I am sad to hear of the passing of Te Pāti Māori MP, Takutai Tarsh Kemp.

My first thought is for her, her family and friends, and colleagues.

And the second is remembering her in Parliament -

I recorded a video of her last month, fighting against this government’s pay equity bombshell.

At the time, I watched and admired her efforts, passion, and care.

Little did I know she has been unwell, making her efforts even more touching.

And my third thought is for the racists that taunted her and her colleagues - and still do, today.

For nothing more than their face, their ethnicity, and what they fought for: which is their people, whānau, tamariki that will walk after us as they walk before us now.

No-one deserves that.

One of Ms Kemp’s last posts on social media was this -

Death is the great equaliser, and it is in death that we honour the passion, love and person each manifested in the physical world.

Thank you for your courage. Thank you for all you gave.

Kua haere ia ki tōna moenga roa.