RIP Richard Orzecki

The Maori Party have announced:

The Māori Party is in mourning today for the loss of a loved friend, champion and trail-blazer, Richard Orzecki.

“Richard was one of our foot-soldiers from our earliest days,” says Māori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell.

“His commitment to the cause could not be faulted; he inspired everyone in his wake through his enthusiasm and his motivational leadership.”

Mr Orzecki took on the mantle of electorate chair for Te Tai Hauāuru and immediately set out to help set the strategic direction for the Māori Party.

“Nothing was too big a job for Richard. We saw that same application to the task when he became a member of Ngā Pū Waea, the Māori Broadband Working Group” says Mr Flavell.

“Richard fully understood the power of connection for whānau and worked assiduously to link up whānau with their marae through technology. He was a staunch advocate for investing in the right communications infrastructure for marae to consolidate their role as the virtual centres of their community.

Mr Orzecki served on two District Health Boards; was a member of the New Zealand Māori Council, and had previously been chair of his iwi, Te Rūnanga o Raukawa.

Māori Party Co-leader Marama Fox says, “While he was proud of his Polish whakapapa through his father, his passion knew no end for the advancement of Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Wehiwehi”.

I knew Richard through his work in the Internet space. He was a member of InternetNZ and was seen as a real leader in the Internet world. He was a strong and effective advocate and was responsible for many initiatives. On a personal note, he was one of life’s really nice people, and his death will leave all those who knew him very sad.