Te Ururoa Flavell

25 NOVEMBER, 2015

Crossing the floor book launch

Acknowledgements:

• Dame Tariana Turia

• Helen Leahy

• Hon Bill English, other Ministers & MPs

• John Maihi

• Whatarangi Winiata

• Pat Snedden

• Pati Umaga (pronounced Umanga)

• George Turia [he will join us via Skype]

• Huia Publishers

Che Wilson and Piri Cribb – thanking for your introduction

Kia ora tātou!

I am delighted to welcome you all here to the Banquet Hall of Parliament to celebrate theHonourable Dame Tariana Turia, and to launch her biography, as written by Helen Leahy. It is a mark of the high esteem in which she is held that there are so many of you gathered here – from her school day friends; health workers; treaty activists; politicians right across the House; and everywhere there is whānau.

It has been a tough few weeks for you and the whānau, especially you George. It is awesome that you can join us. Let’s go back a bit: On 6 August 2005, Tariana Turia told political journalists, Audrey Young and Ruth Berry, that being an MP was never her favourite occupation. She told them: “I do it because I was asked to by our people and I try to do it the best way I can”.

It was a remarkable statement for someone who just a year earlier, had won the highest share of the valid vote of any female politician in the New Zealand Parliament, before or since. In the 2004 by-election in which she took out the Te Tai Hauāuru seat. Tariana received a massive 92.74% of the valid vote. That’s just 0.71% lower than Premier Richard Seddon in 1905.

A career politician she was not. She didn’t come to parliament to gain fame and fortune. She had a job to do – and that was to be the best advocate for her people; to live up to their expectations of her; to do what was right, not what was popular.

We endeavor to maintain that mantra right now – to do what is right, not what is popular. The National Party know this is what we are about and respect us for it. In the ten years in which I worked alongside of her, I can reveal I never saw her drunk and disorderly – hold on who wrote this?

Indeed, it was only a matter of days into our first political term that Tariana sat us down – Hone, Pita and myself – and cautioned us to avoid some of the ill-conceived antics of other political parties. We got the sense that it wasn’t negotiable.

Tari is a woman of immense substance; a person of principle; a leader with the utmost integrity.

I understand that the working title for Crossing the Floor was Passion, Principles and Politics – and it is evident throughout the pages of her story that the way in which she lives her life has been powerfully under-scored by all three.

But it was in the one action to literally cross the floor of the debating chamber and vote against the 2004 Foreshore and Seabed Act that Tariana’s life lessons came together to establish a new threshold of moral courage. It was a principled decision, arrived at after months of active engagement with the people. It was an action informed by political consequence; emerging after long hours of challenging debate and negotiation with her political peers.

But it was also a unique demonstration of leadership influenced by the wisdom of those who walked before her and always mindful of the mokopuna who would follow. In this respect Tariana has always been characterised by her consistency.

Whānau Ora is, as the book sets out, the legacy of the philosophies and principles handed down to her by her grandmother, her aunty Wai, her beloved Dad Tariuha Manawaroa Te Aweawe.

Her initiative in establishing Community Max and Māori and Pasifika trade training, reflected the decade of prosperous enterprise her and George spearheaded in Te Awa Youth Trust run out of her marae at Whangaehu.

Cultural competency; health literacy; Māori provider development – were the success factors associated with Te Oranganui Health Authority (the longest and largest Māori Health Service provider in the Central Region).

And in every aspect of her ministry, the over-riding motivation was what could we do to keep whānau well; to enable whānau to be self-determining; to be the architects of their own destiny?

There is no question that as a Minister in both Labour and National Governments, Tariana was a trail-blazer, introducing many new advances into the political landscape.

She established the first Community and Voluntary Sector office; she produced strategies on adult literacy, family violence, volunteering, Māori health; set up computer clubhouses; introduced ground-breaking policy change to enable owners of multiply-owned land to access credit.

Her contribution to widespread tobacco reform earned her international accolades, as did her work in reducing rheumatic fever. And on 8 April 2010, her birthday, she was made the first Minister for Whānau Ora, from which portfolio has emerged the transformational approach that is situated all around the multiple potential and promise of whānau.

But outside of ministerial schedules, she was also a tireless campaigner, an inspirational speaker, a champion of the highest order for the mighty Māori Party.

It was under her and Pita’s leadership that some 23,000 New Zealanders were mobilised to form a movement of change. From the Hīkoi to the ballot box, in marae, community halls, hui of all description, Tariana was a fearless fighter for the people. When Tari, Pita, Hone and I were together at hui – there was energy, there was passion, there was fun.

As the next generation of leaders to take over their baton, Marama and I are hugely appreciative of the enormous sacrifice of the Turia and Sharples whānau;

the dedication and determination of their vision; and their legacy they have left us to uphold. They are Māori Party hard!!

I can assure you all, we are doing our very best to honour and build on their legacy. And it is in that light, that we can be so pleased that we now have this magnificent book to serve as a reference point; a benchmark; an opportunity to understand lessons learned, a tribute to Tariana.

While I have restricted my comments to the political and parliamentary influence I cannot conclude without acknowledging the breadth and depth of whānau leadership that we glean between the pages of Crossing the Floor. And for that I acknowledge Helen, and indeed the forty or so sources that provided such vital insights into sharing their stories with us.

It is a love story of grandmothers and mokopuna; of the superhuman strength of George - her rock; of friends that care; of whānau who believe in the power of the collective; of activists like my very good friend Ken Mair, who ‘never say never’.

We learn about taking on the bureaucracy; standing strong to what we believe in. We see the tortuous passage of legislation over decades; whether it be the H in Whanganui, or one of the longest litigations in the history of this nation – the Whanganui River Settlement.

But we also learn about the visionary intent of aunty Wai, who wanted the best for her girl. The tragic impact of violence upon too many whānau; the implications on identity for children in care; the costs and casualties of health events, the pride of Pakaitore.

It is my great pleasure to be able to welcome you all here to this rare opportunity to celebrate the life of a great New Zealander – Tariana Turia. Tari, you have been and remain, a huge inspiration and I say that it has been an honour and a privilege to serve with you and Pita as the leaders or our party. To have been with you, side-by-side, has been to be a part of history.

Your courage, tenacity and commitment to our people is what marks you out as being in a league of your own. Tariana Turia, this is your life – we honour you and your whānau today.

In closing, can I congratulate another special person who is an essential part of the package – Helen Leahy. If there was ever going to be someone who could, would write this story it was always going to be Helen.

If you have seen the TV programme MASH – she is the Radar of the Māori Party. She knows what you are thinking before you have thought of it yourself. I remember the night before the great hīkoi seeing Helen and Tari out out…

The events of the following day are now a part of history and are recorded in the book. Helen, this is a wonderful tribute to Tari. Your marks are all over this book, as it should be – there is passion, details, aroha, insights and compassion. Congratulations.

I still pinch myself at times that I have the privilege to serve our people; that I follow great political leaders who I studied at school.

As a young political movement, we have been graced with the talents and energy of Hone and Rāhui. We have changed, evolved, adapted trying to never lose sight of our kaupapa and like Tari stated, served our people and the nation to the best of our ability. As Matua Whatarangi has stated we are talking about the survival of Māori as a people.

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