The Mana Party is demanding that a petition calling for Te Reo Maori in schools in the early 1970s is finally acted upon.
Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the petition, which was tabled in Parliament on 14 September 1972.
Annette Sykes Photo: MANA PARTY
The Mana candidate for the Waiariki electorate says more than four decades have passed and that dream remains unfulfilled.
Annette Sykes said Mana wants the petitioners' dream to be made reality and the party wants to see Te Reo Maori become a core curriculum subject at all levels of schooling.
Ms Sykes said Te Reo Maori is a taonga, or treasure, that needs to be embraced by all New Zealanders so that it can be a living language in all communities.
She said it is important to honour the members of Nga Tamatoa and Te Reo Maori Society who got the petition up and running - in particular, Hana Jackson and Te Kapunga Dewes who came up with the idea.