Ae Marika! 14 May 2013

Posted on May 14, 2013 by admin in Ae Marika

Last Thursday 12 rangatahi met in Whangarei along with my staff (and with my daughter Ngahuia acting as facilitator), to choose someone to represent Tai Tokerau at the 2013 Youth Parliament.

Most MPs just pick somebody but I wanted to do something with a bit more meaning, so I visited schools, talked to senior Maori students, got them together, tested them and asked them to choose their Youth MP.

They were put through confidence tests, they learnt waiata and haka, they came up with skits about the Treaty and the Foreshore & Seabed, they talked about their views on a range of issues, and after having to listen to me rave on about politics they were also treated to two excellent guest speakers in Huhana Seve and Mike King.

And the rangatahi chosen to represent Tai Tokerau at the 2013 Youth Parliament was … ERU KAPA-KINGI … a Yr 13 student at Huanui College in Whangarei who is also a founding member of RAID, a group of young people tackling suicide head on … and did I mention that he comes from Te Kao …

Aniva-Storm Feau and Peter Taua were also chosen to come to Wellington for work experience, to get a feel for the Youth MP environment, and to provide support for their friend as well.

It was an excellent exercise which I hope to repeat with a full-on leadership wananga for senior Maori students later this year.

Then on Sunday I joined with 80 others in a protest at Ngaruawahia, after 12 of us had paddled downstream from Hamilton in a “Take it to the River” demonstration against government’s sale of Mighty River Power.

And what an awesome paddle it was too. 20 kilometres, and even though it started out a bit chilly it turned into a beautiful day. We got a safety briefing from young Turangawaewae Kerr then after a short karakia we hit the river, and lucky we had a support crew out ahead of us too, to warn all the duck shooters to put their guns away while we came past!

Our action was to remind everyone that the sale of shares in Mighty River Power is not just a political decision; it is a decision that also affects the life of the Waikato river itself. It was also to protest the increase in electricity prices which come as a natural consequence of privatisation.

I am mindful of comments already coming in from people whose power is being disconnected because they can’t pay their power bills – and that’s even before winter sets in. My staff are already working with WINZ to help struggling families deal with this problem which I see getting a lot worse as the winter cold bites. Tips? Short-term: more blankets less TV. Long-term: vote MANA to stop electricity price rises.

AE MARIKA is an article written every week by Hone Harawira, leader of the MANA Movement and Member of Parliament for Te Tai Tokerau. You are welcome to use any of the comments and to ascribe them to Mr Harawira. The full range of Hone’s articles can be found on the MANA website at www.mana.net.nz.