SpeechHon MEKA WHAITIRI (Minister of Customs): E te Māngai tēnā koe otirā ngā mema katoa o te Whare nei tēnā tātou katoa. As is customary in debates acknowledging those that have recently passed can I go on record in acknowledging the recent passing of Sir Wira Gardiner and of course recently losing Dame June Jackson—and all throughout the country who have lost their ones at this particular time. I want to acknowledge and give my sincere condolences to the Gardiner the Parata the Batley and of course the Jackson whānau at this very incredibly sad time.It's also for me to acknowledge yesterday's announcement from our tuahine our sister Louisa Wall after 14 years in this House. I want to go on record to say thank you very much Louisa; the country is a better place for your contribution in this House.What COVID has taught us in the last two years is working together helps all. Working together works well. Collective responsibilities benefit all—benefit all. So I was annoyed—not annoyed; I was upset to hear of a member in this House that talked about the rights of the individual and whakapapa doesn't matter. That's what we heard. That's what we heard from Karen Chhour of the ACT Party—that whakapapa doesn't matter that constitutional arrangements shouldn't be the responsibility of any Government and that we should just get on with housing and health.Well that's exactly what this side of the House is doing. We're getting on with housing we're getting on with health the Māori Health Authority the enormous investment that was given to Māori hauora providers throughout the country: in the last two years $140 million specifically targeted for Māori. And what do Māori hauoras and iwi and service providers—what have they done in the last two years? They've looked after all. They have looked after all. There has been no turning away of anybody no matter what their ethnicity was. They delivered and they awhi'd and they manaaki'd all from within their community. So it's a bit rich that I have a member in this House saying that it's time that we leave that to be that we all just should be equal people. You know I want to talk about COVID's contribution to the make-up of this country that we should never ever forget and that is that collective responsibly but also to acknowledge the strong iwi Māori leadership that we saw up and down the motu who responded to the need of our most vulnerable who put their lives at risk and everybody in their whānau and organisation who stepped forward and took up the challenge to look after their own and everybody in their community. Not anybody was turned around.So I'm standing on this side to recognise the importance of our Treaty partner and I haven't even gone down that route because what I wanted to share in this House is the importance of when we work together when we trust each other and—to be honest—when we trust Māori iwi. Iwi Māori they know the community like no one's business and they will deliver and they have delivered and will continue to deliver as we come through this pandemic as we come through Omicron and then we start rebuilding our lives because it is in the housing and it is in the health and it is in the education and it is in telling our stories that I'm proud about this side of the House—telling our stories of what happened telling and sharing the stories of what happened in our communities so that we were informed in our schools.I want to talk about celebrating the Matariki bill that we have introduced in this House to again go to the developing of our national identity where Māori are at the centre of it. There is nothing to be afraid of here people—absolutely nothing to be afraid of. There are only good lessons and learnings and there's everything along the way that iwi Māori have contributed to this country and that is why I'm standing in support of this side and the mahi that we continue to do. It's not over. We've all acknowledged that we have gaps and there is much more for us to do on this side of the House. But I can totally say with hand on heart that we made a great start.But we need to do more and this side will do more around engaging with iwi hapū and the partnerships around housing particularly in Rotorua—a one-stop shop. I'm very proud of that. I'm talking about the Māori Health Authority which will turn around some uneven health outcomes for our people and that is what this Government's done. And this is why I'm proud to belong to this Government and this side of the House who have put their words into action and are delivering and are making a benefit for us as Māori indigenous and as Treaty partners. But what I'm mostly proud of is the ability to deliver for all.SPEAKER: Order! Before I call a member I am going to—there's a person in the public gallery with no mask on. Thank you.