Waitangi a celebration of our country and a shared identity

In my first speech in Parliament, I talked about the fact we are all Kiwis, and how that shared identity is a great starting point for some of the conversations we hear about in the news.

I’m writing this in Waitangi where I’ve travelled to spend Waitangi Day with Kiwis from a wonderfully diverse array of backgrounds. I’m in Waitangi because this is the birthplace of our shared journey. I’m here because I think this is as important for Kiwis as going to Anzac Cove in Gallipoli. Most fundamentally, I’m at Waitangi because I want to be part of the conversation. It might feel difficult or uncomfortable, but I believe we should never be afraid of having genuine conversations about our shared journey as Kiwis.

Someone asked me recently why I’m going to Waitangi when “it might be a bit messy”. My answer was simple: I’d rather have a messy conversation than not have one at all. But my experience is that the conversation hasn’t been messy. Away from the spotlight, it’s been warm, genuine and engaging. Often the news cherrypicks the controversial bits, but Waitangi every year is a celebration of our country, a day when almost everyone is smiling almost all the time. In my role as MP I’ve seen the unity, the working together, the great advancements that have been made by iwi who have settled their claims. Ngāi Tahu is a great example: a $170 million settlement by National in the 1990s is now worth about $2 billion with annual dividends to everyone from that iwi. This is one of the reasons National has always progressed Treaty claims with priority: 27 in the last National Government compared with a miserable four under the last Labour one.

Over the weekend I visited Rangihoua (Marsden Cross). This is the site of the first European settlement in New Zealand and the Rev Samuel Marsden’s first sermon, on Christmas Day 1814. It was not only a religious proclamation, but a testament to the power of collaboration. Te Pahi, a Ngā Puhi chief, worked hand in hand with European settlers, demonstrating that a relationship built on mutual respect and cooperation can deliver the best outcomes. In 1814, that meant wheat crops and new technology; in 2024 that means better health, education, and tackling the cost of living. I believe that, like Te Pahi and Marsden, we are always better to work from a place of relationship, that through this we can find a more peaceful and more effective solution.

This week we should all feel immense pride that our country has not gone down the path many others have. We were birthed from a shared vision and we should all keep working towards that. Let us always prioritise relationship and peace , like Te Pahi and Marsden 110 years ago.