Rurawhe AdrianHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO (Minister for Pacific Peoples): At times such as this our traditional leaders our matais our te arikis our matapule our ratus will look to the environment to help us reflect on the legacy of Queen Elizabeth. I want to pay tribute to her by acknowledging her and her life and her reign as that of a mountain. Auā e āfua mai mauga faamanuiaga o se nuu—from the mountains flow the blessings unto the people. She has been steady steadfast strong and dedicated. She was a much-loved respected and admired monarch not only here in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the Commonwealth but also in the Pacific nations of the region. Those of us who are Pasifika and of the Pacific have their history with the British monarch etched into the archives of our memories through songs oratory poetry and stories. For the history of the Pacific is a history intertwined with the British monarchy going back to what the Pacific scholars call the second disruption in the vast Pacific Ocean the arrival of the Papālagi or cloud-bursters—the European explorers and adventurers—and then traders missionaries and settlers in the fight for control of our lands people and islands. However whatever one thinks of the colonial past the fact remains that the Pacific have only known one British Crown for the last 70 years. She has been the Queen our Te Arikinui Kuīni Irihāpeti II [aristocratic leader Queen Elizabeth II] O le Tupu Tama'itai'i Elisapeta II. Whether one has met her personally—or any of the heirs—it matters not for many of our traditional leaders. What matters is her 70 years of being a symbol for all people a symbol for stability of service and duty for others a beacon of light to encourage aspirations for a better future a vision that was captured by our very own poet Selina Tusitala Marsh when she read her poem Unity" at London's Westminster Abbey:There's a 'U' and an 'I' in unitycosts the earth and yet it's freeThere are many stories of her visits to the Pacific Islands including the tour of the Pacific in 1977 which saw her visit with Prince Philip many more islands throughout the Pacific. What is clear is that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II connected with the people of the Pacific and was interested in the welfare of the Pacific peoples as well as the welfare of the Māori people of Aotearoa New Zealand. In a speech during a visit I saw a clip of at the Waitangi grounds in the 1960s she encouraged the Māori people of Aotearoa New Zealand to hold fast to their language and culture. I've always believed that once those words were uttered by the Crown herself all other structures were legally and morally obligated to support and follow suit.The news and grief of her passing has been felt around the Pacific with members of the Pacific political leaders expressing their countries' deep sense of sadness with the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister saying that she was the anchor of our Commonwealth and the matriarch of their country; with Niue's Premier saying her faithfulness to her duties and dedication to the people was a reflection of a most remarkable leader.Whether one supports the monarchy or not what the traditional Pacific leaders will say—these are the chiefs of the Pacific—is that what we will appreciate is her dedication and steadfast conduct to maintaining the foundations: her duty to God country and nation including the Commonwealth while welcoming change in a way that enables all our nations to have confidence about the future—steady as she goes.As the Minister for Pacific Peoples and on behalf of our people of Aotearoa New Zealand Pacific peoples and in the region we collectively express our deep and heartfelt grief at the passing of Queen Elizabeth and we also convey our heartfelt condolences to King Charles III and royal family during this time of mourning. Manuia lau malaga lau afioga i le Tupu Tama'ita'i Elisapeta II soifua. SPEAKER: I understand this is a split call. I call Harete Hipango—three minutes."