Disasters leave us with sense of perspective

Weeks out from the end of 2011, it seems all too cruel that more than 300 families in the Nelson-Tasman area have a precarious few days in the balance, as they assess the impact of slips and flooding upon their homes.

Aotearoa has seen more than its fair share of natural disaster over the course of the year. Freak floods, sand storms, cyclones, tsunami warnings have wreaked havoc over many regions across the nation. But by far the most significant crisis is our midst was the loss of 181 lives in Christchurch at 12.51pm on February 22.

Listening to local school-children describing what they wanted for Christmas ("no more quakes") it reminded me of the need for perspective about our priorities in life.

Over the last week, as our whanau has stood vigil at the hospital bed of one our mokopuna, stricken down with an unusual disease, I have thought many times how I'd do anything, buy anything, ask anything of anyone that could help our boy be restored to full health. Again, it's all about priorities.

Our priority in the political realm has been very basic - making a difference at the kitchen table; creating warm homes; schools our children want to attend; eliminating diseases of poverty.

But it's also about being in control of our destiny; shaping our future. I have to say it felt wonderful last week when Pita and I received our ministerial warrants, along with Hekia Parata (No7 on the Cabinet list and Minister of Education) and Paula Bennett (No 9 and Minister of Social Development) from Governor-General, Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae.

Whether it's in the team that took out the Rugby World Cup, Masterchef Cameron Petley, or the $2.24 billion of benefits to the economy that have flown from the creation of telecommunication company two degrees, there is plenty for tangata whenua to be proud of this Christmas.

But let's get our priorities right - and let's make sure everyone has success in sight; food on the table and the love and support of whanau all around them.

I've been really excited in the series of hui I've just conducted, around Te Tai Hauauru and beyond, to see the reaction participants had to an idea about how we can all make a difference to the lives of our rangatahi.

One of the most positive outcomes out of the Community Max initiative we introduced in the last three years has been to see local marae, runanga, communities taking responsibility and ownership for sustaining work for their young whanau members. They have picked up on the opportunity to look for their own solutions. One of these ideas has been that each of us make a small financial contribution to make work happen. This could be as easy as for those of us who are in paid work, to gift one hour of our pay per week. Together, our combined contribution could be the difference between waiting for work and having a meaningful job; and with work comes increased opportunities, more openings.

If there is one word we have all learnt the meaning of this year, it is resilience - the capacity to endure what may at the time seem impossible. But what we have also seen displayed in huge abundance has been the spirit of creativity and collective ownership, to provide practical help which will improve the situations for all.

But perhaps the greatest thing we have learnt is to get things into perspective; to pull those we love close to us, and to know that the greatest present any of us can ask for is the gift of time we give to one another.

Nga mihi o te Raumati. He wa pai hei tutakitaki whanau.

Nga mihi o te Kirihimete me te tau hou.