Te Ururoa Flavell: War, unhealthy homes not child's play

Thousands at Ohinemutu remembered those who fought for us overseas. Photo / Ben Fraser

Greetings again. The nation has just bowed heads again in remembrance of those who have served in wars overseas.

It is particularly poignant as we reflect on 100 years of military service alongside our counterparts from Australia. We mourn those servicemen and women who went overseas to answer the call "for God, for King and for country", most of whom didn't return home.

When I stand under the flagpole of the marae I think about stories I read during my childhood - about cowboys and Indians, the war between the Japanese and the Americans, the battle of Germany against England, and how from a child's perspective these are just stories. I never thought about these being something we would face in our lifetimes. When I became a teenager and an adult, I finally understood that war continues today.

So to those who have lost your lives in battle, may you rest in peace. You will never be forgotten.

Recently I visited Christchurch and met up with whanau Maori to hear first hand issues they are facing. Housing is their biggest concern. I was shocked by what they said and decided to go and see for myself the state of these houses.

What did I see? No doors inside the houses, holes in the floor, rats and birds in the house, four to five people living in a house, no laundry tubs, uneven floors and broken windows. This is not a new issue but when whanau are having to pay high rentals, and the landlords don't take any notice of the tenants' needs this angers me. Landlords are making a lot of money from whanau who are struggling financially. The Maori Party wants to see a "warrant of fitness" scheme apply to all rental properties so landlords know what the minimum standards for rental properties are, and abide by them.

I know that the renting of substandard homes is also an issue here in Waiariki, which is why I want to see a warrant of fitness adopted for all rental properties, so we can eliminate unhealthy and unsafe conditions some people are living in.

I welcome your feedback. Email mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz.

Maori translation

Tena ano tatou katoa.

Katahi ano te motu ka tuohu ra te mahunga mo te hunga i tae atu ki te mura o te ahi. Ko te kotahi rau tau i whakaaro hohonutia e tatou otira e te hunga o te whenua moemoea. Kei te tangihia tonutia ratou i eke atu ra ki whenua ke i raro i te kupu korero, "mo te Atua, mo te Kingi, mo te whenua", engari kaore te nuinga i hoki mai.

I au i tu ana i raro i te pou haki o te marae, i te whakaaro ake au mo nga tuhinga, nga panui i a au e tamariki ana. Ahakoa, he tuhinga mo te Iniana me te kaupoi, mo te pakanga o te Hapanihi ki te Amerikana, Tiamana ki te Haki o Ingarangi, e ai ki ta te tirohanga tamariki he purakau noa ake. Ia ra, koia na te mahi, he panui i nga tuhinga, me te kore whakaaro ake koia na te ahuatanga o te ao. A, ka eke ki te taiohi, ki te pakeke, katahi ka marama, he pakanga ano hoki i tu i te ao.

Ki a koutou i te po, e moe, whakaoti atu ra. E tika ana te korero, "e kore koutou e warewaretia".

Nonatatanei au tae atu ai ki Otautahi ki te korero ki etahi, ki nga whanau Maori kia rongo tonu nga taringa mo nga take e whakaaronuitia ana e tena e tena. Kotahi tonu te take nui, ko nga whare. Na taku ohorere i nga korero i puta te whakaaro kia tae atu au ki etahi kainga kia tino kite i te ahua o nga whare.

He aha taku i kite nei? Kaore he whare kuaha o roto, he puare i te papa, he kiore he manu i nga whare, e wha e rima pea te hunga e noho i te whare, he kore tapu he horoi i nga kakahu, he pikinga he hekenga i nga ruma, he wini pakaru. Ehara pea enei ahuatanga i te ahuatanga hou engari, ina ke te nui o te utu mo te whare, a kaore nga tangata no ratou te whare e paku aro atu nei ki nga hiahia, ki nga aue o te hunga reti koia na te mea i whakatu i nga pihi. E ngotengote ana nga tangata nei i te putea nui no te hunga kore whai rawa! Ka whai atu te Paati Maori i te whakaaro ki te whakarite i tetahi rarangi korero a tiwhikete nei mo te hunga reeti whare e whakamarama i te taumata e tika ana mo nga whare reeti.

Kei te mohio tonu au, kei Waiariki tonu enei momo ahuatanga, koia nei te take ka whai atu au i te kaupapa o te tiwhikete nei, ma reira, ka mutu te noho a etahi i nga whare karukaru na.

Te Ururoa Flavell is the Waiariki MP and the co-leader of the Maori Party.