Speech: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Kei te raruraru tonu au i te whakapakehatanga o tënei mea o te haua – ki te reo Pakeha, he dis-ability, he kaha-kore.
Kaore au e pai kia whakakorea tetahi ahuatanga o te tangata.
The concept of disabilities is one I have always had a problem with.
‘Dis’ is commonly applied to words to show an absence of something, a removal, a separation, a disadvantage.
E ai ki te reo tauhou o te rangatahi, ko te ‘dis’ i te tangata, he whakaparahako i a ia, he whakaiti i a ia.
In the lingo of the street, to ‘dis’ someone is to indulge in disrespectful talk.
Otira i a au e korero ana ki te tangata haua, ahakoa na te aitua, no te whänautanga mai ränei tona ahuatanga haua, ka rongo au i te wairua motuhake o te korero.
And yet when I speak with people who, whether by accident or by birth, experience limitations in their movements, their senses or their activities, I have often found myself in awe of the additional powers they bring to our conversation.
Tena, kua rongo au mo tëtahi waiata kaha nei kua waiatatia, e ai ki ta etahi, na Patrick Thompson i waiata mai, koia hoki te Kaiwhakahaere Ratonga Maori o te Hunga Turi i tera wa.
Indeed, I have heard of what some say was the most powerful waiata they have ever heard, that sung by Patrick Thompson, who at that time was the Maori services manager for the Deaf Association.
Ko tana waiata, käore he rangi, käore he reo, engari ara ano te höhonutanga o te korero.
It was a waiata in which no sound was transmitted, but the meaning was profound.
He wa whakahirahira tënei e matapakihia ai te pire nei - the Disabilities (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Bill – kaati me mihi atu au ki te türanga motuhake o Te Reo Waitohu o Aotearoa, raua ko te Reo Maori, hei reo e whakapumautia i roto i nga ture o Aotearoa.
It is a particularly powerful week to be considering the Disabilities (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill) as I recognise the unique status of the New Zealand Sign Language and te reo Maori as the two official languages of New Zealand.
Ko te reo Mori te kkahu o te whakaaro,
te huarahi i te ao tkroa.
Penei i te reo rangatira e whakaputa ana i o tatou ake whakaaro hohonu rawa atu, ma to rätou reo waitohu ka kitea ai nga taonga korero a te Iwi Turi.
Just as te reo rangatira enables our most vivid thinking to be understood, the use of sign language also enables the rich artistic expression of the stories and traditions of the Deaf Culture.
Kei roto i o rätou tikanga, ka kite tatou i te hiahia manawawera o te iwi turi Maori, kia taea e ratou te ao Maori me töna reo motuhake. Me whai waahi nga tangata turi Maori i roto i nga hui, i nga marae, i nga tangihanga, kia whai wähi ai ki te reo me nga tikanga tuku iho, tae atu ki te whakapapa.
Within that culture, we recognise the passionate desire of the Mâori deaf community to access te reo Mâori and te ao Mâori. Mori Deaf who deserve to be full participants in hui, marae events, and tangi, and therefore to increase their access to Mori language and culture, including whakapapa.
No rätou ano tera tikanga, to rätou mana motuhake, to rätou mana tangata e örite ana ki nga mana o nga iwi katoa o te ao. Ko te herenga o nga tikanga o te hunga haua ki nga tikanga o nga iwi taketake, he take korero ka whakatakotohia ki tenei marae korero!
This is their right, their right to be self-determining, their right to enjoy the full and equal entitlement of all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The intersection between the rights of people with disabilities, and the rights of indigenous peoples, is an association that we are pleased to bring to this House.
Ko te pätai nui ko tënei: He aha te käwanatanga e nekeneke ai kia kaua e whakahäweatia tëtahi momo tangata, kia manaakitia rätou, kia whakawhanaungatia rätou ko nga iwi o Aotearoa, i a taua wa ano, ka kaha whakahë kia përätia ano mo tëtahi atu momo tangata?
The irony that the Maori Party demands be part of this debate, is to ask the question – how can Government move to support rights to address discrimination and social inclusion for one group of New Zealanders, while at the same time vehemently oppose them for another group?
Ko te tikanga o te pire nei, he whakatika i nga pöhëhë me te kii ko a tätou äwangawanga mo te hunga haua he rite ki te kahakore o te tinana haua tonu.
This Bill before us now, seeks to demonstrate that the accumulated myths and fears about disabilities are as much a handicap as may be any physical limitations that flow from actual impairment.
No reira ka whakarerekë tënei pire i ëtahi atu ture, pera i te ture e mea ana, me kaua te tangata wairangi e tu hei mema komiti, hei kaitiaki ränei.
And so, the Bill has the effect of amending various statutes, such as removing the automatic disqualification of persons with a mental health disability from certain public or fiduciary offices.
Na konei ka takataka mai ëtahi whakarerekëtanga ture, kia hängai tonu tënei motu ki te Kawenata a te Whakakotahitanga o nga Whenua o te Ao mo nga Tikanga Tangata Haua.
The Bill sets in train a chain of amendments which will make our nation consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Ko ta mätou o te Ropu Maori e pïrangi nei, kia whakatika te käwanatanga i ona ake mate hinengaro, e kore ai ia e manaaki i nga tikanga o nga Iwi Taketake.
What we are seeking as the Maori Party, is that the Government seeks to address its own mental health limitations in recognising the rights of indigenous peoples.
E whakahau ana mätou, kia whakamutua aana whakaaro koaro, kia whakawängia nga whakaaro painga kanohi, i waiho ai ko Aotearoa tëtahi o nga whenua e wha anake i huri tuara ki te Whakaputanga o nga tikanga o nga iwi taketake o te ao.
We seek to urge this Government to overcome its prejudices, to face the racist attitudes that have resulted in New Zealand being one of only four countries to oppose the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Kua tae ki te wa, kia kaha tatou, kia mutu te mataku, kia äwhinatia nga iwi taketake ki te whai wähi i waenganui i nga iwi katoa, kia pakari. Ko tënei te wa ki te ata whakaaro ake mo ënei take, ki te titiro whakamua, ki te whakawätea mai I nga taiapa, kia korero tahi me te iwi taketake.
Now is the time to dig deep, to confront those fears, and to enable the full participation and engagement of indigenous peoples in society to progress unhindered.
Now is the time, because in the least few months a majority of the Canadian House of Commons have adopted a motion in support of the Declaration.
Koia nei te wa, na te mea, i nga märama tata nei, kua tautoko te nuinga o te Paremata o Kanata i tëtahi mötini tautoko i taua Whakaputanga nei.
Ko te wa tënei hei whai atu i te käwanatanga o Ahitereiria, kua tahuri nei ki te whiriwhiri korero, kia takahurihia te whakatau whakahë i te Whakaputanga o nga Tikanga o nga Iwi Taketake.
Now is the time to follow the leadership of the Australian Government in announcing that they are consulting with stakeholders about reversing their opposition to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Ki te kore tatou e mataara, ka whakarerea ko tatou anake i te ao ko to tatou käwanatanga Reipa, e pupuri ana i nga ringaringa o Amerika, e whakahë tonu ana i nga mana tangata o nga iwi taketake, e kore nei tatou e tu ki te whakapai ake i te noho a nga iwi taketake o te ao.
If we don’t watch out, this Labour led minority Government will be the only country left in the world, holding hands with the United States, in rejecting the opportunity to respect the human rights of tangata whenua and to make a stand to improve the lives of indigenous peoples right throughout the international community.
Ka kite mätou, i roto i a mätou whiringa korero me nga iwi taketake haua, ko te pire nei, he taumata tiketike mo nga iwi haua.
We understand, from our consultations with indigenous peoples with disabilities, that this Bill today, is being thought of a significant benchmark to meet the needs of disabled peoples.
E möhio ana mätou ki nga korero mutunga kore a ëtahi, mo nga tikanga motuhake o te hunga haua, ara, nga arapiki ki nga whare nunui o te marea.
We know the perpetual myths that some in society see associated the signs of what they call special privileges for the disabled – the ramps and elevators of public buildings.
He rite tonu ki nga korero, no mai ra ano mo te iwi Maori – nga korero e rangona ana i roto i tënei whare - mo nga tikanga motuhake, e ai ki nga whakapae, hei whakarangatira i a matou.
It is a similar argument that Maori have always experienced – the so-called race-based special privileges that are so frequently chucked around this House.
Kaore he tangata kapo atu i te tangata käore e hiahia ana kia kite.
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
Ko ta te pire nei, he huri ano ki nga tauira, kia hanga tatou i tetahi kaupapa äwhina i te hunga haua, kia örite o rätou tikanga ki nga tikanga o te katoa.
What this Bill does is to build on best knowledge about what is required to actually enable disabled peoples to enjoy human rights on an equal basis with others.
He tohutohu tonu kei te haere, kia whakakore i nga taiapa e aukati ana i te hunga haua, kia whakawäteatia rätou.
Tera ko te whakatauäkï e tika ana, ‘Taihoa e, tangohia te koi i te kanohi o to teina, kia tangohia ra ano te poro i tou ake kanohi.”
It delivers guidance about how to remove barriers which may serve to deny disabled peoples the opportunity to take up their full human rights.
It may be a case of not so much focusing on the splinter in your brother’s eye, but pulling out the log from your own.
E mohio ana tatou, ko nga hua ki te hunga haua i Aotearoa nei, he iti iho i to te hunga kaha: nga turanga mahi, te utu mahi, nga tohu mätauranga, te hau ora o te tangata.
What we know in terms of outcomes for disabled peoples in Aotearoa, is that they typically experience lower employment rates, lower incomes, lower education attainment, inadequate health than non-disabled peoples.
Ka whakakaha ake te whakataunga nei i te Rautaki Haua, kia ora ake ai te hunga haua.
This Convention will serve to strengthen the New Zealand Disability Strategy to help to make a real difference in the lives of disabled peoples.
Ko te tümanako, ma te whakaaetanga ki tënei kawenata, e waia ai te hunga kaha ki te hïkoi i te taha tonu o te hunga haua.
We hope that the greatest thing that could come from signing up to this Convention, is the willingness for non-disabled persons to walk in the shoes of the disabled.
He manaaki i nga wawata o te hunga haua, ehara i te whai i nga taumata i tohua mo rätou e nga kaimahi käwanatanga.
It’s about respecting the outcomes that individuals and whanau are seeking, rather than bureaucrats prescribing outputs that they consider in their best interests.
He whakangäwari i nga ratonga mo te whänau, kia ruarua noa iho nga kaimahi e torotoro ana ki a ratou.
It’s about ensuring service delivery is whanau friendly; minimising the number of agencies traipsing through their lives.
Kei whakamauru atu te hunga haua ki nga tohunga, kia riro ma te whänau ano e tutuki.
It’s about reducing the reliance on formal and specialist support structures by instead building up the strength of whanau capability.
Kia matau ake, kia whai tikanga te whänau kia taea te hiki i nga taumahatanga o te wa, koia nei tana mahi.
It’s about whanau having knowledge and strategies that will give them greater resilience during cycles of stress.
Kia piri nga whänau ki nga ratonga, kia piri nga ratonga ki te käwanatanga, i runga i te whakapono me te aroha.
It is about building relationships of trust between both services and whanau; and between services and the State.
Heoi ano, ka waiho ki mua i te whare tënei korero whakahihiko i te ngäkau, mai i a CCS Disability Action.
Finally, I want to leave with the House the inspiration I have found in the words of CCS Disability Action, including all people.
Ko to rätou kupu whakakaupapa, Te Hunga Haua Mauri Mo Nga Tangata Katoa, he korero mana.
Their foundation statement, Te Hunga Haua Mauri Mo Nga Tangata Katoa, forms the basis of their identity.
He korero whakamahara i a tatou, he mauri to tena, to tena, he örite katoa.
This statement is a powerful reminder that all people have mauri, life force, and that all life force is equal.
Ko ta rätou hiahia e whakapumautia i roto i aua kupu korero, kia noho kotahi nga iwi maha, nga tangata rerekë katoa o Aotearoa.
The vision that CCS Disability Action believes is encompassed in their foundation statement, is to build a truly inclusive New Zealand; a country that embraces diversity.
Kua taea tëtahi taumata teitei mo tënei motu, ki te tautokona tëtahi ture whakapumau i te Kawenata a te Kotahitanga o nga Whenua o te Ao mo nga Tangata Haua, otirä, he ture ano hei whakapumau i te Whakaputanga o nga Tikanga o nga Iwi Taketake o te Ao.
It would be a moment of great significance in our history, if we could move to not only support legislation to enact the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; but if we could also support legislation to enact the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
He tohu tera, tüturu he örite katoa nga mauri!
Such an act would be a powerful sign that all life force is indeed equal.
Tena koe, tena tatou katoa.