Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono expressed his excitement to kick off the political calendar today at Rātana Pā.
The Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro and members of Parliament will be welcomed onto Rātana Pā as part of the annual birthday celebrations of Tahupotiki Wiremu Rātana, who founded the Rātana faith in 1918.
Tuiono says the Green Party delegation will attend the event with thoughts and admiration for the late former Māori Party leader Dame Tariana Turia.
Turia represented Te Tai Hauāuru from 2002–2004 with the Labour Party and from 2004–2014 with Te Pātī Māori.
He also highlighted the relevance of the current political climate.
“I’ve been thinking about last year and that call for kotahitanga that Kingi Tuheitia called for, and trying to find what our part in that kotahitanga is to make sure that our waka can go forward in a good way and get to a good place,” says Tuiono.
The pōwhiri for the Governor-General will begin at 9 am, with Parliament’s official walk-on scheduled for midday.
