Dame Naida Glavish wants a tikanga approach to differences of Ngapuhi MPs. Photo / NZME
Heated public kōrero in Parliament between Act MP Karen Chhour and Minister Kelvin Davis on Oranga Tamariki contracts has triggered a rare response from a rangatira Māori.
"I am calling out on tikanga. This challenge is directed as much to Minister Davis as it is to Ms Chhour," Dame Naida Glavish said.
She agrees with Davis for the need to "cross the bridge into te ao Māori".
"The claim of Ms Chhour that she is a proud Māori from Ngāpuhi would require her to call the chair of her Ngāpuhi marae to enable her and the minister to sort it out in the Ngāpuhi way there, where she should feel safe," Glavish said.
Feelings were running high as the Act MP is mooting her member's bill to remove section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act.
The law currently requires Oranga Tamariki to act in accordance with Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations regarding mana tamaiti, whakapapa and whanaungatanga. Chhour's reform would remove this duty.
"Chhour wanting to repeal this section of the act is actually saying that we should all be colour blind - that connecting our babies with their whakapapa, iwi, hapū, and whānau is not important."
Glavish says hui on the marae is the correct approach.
"This is exactly how our Māori world operates. Ms Chhour might like to ask her leader to support her on her Ngāpuhi marae as he claims to also have Ngāpuhi whakapapa.
"I would be prepared to be there with them too."
Many believe the consequences of the Act Party policy repealing section 7AA will result in assimilation and have wide-reaching implications to the detriment of generations of Māori.
It would interfere with Oranga Tamariki's legal obligation to honour Te Tiriti by supporting iwi, hapū, whānau and urban Māori service providers wishing to reconnect tamariki with their whakapapa and te ao Māori.
"That's wanting to return us to a system which basically made Māori kids and their needs invisible," Davis has been reported saying.
At question time Chhour challenged the mana motuhake "for Māori, by Māori" partnership agreements like that of Te Whānau o Waipareira which led to the pushback by the minister.
"The issue needs to be discussed by Ngāpuhi given Ms Chhour claims to be one of their own is advocating such law reform that would have such a knock-on intergenerational impact," Glavish said.
"If they support her, then that will also become a Ngāpuhi issue."
Davis has since apologised to Chhour over his comments.