Launch of the Families Commission’s Whanau Strategy

My parliamentary colleagues; our kaumatua, Sam Jackson; our MC Bobby Newson and the Members of the Families Commission: Dr Jan Pryor, Bruce Pilbrow, Sandra Alofivae, Gregory Fortuin, Christine Rankin, Kim Workman and David Smyth.

I want to mihi to you all on this occasion where we are so proud to be thinking about whanau.  There are so many people whom I love so much in this room tonight, and it's a real honour to be in front of you all to launch this Families Commission Strategy.

The design that graces the front covers of these two new reports, tells me everything about why I am so proud to be launching these documents today.

The symbol of the manaia is one which denotes the strength of protection, of kaitiakitanga, of care that we want to encourage in every whanau in the land.

Within the mouth of each of the Manaia, the koru represents the symbol of growth, of new life, of change.   The manaia, in facing each other in the tradition of the hongi, share the breath of life.  Tihei Mauriora!

We are in the midst of the journey of transformation that I know will occur with Whanau Ora.

And it is a wonderful thing, to be able to gather together today to celebrate the very concept of whanau.  I want to thank everyone in the Families Commission, for having the vision to put voice to your views around whanau.

I'll let you into the secret to our success in thinking of our commitment to Whanau.

In my office here in Parliament, we have amongst our staff a living testimony to whanau.  

My ministerial secretary, Shelly Vlietstra, is utterly radiant in her pregnancy, reminding us all of the precious new life soon to be born.  She only has two or three weeks before her baby arrives.   Every time I look upon her I think of the wonder and the potential of that child growing within.  

I think about the excitement of the parents, the anticipation of the grandparents, the curiousity of the older brother, the pride of the aunties and uncles.   They are all whanau. 

Each of us springs from whakapapa; brought together as this reports says, into a sense of collective affiliation, obligatory role and responsibilities and in an environment in which the unification of people was of primary importance.

The unravelling lines of descent; the connections across generations, weave individuals of whanau together.  The relationships are dynamic, stretching across the living and those who leave a legacy to guide us forward.

This morning my son shared with me a saying he'd come across that he thought said it all - actually it was from the Ministry of Social Development, ‘your ancestors sit on your shoulders to keep your feet on the ground'.

I want to really commend the Families Commission for the investment that you have made, in keeping your feet on the ground and holding true to the concept of whanau.

I have to say that I like your working definition of whanau ora as being "when whanau are the best that they can be".

Essentially this is an ideal aspiration for us all - to ensure our whanau are resilient; that they provide a site of protection and wellbeing and that they are active participants in shaping New Zealand into a place where they and future generations can reach their full potential.

As a side note, it's good to see that after all the criticism levelled out this week undermining the symbolic value of the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People that some people still believe in the significance of having an aspiration - and I say to you, kia kaha!

The Whanau Strategic Framework sets out these aspirations in four clear messages:

• to ensure that whanau ora is a non-negotiable outcome;
  
• listening to the voices of whanau;
  
• speaking out for vulnerable whanau;
  
• and informing best practice.

I want to particularly acknowledge the bold decision of the Families Commission to ensure that the voices of whanau are heard in decision-making, engagement, policy, research and advocacy.

And I want, today, to acknowledge Dr Jan Pryor for the sea-change that you have created within the Commission, in setting the highest expectations for the ways in which Te Komihana a Whanau can work effectively with Maori.

Jan - you can be proud that you have helped to inspire a vision which I know is now embedded in the hearts and words of a strong and dedicated team.  This is our opportunity to say to you - thank you for caring so much.

We have talked together of your profound commitment to ensure that the expertise and wisdom of people such as Kim Workman were able to permeate right throughout every aspect of the work and the structure of your agency.

And so I commend you for making succession planning a priority within your organisation. 

You have gathered a solid team around you with Maori Commissioners, a Chief Analyst Maori, Kaihono Maori Liaison; the Maori Engagement Advisor and other Maori staff. I would love to name them all - but I'm always worried when I list people that I'll miss someone out!   I have every confidence that they will live up to the challenge of supporting all our whanau to be the best they can be. 

In applying a whanau lens to your own organisation, all of you have demonstrated what your strategic framework articulates so clearly  - to understand and honour Maori concepts, values and beliefs, and to build Maori capacity and capability. 

I want to also acknowledge Keri Lawson-Te Aho for the way in which you have brought together in the Literature Review, so many different descriptions of the way in which we value the role of whanau in our lives.   Tena koe Keri.

You have sent a very clear message that whanau is not the same as family and that we should understand the distinction between the two views rather than attempt to think of them as interchangeable.

I welcome too, the key themes that the Commission has put forward to help strengthen the pathway towards whanau ora, and that is that :

• whanau ora has to be defined by whanau for themselves;

• whanau are capable of developing and leading their own solutions;

• and whanau ora is an integrated approach to whanau wellbeing.

We are on the brink of a very exciting period, as we come together and share our ideas about the potential that whanau ora offers for the transformation of all our whanau.

The reports offer us a rich basis to draw upon in advancing whanau ora. 

The case studies you have set out from Whakatupuranga Waikato-Tainui; from Te Runanga o Ngati Porou; from Ngai Tahu; the models such as te whare tapa wha; te wheke and nga pou mana; and all of the other conceptual frameworks explored in these papers are going to be very useful in our forward planning.

I want to thank the Families Commission and everyone who has had a role in putting this information together.  Many of the ideas shared in these resources go to the heart of what we understand whanau to be.

Of course it wouldn't be a dialogue if we all agreed - and I think everyone here knows my feelings about the construction of a definition of whanau which the report describes as kaupapa whanau. 

I would have to say that I am not particularly comfortable with a view that says "whanau is who whanau says it is".  

It is my absolute belief that whanau are who their whakapapa are - that our identity and our greatest strength comes from the sense of belonging to the generations that stretch beyond us, and in front of us.

And so I will leave that challenge with all of us to ponder.

I have saved my last thanks to all of the whanau who have allowed their voices to resonate through this report. 

We are richer for your insights; our future is more secure because of your strength and your guidance.  Tena tatou katoa.

And finally I want to mihi to nga manu tioriori o Ngati Poneke - our wonderful kapa haka group whom have honoured us tonight