House today and I look forward to progressing this bill further. The
question is that the motion
be agreed to. I call the Hon Alfred
Ngaro. Can I first
of all say and declare
Ngaro. Can I first of all say and
from the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, because the National Party
will be supporting this bill. We see
this as a bill that is
of great importance and also signifies the relationship
that we have. Can I first of all
also acknowledge the Hon PM of the
Cook Islands and also to Her
Excellency too, and thank
you for also
Excellency too, and thank you for being here. Kia
ora.
can I also acknowledge you as a fellow Kiwi, Madam Speaker. Today
is a day that's a proud
day, that we can see a piece of legislation that
benefits not only us here in
New Zealand but also for those of
our descendents back home and our
families back home as well. Both
in the three nations of the
realm. That's Cook Islands, Niue and
Tokelau as well, and the
special relationship has been signified that
the Hon PM is here
today. When he was meant to be up at a cocktail
function at Auckland. I know,
because I received the
invitation! As I saw him today
he aid actually the other ministers can attend
to this, but it's important that he
be here today for this piece of
legislation. So, can I acknowledge
the fact of your presence
being
in 2015, that came PM, along with the Premier of Niue, that when I
was chairing the social services select
committee, we talked about the
portability of the pension back
in 2015. I thank you because you came.
I am sure that would be one
of the few occasions where the head of a
nation, the PM himself, and in this
case the premier and PM came to a
New Zealand select committee to
present a submission. When
you presented the submission, you first
of all acknowledged the fact this
had began. I want to
and you acknowledge the Hon Murray McCully
and you acknowledge the Hon Murray had
McCully because the conversations have been long. It came to a
point where there was a time in which
it was time to actually
act upon this and put this through. You act the
portability of the pension and the
Social Assistance (Residency Qualification) Legislation Bill,
but you also petitioned the aspect of
before us in this bill. It's to remove
before us in this bill. It's to
petition to us, if I can remember clearly, was the fact that in order
to ensure that we address the issues
of de populationrisation, it was
important we have the ability
of our people, who have come here and
worked here, and have
been present in the country, they be able to
come back and contribute both socially,
economically and culturally back to
the nation as well. I want to
acknowledge and honour
you for your passion, for your advocacy at
that time. I believe that's also
led us to where we are here today as
well. In this bill, this bill
to where we are here today as well.
acknowledge the current Government of
acknowledge the current Government In
acknowledge the current Government of the day who have continued
to take that on and as the advocacy
was, let's now remove the five
years. What it intention says
is those three nations of
the realm, those that are of Island, Niue
and Tokelau dissent can return
those that are of Island, Niue and
dissent can return home. They can bring something back to their
local community, and I think
that is important to what we're
hearing in our communities. If I think
back that there were times when we
think
want to acknowledge we have been able to highlight the significant
contribution back in World War I. It
wasn't two or three years ago
we were acknowledging the
centenary celebrations of New
Zealand's 100 years. All the way back
celebrations of New Zealand's 100
actually we realised we had a part to play. Pasifika people were
represented. I want to acknowledge
the 147 Niue
soldiers represented back
the 147 Niue soldiers represented the
the 147 Niue soldiers represented back in World War I, the almost
500 Cook Island
Cook Island soldiers. There were also members from Samoa, from
Tokelau and Tonga. In all, they
say, in World War I there would have been
approximately 1,000 Pacific people
represented. They fought for
their country. Because they believed it
was important to Mick a
contribution
that because part of what we're talking about today is
honouring the contribution of Pasifika people,
that they have made into
New Zealand. It is only fair that
the factors that this bill
is not only dealing with those in regards to
the superannuation, but also
those who have been veterans.
That's why I want to acknowledge the
veteran contribution of those who have
made their contribution many times. In
fact, I see my good
colleague and friend here, the Hon
Peeni Henare. It was only last year where we
had the enactment where the
first contingent came here in 1917. It
was actually in this Chamber where
we had the man who came along. His
father was part of the 45 who
are there. I want to
acknowledge the Hon Peeni Henare. On behalf of
his grandfather, who was there
at the time as the minister, actually had
the me hi towards them. It was
a powerful, emotion, spiritual
moment, because again it
recognised the contribution
contribution that our Pasifika people made. So, I'm
proud here today
people made. So, I'm proud here because
people made. So, I'm proud here today to acknowledge that. The
importance of this, because
what this bill does is that
it acknowledges to say
the contribution not only from the past, but
even in the present, for these who have
contributed 10 years or month can
now return back into the
Pacific nations, into those
realm countries and
nations, into those realm countries nations,
nations, into those realm countries and to contribute back. The special
issues that are here
and to contribute back. The special
different types of superannuation in New Zealand. There is the reciprocal
Social Security agreement, there's
the special portability and the
general portable. This
legislation comes under the
special portability. That is important again in
recognising the relationship, but it
means the factors that after those
who have been here contributed
to society over 10
years, before turning 50, can now return
back. What we've heard time
and time again, that that's made a difference
into those nations. Contributing
into their villages, giving back
into their families. I think
that's going to be important. PM,
you also too yesterday in the old legislative
you talked about the importance of graduation, and I want
to acknowledge that because when we
see our Pacific nations, the
only way graduation,
our Pacific nations, the only way that we can graduate, that we can
mature, that we can move on, is when
we have the opportunities to grow
the economy, but also to bring back
those who have been
the diaspora. Cook islanders who have
lived abroad, gained
abroad, gained experience, they come back and make their contribution. I
want to thank you.
I think that truly is a statement
of leadership in our Pacific nations. To say that
even a small Pacific
nation, we can have a contribution, that we
can move from a sense of dependency and
even though, as nations of the
realm, you
even though, as nations of the
free association, it's truly a mark of leadership and maturity
when as small Pacific nations we desire
to graduate to, have some
sense of dependency. Inside of that,
I know one of the questions that
I asked from the floor yesterday was
about how can we grow
the connectivity and previously we used to have
an overseas seat. You, in true form
and in humour said,
overseas seat. You, in true form and
Islanders into the New Zealand
the Deputy Speaker here as well. Ha ha! But I think what you also too
are alluding too is there
a number of cook island Ers
who have succeeded and done well in our
society. It was only just
last week we were there to welcome
Adrian Orr, who is now the governor of
the Reserve Bank in New
Zealand. And that's quite a significant role.
Even though he's from different,
that's OK. What's
more important...
He is a Cook islander who's able to be in a position
of influence there. Are many others. I hope that
what the bill will do is encourage
more of our Pasifika people to say
with the experience they have learnt, with the expertise they
can offer, they will return home. I know
that the Hon Carmel Sepuloni
offer, they will return home. I know
and others were on the Pacific mission. When we were in
Niue I was encouraged
mission. When we were in Niue I was
young people and families who said they were coming back home.
Coming become home because we believe that
our countries are a better
ma us to raise our
our countries are a better ma us to
our children. It is a way of connecting back to our
families and villages. We see people
are returning back. This piece
of legislation, I believe, is
another way
legislation, I believe, is another legislation,
legislation, I believe, is another way of creating a pathway that will
not only encourage it, but it enable
that ability as well. For
a number of them, what they say
them back from returning is the fact of their parents. And now they
will have the ability to
be able to support their parents as they
return back. The legislation will mean that
be present or resident in Aotearoa, in New Zealand, they can actually
continue to be living and
working and contributing back in
those nations of the realm and
that becomes
becomes significantly important. Can I
becomes significantly important. Can and
becomes significantly important. Can I say that it's a proud
day to be able
I say that it's a proud day to be
for you and I it is proud to be able to see that not only for the
Cook Islands, but for newy and Tokelau,
many will see this as a significant
part and, more importantly,
something that we join right across
the House in supporting. We
support this piece of legislation to the
House. Before I call
the honourable member, I want to make
clear that although the previous
speaker did make mention of the chair
in his debate, I know that he was
referring to the presence in the gallery of
the Hon Henri Puna, PM o
the Cook Island
the Hon Henri Puna, PM o the Cook
lenient. I would encourage members in their contributions to
ensure that they do not bring
the speaker into the debate. I call the
Hon Peeni Henare. Thank
you.
in Maori for the first part of my discussion. So to you,
the descendents, welcome aboard
the
waters of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Bring with you your waka here to the
House of Parliament. Bring
with you... Here