Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I rise on behalf of the Green Party to support this motion and the comments of the two speakers beforehand.
I don’t claim to be an expert in sports, to be fair, but what I do know is about the fantastic people and heart-warming stories from the New Zealand Olympics team. So I would like to take a moment to make a few acknowledgements. Starting with Hayden Wilde winning our first Olympic medal and dedicating it to his father, who never got to see him race; the outstanding teamwork and culture of the New Zealand women’s sevens team; Emma Twigg, who finished fourth in London and Rio, winning gold in her first Olympics as an out gay athlete; Lisa Carrington, the “G.O.A.T. in the boat” as another member to the right mentioned.
I also want to pay tribute to the Black Ferns and Portia Woodman for her visible support of the tino rangatiratanga flag and the aroha which she’s shown throughout the leadership as the Black Ferns have played. I think this is notable, as many athletes have—despite the restrictions on political activism at the Olympics—tried their best to raise many issues, whether it’s the toll that high-performance sports takes on their mental health, issues in their home countries—we know that the Olympics are inherently political and so commend the many athletes who have taken many powerful messages to the stage, on top of their amazing performances. This includes trailblazers like Laurel Hubbard, who has shown humility, courage, and paved the way for many people in the Olympic scene. Valerie Adams winning another medal and proudly leading the team as the flag bearer and in the closing ceremony.
I also want to pay tribute to the athletes who will be participating in the Paralympics shortly, an opportunity to see so many wonderful athletes on stage. And I do want to reflect as well on the issue of whether sometime in the future we could see the Paralympics and the Olympics being held jointly, getting equal coverage and support from the international stage.
So I hope, as well, that we continue supporting community sports, who continue to be the lifeline and the growing ground for talent who we end up taking to the world stage. Kia ora.
