Ngaro AlfredALFRED NGARO (National): Thank you—[Interruption] I appreciate the support. In the Pasifika languages of the members of the Pacific Parliamentary Forum who are here: talofa lava faakalofa atu ki a mutolu oti ni sa bula vinaka ko na mauri namaste bonjour gidday and in the heavenly language: kia orana tatou katoatoa i te aroa maata o to tatou Atua.It is a great thing to be here today because this marks the second time in the whole of Parliament's history when Parliament in all its business and all its dealings has stopped to take a moment to be mindful of those things that are Pacific. The motion that was moved talked about the partnership and the linkages that we have had in the present and also in the past and the potential of what we will have into the future. This Pacific Parliamentary Forum was an idea that was formed and thought about many times over by different leaders. I am sure there is going to be mention of some of those leaders who talked about it and thought about it but I want to acknowledge that in 2009 and 2010 the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee put together a report and talked about the importance of the fact that there should be a dialogue that happens. We have the Pacific Islands Forum where all the leaders of the nations come together but what we need also is a deepening of the understanding of those issues with other parliamentarians who exist in the Pacific. Hence in 2010 the idea began to form that we should fund this we should create this dialogue and in 2013 we had the first such forum here in New Zealand. Seventy members from throughout the Pacific were here. I want to acknowledge the 41 members who are here today representing 15 different nations. You play an important role. Your presence your thoughtfulness and the expertise that you bring are absolutely important. I want to say to you this is not a one-way conversation or a dialogue whereby you have come to hear to look to learn and to listen for yourselves; this is also about us.The intent of this Pacific forum was that we would share collectively together. I want to remind you about the fact that—I shared a story at the Auckland Art Gallery at our dinner when I talked about what my grandmother said. She said: We were not born to live in swimming pools. We were not born to exist in small places where Pacific was just for Pacific. Instead we are out for the ocean. Our sense of who we are and what we contribute is for all peoples—it is for all peoples." I want to reiterate that. That is who we are. We sell ourselves short if we think that we are only for Kiribati Nauru Fiji Vanuatu Samoa and the Cook Islands. Instead what our tūpuna had destined for us is that we would be a blessing not only to our nations but to all nations—to all nations. So can I put that challenge out to you first and foremost. Last night in this House many of you were present when we had a re-enactment of over 100 years ago when 45 young Cook Islands men came over here because they were taking up the call to serve Queen and country. In that re-enactment we talked about that Papa Tipuwai whose father at the tender age of 18 or 19 came along and stood over here. He was also to not only karanga but there was a mihi from Tau Hēnare the great-grandfather of Peeni Henare. What a moment it was when the two of them came together and they began to meet tupuna to tupuna and talk about the importance of that. In that place it was significant. When we talk about those linkages—as I was researching I thought about our linkages to the Pacific. You see although we reminisce about the importance of our friendship treaty with Samoa the Cook Islands Niue and the islands of Tokelau we are the nations of the Realm of New Zealand. In fact in our national anthem it talks about the protection of our triple star—those are the nations of the Realm. There are different relationships but still New Zealand for a while struggled to understand that. Can I say that as I read through I want to acknowledge again Peeni Henare's grandfather Sir James Hēnare. This is what he said: "[New Zealand] must listen to the north wind blowing from the great Hawaiki" the wind that brought Māori to Aotearoa. The reason why it is significant is this: it is because your presence here is also about bringing us your wisdom your understanding from where you come from and the things that you have struggled with. So when we debate tomorrow in this House the issues of climate change and Pacific resources and fisheries and when we talk about governance come with all that you have all that you are because that is what this place demands. That is what our tūpuna demand of us. Do not sell them short and do not sell yourselves short and neither will we because that is what we are here for. We are here to make a difference—we are here to be able to do that as well.Ladies and gentlemen can I just say this: the importance of the messages that we give not only today in this House but also tomorrow when we begin to put together resolutions are resounding enough to hopefully go back not only to our nations but they should be resounding enough so they go back into the Pacific Islands Forum. That is the intent of this forum. We are to debate the issues put around the issues that are important to us. So on our journey can I just say that—is it not wonderful that we had a little bit of a tiki tour in the vans? I think we had the best van. Our van—we did. We tiki-toured around—and I know that Dr Puakena Boreham is up there in the gallery. I know the beautiful Alofa Tautogia who is over there—who almost everywhere we went said: "I am meeting family everywhere." I threatened her. I said: "I am going to tell the consulate-general that I think you came here just to meet your family rather than to do the business of Parliament." But is it not wonderful because that is Pacific humour—that is Polynesian humour. We laugh together we cry together but we also work hard together. So what did we do on our travels? For instance we went to Beca Group. We talked about the importance of the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in ensuring that some of the development issues around climate change were being developed. We saw the work it was doing around coastal engineering that was important to those issues. Here is what Beca said to us: "You need to tell us how we need to do our job better. You need to let us know what we need to be informed about so that we can make a difference." Those are the things that are great.We went to Unitec. We saw vocational training. That was where my good friend from the Marshall Islands Sherwood Tibon stood up and listened when he heard about their apprenticeship schemes for Māori and Pacific Islanders and heard about what they were doing to make a difference there. It was where a young man called Kamuka Pati who was at a crossroads in his life could stand up and has now received an award over a month ago for being one of the top vocational trainers not only for the Pacific but in the mainstream. He talked about what he was doing for our Pasifika—making a difference. Sherwood turned around and said: "That will make a difference for us. Why? Because there is an emerging social issue back in the Pacific that we need to have those sorts of supports and that sense of understanding to benefit us as well."We went to Fono West which is now The Fono where Tevita Funaki was talking about dealing with all sorts of issues whether they be non-communicable diseases rheumatic fever—all of these. But here is the difference: it was a Pacific provider with Pacific health practitioners making a difference for our Pacific people and that is something we have got to be proud of. Why? Because it shows what we can develop. When we asked about the demographics they said that it is not only Pacific people but also other mainstream people. Well they actually said they had a lot more Samoans that were there—OK? That is great because they are serving our population they are serving our Pacific people and they are truly making a difference. It is something that we can absolutely be proud of. Ladies and gentlemen we are more than just comedians; we are more than just the show-people who play songs and sing well and also do sports. In fact we are so good we can even do that at the same time as doing the business to make a difference.Kris Faafoi: Stop talking about yourself. ALFRED NGARO: That is right. We can even be journalists and come to this House and make a difference—we can even be journalists and make a difference. Ladies and gentlemen today is the day for us when we should be proud. When we talk about prosperity—and I know that Su'a William Sio Jenny Salesa and I were at a panel. Young people got up and talked to us asking: "Is it affordable to be able to have a house and have a home in Aukilani—in New Zealand even?".Hon Member: No.ALFRED NGARO: But here is the question that I—that is right. They said no. But here is what I said. Here is the bigger question. Here is the most important question: who is defining prosperity for us? Who is defining prosperity for us? Because do you know what? From another world view prosperity is the house the home the bach the boat and everything else that goes with it. I told the story about the fact that when I was growing up we used to do a thing called fund-raising and this is what it was: bring and buy. So my mum and dad used to go along we would buy the food from the supermarket and we would come home and make the food—the chop suey the taro. Then we would go down to the church hall we would pack it up and put it on plates and guess what? We would sell it back to ourselves. What sort of a fund-raiser was that? It did not matter. Do you know why? Because it was enough for us to be able to buy the hall and to develop the church—to do the things that were important. Why? Because that was part of our social construct. Can I say this: do not let anyone else define what prosperity is for us. We should define it. And guess what? It is not an either/or. You do not have to be Western to be successful. You can be Pacific Polynesian and you can have the best of the West that is in there and make a difference to us. That is what we should do. We define it. We define what prosperity is to us as well and we do not let anyone take that away from us. Can I say this in my last few seconds: we are the ones who make a difference. If we want to make our people proud stand up for what is important to us. Let our young people see that we have a vision for prosperity because we define it. That is why our people brought us here today. Kia orana e kia manuia."