Te Ururoa Flavell: Time for renewal and new direction

Tena koutou katoa. I start today by reflecting on the loss of a staunch Maori Party stalwart who passed away suddenly last week.

Koro Mangu Clarke of Ngati Rangiwewehi, Tapuika and Waitaha stock, and had spent his lifetime in the heart of Ngati Manawa. The death of Koro Mangu was so sudden and unexpected; he was the pou at our Maori Party AGM in Whakatane just one week prior.

There he had closed our AGM and ensured everything was as it should be. Thinking about Mangu, he has been with me from the very start. He was one of my absolute rocks and was always available to me when I needed. I can't help but feel so pouri knowing he is no longer with us but I am glad I was able to be at Painoaiho Marae for the duration of Mangu's tangihanga. He was farewelled in a way that was befitting of the person he was. E moe e koro.

Hoea to waka ki tua o te pae. Waihotia ake matou ki te kawe i ou wawata ki tona whakatinanatanga. Whakangaro atu ra.

Here we are, August is upon us already. Spring is just around the corner - and with that I hope we can put behind us all the colds and flu bugs some of us have been carrying around for the past few months. Spring is a miraculous time. The world comes alive - fields become ripe with colour and the promise of new life. Spring gives us hope for rejuvenation in our own lives as well. It is the season to renew the zest for life.

Spring for the Maori Party is also a time of new beginnings. Much is to be done and the Maori Party is refreshing itself the same way as the world around us. I decided to issue a personal challenge for myself and set a target of recruiting 100 new members in one week. I have managed to sign up about 20 people in the space of three days and that doesn't count online registrations!

There have been some awesome koha coming in and a lot of people seeking merchandise too. It is such a buzz to bask in the excitement and the anticipation of the future direction of the Maori Party; a direction we can all help to set.

Maori translation:

Me timata tenei o nga korero i tenei ra ki tetahi korero mo tetahi te koroua nei, ki tetahi o nga poutokomanawa o te Paati Maori i hinga ohorere nei. Ko Mangu Clarke tera, te uri o Ngati Rangiwewehi, o Tapuika, o Waitaha, engari kua whai wahi i waenga i a Ngati Manawa. He mea ohorere tana rironga i te mea, koia te pou i te hui-a-tau o Te Paati Maori i Whakatane i te wiki i mua. Nana tonu te hui-a-tau i whakakopani, koia te whakaruruhau o te hui. I a au e whakaaro ake ana mo Mangu, ko ia tera kua noho nei hei taituara moku mai i te timatanga o te Paati Maori, ko ia te toka tu moana, ko ia tera i noho nei hei kaitautoko moku. Kei te tangi tonu te ngakau ki a ia kua riro engari, kei te harikoa tonu i te mea, i noho nei au i tona taha i te marae o Painoaiho. E tika ana ko te poroporoaki i a ia, ki tera momo tangata. E moe e koro.

E hoa ma, kua eke tatou ki te marama o Here-turi-koka. Akoakenei, ka eke a ngahuru ki a tatou, a, ka waihotia ake a maremare, a rewharewha ki muri. He rawe tenei wa o te tau, a ngahuru. Ka puta nga hua o te tau hou, ka puta ko te whai ao. Kei te whakatika tatou katoa mo tetahi timatanga hou, he wa whakahihiko i te ngakau hei whakaora i te wairua.

Kei te pera mo te Paati Maori. Kua huri te tai, kua hihiko te ngakau, kua ora te wairua. He nui nga mahi, engari, penei i te ahuatanga e tika ana mo tenei wa, me puangi te noho. Kua oti i a au te whakarite i tetahi wero nei, moku ake ara, kia whiwhi i au ko te kotahi rau tangata hei mema mo te Paati Maori i te kotahi wiki. I nga ra e toru, rua tekau neke atu i aro mai! He koha kua tuhuna mai, a, e kimi kakahu ana etahi. Kei te rongo au i te hihiko o te ngakau o te wairua, ko te Paati Maori te take.

Email mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz phone (07) 350 3261

Te Ururoa Flavell is the Maori Party co-leader and the MP for Waiariki.