Te Ururoa Flavell: Flag issue damages mana

Greetings again, another year has passed as we gave paid our respects to the Anzacs and those who have served for our country in war. Some were lucky enough to come home, but there are thousands of course who did not. So we can but weep and farewell them. Rest in peace.

Let me turn to another matter. What about our District Council e hoa ma! Why is it that we hold on to the belief that the Te Arawa Standing Committee has standing and mana in the dealings with the council? That is a hugely mistaken belief. Why do I say that? Well, last year the council asked the Te Arawa Standing Committee to go and consult over the issue of which flags would be flown from the council buildings on Waitangi Day. The committee along with the Te Arawa Lakes Trust called a hui in Tama te Kapua. There were three resolutions reached. Firstly that the Tino Rangatiratanga flag was to be hung beside the flag of Aotearoa, second; on-going debate would continue into this year, and finally; that the council offer the opportunity for the marae of Te Arawa to hang their flags on Fenton Street, as a symbol of the contribution by Te Arawa to the development of the city. The hui unanimously agreed to all of the motions except the flying of the Tino Rangatiratanga flag which was agreed to by the majority.

Before Waitangi Day the council stated it will not be following the committee's recommendations! So you can see why I say that the Standing Committee has no mana in the eyes of the council. I recall two previous committee members resigning from the committee over this very issue. "Lack of teeth" being the reasons cited for resigning.

Recently, the council asked that the committee go back and re-visit this process. I ask myself "why would anyone want to do that?" it seems to me that this exercise is a waste of time because if the council again is negative towards the views of the committee they can simply dismiss what Te Arawa wants. What is the solution? I say there is only one way forward. Dedicated Maori seats!

If it is that the number of allocated Maori seats was to reflect the number of Maori in the area by percentage, then we are getting close. By doing that, the mana of the seats will be the same. The Rotorua District Council should be looking to Nelson, in the South Island for some direction! They are the third council in the country, and the first council in the South Island to decide to establish a Maori ward, and this will happen in the 2013 election. This decision has of course received praise from the Human Rights Commissioner, who wrote a report last year encouraging local government to consider dedicated Maori representation. The report used the BOP Regional Council as an exemplar of how successful the Maori seat system can be. One day perhaps our council will see this. We can only hope!

Finally, I'd like to congratulate everyone who took part in the Rotorua Marathon this past weekend. As I write this article, the long summer weather has abandoned us, and it's looking pretty miserable! I hope it clears and that a great day is had by all.

I welcome feedback. Email mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz or phone 07 3503261 or Post to PO Box 12028 Rotorua, 3045.

Kia ora ano tatou. Kua huri te tau, a, kua tuku tatou katoa i nga whakaaro ki a Tumatauenga, ki te Hokowhitu a Tu. Ko ratou tera te hunga i tae atu ki te mura o te ahi. Na te waimarie ranei, i hoki mai etahi. Engari ano te mano kaore i hoki mai ki te kainga. Heoi, ko ta tatou, he tangi, he aue, he poroporoaki i a ratou. Tuamatauenga e moe. Ka huri ki take ke. Ko ta tatou Kaunihera o Rotorua e hoa ma! He aha te take ka mau tonu tatou ki te whakaaro he mana ano to te Komiti Whaiti o te Kaunihera o Rotorua i roto i nga nekeneke o te Kaunihera tonu? Katahi te pohehe nui ko tera.

He aha i pera rawa taku korero? Kati, no te tau kua hipa, na te Kaunihera te Komiti Whaiti Maori i tono kia puta ki te marea ki reira wananga ai nga haki e tika ana kia whakairi i te ra o Waitangi. Na te Komiti Maori me te Te Arawa Lakes Trust nei te hui i karanga i Tama te Kapua. E toru nga whakatau o te hui. Tuatahi, kia whakairi i te haki Tino Rangatiratanga ki te taha o te haki o Aotearoa nei, ka rua, ka haere tonu nga korero mo tenei take a te tau nei, ka toru, he tono no te iwi kia whakairi i nga haki o nga marae o Te Arawa i te tiriti o Fenton hei tohu i te whakaaro nui o Te Arawa ki te taone o Rotorua mai ra ano. Ko te katoa i whakaae mai ki nga mahi katoa engari mo te haki Tino Rangatiratanga - ko te nuinga ke.

I mua o Waitangi i puta te whakatau o te Kaunihera, e kore ratou e whai ko ta te komiti Maori i whakatakoto ai! Koia nei e ki ana korekau he mana o te komiti Maori e ai ki ta te Kaunihera mahi. I rongo ahau mo te tokorua i rihaina i te komiti na tenei take.

Nonatatanei, kua puta te korero a te kaunihea ki te komiti Maori, kia hoki ano ki a Te Arawa ki reira wananga ai i te take! Anei ahau i patai i te patai, "he aha ai?" He moumou taima, i te mea, ki te noho kawa tonu nga whakatau a te Kaunihera, ka taea e ratou te whakakore ko ta Te Arawa e pirangi nei. Ki oku whakaaro, kotahi tonu te huarahi. Turu Maori e hoa! Mena e orite ana nga turu Maori o te Kaunihera ki te orau o te tangata Maori e noho nei i taua takiwa kei tawhiti ke tera! Ma reira, e orite ana te mana o nga turu. Mena e taea ana e te Kaunihera te whakahe ko te whakatau o te iwi, he moumou taima te noho atu ki reira.

Tera pea me ata tirotiro te Kaunihera a motu ki tera Kaunihera o Whakatu i Te Wai Pounamu! Ko ratou te tuatoru o tenei motu, otira te tuatahi i Te Waipounamu, ki te whakatu turu Maori, a, ka timata tenei i te tau 2013. Kaore e kore, kei runga noa atu tenei e ai ki te komihana Kahui Tika Tangata. I roto i te ripoata o te Komihana he wahanga e akiaki ana i nga Kaunihere ki te whakaaro mo etahi turu Maori. Otira, ko te tauira i whakamahia ko tera o te Kaunihera a motu o te Moana a Toi. Ko te tumanako ka aro ta tatou Kaunihera ki tenei, a, ka whakatinanatia hoki.

He whakakapi, me tuku mihi au ki te hunga i uru ki te oma nui o Rotorua ara, te Rotorua Marathon i te wikena kua pahure. I te tuhinga o tenei korero, kua wehe a Hine Raumati, a, he rangi marangai o waho! Tona tikanga ka paki haere te rangi mo koutou, a, ka pai katoa te ahuatanga o te ra.