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Pem Bird

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Bird in 2017

Pembroke Peraniko "Pem" Bird MNZM QSM is a New Zealand educator and Māori community leader. From 2010 to 2013, he was President of the Māori Party.[1][2][3]

In the 2008 Queen's Birthday Honours, Bird was awarded the Queen's Service Medal, for services to education.[4] In the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to education and Māori.[5]

In 2017, Bird was ordered to complete a defensive driving course by the Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal, he was fined and disqualified from driving in September 2016 after being caught speeding at 169km/h. As a result, the tribunal stated he was not allowed to drive any student (he is Principal of a Māori Immersion School, Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tawhiuau) until he completed the course. He alleged he was being tailgated but no evidence was provided to support this. He has had over 20 driving offences.[6]

In October 2021, Bird came out publicly against the Pfizer vaccine, saying his community of Murupara won't be getting the jab just yet. Ministry of Health data shows that of the 1400 residents in Murupara, only 32 per cent have had their first dose and just 16 per cent are fully vaccinated.[when?][7]

Bird has been a vocal advocate of his close friend, Dr Bernard Conlin, a local Murupara GP,[8] who has spoken out against the Covid-19 vaccine and is currently awaiting the outcome of a Medical Council hearing, after questioning the rollout of the vaccine to young people and pregnant women at a community meeting.[9]

Murupara is the least vaccinated town in New Zealand.[10]

In 2022, Bird joined the New Zealand Outdoors Party.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Trevett, Claire (3 July 2013). "Murupara's Pem Bird to step down from Maori Party". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  2. ^ Nightingale, Melissa (4 June 2017). "Educator Pem Bird humbled to be considered worthy". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  3. ^ Nightingale, Melissa (13 June 2017). "Queen's Birthday honours recipient Pem Bird apologises for 'foolish' driving at 169km/h". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2008". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Queen's Birthday Honours 2017 - Citations for members of the New Zealand Order of Merit". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. New Zealand Government. 20 June 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Murupara doesn't want Pfizer vaccine, kaumātua says". New Zealand Herald. NZME. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Decorated principal to face education tribunal for speeding fine". Stuff. Stuff. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Bird calls for vaccine choice". Waatea. Waatea. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  9. ^ "DHB concerns about anti-vax pathologist". RNA. RNZ. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Vaccinations by suburb data: Murupara slowest in NZ". RNZ. RNZ. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  11. ^ Harman, Richard (4 April 2022). "After the Parliament protest, the Tauranga by-election". Politik.
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