Strong Voices

IHC’s Self-Advocacy Advisor David Corner pays tribute to the late Dame Tariana Turia

I was sad to hear about Tariana Turia’s passing over the Christmas holidays. I read somewhere that she suffered a stroke not long before she passed away.

I knew from reading about her that she was part of the Labour Party until the foreshore and seabed debate, when she decided to leave and started Te Pāti Māori as one of its co-leaders.

I first met Tariana at Parliament in 2009, when she was the Minister for Disabilities Issues in the National coalition government. I had been asked by my manager at IHC to give a speech, of which some was to be in te reo. I remember having to break down the Māori words and practise them so I could get everything right on the day. It was a real honour to be asked to represent IHC at Parliament.

I remember Tariana saying she was very proud of the way that I spoke and pronounced te reo. It felt to me so respectful that she praised me for the way I spoke and tried to pronounce te reo correctly.

I personally felt Tariana was a really good Minister for Disabilities as she came from a different background from those of other ministers. She spoke in a quiet voice and was easy to understand. She was approachable and took the time to meet with people and listen and to understand their disability issues.

She was enthusiastic and committed, and had a good understanding of people with intellectual disabilities as she knew Sir Robert Martin and other people with intellectual disabilities in the Whanganui IHC and Whanganui People First New Zealand.

Tariana played a big part in helping Robert Martin on to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016 by using her networks and promoting him. She campaigned for Robert as she knew him personally, and she was incredibly pleased like lots of other people when he was elected.

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Caption: Dame Turiana Turia attending People First’s 10 year Anniversary at Parliament in 2013.