Customs and Excise Amendment Bill Hone Harawira, Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau Tuesday 1 August 2006
Customs and Excise Amendment Bill Hone Harawira, Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau
In Maori Language week, the sources behind the Maori names that have been created to describe the various government
departments were a particular interest for me.
The Maori name for the New Zealand Customs Service is 'Te Mana Arai o Aotearoa' and means 'The authority that screens
and protects New Zealand'.
Yeah right.
A question of authority: whose authority?
The only authority that tangata whenua know of as being able to protect Aotearoa, is Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
And even if the three blind mice, Labour, NZ First and National pretend not to see, and are running scared of the polls,
the rest of New Zealand knows that it is in the Treaty that our foundations lie.
It is the Treaty which balances kawanatanga - the right to govern - with rangatiratanga - hapu and iwi authority.
The Treaty enabled settlers to establish themselves in Aotearoa and to live here in peace under the protection and
control of the British government.
The partnership principle translated in practice towards an assumption that Maori would have their rights and interests
recognised and protected, both as individual citizens (Article 3) and as members of hapu and iwi (Article 2).
When I look to my own people of Tai Tokerau, I am given even more reason to question this concept of authority via the
Customs Service, when compared to the exercise of authority by Maori communities over their land and resources.
The Muriwhenua report shows that hapu and iwi of the North were very clear about their rights of authority over their
lands and seas and this did not change with the arrival of the European settlers.
The concept of border security measures and integrated border management derives from these early accounts of our people
trading with Europeans.
The report had this to say:
There is evidence that Maori saw themselves as retaining control. This is demonstrated in their political acts of
levying anchorage and watering fees, which Europeans found they were bound to pay. Much later, Maori were intensely
opposed to Government customs duties and harbour charges, as they considered only Maori could levy these. It was further
apparent to Europeans - and the point was not lost on Maori - that trade relied totally on Maori permitting access to
resources.
As our early relationships reveal, Maori originally had the experience and custom of effective and integrated border
management as would be expected for our ongoing authority, over both land and sea.
Who is Detained?
Having established then that we are not the ones behind the Customs desk, the question must be asked, about who are the
people detained on suspicion?
The Maori Party asks particularly what is the likely place of racism in determining risk, in identifying the threat of
Terrorism?
We note with delight, that the Customs Service identifies a commitment to meeting its responsibilities to Maori under
the Treaty of Waitangi and the Principles for Crown action.
We would hope that such a commitment might lead to an understanding of rangatiratanga, of self-determination, and of
Treaty rights.
Rights which extend across international borders in the context of indigenous peoples.
This year we have marked the anniversary of twenty-five years since the 1981 Springbok Tour.
The potential risks arising from international travel, while facilitating the legitimate movement of people across the
border, came to a particular frenzy under the spotlight of apartheid.
Many of us knew of the twenty subversives who were on list drawn up by the SIS to identify those who took part in
protests against the tour.
The singling out of individuals as subversives - like Donna Awatere, Dunn Mihaka, and myself - are examples of the types
of targetting that can go on when officials are given inordinate authority to question, detain or arrest.
The Bill increases the power of authorities to search and seize, to delay and detain, all according to their suspicions,
their pre-conceived perceptions.
The Maori Party believes such authority to be unnecessary - we would suggest there is sufficient authority already in
place.
Exports, Imports: It works both ways
The final question that we have is around section 54 and 56 of the Act.
The Maori Party suggests that if one is really committed to the Bill's purposes to enhance border security measures, new
prohibitions on exports should also be carried over to imports.
We have been pleased with the vigilance of border agencies in upholding such measures as the Customs Export Prohibition
Order 2002.
This House will no doubt recall in 2003, the attempt to export a piece of pounamu.
The person involved alleged it was a gift for the people of Rapanui (Easter Island).
But they forgot one small detail - the need to gain consent from the Mawhera Incorporation for any such taonga retrived
from the Arahura river.
The Maori Party commends the commitment of Customs to uphold its Treaty commitments, in this area of prohibitions on
exports.
But we do have the ask, why doesn't the same situation apply to imports?
We are all aware that the manufacturers of textiles, clothing and footwear in Aotearoa will be exposed to greater
competition from exports originating in Singapore as a result of free trade relationships.
It is really critical that Customs New Zealand are asked to closely monitor imports from Singapore to ensure that
nations do not derive any unintended benefits from the removal of tariffs on goods of Singapore origin.
Finally, the need to protect and preserve the unique nature of life in Aotearoa, and all who call this land home, is as
urgent now as it was with my Muriwhenua tupuna last century.
We do not want other indigenous peoples of the world to be excluded from Aotearoa, as a result of the ever pervasive
purging of racism.
We do not want activities of our independent leading thinkers to be redesignated as terrorist actions of activists and
radicals.
We do not want democratic challenge to be stifled as part of the regime of terrorism suppression.
We want protection and preservation, not the erosion of human rights or the withdrawal of due process under the law
They say that crime doesn't pay - that turning against the authority of the land, will only result in deep heat.
The Maori Party urges everyone, to be guided by the true authority of Aotearoa, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to stay true
to the aspirations of our nation.
We support the Customs and Excise Amendment Bill, despite our reservations and although we do not believe the additional
search and seizure strategies are necessary.
We look forward to the discussion and report back from the Select Committee.
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I te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, i tino kaingakau kia mohio au ki nga ingoa Maori mo nga Tari o te Kawanatanga.
E mea ana, ko te ingoa Maori, mo te "New Zealand Customs Service" ko te "Te Mana Arai o Aotearoa" a, kei a ia te mana
hei arai, hei tiaki i a Aotearoa.
Meinga meinga ...
Kei a wai ra te mana: koia ra te patai?
Ki ta te tangata whenua, kotahi anake te mana hei arai i a Aotearoa nei, ara, ko te mana tera, o te Tiriti O Waitangi.
Na, hakoa ko ahua kapo nga kiore e toru, ara, ko Reipa, ko Niu Tireni te Tuatahi, me Nahinara, hakoa hanga mataku ano
hoki ki te hekenga o a ratou pooti, e mohio ana te iwi whanui ko te Tiriti, te tino kaupapa mo Aotearoa. Ma te Tiriti e
whakarite nga kaupapa o te kawanatanga, ara ko te mana whakahaere, me nga kaupapa rangatiratanga, ara, ko te mana o nga
hapu, me nga iwi Maori. Ma te Tiriti ano, ka taea e tauiwi ki te noho pai i raro i nga manaakitanga o te Kawana o nga
Tametame.
Ko te kaupapa hei whakamana i te nohotahi, koia, ko te tiaki, te manaaki, ko te whakamaru i nga tikanga o te Ao Maori,
hei hapu, hei iwi ranei, i raro i te Wahanga Tuarua, hei tangata, i raro i te Wahanga Tuatoru o te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Ina kite ana au ki oku iwi o te Tai Tokerau, ka nui rawa aku patai mo te ahua o te mana o te "Tari Arai o Aotearoa" ki
tera o te mana o te Maori, i a ratou e arai ana i o ratou whenua, taonga ano hoki.
Ka kitea i roto i te Ripoata o Muriwhenua, e mohio tuturu ana nga hapu me nga iwi o te Tai Tokerau, he aha a ratou mana
ki te whenua, mana ki te moana. Kahore i rereke taua mana, atu i te taenga mai o tauiwi. I puta mai te whakaaro tiaki a
rohe, me te whakaaro whakahaere a takiwa, mai i nga korero o te wa hokohoko a te iwi Maori me te Pakeha.
Anei ta taua ripoata:
Kua kitea, e whakaarohia ana te Maori, kei a ia tonu, tona mana. Kua kitea ano ra i nga mahi a nga Maori kia whai i nga
utu mo nga taunga kaipuke, me nga utu mo te wai, ma tauiwi ano ra, hei utu.
E hia te roa atu i tera, kahore te Maori i whakaae ki nga taake a te kawana, me nga utu taunga kaipuke a te kawana, i te
whakaaro, na ratou tonu tera mana.
I maarama ai te Pakeha - a, kahore hoki i ngaro i te Maori - ko te mana hoko taonga, te mana whakaae, te mana kia uru
atu, kei te Maori tonu tera mana.
Kua kitea inaianei, i aua ra, i kakama, i matatau te Maori ki nga mahi tiaki a rohe, whakamarumaru ano hoki i nga whenua
me nga moana o Aotearoa.
Ko wai ka mauhere?
Na, i te mea ehara ko matou nga tangata kei muri i nga teepu arai tangata, ko te patai, ko wai nga tangata i mauhere i
runga i te whakaaro whakapae noa iho.
Me te patai o te Paati Maori ano, he aha te tu o te ahua kaikiri, i a ratou e whakapae ana he tangata whakatumatuma kua
tae mai?
Kua kite harikoa matou, ki te tu a te Tari Arai o Aotearoa, kia u ki ona kawenga ki te Maori, i raro i Te Tiriti o
Waitangi, me nga Kaupapa hei mahia e te Karauna.
Ko te wawata, ma tenei tu whakapono, ka mohio te iwi whanui ki te ahua o te rangatiratanga, ara, ma te Maori ano te
Maori hei arahi, i raro i te mana o te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Kei reira ano te mana, ka taea ai te tangata kia haere ki hea noa atu, i raro i tona mana tangata whenua.
I tenei tau i whakanuia e matou i te huritau, rua tekau ma rima, mai i te wa o te haerenga mai o te Tima Whutupaoro o
Awherika ki te Tonga.
I puta mai nga whakaaro wetiweti i taua wa, te wa i whakawhiti tika ai nga tangata mai i tetahi whenua ki tetahi atu, na
te tino raru me te mataku o te tu, o te kawana o Awherika ki te Tonga.
Mohio ana te nuinga o matou, ki nga tangata rua tekau i huaina mai e te SIS, ko ratou nga kaiporotehe i te wa o te Tira
no Awherika ki te Tonga.
Ko te huaina i nga tangata hei tangata turaki - pera i a Donna Awatere, i a Dunn Mihaka, i ahau ano hoki - he tauira
tera o nga mahi a nga apiha o te kawana, mena ka whakaae matou, kia whakamana ratou, hei kai whakawa, kai pupuri, kai
hopu ranei.
E whakakaha ana te pire nei i te kawana, kia taea e ona apiha te rapu, te here, kia whakaroa te pupuri, i runga i te
whakaaro whakapae noa iho. Ki te Paati Maori, horekau he take mo enei tu momo ahua - ko ta matou, kei reira ke, te ture
inaianei.
Tuku Rawa, Whakauru Rawa: Kia Whakaritea
Ko te patai whakamutunga e pa ana ki nga wahanga rima tekau ma wha, rima tekau ma ono o te Ture.
E mea ana te Paati Maori, mena e piri pono ana ki nga kaupapa o te Pire, ara, kia whakapakari ai nga tikanga arai
takiwa, me toro atu enei kaupapa whakakapi, mai i nga tuku rawa ki nga rawa e uru mai ana hoki.
Hari ana matou ki nga mahi a nga tari arai whenua, e tautoko kaha ana i nga tikanga o te Ture Whakakahore Tuku Rawa i te
tau rua mano o rua.
E tika ana kia maumahara tenei whare i te tangata e tuku pounamu ki tawahi, i te tau rua mano o toru.
E mea ana ia, he koha ano iho mo te iwi o Rapanui.
Engari, kotahi te mea i warewaretia. Kahore ia, i inoi atu, ki te Kaporeihana o Mawhera, kia whakaae ki tona tangohanga
i tera taonga mai i te awa o Arahura.
Ka mihi te Paati Maori ki te Tari Arai o Aotearoa, mo tona tautoko i nga mahi rahui i nga rawa tuku.
Engari, ko te patai tonu, he aha i kore ai te rahui nei e tau ki runga i nga rawa uru mai?
E mohio ana tatou ko nga kai mahi whariki, kakahu, huu ano hoki, i Aotearoa, i marakerakehia ki nga rawa o Singapore i
enei wa, i raro i te kaupapa hokohoko-korehere, waenganui i a matou, me ratou ano.
He tino kaupapa kia tohutohua "Te Arai o Aotearoa" kia ata tirohia i nga rawa i uru mai nei i Singapore, kia kaua ratou
e whiwhi painga, mo nga utu here, kua tangohia mai, i nga rawa o reira.
Ko te korero whakamutunga, me araihia e tatou te ahua o to tatou noho i Aotearoa, te whenua i korerotia nei ko to tatou
kainga, he karanga kohukihuki, pera i te karanga a oku tupuna o Muriwhenua i tera rau tau.
Kahore matou i te hiahia kia kaua nga tangata whenua o te ao, e tae te uru mai ki Aotearoa, na tenei mahi kikino a te
kaikiri.
Kahore matau i te hiahia, kia tohua a matou tohunga pukenga, hei tangata whakatuma, me era atu ingoa whakaiti tangata.
Kahore matou i te hiahia, kia kore e taea te tangata kia tu, kia wero, na te kaha o te kawana te patu whakatuma.
E hiahia ana matou kia manaakihia, kia tu te mana tangata, kia kaua e waimemeha, i raro i nga whakahaeretanga o te ture.
E mea ana te korero, horekau he painga i roto i te mahi he - mena ka tahuri koe kia wero i te mana kawana, ko te
mutunga, he kai na te ahi.
Ko te tono o te Paati Maori ma te mana o te Tiriti o Waitangi, ka taea e matou te mau tika, ki nga wawata o te iwi.
E tautoko ana matou i tenei Pire, hakoa a matou awangawanga, kia kore e nui ake nga kaupapa rapa, herepu ranei.
Ka titiro whakamua matou, ki nga korero o te Komiti Whakawa, a, ki te ripoata o taua Komiti.
Tena tatou katoa
ENDS