National's Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka gives his maiden statement to the House with portraits of his ancestors in front of him. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
National's Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka gives his maiden statement to the House with portraits of his ancestors in front of him. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
Emotion caught in the throat of new National Hamilton West MP Tama Potaka as he described the sacrifices of his tūpuna and the fight his whānau took on to resist Māori land loss.
Potaka this evening was finally able to give his maiden statement to Parliament’s House of Representatives after it had been delayed by the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle on the House’s schedule.
Known as a confident speaker, particularly in te reo Māori, Potaka’s oratory skills were briefly challenged by the memories of his family’s struggles.
“My bones lie ... on the far-flung battlefields of the Pioneer and Māori battalions,” Potaka said, his voice wavering.
“My parents ... Paddy and Jo dedicated themselves to getting things done around Rata in Rangitikei - like land consolidation to ensure not one more acre of family land was lost from whānau ownership.”
Emotion caught Tama Potaka on a couple of occasions as he gave his maiden statement to the House. Photo / Mark Mitchell
It was the only hiccup in what was a detailed account of Potaka’s rise from “throwing hay bales” and “mowing the marae lawns” to studying law at the United States’ Columbia Law School under the likes of Jane Ginsburg, the daughter of the late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The speech wasn’t without the usual party lines, the reference to his parents “getting things done” was a repeat of a common phrase of his party’s leader.
He also cited the “personal responsibility” he took while pursuing law, politics and Māori studies at Victoria University.
The second half of Potaka’s speech concerned New Zealand’s future in education and law.
On the former, Potaka stressed “one size does not fit all” and called for “less open classrooms” and to “activate value-based schools” to catalyse more success.
“Without relevant multi-disciplinary learning and engagement of young people, we will contribute more to crime and poverty.”
Law and education were key issues Potaka spoke of. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Potaka applauded the existing work but cautioned against it being guided by “narrow ideology and provincial inclinations”.
“Autochthonous efforts should continue albeit with relevant balancing of our indigenous, Treaty and indeed international rights heritage. Like rights set out in the Magna Carta 1215, the Bill of Rights 1689, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, we should be curious around tikanga and consider how to best foster an environment where it suitably empowers all New Zealanders,” he said, earning nods from senior Māori Labour MPs Willie Jackson and Nanaia Mahuta.
The electorate’s most recent MP didn’t get a mention, Potaka instead honouring National’s Tim Macindoe who held the seat before Sharma.
However, there was a nod to the frustrations caused by Sharma’s resignation as Potaka spoke of his constituents who had “instructed me to reinstate our distinct Parliamentary voice”.
Among his final comments, Potaka expressed his gratitude to his wife Ariana - albeit in a slightly intriguing fashion.
