Obituaries

Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) Link to this

I seek leave to move a motion without notice on the recent passing of Raihā, Lady Māhuta.

Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Labour—Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) Link to this

E te Kaiwhakawā o te Whare, ki a tātau katoa e mahi atu i konei, e tautoko te Rōpū Reipa ngā kōrero o te Kaiwhakahaere o te Kāwana. Nā te mea, i roto i ētahi o tātau, Ngāi Māori, e mōhio atu kei te mākūkū haere te whenua o te motu, mō tēnei hinga, mō tēnei wahine rangatira, i whai kaha atu ā muri, a ngā take, e pā ana ki te pai o tātau. Nā te mea ahakoa he wahine nō te taitokerau, e tū atu hei kaikōrero mō te Kuini Māori, i ērā tau ā muri. I tae atu i te tū a te Kingi Tūheitia, i reira kē a Te Raihā e manaaki atu ngā take. Nā te mea e mōhio atu tātau mai i rā anō, he wahine pukumahi ki te whakatikatika i ngā āhua mō te rawakore. He wahine e kaha ana mō te whakatikatika te paru i roto i te wai o te awa o Tainui. He tino wahine hoki e poipoi atu ōna mokopuna.

Kei te tangi hoki te ngākau mō ōna tamariki, a Tukaroto rāua ko Nanaia, me Tipa. Nā te mea hoki, e mōhio atu tātau he wahine pukumahi. Ahakoa i reira kē tōna hoa rangatira a Kotahi, a Bob, e mahi ana i ngā mahi, e tū atu a Raihā i runga i tōna tū anake, mō tōna kaha ki te manaaki atu i ōna whānau whānui. Nā te mea hoki e tuku aroha atu tātau o tēnei rōpū, ngā kanohi Māori i konei, mō te rere haere o tēnei kuia wahine. Me kī pēnei tonu, ahakoa te karangatanga o Waikato taniwha rau, mō tō rātau nama mō te he piko, he taniwha, kia pai hoki tō haere e Rai, kia tae kaha atu koe ki tō hau kāinga i te wāhi tata nei ki Te Oneroa-ā-Tōhē. Nō reira tēnā tātau, tēnā tātau katoa.

[Mr Speaker, and all those who work here, the Labour Party supports the statement made by the Prime Minister. That is because Māori know that this country will be drenched with tears for the passing of this noble woman, who worked diligently behind the scenes in matters pertaining to our wellbeing. Although Lady Raihā was from the far north, she spoke on behalf of both the Māori Queen and King Tūheitia on various matters. We also know that for a long time she strove to improve the lives of the poor, and made great efforts to clean up the Waikato River. She also cared a lot for her grandchildren.

I express my sympathies to her children, Tukaroto, Nanaia, and Tipa. We all know that she was a hard-working woman. Despite the presence of her husband, Sir Robert, Lady Raihā stood for various causes and cared for her extended families. Therefore, we of the Labour Party and its Māori members, offer our condolences for the passing of this matriarch. Despite the saying of Waikato, which states that at every corner of the river there is a leader, we say farewell to you, Lady Raihā, may you reach your home near Ninety Mile Beach. So greetings, and thank you all .]

METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) Link to this

I stand here to support the motion. First, I acknowledge the passing of Bevan Tīpene-Matua: father, friend, environmentalist, and rangatira. We join with others today, kia ora, to mourn the passing of Lady Raihā. Ka maharatia e au te wahine rongonui ko Raihā. E kui tautoko katoa mai te ringa a Whina Kupa, ka pakari ana tā kōrua wairua, moe mai rā.

[I will remember this famous woman, Raihā. Dear lady, your total support and that of Whina Cooper has been spiritually uplifting. Rest well.]

Lady Māhuta was a woman who was passionate about her whenua and her awa, her whānau and her iwi. She played a leading role in negotiating with the Crown, which is always difficult, on behalf of Waikato-Tainui in signing the settlement deal, which provided for a significant fund for the cleaning up of the polluted Waikato River, and for a river co-management arrangement. Her commitment to the environment was an inspiration to us, and her ability to weave together kaitiakitanga and rangatiratanga, and to make it understandable to the Crown and to others, was an exceptional skill, one that will be sorely missed.

She was a courageous negotiator and a courageous woman, and I know she will be deeply missed. The Green Party sends our heartfelt prayers and love to our colleague Nanaia, to her whānau, to her hapū, and to her iwi. Kia ora koutou.

Hon RODNEY HIDE (Leader—ACT) Link to this

I rise on behalf of the ACT Party on this sad day to mark the passing of Lady Raihā Māhuta and to extend our condolences particularly to Nanaia Mahuta, our parliamentary colleague, and to the wider Māhuta family. My most recent meeting with Lady Raihā was on the vexed issue of the boundaries of the new Auckland Council, and Lady Raihā Māhuta along with Sir William Birch put the case most forcefully for shifting the boundaries north. On that day we did not agree, nor did the Government, but I have to say that throughout the discussion Lady Raihā conducted the argument with the utmost respect and dignity that one has come to expect with this wonderful lady. Thank you.

Hon TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Māori Party) Link to this

E te piki amokura o Ngāpuhi kua katohia nei koe e te ringa kaha o aituā. E kore e mutu ngā mihi ki a koe mō ō whiwhinga i te ao turoa nei. Haere ki tō iwi, ki te nuinga o te tangata. Oti atu e.

[Oh my beloved one of Ngāpuhi, you have been plucked by the strong arm of death. Tributes to you for your achievements in this world will never end. Go to your people and the majority that await, never to return.]

Today the tears of Tongariro will flow into the Whanganui River. The connection we make as river people is an intimate one; through w’akapapa we have been bound together. The Waikato iti, which is a source of the great Waikato River, starts on Tongariro maunga. Both the Whangaehu and the Whanganui headwaters are diverted into the Waikato catchment. Physically, culturally, and spiritually, our connections will always be strong. We mourn the loss of Lady Raihā Māhuta, a kuia rangatira, who devoted so much of her life to nurturing the life force of her children, her mokopuna, and all those who come after her.

Her name will be for ever linked with the legacy of protection and preservation of the Waikato River, and I stand today first as an uri of Whanganui and Whangaehu to honour Lady Raihā for the generosity of spirit that she expressed towards us. We have much to treasure in her contribution. We have much to grieve. We are in awe of the sheer tenacity of her role, the respect she engendered from the Crown, and the strength of her commitment to principles as co-negotiator on the Waikato River settlement for Waikato-Tainui. She did so much to protect and preserve the tribal and cultural heritage of Tainui, and for that this nation is indebted to her.

In the example that she modelled for Tainui, she also blazed a pathway for other iwi, including my own. It was through the grace of the late Māori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the late Sir Robert Māhuta, and Lady Raihā that our claim before the tribunal was heard first, of all the big river claims. Lady Raihā and Tukoroirangi Morgan were also instrumental in providing support for the Whanganui River settlement, including sending people down to provide advice to our technicians. They supported us in many ways, and, in turn, we shared appreciation of their generosity in helping them to establish tira hoe waka along their river.

So close is the relationship between Whanganui and Waikato that Dame Te Ata bestowed upon our old people the honour of naming her mokopuna Ngāwai Hono i te Pō, the daughter of Kingi Tuheitia, and also Āmaia, the daughter of Tipa, the daughter of Lady Raihā and Sir Robert. These connections, lifelong, tribally bound, and personally linked, are the ones that we will treasure for ever. When we see them, we will remember Raihā.

But there are other associations that I want to mention. Raihā and I were part of the national employment network during the 1980s, working on Māori access and Māori business development. We were both engaged in job creation in our respective rohe, and it was through that capacity that I developed a huge admiration for her, which continues to this day. Raihā was very involved in Tainui’s response to the high unemployment at that time, including running a number of programmes within Waikato. The thing that I liked most about her was that she was a true visionary, able to see a pathway forward and then to put in the energy and determination to make it happen. She was hard-working and extremely committed to her people, and would stop at nothing to make the difference.

Finally, I want to extend our love and our support from the Māori Party to the w’anāu, hapū, and iwi whom Lady Raihā leaves behind. She was extremely aware of the enormous sacrifice that her husband, the late Sir Robert, made, in the commitment he made to the people of Tainui, a commitment that essentially he gave his life for. Lady Raihā was determined that her w’anāu would continue to function and, indeed, to succeed in every aspect of their world. She was literally the heartbeat of her family. Today our aroha goes out to her children, particularly to our colleague Nanaia; her mokopuna; the people of Tainui; and also her Ngāpuhi people in Kawakawa.

Today the tears of Ruapehu and Tongariro join with those of Tainui, Ngāti Manu, Ngāti Rangi, and te iwi Māori katoa. We mourn the loss of a rare and distinguished leader within the Kīngitanga, a devoted wife, a proud mother, and an adoring grandmother. Tēnā koutou katoa.

Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) Link to this

On behalf of United Future, I join with others in this House who have paid tribute to the late Lady Raihā Māhuta. I did not have the privilege of knowing her personally, but I do know of her very strong reputation, her considerable achievements, and the widespread regard and affection within which she was held by her family. I know too of the deep sense of loss that they will be feeling at this sad time. My thoughts are with our parliamentary colleague Nanaia, in particular. Our wish is that the family is able to come together to deal with this massive gap in their lives, to pay tribute as appropriate, and to respect a great New Zealand woman.

It is always difficult at times like this to come to grips with the reality of what has happened, but I hope that the regard in which Lady Māhuta was held by many around this country and by this House, as is evident in this Chamber this afternoon, is of some consolation to the family in the difficult days ahead. My thoughts are certainly with them.