Te Ururoa Flavell:Olympics tiring, even from couch

Well, we have come to the end of 2012's biggest sporting competition - the London Olympics - and I seem to have survived the days of tiredness and fatigue brought on by staying up to watch the Games on TV.

It was awesome to see our athletes give it everything - in cycling, running, swimming water sports and so on. Everyone in the Waiariki electorate is proud to call Lisa Carrington and Sarah Walker our own home-grown girls - the whakapapa to Whakatane, Ohope and Kawerau. Such great role models for our kids.

Not to mention all those who participated in the Olympic arena including Te Arawa footballer Kristy Hill; Tuhoe/Ngati Awa swimmer Carl O'Donnell; cross-country runner Karen Hanlen of Ngati Awa - I tell you, Waiariki did us proud.

One cannot deny how great a year it has been for sports. The Waikato BOP Magic girls secured the big victory, winning the ANZ Netball Championship and the mighty Waikato Chiefs were victors of the Super 15.

Now that we've reached such important accomplishments, the job is maintaining the standard in the coming years. But we can leave that for now and celebrate our achievements in this moment.

On to other news; there are two debates going on in Parliament at the moment. One of them is about gay marriage. At present, we have the civil union and some are asking what is wrong with this legislation. According to Labour's Louisa Wall, a civil union is not recognised in the same way as a marriage outside New Zealand. Civil union partners also do not have the right to adopt. More than anything else, it is a choice that some New Zealanders are prevented from being able to take up. If anyone would like a copy of Louisa's bill, please contact my office.

The second debate raging in Parliament is about alcohol and its sale and purchase, price, and so on. The moment issues around smoking, alcohol, and gambling arise, MPs tend to become a little wary. I, however, have witnessed far too much devastation, especially among our own, to just sit and sulk and let huge issues like this wash over. It's all or nothing for the Maori Party when it comes to such issues, which is why we're leading in the way of alcohol, tobacco, and gambling reforms. I am not afraid of these big corporates.

I welcome your feedback. You can contact me by email at: mpwaiariki@parliament.govt.nz Post: PO Box 12028, Rotorua 3045, or phone: (07) 3503261.

Tena ano tatou katoa. Heoi ano kua mutu inaianei ko te whakataetae hakinakina 2012 ki Ranana, kua puta au i te hiamoe me te ngenge na te matakitaki ki nga haora o te ruru! Ka rawe hoki ko te arongatahi o tena, o tena, ki tona ake mahi, eke paihikara mai, oma mai, kaukau mai, hoe waka mai. Me noho harikoa tatou o te Waiariki ki nga wahine nei, ki a Lisa Carrington raua ko Sarah Walker. I puta tetahi i Whakatane, i Ohope, a, ko tetahi no Kawerau, no reira, he tauira raua ki a tatou taiohi.

Engari, kia kaua tatou e wareware ki te mihi atu ki te hunga whanui i tae atu ki nga taumahekeheke, ko te kai whanapoikiri no Te Arawa a Kristy Hill tera, ko te kai kauhoe no Tuhoe raua ko Ngati Awa a Carl O'Donnell tera, ko te kai omaroa no Ngati Awa a Karen Hanlen tera - kei runga noa atu te Waiariki!

Katahi nei te tau ko tenei mo te hakinakina. I eke panuku nga wahine nei o te Waikato BOP Magic i te whakataetae ANZ Championship, i eke tangaroa ko nga Chiefs hei toa mo te Super 15!

Na, kua eke ra ki tenei taumata, engari ko te mahi nui ko te noho ki taua taumata a te tau hou, a nga tau! Heoi ano waiho tera mo tenei wa, ko te mea nui ko te whakanui i nga mea kua whiwhi i a tatou i tenei wa.

Kati, e rua nga kaupapa nui e wanangatia ana i tenei wa i te whare Paremata. Ko tetahi ko tera e pa ana ki te "marena" a te tane ki te tane, wahine ki te wahine. Kei a tatou i tenei wa ko te "Civil Union", a ko etahi kei te ki, he aha te he o te noho tahi a taua hunga. Ko ta te MP nei, ta Louisa Wall e whakaaetia ana etahi mea i raro i te marena, kua whakahengia i raro i te Civil Union. Kei te ahua tika tera. Kaore te whangai pepi (pakeha nei) e whakaaetia i raro i te Civil Union, kaore hoki e tautokona tenei momo herenga ki whenua ke. Engari, ko te mea nui ko te ahua nei, kua aukatihia tenei ara ki te tangata. Heoi ano mena e hiahia ana etahi i tetahi kape o te Pire nei, me whakapa mai ki taku tari.

Ko te take tuarua, ko tera e pa ana ki te waipiro, ki tona hoko, ko nga haora kati o nga papara kauta, ki tona utu, te mea, te mea. Kua kitea nei e au, ka timata ana nga korero mo nga mea penei i te kaihikareti, te waipiro, te mahi petipeti, kua noho whakakeke, noho mataku nga Mema Paremata. Ehara noku te mahi noho wahangu ki enei momo take. I te kitenga o te iwi Maori, kei raro e putu ana i roto i nga ahuatanga kai hikareti, inu waipiro, mahi petipeti hoki, koina te take kei te kaha te Paati Maori ki te whakatika i nga ture e pa ana ki aua mahi. Kaore au mo te huna i te mataku ki nga kamupene nui.

Tena ano tatou katoa.