Politicians can choose who speaks at po¯ whiri

Organisers in Waitangi want this weekend to be more about unity than division.

After initially urging political parties to stick to whaiko¯ rero during the official parliamentary po¯ whiri today, the National Waitangi Trust has confirmed parties are free to choose who they want to speak.

A National Party spokesperson said its leader, Christopher Luxon would speak. A Labour Party spokesperson said Prime Minister Chris Hipkins would speak if the trust was happy for him to.

Hipkins said he was still trying to learn te reo, so any speech he will deliver won’t be entirely in te reo Ma¯ori.

In previous years, this po¯ whiri has given political leaders an opportunity to speak about policy.

The Waitangi Trust originally asked parties to keep it to whaiko¯rero, which is more formal oratory in te reo Ma¯ori, during po¯whiri today.

Former prime minister Jacinda Ardern was given special speaking rights at Waitangi. She delivered a historic speech during her first po¯ whiri at Waitangi as prime minister, in 2018. Then, she became the first female prime minister to speak during a po¯ whiri at Te Whare Ru¯ nanga.

Although wa¯hine aren’t able to speak from the taumata (paepae) at Te Whare Ru¯ nanga, a workaround was found for Ardern to speak from the mahau (porch) of the wharenui. Her speeches became an annual tradition, so much so that last year, when she was unable to be at Waitangi due to Covid-19, she filmed a speech in the Beehive.

Waitangi Trust chairperson Pita Tipene said each party was free to pick their own spokesperson for the po¯ whiri, but confirmed the special speaking slot which Ardern held would not be brought back this year. He said all leaders were invited to instead speak during a political panel after the po¯ whiri.

Crown-Ma¯ori Relations Minister Kelvin Davis, who is from Nga¯puhi, said yesterday Hipkins wasn’t fussed about speaking at Waitangi.

He said the original plan was for Wha¯nau Ora Minister Peeni Henare, who has experience in whaiko¯rero and is from Nga¯ti Hine and Nga¯puhi, was most likely to lead the manuhiri response for the Government.