Kanongata'a-Suisuiki AnahilaANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI (Labour): Kia ora e Te Mana Whakawā. It's an absolute privilege to stand here to contribute to the first general debate of 2019. It is the 44th anniversary of the biggest Māori and Pacific Polynesian cultural festival that kicked off today and I just want to take a different stance from all the speakers today to remind us of the contribution of our young people. So as I said it is the 44th anniversary of the ASB Polyfest. I particularly love the theme of the Polyfest and I want to acknowledge all the teachers and everybody who has toiled hard in the last 44 years. I too was a performer in the Polyfest—Hon Peeni Henare: Not that long ago.ANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI: Yeah I'm not going to say when. But the theme is—and I need to read it because it's really important: the blood of the ocean it flows through me. My sustenance; my nest of higher learning; my navigator. I am the living essence of the ocean which is in me. Wow! That is so powerful. Again I want to congratulate all the students but particularly because I am the Labour list member of Parliament based in Papakura and Tāmaki I want to wish everybody in those two areas to just enjoy it—just enjoy it. And of course to my school Onehunga High School I know that you guys are just going to give it heaps and enjoy the day.I want to talk about seeing listening doing what you said you were going to do and delivering. I want to take three examples but if I run out of time I'll just stop at two. Number one is I want to talk about the Ngā Karahipi Uru Rākau Scholarships. Last year at the National Field Days the honourable Minister Shane Jones and the then Minister Meka Whaitiri announced those scholarships and they were about addressing the need where Māori and women were missing from the areas in terms of the New Zealand forestry industry. So what we've done this year is we have announced the winners of those scholarships. I want to go back to the point of the reasons why it is important for us to do that. I want to quote the Prime Minister because it's important that we are reminded of why we do things. The Prime Minister said Over the last five years less than a third of graduates of forestry degrees were women. While the industry is a significant employer of Māori Māori are underrepresented in this professional and scientific areas of the industry. We hope this group of talented scholarship recipients will pave the way for the future and encourage other women and Māori to enter higher education within the forestry sector."So I want to acknowledge those people who we have acknowledged. I want to acknowledge Robyn Patient from Waikuku Beach Jessica Stock from Tasman Cole Grace from Gisborne George Fanning-Ihaka from Dargaville Nicholas Melvin from Winton Thomas Brown from Matamata Max Gomez from Dunedin and Hannah Humphreys from Wānaka. We noticed that things weren't right. We listened. Leadership is about just that. Leadership is about seeing hearing and doing something about it. I am a pretty fair person—I might judge myself and say that I'm a pretty fair person. Last week the honourable Minister Aupito William Sio announced the STEM the Pasifika achievement in science technology engineering and mathematics in terms of Pacific achievement and the need to invest in those areas for Pacific achievement. I just want to say that this year's award included 16 community awards and eight tertiary scholarships.I'm running out of time but I have recently returned from the Chatham Islands and I want to say kia ora to Alfred Priest the local mayor and all the 600 or so people of the Chathams that we met. I want to voice their plight where a flight to New Zealand—they call this country New Zealand—was delayed on Monday and was delayed again on Tuesday and to hear the stories from the people on how connectivity is an important factor in their lives. I just want to say to them thank you very much for sharing your stories and along with the member for Rongotai Paul Eagle we will continue to voice those concerns because we were there and we saw it. On that note thank you Chathams. Thank you for looking after us. Mr Speaker malo."