Parekura Tureia Horomia (9 November 1950 – 29 April 2013
[) was a New Zealand Labour Party politician who served as ]Minister of Māori Affairs
Minister may refer to:
* Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric
** Minister (Catholic Church)
* Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department)
** Minister without portfolio, a member of governme ...
between 2000 and 2008.
Early life
Horomia was born in Tolaga Bay
Tolaga Bay ( mi, Uawa) is both a bay and small town on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island located 45 kilometres northeast of Gisborne and 30 kilometres south of Tokomaru Bay.
The region around the bay is rugged and remote, and for m ...
of Ngāti Porou
Ngāti Porou is a Māori iwi traditionally located in the East Cape and Gisborne regions of the North Island of New Zealand. Ngāti Porou is affiliated with the 28th Maori Battalion and has the second-largest affiliation of any iwi in New Zeala ...
, Te Aitanga Hauiti, Ngāti Kahungunu
Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions.
The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative ...
and Ngāi Tahu
Ngāi Tahu, or Kāi Tahu, is the principal Māori (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim), Mount Mahanga and Kahurangi Point ...
descent. He had seven brothers and sisters. As a schoolboy he used to walk five kilometres to school and back without shoes.
In his early life, he worked as a manual labour
Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word ''manual ...
er, then as a printer
Printer may refer to:
Technology
* Printer (publishing), a person or a company
* Printer (computing), a hardware device
* Optical printer for motion picture films
People
* Nariman Printer (fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist
* James ...
in the newspaper industry. Later, Horomia became involved in the Department of Labour's East Coast work schemes and was appointed to supervisory positions—rising to general manager of the Community Employment Group by 1992. At the same time, he began to take on a number of prominent positions with Māori community organisations. In 1990, Horomia was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.
Member of Parliament
In the 1999 election, Horomia stood as the Labour Party candidate for the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is a New Zealand parliamentary Māori electorate. It was formed for the and held by Parekura Horomia of the Labour Party until his death in 2013. A by-election to replace him was held on 29 June 2013 and was won by Labour's Me ...
electorate, a Māori electorate on the east coast of the North Island, stretching from Gisborne to Upper Hutt
Upper Hutt ( mi, Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta) is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand and one of the four cities that constitute the Wellington metropolitan area.
Geography
The Upper Hutt city centre lies approximately 26 km north-e ...
. He defeated Derek Fox, a prominent figure in Māori politics, who was standing as an independent candidate.
In the new Labour government formed after that election, Horomia became a minister outside cabinet, being Associate Minister of Māori Affairs, Associate Minister for Economic Development, Associate Minister of Employment, and Associate Minister of Education. In 2000, Dover Samuels was forced to step down as Minister of Māori Affairs after criminal allegations were made against him, and Horomia was appointed in his place. Although Samuels was cleared, it was decided that Horomia would retain the Māori Affairs portfolio.
Labour was defeated in the 2008 general election, but Horomia retained his seat – increasing his majority to about 1600. This was despite a challenge from well-known broadcaster Derek Fox.
Achievements
Horomia played a significant role in setting up Maori Television and expanding the role of iwi
Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, ...
radio in New Zealand. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark said she had frequently relied on his knowledge of Māoridom and Māoritanga and his input was crucial to the Foreshore and Seabed legislation, which Labour passed in 2004 while he was minister. After the controversial bill became law, Associate Maori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia
Dame Tariana Turia (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Turia gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, and eventually broke with the Labour P ...
resigned from Labour to form the Māori Party
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...
. The law was repealed by the National Government in 2011.
Death
Horomia was overweight for much of his life. He talked about his health battles and tried to lose weight many times. In 2004 he went on a public diet to encourage others to do the same.[Horomia funeral delayed](_blank)
Auckland Now, 30 April 2013 He died at his home on 29 April 2013 at the age of 62.[ As Horomia was an electorate MP, a by-election was held on 29 June 2013 to elect a replacement.
Tributes after his death] came from not only his Labour MP colleagues, but also from the National Government. Labour leader David Shearer cut short a trip to Washington to attend his funeral and said he had "an incredible work ethic, travelling to all parts of the country. He was accepted at pretty much every marae in the country, he was incredibly well-liked, had enormous heart, who worked so hard for his people."
His tangi was held the following week, and the funeral on 4 May.
Sources
Maiden speech 15 February 2000
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Horomia, Parekura
1950 births
2013 deaths
New Zealand Labour Party MPs
Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand
People from the Gisborne District
New Zealand MPs for Māori electorates
Ngāti Kahungunu people
Ngāi Tahu people
Ngāti Porou people
Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti people
Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives
20th-century New Zealand politicians
21st-century New Zealand politicians