(PENSIVE MUSIC) - Nau mai ano, haere atu ano aku mihi whakawhetai, aku whakamanawa ki a koutou katoa kua tatu mai ki Te Hui. Ko Mihingarangi ahau e kawe ana i te mauri o to tatou wananga i tenei ra. Welcome to The Hui, where we're celebrating our last episode for 2022. Ma wai hei timata ta tatou hui? Ma te manu tioriori, ma Bella Kalolo. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - (PLAYS 'TOI ORANGA') - # I te timatanga # o te ao nei. # Ko Kore-nui, # ko Te Po. # Te Po-nui, # Te Po-uriuri. # Takiri # ko te awatea. # Te ahunga mai # o te mauri. # Me te mana # o nga mea katoa. # Ko te Toi-ariki, # ko te Toi-a-rangi. # Toi-matua, # Toi-tangata. # Ko te Toi-oranga. # Tapu no te po. # Me he kapura # tuku iho. # Tuia ki # te ao. # Tuia ki te rangi. # Ki te ora. # Te Toi-oranga. # Ko te Toi-oranga. # Tapu no te po. # Me he kapura # tuku iho. # Tuia ki te ao. # Tuia ki te rangi. # Ki te ora. # Te Toi-oranga. # (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Tahuti mai ki Te Hui. Now, over the next hour, we're going to be talking with the movers and shakers of te ao Maori and looking back at some of our favourite stories. Matua ra ka korero tahi ki etahi o nga mareikura o te whare paremata. Let's have a korero now with Maori Party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson and ACT's Karen Chhour. Tena koutou katoa. So, we've got two co-leaders here of two parties. Is it time for the ACT Party to have a co-leader? - Yeah, no, that's not something we've actually had a discussion about. When we came in, I was quite happy with the process that our party has, including the membership and the board to make those decisions. And I think they got the right balance with David as the leader and Brooke as the deputy leader. - Ka pai. - Can't see that changing very soon. - Kia ora. Marama, sometimes people perceive, you know, your party being on the complete opposite side of the ACT Party, but are you guys all mates in Parliament? - Well, we have to have working relationships, but it's all about common policy, ground and vision and whakaaro; it's not about whether you're mates or not, because, actually, the Green Party are an independent political party and we don't consider any of the other parties our friends or our enemies. We have got clear, independent political positions, including Te Tiriti for Maori. But yes, in Parliament, we have to make it as less toxic as we can manage as well, you know. So, being a little bit ngawari when we can is also a good thing. - To Northerners as well? - Absolutely. (CHUCKLES) - I know that you say that you are the centre of te ao Maori, but other people consider that you're the centre of politics. And in there` with the election looming, you've got a couple of other parties in there. Is it getting hot in there? - Oh, no, I don't` I don't think it's getting hot. To be honest, I think it's starting to rev up a bit, which is probably typical of 2023 on the horizon. But I think, most importantly, that, you know, we've got to stay focused on what we're there to do. And if we can do it as whanaunga ` recognising that we have whanaunga across multiple parties, but we're still the only party that will take a Tiriti-centric approach in everything that we do. So, yeah, I think... I don't know if it's... Is the word 'hot' or is the word 'titillating'? I don't know. I don't know. (LAUGHTER) - What are some of the highs and lows of this year? It's been a tough year. Karen, for you? - So, high for me is getting my members' bill drawn; having a debate on something that I'm passionate about. - And what is it? Tell us` - Oh, so the members' bill is about a section within the Oranga Tamariki Act where it is based on the treaty principles; holding the executive accountable to them. And sometimes that's a good thing, and then other times, not such a good thing. There's unintended consequences. And I'd like to have a debate around that and removing that because I feel it's causing unnecessary harm to some of our children. - Ka pai. And, Marama, what about for you, you know... this year? - Yeah, well, launching Te Aorerekura, our intergenerational strategy to eliminate family violence, sexual violence, for me, as minister, well, why that's so important is because we are trying to change the entire approach that government takes. And part of that is holding matauranga Maori ` Maori leadership, not just knowledge ` right at the core of everything that we do. There's a lot of work to do to transform how our government works. So, for example, trusting our people to know what is best and to do what is best. We saw some of it through COVID, but it started regressing. The only way to deliver Te Aorerekura is returning that approach ` a high-trust, relationship-based approach for Maori communities leading and having the resource and authority to do the mahi is the only way that we will interrupt the intergenerational nature of violence. So that's been really important for me. - E ai ki te ao Maori, ko nga piki me nga heke ` what do you wanna talk about? What's been good for the Maori Party? - I think what's probably been great is being back in there and being able to, you know` every week is a great week, and every day is a front-row day. And I think to be able to bring issues that are pertinent for us; you know, to be able to highlight the Maori response during the COVID. I mean, that was huge. And 'by Maori, for Maori' approach worked. It lead the way. I think having both our members' bills pulled out ` so to stop seabed mining, for myself, and for Rawiri, to address the racism that we have in the elections process. So, I think, you know, we like to hold the government to account and also our position, and being able to do that from a tangata whenua perspective has been great. Used all our comms and our platforms ` has been really great, so, yeah. - It can be really tough in Parliament ` well, actually, just in public life, when you're a Maori woman. How do you support each other when you get some of that kind of riri and...? - Mm. Well, just now, before the show started, Meka Whaitiri and I were just giving some awhi to Karen for finding whakapapa; and a lot of Maori are on that journey, actually ` a lot of Maori everywhere. And so, being able to remember ` and Deb said it at the start ` our whakapapa connections are stronger than politics. Supporting us in our whakapapa reconnection journeys is something that we can all do, because that house seeks to disconnect us and each other. So going back to whakapapa is one way that we can support each other as wahine Maori. - That's an exciting journey for you, Karen. Do you know much yet? - Not yet, so, I'm looking forward to seeing the end results. I've got someone looking into that for me, so it'll be exciting to find out. - Tena koe. - I think it's important because our whakapapa and our tupuna always know us no matter which way we stand. I do think, though, as Maori, that we have to take a responsibility to stop some of the race-baiting and some of the behaviours that go on in the House ` which we could be doing better ` and we need to do better as an example for our future generations. We need to use our platform to stomp out anti-Maori sentiments. We've seen a lot of that, in the House and out of the House, so, yeah, I think it's exciting to see those that are able to reconnect with their taha Maori. - So, as Maori women, what is one single kaupapa that you could all work together for the betterment of te ao Maori, for wahine, for our tamariki? - Yeah, I think... when we really have to, we can come together and work together for an end goal. And I'd say that the Oranga Tamariki oversight bill is a good example of how the three parties came together because we felt that this was going to wrong our children and this was going to cause a lot of harm to our children. And so we put aside our political differences for the same end goal. And the Oranga Tamariki oversight bill showed we can do that. - Yeah. I really want to acknowledge Jan Logie as our Tiriti spokesperson, also working with` directly with Karen and Debbie in particular, to be really clear that we need this strong, independent oversight for Oranga Tamariki, because that is what all of the reports and the reviews said really clearly. And the most important voice are our victims, survivors ` lived experience. So that's one example. But we also support Debbie's work on mining as well, the seabed mining. - What more would the Maori Party do in terms of Oranga Tamariki? - I mean, I mihi to Karen. She knows we work really well and agreed on a lot of that kaupapa. But I think the thing that we need to do ` and I am gonna harp on about it ` is that, also, we need to have parties` and, sadly, ACT is one that don't want to whakamana Te Tiriti and don't want to whakamana the ability for us as Maori to do for ourselves and our own mana motuhake ` Maori Health Authority as an example. And those are critical aspects to how we address the wider social complex issues that we contend with as whanau. And last week` with the way that we want to be dealing with our rangatahi that are in strife. That's not the way to be dealing with them; boot camps and things. So I think we do, as wahine, we respect each other, but I think as parties, there's some things we could probably never work with, with ACT. And I just wanna put that out there, based on that whakaaro. - Just before we leave, I just want to know, cos when we go home for Christmas, we wanna rep some of the places. So where are you going for Christmas? - Hokianga, for sure. - Where are you going for Christmas? - Probably up Warkworth. - Warkworth. - Patea and Weld Road. - Patea. Tena koutou. - Kia ora. - Kia ora. - Kia mau tonu mai ra. After the break, we look back at some of The Hui's highlights in 2022. Bunnings is a great place for presents. Kids Tool Kit only thirty nine dollars ninety. Poinsettia Plant just nine dollars ninety five. Where you find a competitor's lower price on the same stocked item, we'll beat it by 15 percent. Bunnings Warehouse Lowest prices are just the beginning. - Hoki mai ano. It's been a big year in te ao Maori. Matariki became a public holiday and our culture and reo continues to be revitalised and reclaimed all around the motu. Let's take a look. Kia tahuri ake tatou. - I never would've imagined that I would be able to understand my location in the world by using matauraka Maori and looking up and seeing where the whetu are. I think it's exciting that Aotearoa will be encouraged to look to our skies. They will be exposed to the absolute beauty of the Pacific and of our pristine stars. - TRANSLATOR: - It's defiant of those systems that were built to eradicate us. It is an example of what it means to be wahine toa. - I think us getting our moko kauae is a very important step for showing all the generations that come that we're really proud to be Maori. - I appreciate him still being here. Nah, I love the fact that I can still touch him; I can still kiss him; I can still smell him. Can still hug him and everything, you know. I like to think that somewhere deep inside him, he still recognises who I am. - Ko Taranaki... - Taranaki... - ...te maunga. - ...te maunga. - If we don't talk it, and even if it's just a little bit, ka ngaro ki a matou ` we're gonna lose it. You know, there's always something that jumps up at you and says, 'Do you know about this?' I think, 'Ooh. That's new learning.' - Te hapai... ki nga muri. - Ki muri. Ae. Ka pai. Ka pai. - Hei matapaki i nga aupiki o te ao Maori i tenei tau kua tae mai nei a Oriini Kaipara o Newshub, ratou ko David Stone roia Maori, ko te korokoro tui ko Bella Kalolo. Tena koutou! - Kia ora, Mihi. - Kia ora. - So, I'm just saying, you know, I'm so glad that we had Matariki today, and that it's officially, you know... props to the government for being staunch enough and courageous enough to go through with it, eh? But also... all the credit is due to Rangi Matamua, the professor himself. - Was beautiful kaupapa. - Yeah, it was beautiful. - You've been doing some beautiful kaupapa this year, too, David. Tell us about your kaupapa with the medals. When did it start? Like, when did you first realise that, 'Oh, there's some mahi to be done here.' - I think, well, te tuatahi, e tautoko nga mihi, nga korero a toku tuahine nei i wharikihia e pa ana ki te mahi a Takuta Rangi. Pai. Pai to mahi. It started, what, at least... about three years ago. And it literally started with Dad and I just sitting down having a kai, and next to our dinner table, there's a picture of Grandad's brother. And I just asked him the question ` 'Where's uncle's medals?' Cos we had no family history, no family korero about him, and I just asked the question. And it literally just started from there. - And what have you found so far? - Well, I said to Dad ` because koro, he was part of C Company ` and I said to him, 'He could not have been the only one from C Company 'that never got his medals,' because there was 900. And sure enough, we went through all of C Company, and when we got to the end of the list, we had found 134. And we were gonna have` well, we had presentations at Pakipaki and at C Company House, but I went and saw koro Bom ` Sir Robert 'Bom' Gillies ` with the intention of letting him know what we'd done and inviting him to our presentations. And once I told him, before I even asked him if he could be there, he just turned to me and said, 'I'll be there.' And then he said, 'What about the rest of my mates?' - Yeah. - And so, I said to him, well, kei te pai. You know? And we went through all 3600 files. And at the end of it, we found 550 of our tipuna who never got their medals. - Wow. Is there a particular story that you will never forget? - (CHUCKLES) There's actually heaps, you know? And every single person that comes in, they all have their story. And I've been absolutely privileged just to sit there and to listen to all their stories. And the ones that really get you, as it were, are the ones of the wives who come in. And we've been really blessed to have about seven wives come in claiming their late husbands' medals. And that's always a bit hard, when they say that, you know, 'I tried 20 years ago with my husband to get his medals 'and I can't believe that we're getting them.' Had another who said, you know, 'My husband died over 40 years ago.' You know? - Kua tutuki. - And you think, 'Wow, I'm just privileged to do this mahi for these kuia.' - And we're so lucky that we've got you to do all that mahi. Tena koe. Bella, it's been a year and a half for our Maori musos and our entertainers. Tell us the highs. - Oh... so many highs to talk about, especially with our Ka Hao babies, you know? I've had the privilege of mentoring them over the last four years, three years alongside Rob and Cilla Ruha. And even Teeks ` Teeks has come and helped mentor, too. So having them come along to... an awards show, just to watch one year. The next year, they came and they backed us as we were singing Taria from the Mohau album. And then the next year, the third year, them actually winning three awards. You know? - Amazing. - The ultimate one, eh? - The ultimate, yeah; ultimate Silver Scroll, and also three... Tui. - And you've been involved in a little bit of Disney? - Disney. - Yes. Man, I was so stoked when Rob was like, 'You're singing the opening song for The Lion King.' And I was like, 'Really?' - 'Yes, I am.' - I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' Yeah. So I was privileged to be able to sing that. And then also... alongside all of us, eh, we get to do this for our tamariki and also people like me, who are actually starting in the reo journey, you know? I've had my... my toa... my toa in the reo; you know, Cills and Rob, just going, 'Go, you. Haere tonu, koe' you know? - That's all you need, eh? - Yeah. - Well, it's been a big year also for film, and you've been in one. Tell us, what was it like to be in Muru? So close to home, eh? - Yeah. Yeah. It was... awesome. It was real special for a lot of us Tuhoe; the majority of the cast is actually Tuhoe. It was set in Tuhoe; the narrative was... not directed by, but lead mostly with a lot of Tuhoe descendants and those who were actually there, involved or who were, you know, subjected to that, you know... what the police did that day, how they raided them. And we've lost a few of those people as well. So, to see it just morph into this` you know, into what it is. I mean, our nomination on behalf of New Zealand to the Oscars. And big credit to Tearepa and Reikura Kahi. - Huge! Yeah. - I'm gonna ups my tuakana, because she has lead the way. And I love the fact, ultimately, he reo. He reo Tuhoe. - Dave, what are we looking` what are you looking forward to in 2023? - I'm just looking forward to getting to the end of this year. - Yeah. - Yeah. - What about you, Bella? What are you doing for Christmas? Where are you going? - We're gonna chill out, try to find some, you know, matching pyjamas online, you know? - Yeah. Ka pai. - Maybe wear them for the whole of the holidays. - Send us the link. - And then burn them at the end, cos... - Tena koutou katoa. Piri tonu mai e te iwi. After the break, we'll discuss some of the challenges whanau have faced during 2022. SONG: # I don't wanna run away # But I can't take it # I don't understand # If I'm not made for you # Then why does my heart tell me that I am? # - Tahuti mai ano. Well, 2022 has been another tough year for many whanau across Aotearoa, so let's take a look back at some of the issues we've covered. - Well, back in 2018, we got told that we had to move because the house was going up for sale. So we ended up calling Housing New Zealand. We were told that it was only emergency housing ` that it'd only be three months and that we would be housed. - It breaks my heart, because I can see on their face the sadness because of the living situation that we're in. I feel like a failure to my family. I don't know what else to do. - You're having to worry about where you're gonna stay the next day. And when you've got young children, that's not a good feeling. It's like a mana thing, you know? You feel like you're incapable of being able to provide. The situation that we've been put in is... it doesn't allow for growth; you're stuck in a place of survival. How are we supposed to get better when we're just trying to live day by day? It doesn't make sense. - Do you think Supercity Scaffolding did everything they could to protect you as a worker that day? - No. There could've been more done. I'm gonna be in a wheelchair for a couple of years. - My son needs closure. We need answers. - I'm just wanting someone to take the responsibility for what's happened. - With an election looming, Aotearoa is still grappling with the impact of COVID and a cost of living crisis to boot. Let's have a korero now with Labour's Meka Whaitiri and the National Party's Dr Shane Reti. - Tena korua. Kua roa te wa. - Tena koe. - Ae. Tena koe. - So, as you know, it's tough out there for whanau. The Maori Party wants to remove GST from kai. So, would you, could you, should you remove GST from kai? - No, I think that's complicated. - Is it, though? - I do understand the cost of living` Yeah. If we look back at your own poll, actually, in March, it showed that, for Maori, that was the top of their list of issues actually ` about 72%, as I recall. So it's really tough out there. Food, transport, it's all expensive. - So why not just remove the 15%? - So what the international experience is, is that when you start creating exclusions for a GST protocol, like they have in Australia, it gets complicated, becomes unmanageable. So, fundamentally, unmanageable. There are other levers that can be pulled to attend to cost of living. - Meka, what about you? On a principle, would you support it? Cos if you were to buy $250 worth of groceries, it's nearly 40 bucks. That's money in the pocket. - So, it's complex. It's hard to implement. You're talking about a $5 billion tax cut. So, on the Maori Party stats, it's not just money off food and veges; it's actually money off sugary drinks. And so we've got a big issue around diabetes and overweight-ness, so, look, we're looking at tailored measures. We've announced them. We've appointed a Groceries Commissioner to ensure that our cost of groceries are fair. - What's the National Party solution? How do you put 40 bucks back into the pocket? - Yeah, what we'd fundamentally do, the key lever that we'd pull, is we'd adjust the tax brackets ` put more money back in people's pockets so that they can make choices, so that they can afford` - Whose pockets, though? - It would be everyone's pockets. - Because, if` well... yeah, but it would be, like, two bucks for people who are on a benefit. - No, it will be substantive` particularly for middle New Zealand, who's feeling the squeeze at the moment, that adjustment of the tax brackets will put more money back in their pockets and will make a difference. - You know, if you're on the Prime Minister's wage, you get something like... 54,000 over four years compared to $2 a week for somebody who's on minimum. - And that's why we've focused our measure of packages` focusing on the low and middle income ` so, obviously, the transport changes in terms of free public transport; reducing road user charges, of course; the fuel excise tax reduction, as well as lifting minimum wage. So we wanna help our low-, middle-income earners. And like Dr` or respect to Dr Shane here, their taxes haven't been tested and they haven't been costed, and therefore, their policy can't be trusted. - So, it's a Maori show, so we like to talk about Maori things. So with the election looming next year, you know, let's talk about the Maori Party. They may` Who knows? Someone might have to work with them. Is there a policy you like about them? - Look, I think we've got a lot of common ground that we could find with the Maori Party. But, you know, election is still to happen, and we're not going to declare what might be in and what might not be in. That would seem to be a little bit precipitous. So let's just say we're keeping that open. We enjoy them as colleagues, and certainly, outside of the House, people will see we enjoy their company. We could work with them. We just have to see where we each land at election time. - Anything in there that you like about them? - Ultimately, course we get on with both Rawiri and Deb, and they do a stellar job, but so do 14 of my other Maori` Labour Maori caucus members. And you need critical mass in Parliament to make the difference for Maori. And so, absolutely ` ultimately ` it's going to be up to the voters on election night as to who we work with. But we've got a big work programme, we've got a Maori manifesto, and that's what we're getting on delivering. - What are some of the highs and lows of 2022 for you? - Highs and lows. I think I've been pleased with how the caucus has come together, the way we're operating as a team and the talent that we're seeing in the candidate selection. - Got a new guy in Hamilton. - Yeah, we have. Got creds. - Tama Potaka. - He's done some stuff, and some stuff in the Maori domain as well. He's building houses out at Middlemore, for goodness sake. So not just a good track record on his CV, but actually joining stuff together. - In co-governance. Maybe taboo? - He has, like, 20 years ago, back in his law degree. You and I have all` we've all probably written something, if we go back in our university times that might be different to what we're thinking today. - Ka pai. Meka, what are some of the highs and lows for the government? - Oh, I think getting through COVID; and COVID hasn't completely left us. I mean, we fought really hard not to open borders when many of our Maori communities, particularly Tai Tokerau and Tairawhiti, didn't have their vaccination numbers. So I'm really proud that we kept borders closed while we lifted up vaccination rates. But, of course, that required some enormous resourcing that went in, so I just want to acknowledge and mihi out to our hauora providers up and down that ran weekends, night, in workplaces to try and get our vaccination numbers. So I'm really pleased around that. Low points? You know, we're coming into election. We've still got 12 months to go. We still got so much to do. It's not so much a low point; it's just that we're running out of time to do the big critical issues that our people want us to do, which is create resilience in amongst our whanau when we know we've got this crisis. Housing is still a big one. But, you know, I'm proud of Labour's record to date. - If you get into government, you still gonna repeal the Maori Health Authority? - I will. I will repeal the Maori Health Authority, because while I completely agree on the objectives ` don't disagree; I've published on it ` I don't believe that is the pathway and the mechanism to get there. More specifically, in five years' time` - But you were such a supporter. - In five years' time` I need benefits within year one, not five years' time, which is what the government documents show. - We just talked about the benefits. Meka just talked about the COVID approach and how well` - That can all be done without a Maori Health Authority. And by the way, we're five months in. You seeing any outcomes? You see any benefit to date? I'm surely not. - And I will challenge Dr Reti` - Well, that's a good question. What is the outcomes of the Maori Health Authority five months in? - This year's budget ` $71 million into Maori capacity around priority planning, around workforce development, around... you know, ensuring that we've got matauranga Maori. So, we're building capacity amongst our Maori providers, which we've never done historically. In addition to that, we want them to be able to have a say on who gets a service, which in the past... life, it's dependent on who you knew, where you lived, and we're addressing that. - Ka pai. I've got` because it's a Christmas show, do you have a Christmas wish for someone out there? - Yeah, I do. I'd say to everyone, travel safely, and with my clinical hat on, please, put on sunblock. - And a seatbelt. - Now, Maori don't actually get melanoma and those sorts of things because we're naturally blessed with pigment. Even so, put on a sunblock, put on a hat and drive safely. - Ka pai. And, Meka? - My message is to the whanau out there ` it has been a hard couple of years. It's time now just to be with whanau, to put down tools, you know, and just be in amongst the people that love you and you love them and just spend some really quality time. - Tena korua. Thank you for joining us today. After the break, we're out the gate with three of our new Maori mayors. - Waihape mai ano. Well, this year, The Hui team has travelled far and wide, covering the stories that impact our local communities, from drinking water to driver licensing. Let's take a look at some of the challenges our whanau in the provinces have faced. Matakitaki mai. - You need to boil it at least three times before I drink that water. - E.coli is present in that sample. - From a public health perspective, is that a concern? - It's very serious from a public health perspective. - Young people will be pulled up because they are only on their learner's or they've got no licence at all, because we haven't got the facility here for them to sit that test. How on earth did they think our kids were going to get licences? - I reckon my path would've lead just to heaps of fines, heaps of court dates; probably end up in the cells. But now, I reckon I'm going somewhere with my life. - We do indeed have those foul odours going well beyond the boundary of the plant. - You've been to the toilet and not flushed it and gone back a week later? It's bad, man. - I'm going to be gambling on my children's life due to living amongst this and breathing this in. - I would say it's almost in its last throes of death. - That bad? - That bad. - If we keep exploiting the natural world, the taiao, then the taiao will give up on us. And that's what we're seeing. - Joining me now are three of Aotearoa's brand new Maori mayors ` the mayor of Whanganui-a-Tara, Tory Whanau; the mayor of the Far North, Moko Tepania; and the mayor of Rotorua, Tania Tapsell. Tena koutou! - Tena koe. - Tena koe. Kia ora. - Tania, was it always a destiny, a dream to be the mayor? - (LAUGHS) Yes` it was. It was. And it's quite special, because in my mayor's office on the wall is the Fenton Agreement. Now, that Rotorua township agreement's one of the other treaties that was signed here in New Zealand, one of the few treaties including Te Tiriti o Waitangi, where we established the Rotorua township alongside three of the hapu, which I affiliate to. So, on there's a couple of names from my ancestors, so it's a pleasure. And I think that they'll be proud that, 142 years on, we have our first Maori wahine mayor in Rotorua. - Kaore e kore. How about you, Moko? Was this always the plan? - (LAUGHS) No. No, it wasn't. It was never the plan. It wasn't the plan to run for council three years ago and become a councillor or to be the mayor, but Matariki weekend, my whanau said, you know, 'You're up, mate.' Like, 'You've been chosen to do this, and you have to do it.' And I agreed, you know. If I didn't give it a go, then I wouldn't be able to be hoha with whoever did get in, and look what happened ` actually got in. So I'm really excited for the next three years. - Ka pai. And, Tory, there were three of you, and you came right through the middle and took that. I remember the night... - I did. - ...that you won and you came out, and people were very pleased. - Yes. - Some were a little surprised. What about you? - Yeah. I... I knew I was going to win, because I came in a year prior to the election with that goal of winning. It was something that I really wanted. It was something that I wanted for our city. I just didn't think I would win by that many votes. So it was a really exciting night. I feel very humbled by it, and I'm really excited. - Santa came early. - Yes, he did. Yes, she did. She did. (LAUGHTER) - She did. Yes, she did. You know, now that you're in the seat, Tania, what are some of the issues that you've found, issues that you're gonna have to deal with. - Interestingly, and for perhaps the first time in living memory, our biggest issues do revolve around central government policies. So for our local council, it's addressing emergency housing, housing in general and also community safety. - Yeah. And, Moko, how about you? Up in the Far North, there's so many. - There are so many. But number one, you know, during the campaign ` and just living up there ` is roading. I mean, we've got 20,000 people who live in the Far North who are actually cut off because State Highway 1, Mangamuka, is still closed for the foreseeable future as well. That's affecting lives daily for the people who live back home. Alongside that is Three Waters. We have 16 wastewater treatment plants. Four of them are non-compliant and four of them are discharging into the Hokianga Harbour. So, you know, that's culturally abhorrent for our iwi and hapu back home. Big, big issues that we have to tackle over the next three years. - And you're in the home of central government, so, unlike these other provinces and cities, your issues will be different. What have you found? - Very much water infrastructure and Three Waters. So, I've always been a vocal supporter of Three Waters, and having that direct contact with the minister has been really useful. Housing is still a bit of a crisis in Wellington, so we want to increase supply as much as possible. And of course public transport ` we're probably a bit behind and we're keen to push forward mass rapid transit as soon as possible. - One of the, kind of, trigger words or phrases that have come up is around co-governance. How do you plan to deal with the eight pumanawa o Te Arawa. Are they gonna be at the table? - Yes. But Rotorua, for a long time, has done an excellent job at co-governance and actually looking at those assets that we do share with iwi or are iwi assets ` how do we utilise them to achieve both the council but also iwi's aspirations? It hasn't always been that way in the past. Sometimes it's been horrendous, actually. People have been kicked off their land; a lot of iwi grievances, but I'm very pleased that we're at the stage now where we're not only returning springs and returning land, but actually saying that working together is a must for the future. - But where do they work from? Are they, you know` are you gonna bring them in? Like, do you have a plan for co-governance? - So we are actually quite advanced in Rotorua, which is why when we talk about co-governance, it's something we've been doing for generations. But we do say that` if we look at that from a nation-wide perspective, we need to really protect our mana whenua's voice, our individual iwi and hapu for potentially being amalgamated, when we do talk about Three Waters, where they won't necessarily represent themselves; they will have someone else representing them. So that co-governance, I'm a little bit concerned about. - What makes me hoha in this space, though, right, is that it gets politicised and gets made out to be a black-and-white or a red-and-blue situation, when it, in fact, is not. I mean, co-governance, it's like this word that's been dirtied now, so that anyone who isn't Maori hears that and it makes them shudder. When, if you look at the on-the-ground examples of co-governance, it's happening very successfully. So I'm really nervous for the upcoming central government election. - Yeah, what do you do to change that? - Well, you just gotta continually stand up against the rhetoric that comes across that tries to politicise this and to make it something that will just win votes, and look at on-the-ground examples of where it can be incredibly successful, of where you actually` through legislation, we have to have iwi, hapu or mana whenua voice at the table in terms of what we do at local government. So co-governance is a must. - Has mana whenua been looked after in the past? - Probably not in the past, to be honest. But over the last couple of years, we actually signed an agreement ` Takai Here ` with mana whenua, and that ensures that on top of our Maori ward representative, we have two mana whenua representatives at the council table. And when it comes to our really key projects, there's co-design, co-governance. And Wellington has actually received it pretty well, thank goodness. But I agree it has been used as a really negative rhetoric tool, which is a real shameful thing, when actually, it's a beautiful thing. And I'm looking forward to telling that really positive story that perhaps other regions can use as well. - As young Maori mayors, how can you all work together for the benefit of te ao Maori? - I think, you know, korero kanohi ki te kanohi ` face to face ` you just can't beat it. So, in the middle of trying to find a strong local voice for all of our individual councils, I think actually having those conversations, of which it's been a pleasure to meet these two other young Maori mayors, is going to be really important so that our voice collectively can be strong for the various local communities across Aotearoa. - Is it about relationships? You know, Far North talking to the Wellington mayor? - Oh, absolutely. You know, mai i Te Hiku o te Ika ki tona upoko, it's very important to have those relationships and those conversations. We also have formal ways of doing so. Local government New Zealand has a Te Maruata Whanui network for any Maori who are in council, including the three of us and the other three Maori mayors, so six of us who made it through in these elections. And it's about using those networks to be able to ensure that we're all on the right track and support each other. - What does it say about Aotearoa that, you know, we have three Maori mayors sitting at the table today? - I think this is a sign of the future. And I feel really` you know, when I think about the Wellington voters, I am so proud of them for voting this way. I think it's a really good sign of things to come. And even politically, we might sit on, you know, slightly different areas, but that's OK. We've come together; we can have really great chats. And, oh, look, I think we can say we're mates now. (LAUGHTER) Because this is how the young ones` like, we just care about our people, we care about our land and we just want to find the best solution possible. And we will do that. - More than just ego, eh? And that's what's been wrong with these spaces for so long, is it's about being people, you know, and not about the people. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. - If someone was going on a holiday this Christmas, what's the jewel in the crown of Te Arawa? - Oh, definitely our lakes. You know, we've got 16 to choose from, but my favourite would be Lake Tarawera. - And, quickly. - Oh, Hokianga Harbour. North or south, wherever you want to come, nau mai haere mai. - Te Whanganui-a-Tara? - Zealandia. - Tena koutou katoa. Thank you so much for sharing with us in our finale. - Kia ora. - Kia ora. - Kia mau tonu mai ra. After the break, we have some important news to share about The Hui next year. - Auraki mai ano ki Te Hui. Well, this is not only our final episode for the year; it's also our very last show for The Hui. But don't worry, because the rest of the team will be back next year with more of your stories. So joining me now to have a korero are The Hui reporters, Sarah Hall, Ruwani Perera, John Boynton and D'Angelo Martin and our executive producer, Annabelle Lee-Mather. Tena koutou katoa. - ALL: Tena koe. - Seven years, Auntie Bells. You feeling emotional about leaving? - I'm feeling exhausted. But, no, I do feel a little bit emotional. It's been an incredible seven years, but I am also really excited that there's going to be fresh energy, fresh ideas coming into The Hui next year. Feels like a good time to go. - Sarah, you know, you've got around the motu doing stories about, you know, our pani me te rawakore, our vulnerable. What's it been like out there in 2022? - Well, we're still seeing lots and lots of vulnerable people out there. I mean, that's... that is part of our life, isn't it, here? But I think our audience, who are so amazing, who want to tell their stories, who are so brave that they come on our show, you know, so much respect for them, for the people who will go on our show and tell their stories, because it's` you know, it's incredibly difficult. But thank you to them. And, you know, please keep coming forward, because that's how we change things. - Yeah. I keep saying to Ruwani that she's peaking in her reporting career cos of the fantastic story she's been doing. But it's been tough, eh, Ru? Because we came through COVID and we did... I don't even know how many stories in lockdown. How's it been for you? And how was it for our audience? - I think it was 20-plus shows we managed to do without actually meeting our talent as usual and having a cup of tea with them, and, you know, sharing a kai with them. It was hard, but, you know, we might have lived in these bubbles, but poverty still continued; homelessness still continued. And I guess, you know, when you layer COVID on top of all those existing problems as well, it was` it was tough times that we found, you know? But I'd like to mihi to you, Mihi, and to Annabelle, for this` Bells, you created this beautiful baby and really important stories and the vehicle using, you know, your voices, which is fantastic. So thank you. - Kia ora, RuRu. - Kia ora. Nga mihi nui. - And John joined us a couple of years in. And you've been doing some wonderful stories, John. Tell us about some of the kaupapa that you've been doing that you've really felt like have been worthy of telling. - You know, I think we all tell a lot of stories that can be quite taumaha and pouri. And, you know, recently, I covered the story of Jamaine Wharton, a much-loved father and uncle, nephew, partner who was murdered during a 21st in Waiohau. And his whanau came to us, you know, wanting to give him a voice, but also to talk about the way he died, how he was killed outside of his urupa. And it makes you realise, you know, the platform that we do have and vulnerable whanau do come to us wanting to tell those stories, and they're really difficult to tell. And it's so important that we tell them and, you know, my two tuakana there have laid the foundation to have that kind of platform for these really, really tough stories. - Tena koe, John. Well, kua kotahi tau inaianei kua whiwhi` kua riro i a koe to puhoro. What's it been like in the last year? Has it` you know, been a year since you've had your taonga, your puhoro. - Kia ora, e hoa. Even though ko nga kanohi o te pouaka whakaata enei, there's always so many behind the cameras and all the rest. Have you got a Christmas mihi? - I'd just like to thank everyone who supported us over the last seven years, our studio crew at TV3, who have been very patient with us; people like Mel Jones, who's been our kaitiaki at TV3, and before her, the late Keith Slater. Our lawyer, Willy Akel, who we keep very, very busy. Our editor Debbie Matthews, Kura and Caitlin. - All our camera operators. - All our camera operators, everyone. We're so grateful for everything that they've done. - And we're looking forward to all the beautiful, beautiful, amazing stories that you guys are going to produce next year. - Mm. As this is our kaiwhakataki Mihingarangi and our producer Annabelle's last show for The Hui, me tiro whakamuri tatou inaianei. Let's take a look back at some of the stories they've told over the last seven years. (BROODING MUSIC) - More than 100,000 children were removed from their families and placed in state care facilities between the 1950s and 1980s. - Yeah. That would have to be one of the worst times of my life. - Kohetere. - Yeah. - Worse than jail? - Worse than jail. - Jamie is a 27-year-old mother of one. Since she disappeared in October, her grandparents, Eru and Elaine Kaiwai haven't stopped looking for her. There was no body, no suicide note. Just a whole lot of unanswered questions. - They said that she was seen at the end of the wharf. And that was it. - The police have said the case isn't suspicious, and I guess with her occasional drug use, with the mental health history, what is it about that that you can't accept? - What I can't accept is the lack of investigation surrounding her disappearance. - Can you accept that she may have just disappeared like that? - No. There's gotta be something else alongside this. - Is it a feeling you have? - Yep. Mm. - Yeah, it's a feeling. Yeah. - # E Ihowa... # READS: 'That silly female sang it in Maori to a deathly hush 'from some extremely angry New Zealanders. 'The only sound other than her rather shrill voice was a yell of '"Sing it in English."' - Why do you think you keep them? - Hm. It is a little piece of history; my history. And even though it had been, for a long time, painful to read, I can read it now and not even cry. (LAUGHS) - Finally, after months of abuse, Janae reached her breaking point. Do you remember telling your mum when you'd had enough? - Yeah. Um, it was fight night at training. He was, again, picking on me, bullying me. He was yelling at me in front of the whole class. We were driving home, and then Mum was just like, 'I think you need to go up to him, give him a hug, 'and say how sorry you are and say that you're sorry.' And I looked at her, and then I'm just like, 'Mum, stop the car.' And I know it feels` I know it sounds weird, but I felt something touch me. And, like, I think it was my ancestors, or my tupuna, you know? (SNIFFLES) And I just heard a voice saying, (VOICE BREAKS) 'It's time to let go. It's time to say it.' - 29 and dying of cancer. Rez Delamere is pleading for her husband to be allowed out of prison early. - I need him home. - He has just two weeks left on his sentence. She has just days. Do you want to say anything to those people who have all the power to let him out? - Yep. - What do you want to say to them? - Help us get him out. - Corrections granted the application, and the next day, he was due to arrive at 9am. But Rez died just 6 hours before Gerald could get there. She never got to reunite with him again. - This place has been taken for granted by New Zealand and by our government. People haven't fully understood the significance of it, so we want people to enjoy it, but there's a way in which you can enjoy it by honouring that spiritual and cultural significance. And mana motuhake looks like that for Ngati Kuri; being able to make the decisions that are best for our moana, for our whenua, for our moutere. That's the authority that we have and we should be allowed to exercise that. - Thanks for watching, e hoa ma, and a special thanks to all our manuhiri and everyone who has shared their stories with us this year, GSTV, Te Mangai Paho, New Zealand On Air, TV3. E mihi ana te ngakau ki a koutou katoa. So, for the very last time, kua hikina te hui, noho ora mai. (APPLAUSE) - # He honore nui, # he kororia # ki te Atua. # Maungarongo # ki te # whenua. # He whakaaro pai # ki a tatou # katoa. # Te poho o # toku tikanga. # Poutokomanawa e. # Te whakapono, # te tumanako # me te aroha. # E te iwi e, # whakarongo mai # te reo e tangi nei. # He wawata noa # nei noku. # Huarahi # ki te # toi o te rangi. # Te poho o # toku tikanga. # Poutokomanawa e. # Te whakapono, # te tumanako # me te aroha. # Te poho o # toku tikanga. # Poutokomanawa e. # Te whakapono, # te tumanako # me te aroha. # Me te aroha. # Me te aroha. # He honore nui. # He kororia. # (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) - Ko te reo te take. - Na Te Puna Whakatongarewa Te Hui i tautoko.