Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green): Thank you, Mr Speaker. It’s a privilege to rise on behalf of the Greens to congratulate Aotearoa’s athletes who participated in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. I reiterate the very wholesome list of athletes presented by the previous speakers and just acknowledge their amazing work. As the previous speakers, I want to also acknowledge the athletes’ family members and the support staff who were there for them and who are a core part of the team. It’s been heartening to hear that athlete wellbeing was such a big focus for the New Zealand team in Birmingham, and I hope that this emphasis continues in future games and in other spaces.
It was also great to note the wide range of diversity represented in the games: 54 percent, or 125, of our athletes were women, which is the highest representation in New Zealand Commonwealth or Olympic history. The team members came from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, including athletes from Samoa, Tonga, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Philippines, China, and Australia, and people from African heritage as well. There were 46 Māori athletes selected too. I also want to note that compared to the Olympics, the Commonwealth Games are the only multisport event of their kind with an integrated parasport programme. I do hope that the Olympics and other multisport events move towards this approach in the future.
I also want to reflect on the shared history of colonisation and dispossession of indigenous peoples that we have with so many other nations participating in the games. It was called the British Empire Games until the 1950s, after all. But as we move forward I also think we can find solidarity with each other and the work that is happening across so many nations who are fighting for justice and healing from the harms of this shared history. I want to shout out to the activists, the athletes, and the indigenous groups who have long demonstrated during the games and aptly called them the “Stolenwealth Games”. I want to recognise that today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.
Another aspect that I want to reflect on as part of this motion is how we can best ensure that the public has access to the broadcasts of the games in a way that is ethical and does not contribute to harm. I was somewhat disappointed to hear the Minister of Finance say on Morning Report this morning that he wanted to maintain the ability for broadcast sport—
SPEAKER: Order! The member will come back to the motion, please.
RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH: Well, I do think that for the wellbeing of our athletes and the sporting—
SPEAKER: Order! The member will come back to the motion. There’s another matter which is before the House at some stage in the future—it’s not now.
RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH: Ngā mihi. Well, I will end then, just putting a hearty congratulations to all the athletes, and that we can all work together towards a better, fairer Aotearoa. Thank you.
