Maori Party salutes heroic Nancy Wake

Hon Dr Pita Sharples and Hon Tariana Turia, Co-leaders of the Maori Party E te mokopuna a Pourewa! Nau te mana Maori i kawe ki te pakanga o te ao; he toa koe i hoki mai i te pae o te riri; inaianei koe kua haere ki o tipuna ki tua o te arai. Haere, haere, haere atu ra.

Maori Party co-leaders, Dr Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia, have today shared their sadness at learning of the passing of the kuia, and World War two resistance hero, Nancy Wake.

"Five years ago, I stood in the House, along with Judith Collins and Ron Mark, to speak publicly of my admiration for Nancy Wake; a servicewoman of outstanding courage, collecting bravery awards from France, England, Australia and the United States" said Mrs Turia.

"We knew so little about this woman, nicknamed the 'White Mouse' because of her ability to elude capture; a distinguished 'Resistance Heroine' reputed to be at one time the Gestapo's most wanted person.

"And yet from what little we knew, it was obvious she demonstrated a fierce fighting spirit, a formidable intellect and a lifelong loyalty to the land of her birth" .

"One of the tragedies of this moment, is to know that despite our best efforts, we were unable to convince successive Governments that her significant contribution should be honoured by her homeland, Aotearoa".

"We take the time today to acknowledge the RSA who awarded her its highest honour, the Badge in Gold which was presented on 1 November 2006 at Buckingham Palace" said Dr Sharples.

"While we mourn the loss of one of our greatest war heroes, we will also be thinking of the King's Empire Veterans, The Royal New Zealand Air Force Association, Thames Returned Services Association, the Ex-Royal Naval Men's Association of New Zealand; Ex-Vietnam Services Association, the New Zealand Korea Veterans Association and the 28th Maori Battalion Association in Hauraki, who worked so hard to see her honoured".

"Nancy's story is a remarkable one. Her courage and her cunning use of strategy will provide inspiration for generations to come".

E te whäea, kuia rangatira, moe mai ra, moe mai ra i to moenga roa.

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