Siblings carry coffin in anti-smoking plea

DAVID HALLETT/The Press

COFFIN: Brigham Riwai-Couch, 9, and sister Mei, 7, will tell the Maori Affairs select committee the impact last year's death of their grandfather, Dennis MacDonald, who had smoked since he was 15, had had on them.

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Two young siblings will today carry a coffin made of cigarette packets into a parliamentary inquiry into the impact of tobacco use on Maori.

Nine-year-old Brigham Riwai-Couch and sister Mei, seven, will tell the Maori Affairs select committee the impact last year's death of their grandfather, Dennis MacDonald, who had smoked since he was 15, had had on them.

"My grandpa had a big family and now they are all dead," Mei said.

"He was the last one of all of his 16 brothers and sisters to die, he was 69 years old.

"I hope by talking with you today, more children don't have to lose people they love in coffins like this one."

Brigham will tell of watching his grandfather smoking at breakfast, his cigarette sitting on his lip.

"Even when he talked it wouldn't fall out," he said.

"He might have taken it out to eat or to drink his coffee but I don't really know. It was just always there."

Their aunty, Timaru artist Christeena MacDonald-Paea, used labels from more than 500 cigarette packets to make the life-size coffin.

The committee is sitting in Christchurch today.

- NZPA