Laban Luamanuvao Winnie: General Debate 
Laban Luamanuvao Winnie: General Debate 
[Volume:643;Page:13104] 
Hon LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN (Minister of Pacific Island Affairs) 
: 
 Kia ora talofa lava warm Pacific greetings to you all. I have my hand on my heart because I am so honoured and humbled to be appointed as Minister of Pacific Island Affairs. This provides me with a great opportunity to build on the huge economic and social gains made by our Pacific people under this Labour-led Government. The Pacific community has been asking for a Pacific Island Minister so it is a huge privilege for me to be appointed as the first Pacific Island woman Minister and Minister of Pacific Island Affairs and this could happen only under a Labour Government. 
Our party has a strong history of advocating for Pacific people. It was Norman Kirk’s Labour Government that acknowledged by establishing our ministry the value that Pacific people were adding to New Zealand through economic social cultural spiritual and sporting contributions. 
Under our Government Pacific people have made real gains. Helen Clark has provided strong leadership and the Labour-led Government has developed and implemented a wide range of sound policies. We have turned round the hurt the damage and the misery of the previous decade of neglect under National when our people suffered the most. The economist Carl Davidson commented that the policies of the 1990s under National destroyed and eroded Pacific people’s self-confidence. They suffered terribly under the harsh economic and social policies that impacted on the ground. 
However under Labour hand on heart unemployment has halved. Figures released last week showed that our Pacific unemployment has dropped down from 14.9 percent in 1999 to 5.5 percent in 2007 and that is great news. Working for Families is also increasing the incomes of thousands of our families. People only have to visit many of our people on the ground to see a lovely positive spirit that is happening. Of course there is KiwiSaver and we have learnt a lot from our elders about how it is important to put money away to save for one’s future to save to buy one’s first home but also for retirement. As for health: yes it is much cheaper to go to the doctor. That is important for our families but more important for our children. The other additional support that we have offered—because we have a younger population and it is important that investment goes into our children—is the 20 hours’ free early childhood education that is saving $4500 per year per child for each of our families. 
I will give members a bit of a human story. Yesterday I went to Cannons Creek School with the wife of the President of Uruguay. That is a low-decile—decile 1—primary school in my Mana electorate in Porirua. Approximately 90 percent of the students are Pacific children and they are benefiting enormously from the Labour-led Government’s programmes. There is big investment in literacy and numeracy there is the Fruit in Schools programme and there is the linking up of parents and caregivers with the teachers and the children so they can be supported to help their children. The reading programmes at schools have been enhanced and it is lovely to see the Computers in Homes programme that our Government is supporting. The children have created a beautiful website and a DVD from Patricia Grace’s story about children in Cannons Creek School. Those are all fabulous examples of seeing our children walk with pride determined to learn and determined to be amongst the global leaders of the future. 
Our Pasifika education plan is also showing that our children are starting to do much better in terms of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement and they are participating much more in tertiary education. In Modern Apprenticeships Pacific people are only 3 percent but we are working to up that number. I get a good positive feel from our people on the ground. It is also important for Pacific young people that we have wiped the interest on student loans so they can be encouraged to go on to tertiary education to study and to be part of our Government’s determination to absolutely transform us and of its commitment to the global economy. 
I am also excited because this week in fact on Monday night the Hon Mahara Okeroa went to the celebrations honouring New Zealand’s Pasifika artists at the Arts Pasifika Awards. It was fabulous to see our Labour-led Government putting investment in the arts because it is important for our children and young people. I will read out the names of the winners: Justine Simei-Barton Dr Okusitino Mahina Nina Nawalowalo Sale Pepe Sani Muliaumaseali’i and the WakaUra Cultural Dance Company. They represented film makers actors opera singers painters and artists. I am very excited about this Labour-led Government and am proud to be part of the Labour team.