Eagle PaulPAUL EAGLE (Labour—Rongotai): Kia orana fakalofa lahi atu and malo ni. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker for this opportunity to talk on this bill. Can I acknowledge as others have already our dignitaries in the House this afternoon. I also want to acknowledge all of those who have put work into making this bill what it is today. There are many who have given a contribution—not only our Pacific brothers and sisters on both sides of the House but many of us who have the Pacific feeling and willingness to ensure that our Pacific nations particularly those who are New Zealand citizens are acknowledged as such and given the same rights and fortune that those living on the New Zealand mainland have.There was some debate around who's done what and where and how but look I think the former Prime Minister went part way to bring a solution here. This Government has gone the full way and through the Minister the Hon Carmel Sepuloni will deliver the result that the people of the Pacific have been long waiting for.I want to just focus on a few themes. I want to say that this is long overdue and that's been said before too. Also acknowledging the special portability and pay extra special attention to and mention of those New Zealand citizens in the Pacific—the Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau.Can I thank the Governments first and foremost of those countries who have been long at pain to bring their concerns to realisation. They will be happy with how this will proceed. I'm lucky because I have an electorate where the underpinnings of the Rongotai electorate are very much Pacific and one only needs to look in Newtown there. It became the mini Pacific of Wellington the capital city. My father was a Methodist minister in Newtown and many of his colleagues were proud to talk about the history particularly—if I start with the Cook Islands the Reverend Tariu Teaia who was the first Cook Islands minister ordained in I think the early 1950s into the Pacific Islanders Presbyterian Church there in Newtown. And that also had a Niuean congregation by the time it hit the 1970s with the late Lagi Sipeli and later they moved from there to St James and to St Giles now in Kilbirnie.My point is that those churches as symbols of the Pacific remain; the communities have moved on. The mamas and the papas are still there. Some of the whānau are still there. Unfortunately house prices are a little high these days but generally they continue to work locally and their spirit their heart very much remains in the electorate.I was fortunate enough I had to answer to Mum and Dad occasionally and they'd tell me You better get to church." so I am privileged to talk to the congregation still. And it is very much the talk of the church aisles and I hope that when it gets to the select committee process they bring the colour of the Pacific to that select committee and let them know forthright what and why they think this is a wonderful idea. They spoke of the anxiety. They spoke of tension and stress children versus parents and parents versus the mamas and the papas. But what it will do and it's why I'm commending this bill to the House is it will finally deliver that cultural respect that dignity and also allow whānau to focus on that social and economic impact whatever country they're in and at whatever age aligning to the notions in the bill and bring happy whānau once and for all."