Ngaro AlfredHon ALFRED NGARO (National): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. Can I first of all say and declare thank you for the speech from the Hon Carmel Sepuloni because the National Party will be supporting this bill. We see this as a bill that is of great importance and also signifies the relationship that we have.Can I first of all also acknowledge the Hon Henry Puna who's here—the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands—and also too Her Excellency Teremoana Yala. Thank you for being here. Kia orana korua no tei tere mai ki roto i te Paremata no Aotearoa. Madam Assistant Speaker Williams can I also acknowledge you as a fellow Kiwi of Cook Islands descent as well. Today's a day that's a proud day. We can see a piece of legislation that benefits not only us here in New Zealand but also our descendants back home and our families back home as well in the three nations of the Realm—that's the Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau.The special relationship has been signified. The honourable Prime Minister Puna is here today when he was meant to be at a cocktail function up in Auckland. I know because I received the invitation and when I saw him today he said that actually the other Ministers could attend to that but it's important that he be here today for this piece of legislation. So can I acknowledge your presence here.It was also you Prime Minister Puna who came here back in 2015 along with the Premier of Niue Toke Talagi. When I was chairing the Social Services Committee we talked about the portability of the pension back in 2015. I thank you because you came and I'm sure that would be one of the few occasions where the head of a nation—the Prime Minister himself and in this case the Premier and Prime Minister—came to a New Zealand select committee to present a submission. When you presented the submission you first of all acknowledged the fact that this had begun. I want to acknowledge—and you acknowledged—the Hon Murray McCully. The conversations have been long but there came a point where it was time to actually act upon this and put this through.So you acknowledged the portability of the pension and in this case the Social Assistance (Residency Qualification) Legislation Bill but you also petitioned the aspect of the 10- and five-year rule which is now before us in this bill—and it's to remove that five-year rule. Your petition to us if I can remember quite clearly was that in order to ensure that we address the issue of depopulation back in all the nations of the Realm it was important that we have the ability for our people who've come here—who've worked here for many years and have been present in the country—to come back and to contribute both socially economically and culturally back to the nation as well. So I want to acknowledge and honour you for your passion and your advocacy at that time because I believe that's also led us to where we are here today as well.I want to acknowledge the current Government of the day who've continued to take that on as the advocacy was so let's now remove the five years. So what it intentionally says is that those from those three nations of the Realm—those that are of Cook Island Niue and Tokelau descent—can return home. They can actually bring something back to those local economies those local communities as well and I think that's significantly important to what we're hearing in our communities.If I think back there were times when we'd think What is the contribution of Pacific peoples?" and I want to acknowledge that we've now been able to highlight the significant contribution back in World War I. It was two or three years ago when we were acknowledging the centenary celebrations—New Zealand's 100 years. And all the way into that we realised that actually we had a part to play: Pasifika people were represented. I want to acknowledge the 147 Niue soldiers that were represented back in World War I and the almost 500 Cook Islands soldiers that were represented. There were also members from Samoa from Tokelau and also from Tonga as well. In all they say in World War I there would have been approximately 1000 Pacific people that were represented—that fought for the country and yes under British rule but because they believed it was important to make a contribution. I mentioned that because part of what we're talking about today is honouring the contribution that Pasifika people have made to New Zealand. It's only fair that this bill is not only dealing with those in regards to the superannuation but also those who've been veterans. That's why I want to acknowledge the veterans' contribution—those who've made that contribution many times. In fact I see my good colleague and friend here the Hon Peeni Henare. It was only last year when we had the re-enactment of the first Rarotongan contingent who were here in 1917. It was actually in this Chamber where were had Papa Te Poave who came along. His father was part of the 45 that were there. I want to acknowledge the Hon Peeni Henare because on behalf of his grandfather who was there at that time as Minister he actually had the mihi towards them. It was a powerful it was an emotional and it was a spiritual moment because again it recognised the contribution that our Pasifika people make.So I'm proud here today to acknowledge the importance of this. Because what this bill does is it is acknowledging in a way the contribution not only from the past but even in the present for those who've contributed 10 years or more can now return back into the Pacific nations into those Realm countries and contribute back as well.The special issues that are here are that there are three different types of superannuation in New Zealand. There's the reciprocal social security agreement and there's the special portability and the general portability. This particular piece of legislation comes under the special portability. That's important again. It recognises the relationship but it means that again those who've been here and have contributed to society over 10 years before turning 50 can now return back. What we've heard time and time again is that that's made a difference into those nations—contributing into their villages giving back to their families as well and I think that's going to be important. Prime Minister Puna you also yesterday in the old legislative chamber—in fact just parallel to here—talked about the importance of graduation. I want to acknowledge that because when we see our Pacific nations the only way that we can graduate that we can mature that we can move on is when we have the opportunities to grow the economy but also to bring back those who've been the diaspora—that is what we call them: Cook Islanders who've lived abroad who've gained some experience and expertise and Niueans and Tokelauans who can come back then and make their contribution. I want to thank you for that because I think that truly is a statement of leadership in our Pacific nations—to say that even as small Pacific nations we can have a contribution that we can move from a sense of dependency and even though as nations of the Realm you are self-governing and in free association it's truly a mark of leadership and maturity when as small Pacific nations we desire to actually graduate and move from a sense of dependency as well.Inside of that I know that one of the questions that I asked from the floor yesterday was about how we can grow that connectivity. Previously we used to have an overseas seat. You Prime Minister Puna in true form and in humour said "Well what we do is that we supplant Cook Islanders into the New Zealand Parliament." I want to acknowledge the Assistant Speaker here as well. I think that what you Prime Minister Puna were also alluding to is that there are a number of Cook Islanders Niueans and Tokelauans who have succeeded and have done well in our society. If I think about it it was only just last week that we were there to welcome Adrian Orr who is now the Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and that is quite a significant role. Even though he is from Atiu descent—well you can't all be perfect; he's not from Aitutaki Mangaia or Pukapuka; that's OK—but what's more important is that he's a Cook Islander that's able to be in position of influence. And there are many others.I hope that what this bill will do is it will encourage more of our Pasifika people to say that with the experience that they have learnt with the expertise that they can offer they will return home. I know that the Hon Carmel Sepuloni and I and others were on the Pacific Mission and when we were in Niue why I was really encouraged was that there were a number of young people and families who said "We're coming back home. We're coming back home because we believe that our countries are a better place to raise our children. It's a way of connecting back to our families and to our villages." So already we see that people are returning back. This piece of legalisation I believe is another way of creating a pathway that will not only encourage it but will also enable that ability as well. Because for a number of them they often say that what holds them back from returning is the fact of their parents. Now they'll have the ability to be able to support their parents as they return back. The legislation will mean that they no longer need to be present or resident in Aotearoa in New Zealand; they can actually continue to be living and working and contributing back in those nations of the Realm and that becomes significantly important as well. So Madam Assistant Speaker can I say that it's a proud day to be able to speak to this bill. I know that for you and I we are proud to be able to see that many not only in the Cook Islands but in Niue and Tokelau will see this bill as significant and more importantly something that we join right across the House in supporting. We support this piece of legislation to the House.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Now before I call the honourable member on the next call I just want to make clear that although the previous speaker the Hon Alfred Ngaro did make mention of the chair in his speech I know that he was referring to the presence in the gallery of the Hon Henry Puna the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands and the delegation that's there. So I was lenient towards you but I would encourage members in their contributions to ensure that they do not bring the Speaker into the debate."