i te taha o te
Rangatira a Matiu Rata mo te pumautanga o te Tiriti o
Waitangi kei roto I nga Ture o te Paremata I Aotearoa
Kei te awhi e ia te hanga o te whawhai o Takaparawhau mo
Ngati Whatua I mua I te aroaro o te Tiripunia o Waitangi. Ko
e ia tetahi o nga kaituhituhi o te kereme tuatahi I te tau
kotahi mano iwa rau waru tekau ma toru
“I runga I te
hikoi mo te Takutai Moana ka tuku a Joe Hawke ki ahau te
kara o Takaparawhau i te kawe ai I runga I te piriti o
Tamaki. Ka hoki mai te honore ki ahau I tenei wiki,a, ka
whakahoatu ano te kara ki ahau kia mau ai I runga I taku
hikoi ki te paremata”
“ I te tau kotahi mano waru
rau wha tekau ka tuku a Ngati Whatua nga whenua mo te Taone
o Tamaki kei raro I te manakitanga o te whakaaro e rua nga
iwi, kotahi te Ao,mena ka whiwhi ai te turu o Tamaki kei te
weroana au ki te karauna whaka honore ai koutou te wairua o
tera tuku.”
Ka mea atu e ia ko te kaupapa o tona huri
ki te roopu Mana , kua ngaro hoki a Reipa me te Pati Maori
te wairua me nga tikanga o te iwi Maori. Ka tu enei taonga I
te Roopu Mana
“I rangoa ana ahau nga kupu o Hone
Harawira, kei te mate ia mo te Tiriti o Waitangi, ko tera te
korero e karanga nei au, ko te kaha me te ihi o tatou nei
Tumuaki”
ends