Ko Tapuae-o-Uenuku te maunga.
Ko Waiharakehe te moana.
Ko Aotearoa te whenua.
Ko Wellington tōku kāinga.
Ko Matt Frost ahau.
Kia ora, everyone. I’m Matt Frost, and I feel both delighted and privileged to be a member of Hei Whakapiki Mauri Trust. I’m 46, proudly autistic, and have spent the past 20 years working to uphold the rights of disabled people and their whānau.
My connection to the Trust comes through the disability community, where I first met Matua Gary and Whaea Ruth. Whaea Ruth was Tumu Whakarae at CCS Disability Action, and through both of them, I learned a great deal about Te Ao Māori. I consider myself an ally to this kaupapa and feel strongly aligned with the values that guide it.
What drew me to Hei Whakapiki Mauri is its practical mahi with whānau – the kind of grounded, real-world support that reminds us why we do this work in the first place. Sometimes in the disability rights movement, we can drift into mahi that feels far from people’s everyday lives.
This Trust stays close to whānau, and that matters to me. I hope to contribute my interest and skill in policy making, helping ensure our policies are practical guides that support those doing the mahi. I also want to help in hands‑on ways where I can, even though living in Whanganui‑a‑Tara might make that a little tricky at times. I became a Trustee simply because I love the kaupapa and values of the Trust.
A few fun things about me: my favourite kai is a classic roast beef meal. My favourite places in Aotearoa are my family whare in Blenheim and my own whare in Wellington – the places where I feel most myself. Something unique about me is that I’m one of New Zealand’s top cricket scorers, keeping detailed records of every moment in a match, including at an international level. Some games run for five full days, which I think is pretty cool.
Lastly, a quote I carry with me is from Socrates: “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” I like to believe that’s what I do – help people think and find their own answers.