Speech – The Maori Party

I am really pleased to be able to mark the start of this new year, by having my first formal speech at this very significant marae; and in the presence of the provider collective we know as He Waka Kotuia o Araiteuru. Speech – He Waka Kotuia o Araiteuru : Rahui Katene

He Waka Kotuia o Araiteuru – Whanau Hui
Thursday 27 January 2011; 9am
Arai Te Uru Marae; Dunedin

Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga

I am really pleased to be able to mark the start of this new year, by having my first formal speech at this very significant marae; and in the presence of the provider collective we know as He Waka Kotuia o Araiteuru.

And I want to firstly acknowledge all of the roopu that have come together under this waka – including Te Roopū Tautoko ki Te Tonga; Te Hou Ora Whānau Services, Tokomairiro Waiora, Kai Tahu ki Otago, Arai Te Uru Whare Hauora, and ADA 2007.

What you have done in coming together, is not only to model the value of collaboration and working alongside one another; but also to bring decades of experience in your support for whanau in the rohe of Araiteuru.

Between you, you have brought together a rich range of skills and insights from the fields of social, educational, justice, economic, clinical and rural services, that have supported whanau in pursuit of their aspirations.

There’s literally a little bit of everything – sexual health; strengthening families; road safety; domestic violence prevention; diabetes management; smoking cessation; healthy eating, alcohol and drug services, respiratory health; parents as first teachers; problem gambling; rangatahi leadership; tamariki ora; rongoa; and that’s just a beginning.

I want to also acknowledge at this point, my colleagues, Te Ururoa Flavell and Dr Pita Sharples, who have made such a special effort to be with us today, to support this important kaupapa.

Te Ururoa, you might be aware, has been gaining massive support for his Gambling Harm Reduction Bill, what is more commonly known as the People before Pokies Bill. The Bill has been developed to respond to the fact that up to 80% of people seeking help with gambling problems cite pokie machines as their primary mode of gambling. What we also know is that pokie machines are concentrated in our most vulnerable communities – so Te Ururoa’s bill aims to switch the power imbalance, and provide the means by which local authorities are able to keep the number of pokies down or eliminate them completely.

And of course Pita, in his leadership as the Minister of Maori Affairs, has been pioneering a huge range of initiatives, designed to support the realization of whanau ora. It would take me all day to go through them all, but his initiative in setting up the Maori Youth Council; and the Kaitoko Whanau programme are particularly exciting in helping to link whanau and rangatahi into building the long term resilience that will lead to whanau wellbeing.

Today then, is a very significant day, in which we celebrate partnerships with whanau – and in that, we recognize the level of enterprise and entrepreneurship which is coming to the fore with Whanau Ora.

And I simply can’t go far, in thinking about the incredible potential of the entrepreneurial spirit of Maori, before I think about Roy Dunn and Edge Te Whaiti; and the great work that is being done through the contract with the Consultancy Advocacy and Research Trust chaired by veteran activist and community worker, Dennis O’Reilly.

I stand here today, to pay tribute to Roy, to Edge and all of the leaders and mentors that they have inspired, in creating a positive new life for the whanau that have come together through their connections to the Notorious Chapter of the Mongrel Mob.
From what I know of the origins of the whanau ora work occuring with so many of the whanau gathered here, it emerged from the aspirations and challenges put by close to 100 Mongrel Mob families around the country who were asked what they wanted for their families five years from now.
Their responses were remarkably consistent.
They wanted their whanau to be violence-free, drug-free; educated, earning a decent income, and living in a warm and safe home.
It reminds me of that whakatauki,

He manako te koura e kore ai!
Wishful thinking will not get you a crayfish
So what Roy, Edge and the others realized was that it’s quite one thing to have a dream – and its another to take the actions to make that vision happen in everyday life.

How do you snare the crayfish and make sure it’s the sweetest, most succulent koura you could ever want?

Well what you’ve shown us – is that you do it, one bite at a time.

And so, there’s been ideas like bringing members of Mongrel Mob and Black Power together for activities like diving or horse-riding, to try to end some of the longstanding inter-gang rivalries.

There’s the collaborative project entered into with the Salvation Army, to develop a series of live in P treatment programmes for gang members.

And now there’s the work we celebrate today, in placing focus on Whanau Ora – the challenge and the opportunity that all whanau must have to become more self-managing, to make decisions that will improve their life.

The thing that I find most exciting about Whanau Ora is that it is like a great reawakening – the revitalization of our economic, social and cultural development.

It is about discovering that what we have been looking for, is actually all around us.

It is about sinking our feet into the thick green grass of home; reminding ourselves of the warmth and strength of our own whenua right under our feet.

And it is about understanding that we have within ourselves the capacity to be innovative, to come up with our own solutions to address our issues.

The reality is, however, is that it is very hard to ever make change if you don’t have the engagement of the leaders within your community.

And so, that is why today is so important, because it is about setting up the direction and the expectation, that the wellbeing of the whole whanau is a matter of priority for your leaders.

It is about considering all of the options; taking up the responsibility to keep rangatahi engaged; and finding approaches that will be meaningful and relevant within your community.

There is no place for isolation or exclusion on the basis of gang affiliation.

We in the Maori Party have no tolerance for the paranoia, suspicion and mistrust that has been ratcheted up across the motu, about those engaged with gang involvement.

And we also have no time for behaviour that is intimidating or threatening from any sector within our society. Violence and abuse is unacceptable no matter from whom or where it emerges.

Today is about changing the perceptions; reframing the solutions, so that whanau ora becomes the driving force.

Instead of being motivated by punitive measures, today we welcome a fresh approach, which is driven by and for your own people.

It is an approach which is guided by a focus on outcomes, what will bring about the difference to achieve the wellbeing of the whanau.

What will lead to the strength and knowledge which will assist whanau to make healthy choices in their lives?

How will progress be demonstrated; what are the relationships and partnerships that you need to develop in order to achieve all that you aspire towards?

Finally, I want to just say how proud I am, as the Member for Te Tai Tonga, to be invited to share in this special day.

The energy, the enthusiasm, and the dedicated resilience that you have shown in making today happen, sums up for me the amazing things that I have had the privilege to see right across this electorate.

I pay my final tribute to you all, for your courage and your vision in coming together, to create the solutions your people have within them. I wish you all the very best for a fantastic journey ahead.

ENDS

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