Faafoi Kris: Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFaafoi Kris: Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 17 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9499. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]KRIS FAAFOI (Labour—Mana): It is my intention to split this call with Mojo Mathers from the Green Party. Taloha ni. It is a privilege to take a call in the final stageof the debate on the Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill. This is a historic moment not for just this Parliament or the lesbian gay bisexual and transsexual community but also for our country.I want to take this opportunity because there is more than one Pacific perspective in this House and in our country. To my fellow Pacific members of Parliament I respect your choice. To those in the Pacific community who oppose this bill I respect your beliefs. I hope that you respect and understand my choice and my strongly held beliefs. The belief driving my choice and my opinion is more prevalent among but not restricted to younger Pacific Islanders. It is in no way meant to be disrespectful or a challenge to our elders. In fact in my mind my strongly held views derive from the strong Pacific values that have been passed on to me by my parents and family.I am proud to support this bill. To me it speaks to the heart of the values of what being Pacific in New Zealand is. Those are values of family love inclusion equality respect and having pride in who you are. Our parents grandparents and great-grandparents came to New Zealand to give their families a better life. Vital in that was that they came to these shores and got a fair go were treated equally were not discriminated against and were given the respect that every New Zealander deserved. As we know that was not always the case. There were battles battles were won and the Pacific community is now proud and vibrant.Our gay community is also proud and vibrant. They too have battled and like all other Kiwis they deserve the full enjoyment of the values of family love inclusion equality and respect. I know there are strong religious veins in the Pacific community and I respect that and the views that they have but many young gay Pacific Islanders have found this debate difficult. Many have grown up and maintain strong religious beliefs. They have told me one of the hardest things in the public debate has been hearing that the God that they worship seems to see them differently. My God does not.I hope that our community can embrace that there are many in our families who on a daily basis struggle to be openly who they are. For cultures whose very survival relies on pride of identity cultures and language and being proud of who we are we need to let out youngsters know that in every respect they should be proud of who they are and that we are proud of who they are.Locally can I thank all those who respectfully gave their opinions both for and against. In particular can I thank Pastor Ken Roach from the Porirua Elim Christian Church. We both discussed dissected and disagreed but it was always respectful. The Government Administration Committee led by the Hon Ruth Dyson strengthened this bill to address many issues that church leaders like Ken held. It made it clear no minister or religious celebrant is obliged to marry a couple if doing so would contravene the religious beliefs or philosophical or humanitarian convictions of a religious body or organisation.I would like to thank Louisa Wall who worked from the outset to ensure respect for religious beliefs despite the fundamental differences of opinion. Before I conclude I would like to acknowledge Kāpiti Mayor Jenny Rowan and her partner Jools Joslin who I understand are somewhere in the precincts of Parliament. They have been at the forefront of this long-running issue because the courts denied them their right to marry. Well Jools when this bill was pulled out of the ballot I remember seeing you at Coastlands mall and you said “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Well tonight seeing is believing.I am going to end like Maryan Street the way I ended my maiden speech with a quote from William Penn that I hold dear. It reads: “I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore there be any kindness I can show or any good thing I can do to anyfellow being let me do it now and not defer or neglect it as I shall not pass this way again.” Tonight this House will do that.