Hon Willie Jackson
Te Minita Whanaketanga Mฤori
Minister for Mฤori Development
E mara a Riki, ko koe tฤrฤ i tu mai i mua ra, hei pou matakana mo mฤtou te hunga noho taone, arฤ ko Tamaki Makaurau. Nฤu ano i mฤtua mai te haumarutanga o ta tฤtou whฤnau, hapori, hapลซ me ngฤ iwi, arฤ ko te mauria mai o ngฤ whare whakamaru mo te iwi whฤnui, ahakoa ko wai, ahakoa no hea. Me te aha ano ahakoa te kaha hoki o to hononga ki to hau kainga, ko te Nota tฤrฤ, ka tu koe tฤnฤ hei mฤngai reo ma te hunga noho taone.
No reira e te rangatira haere atu koe ki te taha o rฤtou ano o ou tลซpuna kua wheturangitia. Na rฤtou i whakatakoto i te ara hei hฤซkoinga ma tฤtou ko ngฤ uri. Inฤianei e te rangatira ko koe tฤrฤ.
Na reira e Riki kua oti ฤu mahi, kua ea. E moe.
Minister for Mฤori Development Willie Jackson acknowledges the passing of Ricky Houghton, a man who worked hard to create better outcomes for Mฤori.
The Ngฤti Kahu, Ngฤti Whฤtua, and Te Paatu descendant was the chief executive of He Korowai Trust in Kaitaia. He spent more than 20 years working for his community, before his move to the north, Ricky worked at Waipareira Trust where he acquired all the skills necessary for his later mahi. Ricky was one of the Urban Mฤori champions of West Auckland, where he was brought up working on the board and at grassroots level and he played an important role in the development of Waipareira.
โRicky was committed to improving the quality of life for Mฤori in West Auckland and in the far North. He was A real man of the people, it is a huge loss for Mฤori,โ Willie Jackson says.
โWith Ricky at the helm the Korowai Trust helped to deliver projects such as; recycled whare providing affordable home ownership for whฤnau, an early childhood centre, emergency accommodation, a social growth and economic innovation hub, as well as a safe home for men as an alternative to prison.
โThe far North have experienced more than its fair share of economic hardships for its people and Ricky always took a common sense approach to issues. He knew that by Mฤori for Mฤori was the best way forward for whฤnau to achieve their aspirations.
โHis experience at the community level enabled him to combine the expertise, resources and abilities of Mฤori organisations, business interests, and Government to collectively improve outcomes.
โRickyโs vision wasnโt just about building a warm dry home to live in either, he sought economic opportunities to unlock whenua Mฤori, because he knew it was about ensuring that the generations to come could remain prosperously on their land.
โThat is the legacy that Ricky leaves behind, a pathway of hope and prosperity for his people. My condolences goes out to his whฤnau and friends at this sad time,โ Willie Jackson said.