Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 25 July 2012. Volume:682;Page:3914. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) 
: 
 Sat sri akaal. Tena koe Mr Speaker. I am starting my contribution by greeting you in the Maori language because this is the week when we are acknowledging the Maori language. If we want to keep our culture alive we need to stick to our language and that is very important. English is not my first language and you had a little debate today that debaters should not read their speeches. I read my speech because of this House’s prestige. I do not want to get stuck somewhere. That is why I prepare my notes my thoughts so that I can keep reading them. Mr Speaker I hope you will excuse me if I read in between my speech some of my notes. I am not used to debating without my notes. 
When we migrants come to this country we bring a lot of dreams in mind. We have got a lot of energy for the hard work that we are ready to do and we are sure we will succeed with the hard work and support of our families. I am proud to be part of this National Government which provides the tools for businesses to grow in this country. Less red tape-ism better infrastructure and better facilities are the success tools for businesses to grow. I am sure everyone from the small and medium-sized businesses will agree with me that the National Government is supporting them. 
I am proud of this National-led Government which gave this country its first ethnic MP Pansy Wong. I am also proud of this Government which gave us Pansy Wong as the first Cabinet Minister from an ethnic background. I am proud to be part of this team and I hope this Government will keep on working in this direction. 
I would like to quote Mahatma Gandhi who said: “Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.” It is very important that the businesses which are run with a lot of hard work and the support of the families succeed over here. What every business that starts needs is a great idea to start with resources and capital to succeed a workforce that can help it to produce its production and lastly infrastructure so that it can sell its product not only in this country but also overseas. The Government for its part is supporting facilities and multiple initiatives because it is our sincere wish to see that everyone living in New Zealand should succeed. 
We are also involved in a number of initiatives that facilitate the growth of ethnic businesses. The forums organised by the ethnic affairs ministry are directed to help them to succeed over here. The recent forum organised by the ethnic affairs ministry about the African community was very successful. There the Minister for Ethnic Affairs the Hon Judith Collins said that New Zealand’s African community brings with it a great deal of energy and experience to our shores and we are able to use that experience and energy in the development of this country. 
I feel that organising such events is a wonderful way to empower individuals and communities. It makes them feel welcome and says to them: “We are there to support you while you are integrating into New Zealand.” It provides migrants coming to New Zealand with a sense that now they belong to New Zealand and their efforts towards building the New Zealand economy will be well supported. 
I would like to finish by saying another quote by Mahatma Gandhi: “As human beings our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world … as being able to remake ourselves.” This I believe is the story of most migrants. Tena koe Mr Speaker. 
The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.