Who defines Major Events?

Tena koe Mr Speaker

Tena tatou katoa, e hoa ma, i tenei ahiahi.

For most tangata whenua across Aotearoa, this week will not be remembered for the time that the Major Events Management Bill passed its third reading in the House.

This week will long be remembered as the day, and indeed the week that Tainui marked the first year of the reign of Kingi Tuheitia.

But as the nation has observed this historic moment in Te Kingitanga, I feel moved to point out the symbolic relationship that exists between Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, and the debating chamber in Wellington.

For if ever there was a major event in Maoridom, the Koroneihana would fit the Bill.

In the midst of a significant and spectacular sense of occasion, a protest of sorts threatened to disrupt all the proceedings. You’ll note that on tv, there was an element of protest, and with elegance, with dignity, with mana, the people of Tainui moved into place, removing the young man who had caused a bit of a problem, and was the focus of that problem, while at the same time Tainui women broke into the waiata, E hara i te mea, no naianei te aroha, no nga tupuna, tuku iho, tuku iho.

It is a humble song, and often heard, but the message is profound. Love is not a new thing, it comes from the ancestors, handed down through the passages of time.

Mr Speaker, I can not help but contrast this reaction to the changes to this Bill as reported back from select committee, which now prohibit and creates an offence of ‘pitch invasion’. What the legislation now sets in place is that any protestors doing so would be liable for a $5000 fine or three months prison.

But then, again the Coronation is not a major event.

The fact that up to 60,000 people, including foreign dignitaries, attended the week-long coronation ceremony was in fact incidental.

The event was so significant that in addition to our own VIPs, the Governor General and Maori leaders from across Aotearoa, it also drew to our shores:

King George Tupou V of Tonga;
Princess Kekaulike Kawananakoa of Hawaii;
Prince Teriihinoiatua Joinville Pomare of Tahiti;
Niue Deputy Premier Fisa Pihigia and
Cook Islands representative Sir Frederick Goodwin.
The final climax involved three waka taua carrying 120 paddlers down to present a spectacular salute on the Waikato River.

But no, Mr Speaker, that’s not major.

I think I make the point, Mr Speaker, that major is clearly in the eye of the beholder.

We have spoken throughout this debate about our wish that the Eyes of the Beholder include Maori eyes.

At the first reading of this Bill, I asked that if the Governor General is to have the final say, then the Minister of Economic Development must consult not only with the Minister of Commerce and the Minister of Sport and Recreation, but also with the Minister of Maori Affairs.

We saw the involvement of the Minister of Maori Affairs in the decision-making process around declaring events to be “major events” to be a key way of protecting and promoting the status of tangata whenua in our land.

We saw it also as being vital to ensure Maori had a say in measures to prohibit exploitation of intellectual property.

Mr Speaker, this Bill sets in place certain protections for events declared to be “major events” in order to obtain maximum benefits from it for New Zealanders.

Are Maori – and the events that we have referred to throughout the debate - not included in the scope of benefits for New Zealanders?

I am referring to major Indigenous sporting events such as the World Waka Ama championships; the major indigenous cultural events such as Matatini; major events of historic standing such as the Koroneihana, and the annual Ratana gatherings; and others.

Mr Speaker, this Bill is also driven by the need to prevent unauthorized commercial exploitation at the expense of either an event organiser or event sponsor.

The Bill provides for agreed upon emblems and words to be declared as such, and given legal protection for a specified period.

The irony of this, of course, is apparent when we consider the skimpy – indeed minimal legal protection that is accorded to Maori cultural and intellectual property.

Indeed, not long ago, 26 June to be a little bit more precise, in reference to an international security firm branding themselves as “the Maori Group”, our Prime Minister told a French press conference that this was merely one of many examples of international businesses exploiting indigenous culture to promote their products and services.

She stated as a matter of fact, and I quote: “There is no international mechanism which could provide redress to Maori."

So the question is, how come legal protection is fought for the World Cup, but not for Maori?

I would like to remind the House, that less than a week ago, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reported that they remain concerned that such steps, and I quote:

“tend to diminish the importance and relevance of the Treaty and to create a context unfavourable to the rights of Maori”.

So on one hand we have a bill to protect big scale organisers and big business sponsors and then in another the exploitation of Maori cultural and intellectual property is discarded as being of hardly any issue at all.

Mr Speaker, such ongoing arrogance on behalf of the Crown would pretty much lead a man to protest.

The right to protest is of course a right which we have strongly upheld throughout the course of this Bill, including our staunch support for Keith Locke’s SOP to delete clause 25a, the invention of a new ‘pitch invasion’ offence.

It is probably not lost to the House that Maori have no problem associated with taking up the democratic right to express their concerns via the means of protest.

At this very time we know that Bruce Ngaromoa and Montana Kelly are taking, along with a Vietnamese man, action on the roof of Sydney’s Villawood detention centre, to argue for improved health at the centre, and the right to allow family visits.

And of course the nation as a whole took up the power of protest just two weeks ago, at 12.12pm on the 8th August, a time chosen to remember the twelve children a year who die from child abuse in New Zealand.

At the same time as the silent vigil took place, another protest action was inspired by AWA – Allies of Whanau of Aotearoa. Their action was to fight for whanau to have our own dreams and solutions – calling for an acknowledgement that Maori have the answers.

Their protest was called, Make Some Noise – telling the world to love their whanau by honking the horn, ending the silence and standing up to protect our tamariki.

It was in light of this history and current strength to preserve the freedom of expression that we have been moved to oppose the Bill at both second reading and committee stages. We saw the new offence of pitch invasion, the threat of a term of imprisonment or a fine for going onto the playing surface at a major event as being unnecessary and pretty much completely over the top.

There are already mechanisms within current law to charge pitch invaders with disorderly behaviour, including a fine.

Mr Speaker, the bigger crime for us is the blatant and ongoing reducing of the rights of Maori.

The offence I am referring to is that reported by the UN that Government actions continue to diminish the importance and relevance of the Treaty and to create a context unfavourable to the rights of Maori.

It is the ongoing and persistent poor performance, indeed the failure of the New Zealand Government to honour indigenous peoples that will be noted again on the world stage, when the UN General Assembly consider the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on the 13 September 2007.

So, the Government has an opportunity to do right by Maori in this Bill, by welcoming and inviting Maori involvement in the decisions around what are major events.

Maori participation could be actively protected through measures taken to safeguard Maori cultural and intellectual property in the brands, goods and services being associated with major events.

Mr Speaker, we know that our finest Maori sportspersons will be actively engaged in the netball world championships in November this year, the World Rowing Championship in 2010, the Rugby World Cup the following year, and the Cricket World Cup in 2015.

We honour their right to participate and we celebrate the amazing success of New Zealand sporting talents across the world scene.

So we will not stand in their way, and we will support this Bill at this third and final reading, noting that our concerns have been put to the House.