Siblings' message packs punch

Mei Riwai-Couch, 7, and brother Brigham, 9, will go before politicians with a coffin made of cigarette labels. Photo / Simon Baker

Seven-year-old Mei Riwai-Couch will go before the politicians tomorrow with a life-sized coffin made of cigarette labels and a simple message.

She will tell the Maori affairs select committee inquiry into the tobacco industry: "I hope that by talking with you today, more children don't have to lose people they love in coffins like this one."

Mei and her brother Brigham, 9, have been invited to speak to the committee in Christchurch after moving submissions in which they wrote about watching their grandfather Dennis MacDonald, 69 - a smoker from age 15 - die of lung cancer last year.

The symbolic coffin constructed with 500 cigarette packet labels is the work of their aunt, artist Christeena MacDonald-Paea, who was moved to create it after Mr MacDonald's death.

Mei and Brigham helped to care for their grandfather as his health deteriorated while living at their Christchurch home.

"I used to watch my grandfather smoke at breakfast," Brigham wrote in his submission to the committee.

"This made me worried because grandpa was always coughing and feeling sick.

"One day grandpa had to go to hospital. We would go and see him. His skin looked paleand green. He would still give me cuddlesand say, 'How are you boy?' The doctorssaid he had cancer in his lungs."

When he did eventually stop smoking, it was too late, Brigham said.

"I really miss my grandpa. I wish he never smoked. He didn't know smoking was bad when he was a boy. I do."

Mei, who read stories to her once "healthy and strong" grandfather, is sad he never got to meet her baby sister. She now tells people she is allergic to smoke.

Mei and Brigham's mother, Melanie Riwai-Couch, said her children wanted to express how they felt about smoking after their grandfather's death.

After hearing submissions, the select committee is due to report back to Parliament by the end of next month.

However, the House has already moved to combat smoking rates by raising excise taxes on tobacco.