Tuesday, 10 September 2024

TUESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2024

TUESDAY, 10 SEPTEMBER 2024

The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.

Karakia/Prayers

Karakia/Prayers

TEANAU TUIONO (Assistant Speaker): E te Atua kaha rawa, ka tuku whakamoemiti atu mātou, mō ngā karakia kua waihotia mai ki runga i a mātou. Ka waiho i ō mātou pānga whaiaro katoa ki te taha. Ka mihi mātou ki te Kīngi, me te inoi atu mō te ārahitanga i roto i ō mātou whakaaroarohanga, kia mōhio ai, kia whakaiti ai tā mātou whakahaere i ngā take o te Whare nei, mō te oranga, te maungārongo, me te aroha o Aotearoa. Āmene.

[Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the King and pray for guidance in our deliberations, that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom and humility for the welfare, peace, and compassion of New Zealand. Amen.]

Obituaries

Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII

Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): I move, That this House note with sadness the death of Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, Knight of Justice of the Order of St John, convey its deepest sympathy to Kiingi Tuheitia’s whānau, followers of the Kiingitanga movement, and all of Māoridom and the nation, and, as a mark of respect to Kiingi Tuheitia’s memory, this House now adjourn.

Tēnā koutou e te Whare, tēnā tātou e te motu. Taupiri te maunga, Waikato te awa, Pōtatau te tangata. Kiingi Tuheitia, haere atu rā e te rangatira. Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, ara mai rā ki tō ahurewa tapu.

[Greetings to us of this House, greetings to all of us in the nation. Taupiri is the mountain, Waikato is the river, Pōtatau is the illustrious ancestor. King Tuheitia, rest in peace, noble leader. Queen Nga wai hono i te po, ascend your sacred throne.]

Today, we honour and reflect on the life and legacy of Kiingi Tuheitia, a leader who has left an indelible mark on Aotearoa New Zealand. On behalf of the Government, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family, to the Kiingitanga, and to all of those who are touched by his leadership.

As Kiingi Tuheitia made his final journey along the Waikato River from Tūrangawaewae to his resting place at his ancestral maunga Taupiri, thousands gathered from all corners of our country and the world to pay their respects—a testament to the profound impact that he has had on so many lives. Kiingi Tuheitia’s passing marks the end of an era, but his spirit and legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come. Rest in peace, Kiingi Tuheitia.

Kiingi Tuheitia was a servant to his people. He guided them with wisdom, strength, and an unwavering commitment to kotahitanga. Kiingi Tuheitia carried himself with deep personal humility. A son of Huntly and a former truck driver, he had the ability to connect with people from any and all walks of life. He was not just a leader but a friend and mentor to many, and, in particular, a strong advocate for young people. His words often carried the weight of profound wisdom, and his presence was a source of great comfort and strength, as I count myself so fortunate to have experienced.

Kiingi Tuheitia made a rich contribution to his community and to public life. His love for kapa haka, commitment to te reo Māori, and unwavering support for communities in times of need are just a few examples of his enduring legacy. He encouraged everyone to embrace Māori culture in their daily lives and was deeply committed to the revitalisation and celebration of te reo Māori.

As the patron of Te Matatini, the country’s largest Māori cultural festival, he took immense pride in the achievements of young people. At the recent koroneihana, he expressed this sentiment beautifully when he said, “When I hear our tamariki sing, my heart is full.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was instrumental in providing support to the most vulnerable, transforming marae into support hubs, and ensuring food and care were available to those in need. In the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle, he led the clean-up efforts for his people in Hawke’s Bay, bringing helpers, equipment, food, and essential supplies and aid to those affected. Not a man to shirk, he rolled up his sleeves and he mucked in, operating a digger himself to clear debris and silt in a display of the hands-on approach that characterised his leadership.

Beyond his contributions to the Māori community, Kiingi Tuheitia played a significant role in fostering unity and cultural understanding across New Zealand and abroad. His leadership was instrumental in bridging gaps and building stronger relationships between different communities. At the recent koroneihana, he hosted the Pacific ariki from across the world, and this gathering highlighted his commitment to fostering connections and mutual respect among Pacific leaders globally.

Kiingi Tuheitia proudly attended the Olympics, celebrating the New Zealand contingent and showcasing his support for our athletes and the spirit of international unity. Reflecting on this experience, he said, “Everything came together, Pākehā, Māori, all of us, Team New Zealand was amazing … I want to honour them”.

I know that Kiingi Tuheitia and King Charles enjoyed a decades-long friendship, and that King Charles held Kiingi Tuheitia in the highest esteem. King Charles expressed his profound sadness at the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia. In a heartfelt statement, he remarked that “The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness for followers of Te Kiingitanga, Māoridom and the entire nation.” These are just a few examples of how his vision for a harmonious and inclusive society is one that we have to continue to strive towards.

I do want to take this opportunity for the House to recognise the whānau, Kiingitanga, and all of those who journeyed to Tūrangawaewae to farewell Kiingi Tuheitia. We acknowledge the hundreds, if not thousands, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes in the kitchens and throughout the marae, ensuring that the Kiingi’s farewell was a fitting tribute to a great leader. Some of you in this very House have had husbands, wives, partners, children, and extended family playing those roles, and I also wish to acknowledge my fellow political leaders and parliamentarians who travelled to Tūrangawaewae to pay their respects. Whether representing your party, your iwi, your whānau, or your communities, your presence showed the deep connection, the enduring relationship, and mutual respect that has been fostered over time between this House and the Kiingitanga.

Kiingi Tuheitia leaves a legacy not just of leadership but of service and dedication to his people. He was a beacon of hope and a source of inspiration for many. His commitment to the wellbeing of his people was evident in everything that he did. We will remember him not just for his achievements but for the person that he was: kind and dedicated.

As we say our final goodbyes, we do so with gratitude for the time that we had with him and for the lessons that he imparted. He created space for us all, welcoming everyone with open arms and a generous spirit, and as we reflect on his legacy, we are reminded of the values he stood for: service, unity, and love for his people. His life was an example of the power of leadership rooted in compassion and respect.

We welcome Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i te po, who will carry forward this mantle of leadership, the path ahead is illuminated by the legacy of Kiingi Tuheitia. We embrace this transition with open hearts, honouring the past, while looking forward to a future of shared prosperity and kotahitanga.

Rest in peace, Kiingi Tuheitia. Moe mai rā.

Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition): Haere, e te kīngi o te kotahitanga. Haere ki ō nui, ki ō rahi i te pō. Nāu te iwi Māori i ārahi i roto i ngā whakawhiu o te wā. Nāu anō te motu whānui i tiaki i roto i ōna kaupapa mahi kia tutuki āna mahi katoa. Koutou o te pō, ki a koutou.

Tātou o te hunga ora, tēnā tātou katoa.

[Pass on, king of unity. Go to your great and illustrious people in the darkness. You led the Māori people through the challenges of the time. You also protected the entire nation in all of its endeavours to bring them all to fruition. Those of you in the night have gathered together.

Those of us, the living, greetings to us all.]

I want to endorse the words of the Prime Minister and other members of Parliament who will shortly speak to mourn the loss of a great unifier in Kiingi Tuheitia.

As I was preparing and practising my mihi for coming down here and speaking in this debate today, I recalled one of the first opportunities I had to interact properly with Kiingi Tuheitia, which was, in fact, not here in New Zealand but was at the coronation of another King, King Charles III, in London. We had travelled as part of a delegation to London to celebrate the coronation of King Charles, and a particular proceeding at New Zealand House had not gone according to plan. Umbridge was taken, quite rightly.

Shortly after that event, I sat down with Kiingi Tuheitia to settle things down again and to have a conversation, and I confessed to him then, being relatively new in the job as leader of the Labour Party and, at that point, Prime Minister of New Zealand, that issues to do with te reo Māori and, particularly, any issues that involved me speaking in te reo Māori always made me nervous. They would make me nervous because no matter how much I practised my mihi beforehand, and I could have it absolutely perfect before I stood up to speak, under the pressure of saying it in front of somebody else, I would inevitably speed up, I would trip over my words, and I would get it wrong.

He said to me—and I’ve always remembered it—that the important thing is that you try, because people will acknowledge you for trying and that is the important thing, and if you keep trying you’ll get better. I think to some extent that that actually reflects the relationship between the Crown, or the Government, and Māori: we have to keep trying and we won’t always get it right, and as we pursue kotahitanga—as we pursue unity and togetherness—there will undoubtedly be bumps in that road. But the key thing is that with goodwill and with effort, we can continue to make progress.

I want to send my aroha to Kiingi Tuheitia’s whānau. I know he loved and cherished them very, very much. He was a husband to his wife, Makau Ariki, and a father to his children, Whatumoana, Korotangi, and the newly crowned Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po. I want to acknowledge Waikato-Tainui, who have lost a treasured kaumātua, and I want to thank them deeply for having graciously welcomed us all back to Tūrangawaewae so that we could say our farewells.

I was reassured at that meeting that we had in London that whenever we ventured to Tūrangawaewae, we would always be greeted warmly and with aroha. There were some other exaggerated claims made during that time too that the sun would always shine down on us and warm us when we arrived at Tūrangawaewae, and I can tell you that that has not been my recent experience of visiting there. But one thing is absolutely certain: the warmth of aroha we were promised has always been evident when we have visited Tūrangawaewae. In that regard, I particularly want to recognise the volunteer army of aunties, uncles, and rangatahi, who make sure that nobody who shows up at Tūrangawaewae goes home hungry. I can assure you that that has also been my experience of visiting there, as well.

Many from across the country have come forward over the past week to speak about kotahitanga and about the work that Kiingi Tuheitia did to bring us together as a country. When we travelled together, and as we met together in a variety of different forums, it was very clear to me that we all shared a love of Aotearoa New Zealand, but Kiingi Tuheitia had a particular love for all of our people, and our tamariki more so than most. His desire to achieve kotahitanga, to bridge division, and to unify all of our peoples and communities was unquestioned.

I had the opportunity to learn a little of who Kiingi Tuheitia was. The very fact that his last trip as King was to uplift our athletes at the Paris Olympics speaks of how much he loved Aotearoa. He would always back all of our people. The beautiful kākahu that he blessed for our flag bearers showed the world that we are proud to be New Zealanders. He was fearless in his devotion to Aotearoa. He had an immense love for his family and his people. He stood as a strong-spirited leader with an unwavering conviction to unite Māori and non-Māori alike.

My last formal meeting as Prime Minister with Kiingi Tuheitia was at the last year’s 10th forum held between Waikato-Tainui and the Crown under the Kiingitanga Accord. As I’m sure members opposite will be discovering, there are a lot of accords and lots of hui that go alongside those accords. But one thing that I learnt from those conversations was that those forums are more than just transactional; they are an amazing opportunity for us to step into each other’s world and for us to understand a little bit more about what’s driving the other side in these discussions, and I found that that particular meeting with the Kiingitanga definitely exemplified that.

We have so many shared aspirations, and we were able to talk about the contribution that the Kiingitanga and iwi had made in delivering housing for those who needed it. We signed an agreement there to build more affordable rental housing as part of the Hopuhopu Hub complex, and that involved bringing in Government agencies and working together with iwi. I want to acknowledge the incredible work under Kiingi Tuheitia’s leadership that the Kiingitanga and Waikato-Tainui have done in supporting the wellbeing of all those in their rohe.

The Koiora Accord that I witnessed in 2022 was a major step forward for Government and iwi as we worked together around issues to do with wellbeing; a perfect example of how working in partnership produces mutually beneficial outcomes. The enduring partnership between the Crown and the Kiingitanga that Kiingi Tuheitia dedicated himself to as a staunch advocate for his people cannot go unnoted. That partnership, of course, comes with challenges, both historical and new, and Kiingi Tuheitia, in the face of those challenges, rose to the occasion. He embodied kotahitanga in the way he stepped forward as a unifying force for his people.

The accords that brought Government and iwi together were an important partnership for iwi to hold the Government accountable, and they had no hesitation in doing that. Across successive Governments, we haven’t always got things right, and where we’ve disagreed, I’ve always appreciated the free and frank discussions that we had with Kiingi Tuheitia, the Kiingitanga, and with Tainui.

Just as his predecessors before dealt with the challenges of their generation, Kiingi Tuheitia approached his with grace and a vision for peace. We don’t need to look much further than the national hui convened at Tūrangawaewae in January this year, where thousands of Māori and non-Māori alike journeyed from across the country to kōrero about the serious issues facing the country.

This past week has shown just how far reaching Kiingi Tuheitia’s legacy is. News of his passing has extended way beyond the shores of Aotearoa. His mana transcended language and made all who called our beautiful country home feel like they belong. The mere fact that we had so many different communities heading to Tūrangawaewae to pay their respects shows that Kiingi Tuheitia had, without question, achieved his aspiration of bringing our people together as one. This is his legacy and how we will fondly remember him and the mana that he had.

So, finally, on behalf of the Labour Party, I want to honour the memory of Kiingi Tuheitia, his mana, and his enduring legacy and lifetime of achievements. Generations now and into the future, both Māori and non-Māori, will certainly reap the benefits of all that Kiingi Tuheitia worked to achieve for New Zealand.

Now, of course, the torch has been passed to another new unifier. I also, on behalf of the Labour Party, want to congratulate Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, on her coronation as the eighth Te Arikinui, the head of the Kiingitanga. She carries on an incredible and historic legacy of the predecessors before her who have helped to shape and influence Aotearoa New Zealand’s national identity.

I send my warmest congratulations to the Kuīni as she forges her own legacy as a connector and a bridge between Māori and non-Māori. I extend my aroha to her whānau, to Waikato-Tainui, on the coronation. I’m sure that that will be recognised here and abroad, and I look forward to continuing with a productive, strong, and robust relationship with te Kuīni, just as we had with Kiingi Tuheitia. Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

CHLÖE SWARBRICK (Co-Leader—Green): E te Māngai, tēnā koe. Tēnā koutou e te Whare.

Tuheitia ki runga, Tuheitia ki raro, Tuheitia whiwhia, Tuheitia rawea.

[Tuheitia above, Tuheitia below, Tuheitia the provider, Tuheitia the excellent.]

On behalf of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, I stand and want to send our acknowledgment and our love to the sweetheart of te kīngi o te kotahitanga, Te Makau Ariki Atawhai, to his whānau, to his three children, and, of course, as the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have acknowledged, our new Kuīni, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.

I also want to acknowledge Tainui, and so too, for those of us who had the privilege and the honour of visiting Tūrangawaewae Marae last week, to acknowledge the kaimahi who make that marae go round. I want to reflect on some of the sentiments that have been expressed by the likes of Annabelle Lee-Mather—that we need to put them in charge of the country, because if there is any entity, any group of people, who have demonstrated their capacity to organise and to put day-to-day issues aside and to run on kaupapa, it is those behind the scenes, the kaimahi, at Tūrangawaewae Marae.

I also want to acknowledge a nation in mourning and, as the Prime Minister did, the beautiful way in which tangihanga allows us to express and to work through our grief, and that incredible image of the Kīngi going down Waikato River before he was laid to rest.

Last week, I travelled to Tūrangawaewae, as many in this House did, that day from Karangahape Road, in Auckland Central, as tens of thousands of New Zealanders, of tangata Tiriti, of tangata whenua, travelled from across the motu, and so too many travelled from across the oceans—an absolute testament to the power of Kiingi Tuheitia to bring people together and his legacy. I brought the words of the Hon Marama Davidson in my pocket because, of course, she, unfortunately, could not be there, and I had the privilege of passing those along to some of the members of the Kiingitanga.

There is an important point to make here about the opening of myself and Marama Davidson’s co-leadership first being established—our first outing as a coleadership duo being at Tūrangawaewae Marae. We had the absolute humbling honour of being invited to a private audience with Kiingi Tuheitia and his wife. There, we discussed the intricate interconnections, the overlap, between Green Party kaupapa—upholding people and planet—and what that looks like in the context of the Kiingitanga movement. Specifically, we went on to discuss the proposal on the table from indigenous leaders across the Pacific, which was a legal personhood for whales. I think that that was just one of the many iterations and examples of where Kiingi Tuheitia’s love for this planet and all who live on it was deeply exemplified.

Much like the Rt Hon Chris Hipkins, in the times that I have had the opportunity to speak and engage at Tūrangawaewae Marae, I need to acknowledge that I have had my heart in my throat and have been shaking in my boots. The thing that Kiingi Tuheitia taught me is that that sense of fear or trepidation that comes, effectively, from a sense of cultural ignorance is not something that should spur fear but in fact is an invitation. It is an opportunity to learn and to break down barriers, and Kiingi Tuheitia made that learning an incredibly safe prospect. He made trying and reaching out and engaging and participating and working through discomfort something that all of us should not fear but something that all of us should aspire to. Trying mattered. It meant that you turned up and that you gave yourself an opportunity to grow.

That discomfort was not something to avoid but something to inspect and, ultimately, to find what connects us, to reach into our whakapapa to find how, together, we heal, to understand ourselves in relation to each other—ultimately, where we find that sense of solidarity, which, as I had the honour of engaging in kōrero with te Kīngi just two weeks ago, doesn’t require homogeneity. That solidarity is simply about understanding what connects us as opposed to what divides us, and it was that generosity of imagination from Kiingi Tuheitia that I think really profoundly defined who he was and how he had such an immense impact on so many of our lives. He ultimately saw what we could be and invited all of us to participate in that.

Now, on the night of Kiingi Tuheitia’s passing, I was travelling back through the central North Island with some of my caucus colleagues after visiting workers potentially impacted by the proposed Winstone Pulp International closure. As we were there in that community, in Mount Ruapehu, community members said something which struck a chord. It was that some of the fundamental things that they were asking for in terms of a sense of security and predictability about their future, the ability to belong in their community and to flesh out their sense of identity—that these things in politics should be considered non-negotiables.

As we were travelling back to Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara, I was reflecting, actually, on those sentiments as expressed by that Mount Ruapehu community member and how it reminded me of something that Kiingi Tuheitia had said about how jobs, housing, kai, and education were all far bigger than day-to-day politics—effectively, that those things are kind of the fundamental truths that all of us in this House should aspire to uplift and uphold. Of course, we kind of also know them as human rights.

That night, as the sun fell and the skies opened up and lightning danced across that sky—I think, in retrospect, that was an emblem, perhaps, of the raw power of nature, a marker of the significance of the loss to come, or perhaps how we will all find symbols in something, how human beings need stories and how the stories that we tell ourselves create the world that we all live in, how the power of those stories also offers us the vehicle to change that very world.

Kiingi Tuheitia said that mana motuhake has room for everyone, and I think that that is something that all of us, especially at this point in human history and at this point in Aotearoa New Zealand, should reflect on. At the end of last year, when some conceived of a potential attack on the constitutional foundations of this country, Kiingi Tuheitia instead saw an opportunity to affirm, to clarify who we are and what we are and what we should aspire to be, and the connections that we’ve made here, between what we aspire to do in what we call progressive politics, where we want to build the house for all of us to move into, before simply turning to burn it down—the one that we currently operate in.

I also reflect upon the fact that the Kiingitanga movement is not a conquering nor a colonial monarchy but one by Māori, for all.

It would be remiss of me not to also acknowledge and to celebrate Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, for the leadership that she will come to embody, and already does, which her father did too. She represents, as many others have noted, a new generation at a critical time. And I want to make sure that it is on record that we are here to do that same work, to build that same relationship, and to move forward to live up to the aspirations of the Kiingitanga movement.

So as we were there at that tangi just last week, and many spoke about the power of Kiingi Tuheitia’s legacy, I couldn’t help but think that that legacy was not simply in the actions that he undertook, not simply in the values that he brought to the forefront, but also living in the tens of thousands of people who came to visit and pay their respects, and the ripple effects through the millions that lived throughout this country and the Pacific.

To close in the words of Princess Te Puea Herangi: Ka mahi āhau, ka inoi āhau, ka moe āhau, ki mahi anō. We work, we pray, we sleep, we work again. Moe mai rā e te Kīngi o te kotahitanga.

Hon DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Tiwhatiwha te pō, tiwhatiwha te ao. Ka nui te aroha, ka nui te mamae—gloom and sorrow prevail day and night. We send our love and we share in the pain.

E whakaeke mai ngā iwi katoa ki runga i Tūrangawaewae Marae. I eke mai mātou i runga i te ngākau aroha, te whakapiripiri, me te pōuri. Nā koutou e tangi ana, nā tātou katoa e tangi—the tribes of the world gathered to Tūrangawaewae Marae. We arrived to share a gesture of love, to come together, to celebrate, and to grieve. You shared your sorrow and pain, and thank you for sharing your family member with the world.

Ā, e ai ki ngā kaikōrero, koia te Kīngi o te kotahitanga. Noho ana i roto i te poho o ōu tūpuna—as the orators have said, he was a king of oneness and unity. Go now into the arms of ancestors and rest.

I kōrero ai ngā kōrero o ērā wā ko te ao kikokiko he waka o te whakaoranga anake, me whakarite tātou mōhiotanga o te tinana me te wairua. Kei te taha o ngā tūpuna e ārahi i a tātou ki tērā wāhi, ki te ao wairua, ki te kāinga wairua o ngā tūpuna—the orators of old have said the physical world is merely a vehicle by which we communicate with all life and establish our understanding of who we are. We are accompanied by ancestral lines who guide us to the next place and to the spiritual home of the ancestors.

Karekau he kupu ngāwari hei whakamāmā i te mamae o ngā iwi o te motu. E pīrangi ana ahau ki te kōrero e pā ana ki te kotahitanga me te kai a te rangatira, ā, ko te kōrero tēnā. Kia riro atu ai te Kīngi ka tū ana te Kuīni Māori, Te Arikinui, Kuini Nga wai hono i te po Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, te kuīni tuarua anake mō te iwi Māori—I have no words that will ease the pain of the masses, but I want to speak of togetherness and partake in the food of chiefs that be conversation. As a King passes into the realm of the ancestors, a new Queen has been crowned: Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po Pootatau Te Wherowhero VIII, the second Queen to the Māori people.

He tohu taua ingoa, he tohu mō te hononga o ngā awa tapu, ngā awa tūturu, o te awa o Whanganui me te awa o Waikato. E maumahara ana mātou kia haere whakamua i runga i te aroha kia ū ai ki te ao mārama ki roto i ngā manawa o ngā tāngata o te ao Māori e noho tatari ana mō tō ringa, e te Kuīni Māori. Ngāwari ana tō haerenga whakamua—a name representing the joining of two powerful rivers, two vastly different spaces. We hope you can move forward from this state of grief and into the light and into the arms of all the people who love you. We wish you all the peace on your journey through grief. We hope you may move forward to the world of light again, in time. May you rest in peace, and long live the Māori Queen.

Hon SHANE JONES (NZ First):

Huakina te tatau o te rangi

kia piki ake ki runga

ki te rangi tuatahi

ki te rangi tuarua

e tae ki raro e uia mai koe

“Ko te aha tēnā?”

Ko te pakipaki o te ao ka maunu

Ko te taroi o te riri e

[Open the gate of heaven

So that you may ascend

To the first stratus of heaven

To the second stratus of heaven

When you descend below you will be asked

“What is this?”

It is the applause of the world that slips away

It is the end of battle]

E kara, e Kiingi Tuheitia, kātahi anō tēnei Whare Pāremata ka tūpono i tētahi āhuatanga pēnei: ka hīkina ngā kaupapa o te Whare, ka whakatairangatia ko koe me ngā mahi i oti i a koe i tō wā. Rerekē rawa atu i te wā i ahau i te kōhungahunga.

Ehara, e kara, koe i te ika whakawera. Ehara koe i te waha papā. Otirā ko tō rite kei te ihu whakawerawera, kei te whakaihuwaka. Ahakoa te ngau o te māuiui, ahakoa te ngoikore hauareatanga o tō tinana, i mārō tonu koe. I tū ai koe hei matua mō tō whānau, i tū ai koe hei ariki mō tō iwi, arā ngā whakapapa o ngā hau e whā.

Kua pau i a mātou te uta i ngā mihi e rite ana mōu i te aroaro o te whare moko e huangia nei ki te ingoa o tō tupuna, a Mahinārangi. I tēnei rā ko tā mātou he tāpiri atu i te kupu kia kitea ai ngā mahi kei roto i tēnei Whare ki te aroaro o ngā tāngata katoa kei tō tātou motu.

Nā reira hei kapinga i tēnei wāhanga, me pēnei te kōrero, tā te mea ko te pikauranga i utaina ki runga i a koe ehara nō tēnei wā; he pīkaunga i tukua ki runga i tō tuarā mai i ō tūpuna, mai i te ao kōhatu. Nāhau i rapu me pēhea rānei ngā taonga, me pēhea rānei ngā tikanga o te ao tawhito e kitea ai i roto i te ao hou.

Nā reira, e kara, māku e whakahua ki te aroaro o tō tātou motu katoa, ko koe te uri a Tōhē i Te One-roa-a-Tōhē, te ara i oti i a koe te whīkoi, ngaro atu ki Te Rerenga-wairua. Tā Tōhē ko Rāninikura; tā Rāninikura ko Rāhingahinga; tā Rāhingahinga ko Tīkatarangi; tā Tīkatarangi ko Te Huaki-ki-te-rangi; tāna ko Waimirirangi, te Kuīni o Te Taitokerau; ka puta i a ia ko Haere-ki-te-rā; tā Haere-ki-te-rā ko Takamoana; tā Takamoana ko More-te-korohunga; tā More-te-korohunga ko Te Ikanui, i Te Aupōuri, i Te Taitokerau; tā Te Ikanui ko Tūpuni; tā Tūpuni ko Te Ihupango; tā Te Ihupango ko Hāpai; tā Hāpai ko Paraone Ngaruhe, nāna te Tiriti o Waitangi i tāmoko; tāna ko Ngāwaka; tā Ngāwaka ko Kiritōkia; tā Kiritōkia o Paranihi; tā Paranihi ko Whatumoana; kātahi koe, e Kiingi Tuheitia, ka puta.

Haere, haere, haere oti atu e.

[My friend, King Tuheitia, this Parliament has never before encountered such a situation: the business of the House has been set aside, and you and your achievements during your reign are being acknowledged. This is vastly different from when I was a child.

You are not, my friend, one to boast. You are not one to speak empty words. Instead, you are someone who perseveres, a true champion. Despite the affliction of illness, despite the weakness of your body, you stood strong. You stood as a father to your family, as a leader for your people—i.e., that of your ancestry from the four winds.

We have exhausted all the appropriate acknowledgments for you in the presence of the sacred house, named in honour of your ancestor Mahinārangi. Today, we add our words to make visible the work within this House before all the people of our land.

Therefore, in closing this part, let it be said that the burden placed upon you is not from this time; it is a burden laid on your back by your ancestors, from the ancient world. You sought to bring the treasures and customs of the old world into the new.

So, my friend, let me declare before our entire nation that you are the descendant of Tōhē from Te One-roa-a-Tōhē (Ninety Mile Beach), the path you have already walked, before passing on at Te Rerenga-wairua. From Tōhē came Rāninikura; from Rāninikura came Rāhingahinga; from Rāhingahinga came Tīkatarangi; from Tīkatarangi came Te Huaki-ki-te-rangi; from Te Huaki-ki-te-rangi came Waimirirangi, the Queen of Northland; from her came Haere-ki-te-rā; from Haere-ki-te-rā came Takamoana; from Takamoana came More-te-korohunga; from More-te-korohunga came Te Ikanui of Te Aupōuri, of Te Taitokerau; from Te Ikanui came Tūpuni; from Tūpuni came Te Ihupango; from Te Ihupango came Hāpai; from Hāpai came Paraone Ngaruhe, who signed the Treaty of Waitangi; from him came Ngāwaka; from Ngāwaka came Kiritōkia; from Kiritōkia came Paranihi; from Paranihi came Whatumoana; and then you, King Tuheitia, were born.

Farewell, farewell, farewell for ever.]

Within the Māori world, a host of roles are served up for people to serve. Some are taken by ringa kaha; some are given, for example, through a political process; and some, in rare circumstances, are inherited. The inheritance of the person we salute today, King Tuheitia, was underpinned by a sacred pledge, and that pledge is traceable back to the ancestors whose names I’ve recited in this House, because today, in my lifetime, not only as a parliamentarian, a parent, but a member of my own tribe, Te Aupōuri, is a particularly special day, something I have not seen before. I represented, along with my former colleague Parekura Horomia, the Government of the day at Te Atairangikaahu’s tangi, and when I was a little boy, I remember vividly my kuia—my grandmother—and others rustling and bustling to catch trains, to catch buses to go and farewell King Korokī. So I do not think that we should underestimate what we are doing today.

Irrespective of the role, all roles have to be fulfilled. You don’t fulfil a role unless you can capture respect, and respect can only be earned. In the 18 years King Tuheitia, who came from a very earthy background—he served his time not only as a truck driver but working at what we might call the grassroots level of his people in Waikato. As he grew into the role, it would be very churlish and it would be negative of any Kiwi not to acknowledge that in the latter stage of his career, he found the sweet spot. Not only did he provide an opportunity for the various iwi to come together but he sought to reach out and be a figure that went beyond the ebb and flow of politics and, indeed, the other debates that swirl around and make us Kiwis. So we salute those efforts of his. As I said in our Māori language, he is not the ika whakawera—i.e., the boaster. He is not the waha papa, the loudmouth; he was the hūmārika, the one who appreciated the dignity of silence and often let silence do his talking for him, somewhat in contrast to various people in this House, myself included. Thank you very much.

DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori): Tēnā koe e te Pīka. Nei rā Te Pāti Māori te tuku nei i te aroha, ngā mihi taurangi ki te Whare Tapu o Pōtatau i te rirohanga o Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Ko te kotahitanga o te iwi te whāinga, ā, ko te taonga anō hoki tēnā ka whakarērea iho ki a tātou katoa.

Ko Kiingi Tuheitia te kīngi o te kotahitanga, te kīngi o Taranaki, te kīngi o ngā rangatahi, te kīngi o Te Pāti Māori. Rire rire hau, pai mārire.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. Here the Māori Party offers compassion and words of solace from afar to the Sacred House of Pōtatau upon the passing of King Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Unity of the people was his aspiration, and that is the legacy that has been bequeathed to us all.

King Tuheitia is the king of unity, the king of Taranaki, the king of young people, the king of the Māori Party. Holy Spirit be with us, peace and goodwill to all.]

I pay tribute to the Government for allowing this to happen today. It means more than you could know, particularly outside of the House. I share the sentiments of my tungane Shane Jones. It’s important that we understand what we’re doing today and what is potentially possible for us because of our Kīngi.

When we left the last day of the House, I was travelling back—very similar to Chlöe Swarbrick—through some really atrocious weather. The skies opened up, the lightning was everywhere, the thunder was louder than I’d ever heard. For those of us who’ve been around a few summers, you could tell that there was tūpuna tohu coming—a very spiritual moment coming. When Hana texted us early in the morning, I wasn’t surprised.

For us, the Kīngi in Taranaki—if I can start there—we have a kaupapa called Te Kīwai o te Kete. It is something that most of us have been raised understanding the significance that we have spiritually to the Kiingitanga. The Kiingitanga movement came about when we were at our lowest. Things were going really bad for us as Taranaki. Muru Raupatu was rife with division, the haves and the have-nots—the way that we were being treated was pretty tough. The Kiingitanga came about because of the wisdom of some very special people. I was always raised to understand the role of Te Ua Haumēne and the heavens that opened up, and he was one of our prophets. I was always raised in the kōrero “Ko te Kīngi kei runga, kei raro te poropiti” [“The King above, the prophet below”], and the significance of the Kiingitanga was for us to be thinking collectively as a nation and as a people.

Te kīwai o te kete [The handle of the basket]—Taranaki were told we had one handle of te kete and Waikato-Tanui had the other, and, together, we had to make sure that the spirituality within the kete for us as a nation with the Kiingitanga was well. The Kīngi would often, and the Kiingitanga often, taught me as a young person that we can be physically and politically as loud as we want, but if we’re spiritually not well as a nation, we won’t do well. That was a really important part of what our Kīngi continued to live. As Taranaki, we had them lead and become part of Te Pūtake o te Riri, we had our Kīngi visit for the first time in Parihaka last year—I think about November—and we had a whole lot of kōrero that came about and helped us to believe that, actually, maybe we can navigate through some of the things that don’t bring us together.

He encouraged what his forefathers did, in the most humble way: that we can and we are better off collectively focusing on what it is that our future generations need. He was a Kīngi that not only was relatable and would actually take us out for dinner; he would sit there and share his aspirations, that probably matched most of us here: that we would all achieve our true potential and that our rangatahi could be Māori every day. Except one critical thing about the Kiingitanga and the Kīngi was our role in our kaimanaaki. Perhaps we haven’t done that well enough—was to talk about what is my responsibility to look after the visitors and those that are here after the tangata whenua. Perhaps that’s a kōrero that the Kīngi used to always make sure—and even as late as the last coronation—to remind us that it is an absolute honour to be tangata whenua, but it’s a bigger honour to manaaki and look after our visitors better. So it was really good to see, David Seymour, that you were up there as well and to make sure that we were able to stand together, united. Some of us had been there the whole time; some arrived later.

One of the things that we used to talk about with the Kīngi was also his role. The last time I was in Hawaii for an ocean kaupapa, our Kīngi had just come out of hospital and didn’t let that sway him from his belief in our obligation and whakapapa to our Pasifika nations: one people, one ocean, multiple waka. He had the humility to remind us of our obligations. I would love—and as a kōrero that we had with him—that the full diplomacy could be awarded to the Kiingitanga and to our Kuīni, and I would love it that our Premier thinks of that sometime.

I think the other thing that’s really important to talk about with our Kīngi is the significance that we were able to always think about our rangatahi, and just recently we were able to have our rangatahi Pūāwai Hudson and Parengaia Tapiata, come together and not only share their kōrero of what the Kiingitanga meant and what the Kīngi meant to them, but also their connection to ko tō mātou Arikinui, Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.

We have a Kuīni amongst us who is a rangatahi. We have an opportunity that our Kīngi showed us that we could truly achieve—and he may not have lived to see us achieve it, but I do believe that this Whare has an important, significant role on what we do from the lessons that we have and the honour that we have to be talking about our Kīngi in this Whare. The honour that we have to be looking at the rangatahi and the example that we have with our Kuīni. I really hope that everyone follows suit—as Te Pāti Māori will—in pledging our allegiance, our support to help her growth. Our Kuīni, our Kīngi’s daughter, is going to spend most of her adulthood as a Kuīni. I think as wāhine, I think as leaders, as political exemplars, that we need to make sure that we are there to support her as her papa would have wanted.

I agree on the sentiments that our Kiingitanga has been extremely generous, as has Tainui, in supporting that we have the whānau be around for us. One of the things that I really enjoyed with our Kīngi is that he opened up his comms. I don’t know how many of you have seen a Kīngi or Kuīni with social media, but we got to see our Kīngi in his natural form: out of ceremony, in a casual sense. For those of us that look for exemplars, for examples, our Kīngi would open up. During COVID, we had special karakia. During the Koroneihana, during kaupapa, during pōkai, we got to be part, as we all did, of the Kiingitanga movement.

The Kiingitanga movement and our Kīngi comes from a line—as Shane ever so eloquently was able to repeat. What that means to us is that the vision of kotahitanga has always been on the breath, on the lips, in the hearts, of all of those that have lived in his lineage. That is something that we all aspire for, and I urge, if there’s any lessons that we take from the legacy of our Kīngi, it is the opportunity before us to think, to act, and to believe differently, and I look at my own reflections on what it is that I do to help others from a spiritual perspective.

It was extremely spiritual to be up at Tūrangawaewae in the last week. I was around, as a younger one, under Dr Huirangi Waikerepuru mā and Whaea Mere Broughton when our Kuīni passed away 18 years ago. I will say I’m most unlikely to see—hopefully—that again, but what I would do is ask Aotearoa that we take that moment and embrace that because that is our history. That is something that we all whakapapa to under Te Tiriti. We all belong to the Kiingitanga. We all were part of the vision for a united Aotearoa.

We all need to be reminded of our role as the Kīngi did. He encouraged that we continue to look after each other, that we weather the storm, and we weather the storm together—not by some standing over there under shelter and some being left behind. Māori are the for ever people, but we must also remember we are the for ever hosts and we must for ever host and look after our visitors.

Nō reira i te āhuatanga o ō tātou tūpuna, haere, haere, haere e te kīngi.

[And so, in the way of our ancestors, farewell, farewell, farewell o king.]

And to our Arikinui, Nga wai hono i te po, long live the Kiingitanga. Kia ora rā.

Waiata—“He Hōnore”

Hon TAMA POTAKA (National—Hamilton West): Kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirīmia Kiritopa Luxon, tēnā koe i ō mahi rangatira.

[It is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward. Prime Minister, thank you for your leadership.]

Taupiri te maunga

Waikato te awa

Pootatau te tangata, te tupuna, te tupua, te taniwha!

Waikato horo pounamu, Waikato taniwha rau

He piko he taniwha

He piko he taniwha!

[Taupiri is the mountain

Waikato is the river

Te Wherowhero is the person, the ancestor, the supernatural being, the protector

Waikato the consumer of greenstone, Waikato of one hundred chiefs

At every bend a chief

At every bend a chief!]

Kei taku ariki Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero Te Tuawhitu, haere ki ō tūpuna, te kāwai o te kahu kiwi ki te pō, oti atu rā. Tō tira haere, ehara i te ruarua torutoru noa iho, ko Kahurangi June Mariu, ko Midge Te Kani, ko Davina Ruru, ko Piki Waretini, āpōpō wai ka hua, wai ka mōhio? Whekuwheku kau ana te nuku i te roimata māu, e taku Kīngi.

Kua rahi tō te Kīngi mana, whakaiti hoki ki Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, ki ngā motu o Aotearoa Niu Tīreni, ki te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, ki ngā Taumāhekeheke o te Ao, te Whare o Kiingi Tiare Te Tuatoru. Kua rangona tōna māramatanga, tōna manaakitanga, kua tau tōna kaitiakitanga ki ngā kaupapa nui o te wā.

Nā te Kiingi o te Maungarongo a Tawhiao, pērā ki te Whakataukī Rua Tekau mā Iwa a Rāwiri ki te Paipera Tapu—“Ki te kore he whakakitenga ka ngaro te iwi”. Koia i a Kiingi Tuheitia mō te oranga o te iwi i te wā o te Korona-19. Nāna anō te kī—amohia ake te ora o te iwi kia puta ki te wheiao!

E kī ana te kōrero a Kirihaehae Te Puea Hērangi—“Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia”—katahi rā tō te Kīngi tauira ki ngā mahi kaitiaki tohorā, wēra hoki, arā He Whakaputanga Moana i tāia i te tau nei.

Nā te Kīngi hoki i whakatakoto i te huarahi mō te tini rangatakapū Māori i ōna kōrero—“Me Māori koe ia wā ia rā”—he iwi taurikura tātou e kore tātou e ngaro. Kua tuhia ki ngā rae a tēnā a tēnā ki ngā pūrongo o Pukamata me ngā whakaata, niupepa hoki.

Tahi rā ngā miro katoa i tuitui atu ki tōna ngira ki Tūrangawaewae i te wiki rā. I whai hoki i ōna hoa i hara mai i ngā tōpito o te ao, ko ngā hūmeka, ko ngā kāmura, ko ngā parakimete, ko ngaa pekarohi—tatu atu rā ki ngā kōtuku rerenga tahi, ngā ringa rehe, ngā kaitorangapū, ngā ringa raupā o ia hāpori, o ia iwi.

Kiingi Tuheitia—kīngi o te kotahitanga, kīngi o Parihaka, kīngi o Te Matatini, kīngi o Te Kura o Tīpene—mate atu he toa. Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, ara mai rā he toa wahine, he toa rangatakapū! Kei a ia te ihi, te wehi, te wana, te mauri, te mana, te wairua a Te Rauangaanga! Makau Ariki Atawhai me ngā tamaroa, te pā harakeke, kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui. Kei te Tekaumaarua, kia ita, ita, ita, mau tonu!

E kore e mimiti āku mihi māhorahora ki ngā ariki o te tai Māori, māreikura whatukura, tō tātou ariki a Tumu, Hone, te manuao, ngā ringawera ki ngā kāuta o Kimiora, Tūrongo me te Dungeon arā te whānau Raumati mā, ngā tuarā, ngā kemu rīki a Tūrangawaewae, a Taniwharau, ngā kaihoe waka, ngā wātene Māori, ngā hāwini pērā i a Mere Daniels, ngā pari karanga me ngā pātaka kōrero pērā i a Rāhui Papa, Douggie Te Ruki, ngā kaiwhakanohonoho, ngā hāpori a Para Kore, ngā kaiwhakarite urupā ki Taupiri Kūao, Rukumoana, Ngira, ērā kātū ruruhi koroheke—nō rātou anō i whakahīnau i te marae kia oti pai te uhunga o te rua tekau tau ka pahure ake nei. Kāore i kō atu i te Kiingitanga, i a Waikato-Tainui, i a Tūrangawaewae Marae mō tēnei āhuatanga te manaakitanga, te mana motuhake, te whakatinanatanga o te kotahitanga.

Hei whakatepe i aku mihi kāmehameha, Minita Whaea Judith Collins me Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, ngā mema o te Whare Pāremata, i mahue ngā kākā tōrangapū kia kāpuia atu tātou ki te uhunga me te whakawahinga, e hoa mā, kei te tangotango hoki ka kitea te māramatanga, ā, kei reira te kotahitanga e paoro nei i te nuku o te whenua.

Koia nei te tongikura hei whakatauira mai i te korowai o te Kiingitanga: kotahi te kōhao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro pango, te miro mā, te miro whero, tatū atu rā ki te miro kahurangi, te miro kākāriki, te miro māwhero, te miro pāpura, me te miro mangumangu.

E kore e warewaretia tō tātou Kīngi, engari kei taku Kuīni, maranga mai tahi tātou kia iti a Mōtai, ngā roimata e rua a Ruapehu, ngā kōkō tangiwai a Mahinarangi, me ngā kōawaawa, ngā riu o Te Ika-a-Māui me Te Wai Pounamu.

Tēnā tātou katoa.

[Great leader Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, farewell now to your ancestors who carry the kiwi cloak into the night, go beyond the veil. Your travelling party is not small, as you will be accompanied by Dame June Mariu, Midge Te Kani, Davina Ruru, Piki Waretini—tomorrow, who knows, who can tell? Our lands are flooded with tears of sorrow.

King Tuheitia carried his monumental responsibility and humility through New Zealand, to the Pacific Islands, to the Olympics, to the house of King Charles III. His independent thinking was seen, his caring nature was felt, and his restorative approach to major issues was regularly unleashed.

King Tawhiao, the King of Peace, observed, like the 29th Proverb of David in the Holy Bible, “If there is no vision, the people will perish”. King Tuheitia articulated this presciently during the COVID-19 era by stating, “Lift up the wellbeing of the people as paramount”.

Kirihaehae Te Puea Hērangi exhorted, “If it is good for the people, get on with the mahi.” The King demonstrated taking action particularly with his commitment to the environment, like the recent Declaration for the Ocean amongst our Pacific relations.

The King inspiringly outlined a simple, pithy reminder of demographic realities with his encouragement of youth, observing that our people should “Be Māori all day, every day, we are strong and here to stay”—this saying is now etched on many foreheads, Facebook, and other media platforms.

During the tangi, we saw the threading of many communities and people through Tūrangawaewae. Friends and colleagues from many corners of the earth came to pay their respects—shoemakers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and bakers, across to rarely seen guests, experts, politicians, and workers of communities and iwi up and down the country.

King Tuheitia—king of unity, king of Parihaka, king of kapa haka, king of St Stephen’s School—falls a champion. Kuini Nga wai hono i te po arises a wahine champion, a youthful champion, to take his place. It is for her to carry the exhilaration, the awesomeness, the sacredness, the vitality, and the spirit of her ancestor Te Rauangaanga. Widow Atawhai and your sons, the immediate family: be strong, be brave, be stout-hearted. Tekaumaarua: stay resilient!

Our appreciation will never wane for the esteemed leaders like Tumu, Hone, the man of war, cooks in Kimiora and Tūrongo kitchens and the Dungeon like the Raumati whānau, the backbone, the league teams of Tūrangawaewae and Taniwharau, the paddlers, the Māori wardens, the servants like Mere Daniels, the callers and the speakers like Rāhui Papa and Doug Te Ruki, the ushers, the rubbish collectors from Para Kore, the grave diggers at Taupiri Kūao, Rukumoana, Ngira, that calibre of matriarch and patriarch—those who delivered the phenomenal marae effort to realise the values of our ancestors in a manner not seen for 20 years. There is nothing like the Kiingitanga, like Waikato-Tainui, like Tūrangawaewae Marae for the state of manaakitanga, mana motuhake, and for the embodiment of kotahitanga.

Finally, I want to acknowledge Whaea Judith and the contribution of the New Zealand Defence Force, and everyone in this House, who unshackled our political hues to wholly attend the tangi of a generation to pay respects to King Tuheitia, and welcome Queen Nga wai hono i te po. My learned friends, in the darkest of moments, we can find the light of kotahitanga resounding across the land.

This is the royal quote that exemplifies the mantle of the Kiingitanga: there is but one hole in the needle through which is threaded the black thread, the white thread, the red thread, and also the blue thread, the green thread, the pink thread, the purple thread, and the black thread.

Our King will never be forgotten, but my Queen, let us rise together like Mōtai’s powerful few, the two tears of Ruapehu, the treasured jade of Mahinarangi, and the valleys and basins of the North and South Islands.

Greetings to us all.]

Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Labour): Tēnā anō tātou katoa. Firstly, I want to thank the Prime Minister for this day. I think it’s a wonderful tribute to the King, so ngā mihi ki a koe. Also to all the party leaders who went to the tangi, I want to thank all of you. It’s really important, I think, that Aotearoa sees us in that type of space, no matter how things are sometimes in the House or in the media—ngā mihi ki a koutou. I thought it was just fantastic.

Congratulations also, obviously, to Tainui. I was listening to our Minister there, and Rahui Papa—just magnificent. Just magnificent in terms of the way he facilitated that tangi, because in many ways it was more than a tangi; it was an expression of our culture. Aotearoa saw it firsthand with the best in the business, with Rahui Papa, who I’ve since informed that there’s a vacancy going in Tainui at the moment that he said he would look at. But congratulations to him.

Congratulations, of course, to Kuini Nga wai hono i te po. I’m sure she’s going to do really, really well.

Listening today, it’s been just tremendous listening to all the kōrero. Shane Jones is always brilliant in terms of whakapapa. Yourself, Tama, or Minister, I should say—I mean, it’s just been a great tribute.

But I want to say, Mr Speaker—and I want to congratulate you too for coming along and for your kōrero. I want to say that it’s a bit sombre, because, as Hana knows, this King was a great character. We had so much fun with this King. He had his own type of language—didn’t he, Hana? You know, it wasn’t always on cue, but he was just a personality plus.

Some of us who got to know him in the last few years have really enjoyed the relationship, especially myself, because back in 2017, I wasn’t really enjoying the relationship, because he joined the Māori Party and it was an incredibly upsetting time for us. I remember it well—I remember it well. So I decided not to talk to him for a while. I thought, “I’m not going to talk to you for a while. I always thought you were a Labour man—your mother was, I’m sure.”, and in 2018, he hit me up and he said to me, “Get over it, Willie. What the hell’s wrong with you?” Apparently, John Tamihere had said, “Oh, he’s not going to talk to you because he’s an elite Māori, and he picks and chooses who he talks to.”—thanks, Te Pāti Māori.

But the King hit me up and he said, “Let’s get on with it. Let’s get on with it, let’s start developing the relationship in terms of Tainui and the Government.”, and didn’t we do some wonderful things? Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, and I’m sure this Government will build on that relationship, because while I talk about Te Pāti Māori, the main thing for the King was kaupapa Māori. He wanted to build the health of Tainui, he wanted to build the housing of Tainui, he wanted to build the education of Tainui, and didn’t he do a fantastic job? Didn’t he do a fabulous job?

You’re talking about someone who was not groomed to be the King. He did not want to be the King. He was very, very clear. He said, “I’m a man who works with my hands. I’m a truck driver. I’m a person who can fix things.”, but didn’t he grow into the role? I was just so proud of him. I think he’s an example to not just Māori but all New Zealanders that you can do this type of mahi if you put in the hard yards, if you put in the hard work, and you have a passion for your people.

He might not have been an academic, he wasn’t an orator, and he wasn’t a Māori language expert, but he became a leader in all those areas. Isn’t it ironic that this humble man became such a leader for our people?

I want to mihi to him and to his whānau. I want to remember some of the words that he said, because at the end, I remember having him on. I was saying, “You’re sounding like Martin Luther King. No one would believe you were a truck driver when you come out with words like ‘Our kotahitanga shouldn’t be focused on fighting against the Government. Instead, we need to focus on getting in the waka and working together. Mana motuhake has room for everyone!’ ”

And his last message: “The best protest we can make right now is being Māori. Be who we are. Live our values. Speak our reo. Care for our mokopuna, our awa, our maunga. Just be Māori … all day, every day. We are here. We are strong.”—beautiful, beautiful words from a humble man who became, in my view, a great leader and a great King.

We will never forget him. He made such an impression on so many people, and I know that so many New Zealanders will be proud of what they saw and heard over the last week.

So, again, I want to thank everyone for contributing to this tangi. It was a tangi of a generation. Nō reira, e te Kīngi, e kore mātou e wareware ki tō koha mō tō tātou iwi. Kia okioki i runga i te rangimāria.

[And so, to the King, we will never forget your contribution for our people. Rest in peace.]

Kia ora, Mr Speaker.

HŪHANA LYNDON (Green): Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker.

I taku tūranga ake i roto i tēnei whare

Ka turaturaki i te rau o te aroha e

Taimaha i rukiruki te tinana i te aroha

E kore rawa e tū tika i te taimaha e

[As I stand in this house

I am overcome with grief

My body weighs heavy with grief

I will never stand straight again because of this weight]

E moe e te ariki nui. Hoki ki tō whaea, hoki ki wō mātua tūpuna, ki runga Taupiri maunga. Haere, haere oti tau.

I tērā wiki i kite te motu whānui i te tini mano tāngata i whakaeke ki runga Tūrangawaewae Marae ki te poroporoaki, ki te kawe i te aroha, i te ngākau mokemoke ki a ia, ki tōna whānau, ki a Tainui, ki te iwi Māori. Nō reira moe mai rā.

E ai ki te kōrero “He toka tū moana, he ākinga nō ngā tai”. Ko Kiingi Tuheitia tērā, tō tātou toka mō te kotahitanga. Haere, haere, oti atu.

Te ūpoko ariki, ko Kiingi Tuheitia tērā, te kīngi o te kotahitanga. Koia ahau, te uri o Tainui, e mihi atu ana ki a ia ki runga i ngā whakapaparanga maha kei waenganui i a tātou. Haere, haere, oti atu.

[Rest in peace, great monarch. Return to your mother, return to your forebears on Mount Taupiri. Go, pass on, rest in peace.

Last week, the wider nation observed the many thousands that went on to Tūrangawaewae Marae to farewell, to convey their condolences, and their lonesomeness to him, to his family, to Tainui, and to the Māori people. And so rest in peace.

According to the adage “A stand against the ocean, upon which the tides break”. That is King Tuheitia, our rock of unity. Go, rest in peace.

The supreme monarch, that is King Tuheitia, king of unity. This is me, a descendant of Tainui, that acknowledges him with respect to the many genealogical connections between us all. Go, rest in peace.]

I pay tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia, and I would like to acknowledge his sweetheart Te Makau Ariki whaia Te Atawhai, his tamariki and mokopuna, for I am sad for Tainui iwi, who have not had a chance to grieve. They have been a massive host to the motu. To the whānau, who were on show the entire time for all New Zealand to see—live stream, nightly news. They were everywhere, and they have not had privacy to be able to grieve the loss of their father, grandfather, and Kiingi Tuheitia.

So I pay tribute to the ringa hora, the ringa manaaki nui, tērā iwi o tātou, rangatira a Tainui waka. Ka mihi, ka mihi.

Otirā ki te whānau, koia tētahi wāhi ki a koutou kia noho ki te poroporoaki i tō koutou matua, tō koutou pou o te whānau, otirā mō tātou katoa ki roto o Aotearoa whānui.

Nō reira e te whānau, tiakina koutou, atawhai i tō tātou Makau Ariki, me kī poipoia tonutia tō tātou ariki nui, a Nga wai hono i te po. Kia ora tātou katoa.

[So I pay tribute to the hands that provide, the hospitable hands, of that iwi of ours, noble, of the Tainui waka. I thank and acknowledge you. Indeed to the family, that is one role that you fulfil, to sit with and farewell your father, the pillar of your family, indeed for all of us in wider New Zealand.

And so, to the family, look after yourselves, take care of our Regal Consort, I should say continue to nurture our Queen, Nga wai hono i te po. Thanks to everyone.]

Now, I want to reflect on Kiingi Tuheitia and some of his words—as Matua Willie has shared already—that he has brought forward in the hui-ā-motu, because many of us, for sure, have had informal engagements with Kiingi Tuheitia and have had the opportunity to sit with him casually and enjoy his comedy, his personality, and his humble straight talk on kaupapa of the day. But Kiingi Tuheitia was the king of kotahitanga, and he called for us to come together. At the hui-ā-motu, when he said that this waka of kotahitanga has a paddle available for everyone and that we might get in the waka to keep it steady and hoe tahi. That’s something that we can learn in this Whare and absolutely across our communities. The outpouring of aroha, manaaki from tauiwi, from iwi Māori, from schools, from dignitaries, from Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, puta i Aotearoa is a tribute to his call for kotahitanga across Aotearoa.

He said in the hui-ā-motu, “Kotahitanga is a way of life, [it’s] not a committee … [not] a board. … we need to dream, [we need to] be creative, sing waiata, and let our culture [grow].”

Now, he was inspired by our youth and he was the patron of Te Matatini. Ngā Manu Kōrero, the national Māori speech competitions, are on right now in Tāmaki-makau-rau, and I believe that if he was here, he would be front row, right now.

I mihi to you, Tama. Your daughter is standing, right now, in Ngā Manu Kōrero. As a tungāne, it’s a sacrifice for you to be here, ka tuku aroha ki a koe i tēnei wā [I offer you sympathy at this time].

E te whānau, kotahitanga is not a dream. It is something that we should all be working towards. The way that we can all get into the waka together is something that we need to work towards, I would argue, because the example is there from the way with which Tainui came together: the young people in the kitchen serving us; the whānau out the back, in the dungeon, carving the beef and the mutton; Auntie Moko Tini monitoring all the media across the site; the taumata; te kau mā rua—all whakahaere [the leaders, the 12 royal advisers—all organisations]. They were all there, doing their work, and I enjoyed the company of the Māori wardens as they were ushering us to the appropriate place to park because, often, I was trying to get elsewhere, but I wasn’t allowed.

Now, those are things that we can learn in terms of the way that everyone fell into line as Tainui mobilised to host us again, because they had already hosted us in the koroneihana. These are things that are important for us in this time of need.

I want to reflect back, quickly, to our Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, Te Tirahou—an opportunity for us to support a young woman, a breath of fresh air, a new perspective in the way that we can listen and learn from the voice of young people as they look to those of us in the House to mahi tahi. This is our chance to hui tahi again with her, seek the audience, and look to move forward together as Aotearoa New Zealand.

Tākiri tū te kotahitanga; tākiri tū ko te mana motuhake. Haere atu rā, Kiingi Tuheitia; ko Nga wai hono i te po ki te whenua.

[The rise of unity; the rise of self-determination. Farewell, King Tuheitia; Nga wai hono i te po upon the land.]

Kia ora.

Hon NICOLE McKEE (ACT): At Tūrangawaewae, they came in their thousands to pay their respects to Kiingi Tuheitia over many days. On the day of his burial, they lined the awa as the waka carried him to join his tīpuna on Taupiri Maunga. When I attended Tūrangawaewae, the mamae was palpable. It swept across the marae as if carried by the wind and the rain. Great waves of sadness and people came together to mourn a man who had grown into his role over 18 years. As we sat and listened to orators reminisce about Kiingi Tuheitia, many recalled their most recent encounter with the Kīngi at the 18th anniversary of his coronation. It was a reminder of how quickly things can change—how fragile and fleeting our lives really are. Amid the sadness, though, there was also an incredible sense of power and wairua, never more obvious than when the students of the King’s alma mata, Hato Tipene St Stephen’s, performed their haka. We literally felt the ground shake as they farewelled one of their own.

Kiingi Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII ascended to the throne at the age of 51, on the death of his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, in 2006. While he stood beside the throne at his mother’s coronation in 1966, he was not widely expected to follow in Te Atairangikaahu’s footsteps, as his older sister Heeni Katipa had been considered a candidate for the mantle of sovereignty. Born in Huntly, Kiingi Tuheitia spent his early school years at Rakaumanga School in Huntly before heading to Hamilton and Southwell School. As I mentioned earlier, he then went on to board at Hato Tipene St Stephen’s College in Bombay. Those who knew the late Kiīngi described him as an ordinary man who spent much of his working life as a truck driver and, in his spare time, could be found tinkering with cars or watching the rugby league.

After attaining university entrance, he returned to Huntly to work in the mines. There are tales of him spending time as a truck driver, where he was renowned for picking up hitchhikers. Imagine the stories those travellers would have been able to tell had they realised their driver would later head the Kiingitanga. The late king’s working life also included time spent working on the construction of the Huntly Power Station, in the New Zealand Army, and at a meatworks. So, by the time he ascended, he had certainly experienced much of life. Kiingi Tuheitia and his wife, Makau Ariki, shared a passion for kapa haka, as founding members of Huntly’s Taniwharau culture club. His passion was never more obvious than when he was supporting Te Matatini.

Throughout his 18-year reign, the Kīngi earned a number of additional titles. He was referred to as the “King of Hearts” during the celebrations of his 13th anniversary. As he spoke to iwi leaders, he told them, “You can’t just use your head; you’ve got to use your heart. You’re there for the people.” More recently, he became known as the king of unity. As he urged those attending a hui in January, he said, “We need a way forward that brings kotahitanga to all of Aotearoa.” His focus was on seeking solutions which would make a difference for people. He also said, “Jobs, housing, kai, education—these issues are bigger than politics. It won’t be easy; we haven’t fixed it yet. But there’s more mahi to do.” The mantle now passes to his daughter Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po.

Noho i roto i te mamae me te aroha. Homai ō roimata me ō pōuri. Mā te ao Māori hei pupuri—sit with the love and the pain, and cry out when you are in need. The people of the world hold the pain of your loss with you.

Te Arikinui Kuini, as you move into your new role, me kōrero mātou o te Kotahitanga—we shall speak of oneness. We shall remember the legacy your father left behind, and we treasure the time that you have gifted the world to grieve alongside your whānau. Ngā mihi manaaki ki a koe, e te Kuīni Māori.

[Greetings of care to you, the Māori Queen.]

Hon CASEY COSTELLO (NZ First): Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero, rest in peace. Rest now, you have done your duty.

We honour you not for seeking this role, but for accepting this role and doing your duty, taking up the responsibility and leading the Kiingitanga movement with such dignity. This was evident over the last 18 years, but, to me, so evident at the koroneihana just recently, where, despite your ailing health, you sat and allowed us to be part of that celebration, when I know you would have much preferred to be somewhere else. You shared your life, and you did your role with such dignity.

My tūpuna are Patuone and Tāmati Wāka Nene, contemporaries of Pootatau. They were key figures in the decades after the Treaty. The status of Kiingi Tuheitia is underpinned by an ancestral duty. This has persisted from the 1850s, a service and duty that is a rarity in modern New Zealand: duty to his iwi, duty to his whakapapa, duty to a broad range of New Zealanders. This comes through service, it comes through conduct, and it comes through influence. I recall Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha, who was at the tangi and who talked of his frequent meetings with Kiingi Tuheitia and his willingness to share in solutions and to look forward to the future. It is this duty and service that we all stand in awe of now.

I would like to just take a moment to acknowledge the Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters, who could not be here and who wanted to pass on his very best wishes, not just to Kiingi Tuheitia but to Kuini Nga wai hono i te po. You take up your call to duty now, your call to service. But know your tūpuna will be with you as you journey through this life. They will be with you when you need to rest because they will carry you, they will be with you when you need wisdom because they will advise, and please know that as you see in this House today, we will be with you also.

We honour your call to service. We thank you for sharing Kiingi Tuheitia with us in your moments when you probably wanted time alone. We will offer you our strength and support, and we look forward to the continuation of the Kiingitanga for New Zealand.

MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI (Te Pāti Māori—Te Tai Tokerau): E te Māngai, tēnā koe. E te Whare, tēnā tātou katoa.

E te Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, haere atu rā, haere atu rā, haere atu rā.

Prime Minister, if I can just acknowledge and thank you for your kind words on the paepae, actually. A number spoke to me about that and said how genuine and real it felt, so I wanted to mention that to you in this House and, to that end, to mark this day for the King. So tēnā rā hoki koe, tēnā tātou katoa.

I want to just share some reflections to the whole party leadership across the House that attended, came to Tūrangawaewae, hustled through the thousands deciding whether they’d mau ngā mea [wear certain things]—whether they had leaves on or didn’t—and all that it took to get into the house. I just wanted to acknowledge that. It is a big deal when one comes to such a kaupapa as a tangi and the tangi of our King. So I want to acknowledge that today, and, Mr Speaker, to acknowledge you and your words of love and kindness to the King and to the whānau pani, tēnā rā hoki koe [the family of the deceased, thank you very much].

What I can share about Kiingi Tuheitia and the institution of the Kiingitanga, I share from more of a personal level, as well. Even though my whanaunga Shane Jones shared about the whakapapa and the obligations that come with that, mine is as much about the personal in it: firstly, to mention that Te Kōhao Health is a provider in Kirikiriroa of which Te Makau Ariki was the patron. For every event in which we required her to come to acknowledge what we were doing and to come and open up different facilities, the King always came with her. He came, he sat with her, he provided his own—he was a humorous fellow. He was very quiet, and, in fact, what I recognised when he took the seat when his māmā passed away—and others have talked about that; his reluctance to do that.

He was an ordinary man called to do an extraordinary thing, which was to be King, and others have made reference to that. But I think he got into it, can I just say. He started to like it, and like it so much that even with the angst that the Hon Willie Jackson shows, he got his party right. So I just wanted to make that statement in the House, because he did a good thing. He was a good King and we love him, and we will miss him.

I married into this movement—the Kiingitanga—by the way. And it is true: there are thousands of people that are in the background, washing tea towels, making desserts, washing sheets, making up beds, and doing all of the work that on a daily basis—and by the way, this was following the koroneihana, which was just not long before that, which was an extension. The koroneihana would usually run for four days, or maybe five. It went for seven days, but for the whānau at the pā, that’s like 10 days, and then just a little break and now, with the death of the King, these 10 days.

But it is an institution—it’s an institution. It’s not by accident that it gets this kind of capacity. It has grown the capacity; it has developed it. It has failed forward all the time. It is a mighty institution and I married into it; in fact, on that very spot. So I’ve learnt and I’ve seen things inside that institution which are admirable. We should acknowledge that, and I believe we are doing that today.

When the King, I say to Mr Jackson, said he liked Te Pāti Māori, it also meant, though, that he could tell us off, you know? He could give us direction, even though we weren’t necessarily keen on that. But what he was telling us was that “I’m there for everything.” You know, we’re there for everything: Debbie, Rawiri—everybody. We’re prepared to tell you, even if you might be a bit taringa pisai—which means you can’t quite hear—that we are here for you, and we believe in you and we love you.

So this was the way in which he spoke with us, and Debbie referred to that earlier in her comments. He was that kind of King, and we will miss him—but not the tellings-off, so much.

But what he also did was leave us a great Queen, right? Te Ariki Kuini Nga wai hono i te po: she’s young, she’s gifted, and she’s Māori. That’s a great thing and we are excited, and we are there to look after her and protect her and watch her as she leads the way. She’s bilingual, she’s smart—she’s very smart—and she’s credentialed in many things, but she is a girl from the pā. She’s a Kiingitanga girl. She’s young and she’s gifted and we fully, fully support her, and I’d ask if we’d all do the same.

I have missed my time, Mr Speaker, but tātou mā, tēnei te mihi ki a tātou, kia ora rā [to all of us, I’d like to acknowledge us all, thank you].

Hon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō): E te Kīngi, Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, moe mai rā.

Makau Ariki Atawhai, ka nui taku aroha mai.

E te Kuīni, Nga wai, haere mai rā. Kia kaha ki te Kuīni hou.

Kotahitanga.

[To the King, Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, rest in peace.

To the Royal Consort, Atawhai, deepest condolences.

To the Queen, Nga wai, welcome. I wish the new Queen strength.

Unity.]

Unity: a word that’s been spoken and repeated across the House this afternoon. Kiingitanga was to unify the many Māori tribes of Aotearoa. But we’ve heard and we’ve seen through his actions that the Kīngi’s aspiration was not only to unite the many tribes of Aotearoa but to unify and unite all New Zealanders.

As a local MP based in the mighty Waikato, I’ve had many occasions to attend the koroneihana and other events at Tūrangawaewae. So whether you are attending as a visitor on the first occasion or returning on many occasions, it’s a day that’s filled with much uncertainty, at times a bit of chaos, as we gather at the gate. One thing that’s also a bit uncertain is the weather. One thing that is very certain is when that wind blows and the cloud is there, the chill will chill to the bone. But what is also certain is the incredibly warm welcome that every visitor—every visitor—will receive at Tūrangawaewae, and that was no different this year. So no matter what your role, no matter whether you’re with a party large or small, no matter whether you’re in Government or Opposition, it is always a very, very warm welcome. But it’s actually the quiet chats afterwards that I valued. And the Kīngi was an incredibly humble man, but also had very sage advice. And while he may have been a man of few words, his words did matter. And that’s been clear from the recollections that have been shared by party leaders and my parliamentary colleagues today.

One of my first memories of the Kīngi was in 2010, when the World Rowing Champs were at Karapiro. We were sitting down for lunch with one of many of the overseas dignitaries and he was patiently explaining some of the cultural elements that the visitors had seen. What was always obvious in my interactions with the Kīngi was it was very much about teaching and showing and embracing and allowing visitors—whether a first-time visitor or one who was a repeat visitor—to learn a little more, to be able to embrace the culture, to feel the fear and speak te reo anyway, to not understand necessarily the traditions and everything that was expected, but to just know that you were embraced in a cloak of welcome, and that there was no such thing as a mistake if you had an open heart and an open mind.

One of the highlights that I recall of Kiingi Tuheitia was actually the very first memorandum of understanding that Corrections signed, and that was with the Kiingitanga. And when the Kīngi was talking about it, it was just so, so clear to him, and clear in the words he spoke, that he wanted not just young Māori but all Māori to have great opportunities, whether it was a young person that had come out of prison—to be able to give them every single opportunity of a different future. I was humbled by his commitment to mothers in particular, and the need for them to have houses to create a new future for their children. He was a Kīngi who sacrificed, who lived a life of service that we will always be incredibly grateful for.

Mate atu tētēkura, ara mai tētēkura. Tēnā koutou katoa.

[As one leader passes, another rises. Greetings to you all.]

Rt Hon ADRIAN RURAWHE (Labour): Korōria, hareruia ki a koe, e Ihoa o ngā mano. Tūāuriuri, whāioio, kī tonu te rangi me te whenua i te nui o tō korōria.

Nō reira tihei mauri ora.

E tika ana kia tuku mihi poroporoaki ki a Kiingi Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Nō reira, me whakapiri taku mihi ki ngā mihi kua mihia e ngā mema o te Whare nei i tēnei wā.

Nō reira haere e te Kīngi, haere ki tua o te ārai, ki te kāinga tūturu mō tātou, mō te tangata. Oti atu te wā ki a koe, e oki, e moe, e moe.

[Glory, hallelujah to you, Jehovah of the masses. Eternal and enduring, the heavens and the earth are filled with your glory.

And thus, the breath of life.

It is appropriate to offer final words of farewell to King Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. And so I add my farewell to those acknowledgments offered by the members of this House at this time.

So farewell, King, venture beyond the veil, to the true home of us all, of humanity. Your time has ended, rest, sleep, rest in peace.]

I’d like to remember Kiingi Tuheitia from the perspective that I come from Rātana Pā. We had the pleasure and honour of hosting Kiingi Tuheitia and Te Makau Ariki and te Kāhui Ariki on many different occasions. It’d be true to say that he was well respected and loved by the mōrehu and by Rātana. He was loved not only because he upheld the history and the traditions of the Kiingitanga—that relationship that started in the time of Kiingi Te Rata when Tupu Taingākawa came to Rātana Pā and spoke to Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana about the rights of Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi. So we loved him because he upheld that. We loved him because he supported his mother, Te Atairangikaahu, who consolidated the relationship with Rātana through our then leader “Te Reo” Hura. We loved him because he knew about the history and that relationship between us, and the basis on which that relationship began and was about.

We’ve heard many different relationship stories in in this House today, and I’d ask members to reflect just how much energy it takes to have that many relationships with that many people and keep up with it and have a smile on your face while you’re doing it. He had a smile that could light up a room. But, most of all, he was loved in Rātana because of the way he gave the time to the people we call ringaringa waewae, which other marae call ringawera, the workers. He had time for them and he let them know how grateful he was that he was being looked after. I think it’s, you know, a lesson for all of us that you can rise to the highest of offices—and there is no higher in te ao Māori than Kiingitanga—and not forget the people that help along the way, and he certainly did that. I recognise, you know, the difficulty that that road must have been—you know, dealing with huge different issues. I mean, the egos alone of rangatira across the country can be problematic and difficult, and he seemed to handle it.

We heard from other members about getting tellings-off. Well, yeah, I’m aware of other stories as well where he’s let people know that he wasn’t too happy with what was going on—I’ll just leave it like that. But he had that ability, and I think it’s great that this House can recognise that.

I want to also add my aroha to Te Makau Ariki, tamariki, and mokopuna, and the wider Kāhui Ariki as well. I can’t imagine what it might be like sitting through all of those pōwhiri, the whole lot—just imagine that. You know, we could get up and walk away and go and talk to our mates, but they can’t. They had to sit through all of that kōrero, the whole lot—they heard it all. I hope that was healing for them to know how much he was loved, and I think that was expressed in many, many different ways.

I want to acknowledge Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po. I want to acknowledge that she got her name from the Whanganui River. She was born while her grandmother was on the Tira Hoe waka. Her grandmother asked the people of Whanganui to give her a name, and they gave the name Nga wai hono i te po. So I suppose those of us from Whanganui will be claiming her! We can think about it, but I think she will belong to the motu—and quite rightly so—and I’m sure my Ngāti Rangi and Whanganui whānau will be there to support her in everything moving forward. I can’t imagine also what that must be like for a young wahine, but I’ve got no doubt that she’ll be able to uphold the traditions like her father did, her grandfather, right back to her great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, which is an amazing thing.

So, Mr Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to speak. Ko te tūmanako kia uhia mai e te Runga Rawa āna manaakitanga ki runga ki tō mātou Kuīni hou. Pai mārire.

[My hope is that the Most High will cover our new Queen with his blessings. Peace and goodwill to all.]

TEANAU TUIONO (Green): Tēnā koe e te Pīka. Tākiri tū ko te kotahitanga; tākiri tū ko te mana motuhake.

Taimaha rukiruki te tinana i te aroha; e kore rawa a tutuki e. Heoi kei te tūpou tonu ngā whakaaro, kei te mōteatea tonu ngā whakaaro mō te Kīngi, Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII i tanumia ki roto i a Taupiri Kūao i tēnei wā.

E te ariki nui, moe mai, moe mai, moe mai rā.

Te Arikinui, Kiingi Tuheitia, nōhou te pō, e moe, e okioki. E ara, Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i te po, nōhou te ao. Tēnā koe, otirā te whare o te kāhui ariki, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.

E tū ake tēnei ki te tautoko i ngā mihi kua mihia. Heoi kei te hoki aku nā whakaaro ki tēnei o ngā tangihanga me te whakaaro ake i kite mātou i tēnei mea te tohu o te rangatira, tēnei mea te tohu o te rangatiratanga.

I a rātou te tinitini, te manomano i tae ki Tūrangawaewae, i kōrero tahi au ki ētahi o aku nei hoa i tatū ki runga i te mata o te marae, me te mea atu, “Ko wai ka taea te manaaki pēnei anō te āhua? Ko wai e taea te tiaki i te tinitini, te manomano? Kore rawa.” Nō reira e mihi ana ki a koutou, Waikato taniwha rau, ki te whakaatu mai i tēnei mea te rangatiratanga, tēnei mea te manaakitanga. Te taea te whāngai i tērā rahi, he tohu tērā o te rangatira, he tohu tērā o tō tātou ariki nui. Nā koutou anō i hora atu tērā o ngā whakaaro ki a tātou.

Nō reira ngā nihowera, ngā ringawera, tēnā koutou katoa.

Kei te whakaaro ake, ka tāpiri ake i aku nei whakaaro ki a Makau Ariki, te whānau kua panihia. Tautoko katoa ahau i ngā kōrero i tā Adrian Rurawhe, i mea atu nā te roa o ngā pōhiri i noho ai rātou mō te wā roa, engari ko te tūmanako nui i rongo rātou i tēnei mea, i te aroha. I rongo mātou i tēnei mea, i te ngākau māhaki, i rongo rātou i ngā āhuatanga o te whakaaro nui me te mana nui o wīwī, o wāwā e tae ana ki runga i te marae.

E tika ana te kōrero: koia anō te Kīngi o te kotahitanga. I roa te wā e tohea ana tērā o ngā kupu ki roto i ngā marae puta noa i te motu. Engari nāna anō i kī atu me haramai ki Tūrangawaewae i te tīmatanga o tēnei tau, ki waenganui tonu o te hararei raumati. I tae mai mātou katoa.

Ko tāna i mea atu ko tēnei mea te mana motuhake he waka hoe, āe. Engari engari he waka eke noa tēnei waka o te mana motuhake. He kōrero tērā, he rapurapu whakaaro tērā mō tātou katoa ki roto i tēnei Whare. He aha tēnei mea, te kotahitanga? Me te whakaaro ake he aha te wāhanga ki a tātou o roto i te Pāremata mō tēnei mea, te kotahitanga, o tēnei mea, te mana motuhake, o tēnei mea i whakataukīhia e tō tātou nei Kīngi, i ōhākītia e tō tātou nei Kīngi ki roto i āna kupu o te tau tonu nei.

Ko tāku nei, e toru ngā wāhanga ki a tātou e noho ana ki tēnei o ngā Whare. Te tuatahi ko te aro kia mārama, kia kite anei anō te kotahitanga, anā anō te mana motuhake. Ka puta anō te aronga ki tēnei mea, te mārama, kia mārama te tangata tērā te mana motuhake, tērā te kotahitanga i mea atu tō tātou nei Kīngi.

Hoi hei tāpiri atu ki tērā ko te mea nui mō tātou katoa, tātou e whai whakaaro ana ki tēnei mea, te kotahitanga, te rangatiratanga, tōna whanaunga te mana motuhake, te tautoko. Pēhea tātou katoa e taea ai te tautoko? I te mea i kite tātou i te kotahitanga ki roto i ngā rā ki runga o Tūrangawaewae.

Nō reira koirā te wero kei mua i te aroaro, ki taku nei whakaaro ki a tātou katoa. Hoi e mihi ana ki a tātou katoa i tae ā-tinana mai, otirā ki a koe e te Pīka. E mihi ana ki a koe mō āu kupu akiaki i te whānau, otirā i te ao Māori katoa, tae noa ki a kura. I te wā e tū ana a kura, te maha hoki o ngā rōpū i pīkau i a kura i tēnei wā.

Heoi ko te oranga anō o tērā, i kite te marae, i kite te ao Māori, anei anō te Pāremata e haere ngātahi ana ki runga i te marae. Ahakoa ngā tohe ki roto i tēnei o ngā Whare, ahakoa tō tātou nei kaha ki te matapaki i ngā kōrero, ngā taupatupatu ki roto i tēnei o ngā Whare, tae noa ki tērā o ngā tangihanga i haere ngātahi tātou.

Nō reira, mā runga i tērā ko tēnei mea te kotahitanga, mā runga i tērā ko tēnei mea te mana motuhake. Me kaha tātou ki te whai, me kaha tātou ki te tautoko, me kaha tātou ki te hāpai. Nō reira tēnā tātou katoa.

[Thank you, Mr Speaker. Unity rises; self-determination rises.

The body is weighed down by sorrow; it can never truly be fulfilled. However, thoughts continue to bow, and we still feel sorrow for the King, Tuheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII, who is now laid to rest in Taupiri Kūao at this time.

Great leader, sleep well, rest well, rest in peace.

The great leader King Tuheitia, the night belongs to you; sleep and rest. Rise, the great leader Nga wai hono i te po, the sunlight belong to you. Greetings to you, and also to the royal family, greetings to you all.

I stand here in support of the tributes that have already been paid. However, my thoughts return to this particular funeral and the realisation that we have witnessed the true mark of a leader, the true mark of leadership.

As we saw the multitudes that gathered at Tūrangawaewae, I spoke with some of my friends who stood on the marae grounds, and they said, “Who else could host such an event with such grace? Who else could care for such multitudes? No one.” So I commend you, Waikato of a hundred chiefs, for demonstrating leadership and hospitality. To be able to feed so many, that is a sign of leadership, a sign of our king. You have shared that vision with all of us.

Therefore, to the chefs, to the workers, I greet you all.

As I reflect, I add my thoughts to those for the Royal Consort and the grieving family. I fully support the words of Adrian Rurawhe, who said that due to the long duration of the welcoming ceremonies they endured for a long time, but we hope that they felt the love. We felt the humility, and they felt the consideration and the great mana of those who came to the marae from near and far.

It is true what has been said: he truly was the king of unity. That word was debated for a long time on the marae across the country. But it was he who said that we should come to Tūrangawaewae at the beginning of this year, right in the middle of the summer holidays. We all came.

What he said was that this thing, self-determination, is like a paddling waka, yes. But this waka of self-determination is a canoe for all to board. That is a statement, a consideration for all of us in this House. What is unity? And what is our role here in Parliament in regard to this thing, unity, this thing, self-determination, which our King declared and emphasised in his words this year?

From my perspective, there are three roles for us in this House. The first is to pay attention, to understand and recognise that this is unity, and that is self-determination. The next step is to ensure clarity, so that people understand what self-determination is, what unity means, as expressed by our King.

Furthermore, the most important thing for all of us, those of us who reflect on this unity and leadership, and its cousin, self-determination, is support. How can we all support? Because we witnessed unity in the days at Tūrangawaewae.

Therefore, that is the challenge before us all, in my opinion. I also extend my greetings to all who attended in person, and especially to you, Mr Speaker. I thank you for your words of encouragement to the family and indeed to all of Māori society, including kura. As kura stood, all parties supported him at that time.

However, the beauty of it is that the marae and the Māori world saw Parliament moving in unison on to the marae. Despite the debates in this House, despite our dedication to discussing and debating issues in this House, when it came to the funeral, we moved together.

Therefore, with that, there is unity; with that, there is self-determination. We must strive to pursue, to support, and to uplift. So, greetings to you all.]

LAURA TRASK (ACT): Thank you, Mr Speaker. Haere mai mō tōku reo, ka tīwaha mai taku tamariki. Mutu mātou kōrero o te reo Māori, mēnā ka whakamātau te reo Māori.

[Come for my language, my children cry. We finish speaking the Māori language, if we attempt the Māori language.]

I am sorry for any mispronunciations—my kids are listening and they’ll be ready to call me out. But in the spirit of all the speakers before me, knowing that Kiingi Tuheitia wanted everyone to give it a bit of a go, I’m going to give it a go.

Katoa mātou i konei i tēnei rā kei te mihi ki te Kiingitanga me ngā taonga i tuku mai, ko te aroha me te kotahitanga.

[All of us here today acknowledge the Kiingitanga and the gifts that they have offered us, compassion and unity.]

That was terrible! While I cannot match the words of the orators who have spoken before me, I will move to my first language to maybe give myself a bit of a chance.

We stand here today to acknowledge the Māori King and the legacy of the oneness that he upheld. As many have mentioned before me, Kiingi Tuheitia was often seen with his grandchildren, holding someone’s baby, or ensuring his mokopuna was held safely within the waka. He was a man who knew that the wellness of the village was dependent on the wellness of the tamariki.

His love and kindness towards people will be something that we all remember. He was described as just a bit of a normal guy who used to be a truckie, he loved his rugby league, and he loved his cars. His smile was contagious and his presence warmed the hearts of many.

He stressed the importance of togetherness and open conversation. He was a stoic and kind leader to his daughter Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po—you are the second wahine Māori Queen to take the throne. We look forward to your mahi as Kuīni. We hope your journey through your mahi will be peaceful and smooth.

Moe mai rā te Kiingi Tuheitia.

HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE (Te Pāti Māori—Hauraki-Waikato):

Taupiri te maunga

Waikato te awa

He piko, he piko, he taniwha e

[Taupiri is the mountain

Waikato is the river

At each bend is an illustrious leader]

Toia Tainui tapotū ki te moana

Mā wai e tō, māku e tō

Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangatanga

He kapua whakairi nāku nā runga mai o Taupiri

Taku kiri ka tōkia e te anu mātao

E te iwi, whītiki, whītiki

Ngā tai ngunguru nei, whakarewa

Whakarongo mai rā

[Haul the Tainui down to the sea

Who will haul it, I will haul it

Embed the pillar of my house so that it stands easy

A suspended cloud of mine from above Taupiri

My skin is moistened by the cold

Oh my people, keep tight together

These resounding tides, let them flow

Listen to me]

E toru ngā kākahu o te Kiingitanga: Tuatahi ko te whakaiti; tuarua ko te whakaiti; tuatoru ko te whakaiti.

Hikohiko te uira, papā te whatitiri, Tuheitia te tupua, Tuheitia te taniwha, Tuheitia taku kīngi, kīngi o te kotahitanga. Te superglue o te motu.

Hoki wairua mai rā koe ki ngā kīngi o te pō.

[The Kiingitanga has three mantles: First is humility; second is humility; third is humility.

Lightning flashes, thunder crashes, Tuheitia the powerful, Tuheitia te fearsome, Tuheitia my king, king of unity. The superglue of the nation.

Return in spirit to the kings of darkness.]

I rise on behalf of Te Pāti Māori today, privileged to be able to give a tribute to the passing of our King. I want to acknowledge the Government and the Prime Minister for allowing us to share our time. I want to thank the House for giving me the opportunity to speak, as being a young woman, there is no such thing as paepae time, and, being from Waikato, our first priority is to serve the multitudes.

Thank you, King. Thank you for being wise, humble, with a few growlings here and there, and for keeping us in line. But my most personal experience with you was that you believed in me so much.

When we first announced that I was standing as a candidate during the election campaign, people either thought we were crazy, they laughed, or they felt sorry for me. A hui was called with the King and I asked him, “If I ever get in, what do you want me to do for you and Kiingitanga?” He softly replied and said, “Just be you.”, and gave a few people not to listen to, some of which were my own whanaunga.

Ko āna ōhākī ki ahau [His final words to me]: “Inspire rangatahi that kotahitanga is the way forward.” I was privileged enough to have him with us at our election night, and he said to me, “I told you you could do it.” He never asked for anything; just checked in and asked if I was OK.

Thank you, King. Thank you for serving 18 years. Thank you for reminding us that everyone—young and old, Pākehā and Māori—need to work together. He would even say, “Don’t be cheeky to Charles—that’s my friend.” Mana to mana; monarch to monarch. He called your iwi, called the motu, called Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa under kotahitanga. But, most importantly, thank you to Te Whare Kāhui Ariki, his whānau, for sharing him with the world. Makau Ariki, Whatumoana, Korotangi, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, me ngāna mokopuna: we lost a King, but you lost a husband, father, and a papa.

I also want to acknowledge his office. I’ve seen the magic firsthand of how you’ve help shape, alongside with the King. Ngira, Rukumoana, Rāhui, Moko Tini—the list goes on.

Your tangihanga was truly fit for a King. My MP hat came off, and the black and white waitressing kākahu came on. I even waitressed a few MPs and Ministers and Kimiora, too. I’ve come to the conclusion that we work together better in Kimiora than in Parliament. Front and back was sorted to a tee, King. Paepae, ope taua, tea boys, ushers, kitchen, Dungeon, rūrū gang, 4 a.m. hanawiti crew, broadcasters—kotahitanga in its purest form.

E noho whakaiti ana au ki tōku iwi o Waikato.

Kiingi Pōtatau, kīngi o te tika. Kiingi Tāwhiao, kīngi o te maungārongo. Kiingi Mahuta, kīngi o te rangimārie. Kiingi Te Rata, ko te taupoki whakamārie o te tāpunakara o te whakaoranga o tā te Atua i pai ai. Kiingi Korokī, ko te mana motuhake o ngā waka katoa. Te Arikinui Te Atairangikāhu, nā te ao katoa. Kiingi Tuheitia, kīngi o te kotahitanga.

Ka ara ake mai taku ariki nui, Kuini Nga wai hono i te po Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VIII. Ka ora tō iwi Māori i roto i a koe. Ka ora te Kiingitanga i roto i a tātou. Taku kuīni reo Māori, kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa, kapahaka, kaitiaki, mātauranga Māori. Nei rā ka tuohu.

[I am humbled by my people of Waikato.

King Pōtatau, king of truth. King Tāwhiao, king of peace. King Mahuta, king of harmony. King Te Rata, the peace-bringing shroud of the tabernacle of salvation of what God said was good. King Koroki, the autonomy of all tribal confederations. Queen Te Atairangaikāhu, of all the world. King Tuheitia, king of unity.

My Queen arises, Queen Nga wai hono i te po Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VIII. Your Māori people will flourish within you. The Kiingitanga will flourish within us all. My queen of the Māori language, kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa, kapahaka, traditional custodian, traditional Māori knowledge. I bow before you.]

I still don’t have the words to describe the feeling as our Queen walked through the waharoa—nothing but awe. However, I can still see the faces. I watched young girls’ eyes light up; rūruhi crying and hugging one another. I heard a young girl whisper, “It’s like watching a real-life Disney movie princess, but better.”

I can only imagine the grief you’re feeling, but I’m ready to serve you for the rest of my life. Your kura, iwi, clubs, and motu are right there, young and old.

In only a few days, we have watched how truly special you are. Your grace, humility, intelligence—we’ve seen this before your reign, and we are truly privileged to watch you as our Queen.

E oati ana taku katoa ki a koe, e oati ana Te Pāti Māori ki a koe, e Te Arikinui.

[I pledge my all to you, the Māori Party pledges itself to you, my Queen.]

Now, there’s a lot of things that I don’t agree on with Winston Peters. However, I wholeheartedly believed in his kōrero that he said: Kiingitanga is above politics. Politics lasts a day; Kiingitanga lives for ever. This is all that our kura, clubs, iwi, hapū, marae, and grandparents know: it is to serve Kiingitanga.

Thank you to every party leader and member for sharing your kōrero today. Ka whakakapi au me tētehi o ngā kīwai o te kete, arā ko te pai mārire.

Pō tiakina māramatanga e te Atua ki tō mātou Kīngi, ngā tinana e māuiuitia ana, tae noa ki a mātou katoa i te rā nei, āe. Nāu te korōria. Nāu te korōria. Nāu te korōria. Rire rire hau, pai mārire.

[I will conclude with one of the handles of the basket—i.e., the pai mārire faith.

In the darkness protect the light, o God our King, those who are infirm, and including all of us this day, yes. Glory be thine. Glory be thine. Glory be thine. Holy Spirit be with us, peace and goodwill to all.]

Waiata—“Whakaaria mai”

Motion agreed to.

Members stood as a mark of respect.

SPEAKER: The House stands adjourned until 2 p.m. tomorrow.

The House adjourned at 3.53 p.m.