E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea.

I shall never be lost, I am a seed sown from Rangiātea

Annie Aranui was a servant to the people and her selfless dedication to Tairāwhiti and the Hawke’s Bay community will be sorely missed, Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson says.

Annie’s ability to breakdown social barriers meant she was able to get various agencies to work together for the betterment of whānau, hāpū and iwi, in her role as Ministry of Social Development Regional Commissioner.

“I was saddened to hear the news that Annie has passed away. Over the last three years I had the pleasure of working with Annie on the east coast as the Minister of Employment. Annie accompanied me on many of the visits I made to Tairāwhiti and she was always welcoming and the consummate professional.

“What shone through was her love for her people and her community and it was clear that she was dedicated to making the coast a better place through her mahi and I really respect her for that,” Willie Jackson says.

I send my aroha to her whānau for their loss and thank them for sharing her with all of us. We are all the poorer for her passing but richer for all that she brought into the lives of everyone she had contact with.

Maringi noa ngā roimata i te matenga o Annie Aranui, kua karangahia e Hinenui-te-pō. Moe mai rā e te māreikura. Piki atu ki te ārai poutama, ki waeanganui I o tīpuna, okioki ai.

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