Motions — Congratulatory Message—Birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of CambridgeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMotions — Congratulatory Message—Birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge[Sitting date: 30 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:12015. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MotionsCongratulatory Message—Birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of CambridgeRt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):I seek leave to move a motion without notice on the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge.Mr SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that course of action being followed? There is none.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I moveThat the House put on record its congratulations to Prince William the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge . The birth of a child is an exciting time for any parent. It is a time of great joy and immense celebration. Our families are one of the most important parts of our society and a newborn baby is a reason to come together as a family to share in the happiness of the new parents. Prince George Alexander Louis was born on 22 July. His birth was one of the most eagerly anticipated in recent history. Prince George will live his life in the spotlight as we all share in the joy of watching him grow. I have no doubt that he will grow into a fine young man just like his father grandfather and great-grandfather. I have joined with other leaders across the Commonwealth in congratulating Prince William and Catherine on this momentous occasion.Like many I have watched their love for each other develop and I was pleased to be able to share their wedding day with them along with many others in 2011. I know that they will make wonderful parents. New Zealand’s official gift to the royal couple is a hand-spun hand-knitted fine lace shawl. The intricate design was put together by Margaret Stove. Cynthia Read spun the wool and knitted the shawl. I would like to thank both Margaret and Cynthia for their hard work on this gift. They have done a wonderful job and they should be very proud of their efforts.On this special occasion I have been asked to include New Zealand First in my congratulations. On behalf of the people of New Zealand I am pleased to be able to put on the record of this House our congratulations to Prince William and Catherine and to welcome the newest member of the royal family to the world.DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition):I would also like to join with New Zealanders in congratulating the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son George. It is a wonderful moment in the life of any young couple to celebrate the safe arrival of their first child. In this case Kate and William’s family and friends havebeen joined by millions of people around the world in marking this very special occasion.Becoming a parent is the most important and rewarding job anyone can have. What will make it tougher for William and Kate is that they will raise their child in the glare of constant media scrutiny but from what I have seen and heard about the royal couple they seem to be well prepared and dedicated to bringing up their son in as normal an environment as possible.Like any new parents William and Kate will no doubt be busy adjusting to a very different life right now with that sense of responsibility and more than a few sleepless nights but also with many moments of joy as they watch their son grow up. Along with other New Zealanders I would like to wish the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge all the very best and to warmly welcome their son Prince George.Dr KENNEDY GRAHAM (Green):The Green Party extends its congratulations to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their first child. This is in human terms an occasion of personal joy for the royal couple and it is not without constitutional significance for the realm of New Zealand either. Within the lifetimes of many of us our 28th Parliament was fulsome in its notice of motion on the occasion of the birth of the young man’s grandfather. We said then: “To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty: Most Gracious Sovereign we Your Majesty’s most dutiful and loyal subjects the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled in affirming our most earnest desire for the continued health and happiness of Your Majesty and of Your Royal Family beg to express to Your Majesty and to Her Majesty the Queen the deep pleasure with which your loyal subjects of New Zealand have received the announcement of the birth of a Prince …”.I recall this in the most sincere way to survey the distance in time and thought that we have traversed way down here in Aotearoa between the 28th Parliament and the 50th Parliament. The Prime Minister has seen fit to describe Prince George the third in line to the throne as a future King of New Zealand. Humans and constitutions are of course subject to the fates. The precautionary principle might suggest that we welcome him to the royal family and to the realm of New Zealand while prudently keeping our counsel as to the future destiny of the Sovereign State of New Zealand. We welcome George to the human family and we look forward to receiving him on our national soil on the occasion of a visit by his parents.TE URUROA FLAVELL (Co-Leader—Māori Party):Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Kia oratātau e te Whare. Kotāku ko tetūake heiwahakōreromō tePātiMāori ki tetāpiri atuingākōrero o tePirīmiaotirāngākaiārahi ongārōpū o te WharePārematai terānei ki te uri oIrihāpeti ki te uri oWikitōria ki te uri ongāKīngi oIngarangi tehunga e nohonei heikīngimōtērā whenua kamutuihara mai ki Aotearoanei.Kuaāhuahētakuneketaiitēneirā te tikanga hekahurangiēngari kai te paitērā.Waihotērā ki reira.Ēngari kotāku ko tekī atu ki te Wharekuaāhuamatatau Te AoMāori kingāHōri o rotoi tekīngitanga oIngarangi. Heingoaarākuatau mai kirungaingārēangaMāoriingātau ehiakēneikuahipa. Itakumōhio eono peangāHōri otērā Whare oIrihāpeti oWikitōria kamutu maiingātaukuahipaakei tae atungāMāori kiRānanarāanō ki reirakōreroai kingāmomoHōri ekōrerohiaakenei.Ko teHōri IIIi tetau 1806 āitūtaki atu ki teMāorituatahi ki aMoehanga o roto oNgāpuhi.Whaimuri ko teHōri IVitūtaki atu ki a HongiHikai tetau 1820 ānā wainā waikuapērāanō hoki tekōrero.Kuatūtaki atukuatūtaki maimeangāmomoHōringāKīngi ki Te AoMāori.Tērā pea kia hokirāanō ki tekōrero aIrihāpetii tewāi tae mai ia ki Aotearoaneii tetau 1990. Kai te hoki au kiāna kupui temeamēnā kapātaia tepātai he aha tehononga ongāmomoHōri ongāmomoKīngi oIngarangi?Tērā peakai rotoitēneikōrero aIrihāpeti tekōrerowhakamutunga. Kotanakōreroi te reoPākehāi tetau 1990.[Thank you Mr Speaker and greetings to us the House. My role is to rise as a spokesperson for theMāori Party and to add to the sentiments expressed by the Prime Minister and indeed party leaders of the House of Parliament today to the successor of Elizabeth Victoria and the Kings of England those who became a king for that country and in time came here to New Zealand. My necktie is somewhat inappropriate here today because traditionally it should have been a blue one but that is fine. Let us leave that statement there.But I say to the House thatMāoridom is quite aware of the Georges in the king movement of England. It is a name that has been very popular among generations ofMāori in years past. To my knowledge there were six Georges perhaps in that house of Elizabeth and Victoria. Eventually as years went by someMāori made it to London and there they spoke to those Georges alluded to here.In 1806 King George III metMoehanga the firstMāori from withinNgāpuhi. After that King George IV met HongiHika in the year 1820 and so it went on. The different Georges and Kings came and went over the years to meetMāoridom. Perhaps one would really have to go back to a statement Elizabeth made when she came to New Zealand in 1990. I go back to her words because if the question was asked what is the relationship is between the different Georges and Kings of England? Perhaps the final word is in this statement by Elizabeth. Her statement in English in 1990 was this .]“Today we are strong enough and honest enough to learn the lessons of the last 150 years and to admit that the Treaty has been imperfectly observed. I look upon it as a legacy of promise.”Tērā pea hewātōnā katūtaki teHōripēpinei kitētahi owaku tamarikiitētahi owaku mokopunaingātau keimuai tearoaro me tekī atu kongāoati o rotoi Te Tiriti o Waitangi ākuawhakatinanahia.Koinā peatētahitūmanako etūmanakohiaana e Te AoMāoriitēneirangitonunei. Me mihirā ki te taongakuaputa mai ki tewhaiao ki Te AoMārama heiKīngimōIngarangimō Aotearoa.Waihotērakōrero ki reira. Ko wai kamōhio āngātau kaimuai tearoaro?Hurinoa kia oratātau.[Perhaps a time will come in the future when this baby George meets one of my children one of my grandchildren and say the promises made in the Treaty of Waitangi have been implemented. That perhaps is an aspiration thatMāoridom is hoping for at this very point in time today. We must indeed acknowledge the treasure that has emerged into the world of light and life as a King for England and New Zealand. I will leave that statement there. Who knows what the future holds? Greetings to us all throughout .]Hon JOHN BANKS (Leader—ACT):I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the ACT Party and the people of Epsom to congratulate the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. I was a first-term member of Parliament when his father visited these shores for the first time as a toddler and at the time I never thought much about this day arriving but it now has.The birth of a first child is a special time for all new parents and I wish them all the very best in raising their son. The birth also represents the wonderful gift of a great-grandson for Queen Elizabeth the Queen of New Zealand. The Queen celebrated her diamond jubilee in 2012 following 60 years of dedicated service to this country and to the Commonwealth. In her first address as Queen following her coronation Her Majesty pledged that throughout all of her life and with all of her heart she would strive to be worthy of the people’s trust. The grace and dignity with which she has carried outher role as Queen has meant that she has won not only the people’s trust but their great respect and great admiration.The Queen is not just our monarch but also a mother a grandmother and a great-grandmother. It is a tribute to her that her two grandsons William and Harry have turned into wonderful young men. Young Prince George who is now third in line to the throne will no doubt follow in their footsteps. God save the Queen.Motion agreed to.