He Pire Whaiwhai Hītori, He Ture Whai Mana (Historic Bill One Step Closer to Law)

Kia hipa te Pire whaiwhai hītori nei, arā, ko te Pire mō Te Reo, i tōna pānuitanga tuarua i roto i te Whare Paremata i te rangi nei, ka tata ake tōna whakamanatia hei ture.

Kua whakahokia pūrongotia atu te pire hei pire reorua. Koinei te pire tuatahi ka whakamanatia ki te reo Māori, ki te reo Pākehā hoki, ā, ki te ara ake he tohe i waenga i ngā whakaputanga e rua, ko te whakaputanga Māori tērā ka tino whāia.

I roto i tāna kauhau ki te Whare Paremata i tēnei rā, i kī a Te Ururoa Flavell, arā, ko te Minita Whanaketanga Māori, mā te pire i whakahoungia e te Komiti Take Māori, te reo Māori e toko ake ai, e whakarauora ake ai.

“Ka mātaihia, ka whakamātauria te matakitenga mō te reo Māori ā muri ake nei mā ngā herenga o tēnei pire.

“Ko tāna, he toko ake, he tautoko hoki i te ārahitanga o ngā iwi me ngāi Māori mō te whakarauoratanga o te reo Māori, ā, ka whakaū i ngā haepapatanga o te Karauna ki te reo Māori.”

I kī a Minita Flavell, kua whakakahangia te pire i whakahokia pūrongotia atu ai.

“Ka whakaū tēnei i te tāpaetanga me te ū tonu a te Karauna ki te reo Māori. Mā tēnei te Karauna, ngā iwi hoki, a ngāi Māori hoki, e here ai ki te mahi ngātahi. He mahi, he haepapatanga hoki tā tēnā, tā tēnā, mō te reo Māori.

“Ka whakatū te pire i a Te Mātāwai, he hinonga ā-ture motuhake, kia tū hei kaiārahi mā ngā iwi, mā ngāi Māori hoki, i roto i tā rātou mahi hei kaitiaki mō te reo Māori.

“Ka tū a Te Mātāwai hei rangatōpū ā-ture motuhake e mahi ana mā ngā iwi, mā ngāi Māori hoki, kia tū hei kaiārahi i roto i te mahi toko ake i te ora, i te mauri hoki o te reo Māori, mō ngā iwi, mō ngāi Māori, mō ngā hapori hoki.

“Mā Te Mātāwai e tautoko, e whakamōhio atu, e whakaaweawe hoki ngā kaupapa Karauna hei whakamarumaru, hei toko ake, hei whakarauora ake i te reo Māori.”

Ka whakamana ā-ture te pire i ētahi rautaki reo Māori hou e rua.

Nō te Karauna te haepapatanga mō tētahi, arā, ko te Maihi Karauna, e hāngai atu ai ki ngā take ā-motu. Nō ngā iwi, nō ngāi Māori hoki, te haepapatanga mā Te Mātāwai mō tērā atu, arā, ko te Maihi Māori. Ka hāngai tērā ki ngā whāinga, ki ngā kaupapa here, me ngā take whai pānga ki ngā iwi, ki ngā hapū, ki ngā whānau, ki ngā hapori hoki.

I kī a Minita Flavell kua tīmata kē ngā iwi, a ngāi Māori hoki, huri noa i te motu ki te whiriwhiri ka pēhea tā rātou kōwhiri mema mō Te Mātāwai.

“Ko tō tātou pīrangi kia tino rite tātou ki te mahi i ngā mahi ā te wā ka whakaturetia te pire,” tāna kī. 

Mō ētahi pārongo anō mō te Pire, tirohia www.tpk.govt.nz

Historic Bill One Step Closer to Law

The historic Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill is one step closer to being law after it passed its second reading in Parliament today.

The bill has been reported back as a dual language bill.  It will be the first bill to be enacted in both te reo Māori and English, with the Māori version to prevail in the event of conflict between the two versions. 

In his speech in Parliament today, Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell said that the bill as amended by the Māori Affairs Committee, will protect, promote and revitalise te reo Māori.

“The vision for the future of the language will be examined and assessed through the requirements of this bill.

“It promotes and supports iwi and Māori leadership of Māori language revitalisation and it reinforces the Crown’s responsibilities to te reo Māori.”

Mr Flavell said the bill, as reported back, has been strengthened.

“It recognises the contribution and commitment of the Crown to te reo Māori.  It requires both the Crown and iwi and Māori to work in partnership.  Both have roles and responsibilities for te reo.

“The bill establishes Te Mātāwai, an independent statutory entity to provide leadership on behalf of iwi and Māori in their role as kaitiaki of the Māori language.

“Te Mātāwai will continue as an independent statutory body to act on behalf of Iwi and Māori to provide leadership in promoting the health and wellbeing of the Māori language for iwi and Māori and at a community level.

“Te Mātāwai will also to support, inform and influence the Crown’s initiatives to protect, promote and revitalise the Māori language.”

The bill will give legislative status to two new Māori language strategies.

One, Maihi Karauna will be the responsibility of the Crown, and focus on national level issues.   The other, Maihi Māori will be the responsibility of iwi and Māori through Te Mātāwai.  It will focus on objectives, policies and related matters at the Iwi, hapū, whānau and community level.

Mr Flavell said that iwi and Māori throughout the country had begun meeting to work out how they would select members of Te Mātāwai.

“We want to be ready to swing into action as soon as the bill is passed,” he said.

For more information about the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill go to www.tpk.govt.nz