Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: Dame Tariana Turia's legacy celebrated on final day of tangi

Dame Tariana Turia served as a Minister under Labour and National governments, and founded Te Pati Maori, before retiring from politics in 2014. 

She was instrumental in setting up the wellbeing agency Whanau Ora. 

Former Chair, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait says Turia's death leaves a significant gap. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:17):
And Maridom of course, has lost one of its most fierce,
passionate and respected leaders. Dame tary Anaturia passed away on
Friday after suffering a stroke earlier in the week. The
founder and former co leader of Tapati Mari has, in
the words of the Prime Minister, left a significant legacy
for Mari and for New Zealand and Faro Aura Commissioning

(00:37):
Agency Chair Mattapako Rakawa Tate joins me Mettapeca. Good morning
Mari in that good morning morning. How well did you
know her?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Very well over recent years? Of course we've worked our
closely together, but of course because I chaired the Faro
Order Commissioning Agency and she was instrumental in overseeing the
actually giving birth to the Pharo Order to Faro Order,
so obviously worked closely. We're two years.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Obviously she'd been out of the public eye for a
we wire. But how much of a gap will she leave.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
She leaves a significant gap not only for MARII and
not only for our young people, but also for Alta Or.
She was a woman of courage. She was visionary. She
believes that New Zealand could do better, and particularly for Marii,
and she made she gave people hope. She talked about,
particularly to Marii Farmo, that you must be in control

(01:33):
of your own lives. You should determine your own future
and what that would look like. If there are gaps,
then we'll support you to achieve that. But she was
adamant that we must all reach our potential. So I
have the utmost respects for her, and she will be
very much missed.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
Was she naturally brave or was she she in some
way forced to by the circumstances politically at the time.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
Well, that's a very good question. I know that she
understood that that you know, true leadership is not a
popularity contest. But I think there comes a time in
everyone's life, and particularly as members of Farm, where you
have a tuddy on a moment and that came for
her when she saw the seabed and Paul Shaw act
was not going to serve Maldi well, and she took

(02:18):
that obviously crossing the floor. Yes, but that was really significant.
So that was her moment, And you know, sometimes you've
got to do what you have to do. It was
a lonely place for her those years. Afterwards, she stood alone,
fierce opposition. She had to leave the party, of course,
the Labor Party and establish her own and then of

(02:39):
course to be able to bring people on board with
one message, which is I trust our people to have
a better future for themselves. So yes, I believe that.
As I said, there comes a time when you do
have to take a stand, and that was her, That
was her moment.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
How will you remember her?

Speaker 3 (02:56):
I remember her as a steely person. She had resolved,
There was no doubt about that. She wanted fairness and justice.
She used words often that we're confronting to those who
had been in positions of power and had absolutely bloody
wasted it. If you it's got my honest opinion, And
she confronted them. And that's what I liked about her.

(03:18):
She stood tall. She stood tall among men and women.
She was a true rangitata. She was visible and she
gave people hope and they trusted her to be the
voice for them in places where their voice was really heard.
I admired her so much and I personally will miss
her daily.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
Thank you, Metapaka, Thank you so much for your time
this morning. That it's Metapaka Rokawa Tate. She's a fino
Aora Commissioning Agency Chair.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
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