Lole-Taylor Asenati: Debate On Pacific IssuesText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLole-Taylor Asenati: Debate On Pacific Issues[Sitting date: 18 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9567. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR (NZ First):Fa‘afetai lava.Fakauelahi. Meitaki maata. Fa‘atalofa atu malo le soifua ma le lagi e mama I le pa‘ia ma le mamalu o le maota fono aemaise le au-vala‘aulia.Kia orana. Ia orana. Talofa koutou. Taloha ni. Malo ni. Fakaalofa lahi atu. Kam na Mauri. Alo. Halo ola keta.Kia ora tātoukatoa. And of course warm Pacific greetings.Life is a dream for the wise a game for the fool—and there are many of them in some parts of the House—a comedy for the rich and a tragedy for the poor who are struggling with the unemployment rates in our country right now. It is wonderful to have our families our friends and our people from the Pacific here today. Afio mai maliu mai welcome.Let me start by saying that parliamentarians in the Pacific region must ensure that their policy machinery is going to benefit the local communities—the ones who matter the people. The Pacific Parliamentary and Political Leaders Forum which New Zealand is hosting this weekend is a perfect platform for us to exchange experiences and learn from each other. It is also a chance where we can exchange expert knowledge that will assist in eliminating barriers that continue to prevent leadership in the Pacific region from making progress. Good leadership governance and democracy are essential for enabling people to live enjoyable lives in the Pacific. There is a need—not a want—to emphasise the importance of participative democracy and how this will contribute to the strengthening of our economic social and political development.Regional development benefiting from the Pacific plan and strategies will require a more inclusive network that is well informed and open to different viewpoints that traditionally might have been ignored. There needs to be a shift in our mentality from leadership that is biased and tainted by exclusionary norms. Civil society has a vital role to play in ensuring that political leadership and credibility are held accountable for thepolicies and strategies that are put in place. People in local communities need to be kept in the know and also afforded the platform to engage in dialogue and discussions on matters that affect them. The Pacific plan is everyone’s business and it is paramount that all stakeholders concerned—that is all of us—are able to voice their concerns and add more value and weight to the issues that directly affect them.As people of the Pacific we realise that our mistrust of the future makes it hard to give up the past. As Pacific people history has taught us many lessons that we will not forget. In some respects we have been more fortunate than others. Many Pacific Islands were colonised in a time when the “great powers” realised that they had a responsibility not only to take but also to give back. I look at my own country of origin and the periods of colonisation firstly under Germany and then under the New Zealand administration. Inevitably these administrations brought misery and hardship to many Samoans. However they also brought infrastructure roads schools power hospitals transportation telecommunication trade and more. It enabled many of our people to step into the global village with some confidence as our forefathers looked beyond the shores of our many islands as they saw at that time an opportunity to better themselves and their children.Most Pacific people understand that their special relationships with both New Zealand and Australia are something that should be valued and maintained. We have seen the economic expansion and influence of our Asian neighbours. We can only look on in awe in recent years as these economic giants spread their hands across the Pacific. Successive New Zealand Governments are beginning to understand that they can no longer take their nearest neighbours for granted if we are to maintain our unique strategic economic and cultural ties. I fully understand why France and the United States take their Pacific protectorates very very seriously. In a modern world the islands of the Pacific have a unique opportunity to supply not only as in the past New Zealand and Australia with the labour force but also a nearby warm and welcoming holiday destination. Our Pacific neighbours are in a special position that gives the opportunity to take the best of the West and the East and maintain the unique friendships and relationships that have developed over many years. If New Zealand fails to recognise and support the importance of their position in our world then we undoubtedly lose much of the unique character that makes our New Zealand and our Pacific neighbours a special unique place in our global village.One of the main issues that is confronting the Pacific region is equality. Participative democracy and women go hand in hand with governance and given that I am the only Pacific Island woman in Parliament this term and also the first woman MP born outside of New Zealand I think I have every right to advocate for this particular topic to be discussed in this House. [Interruption] I hear that Michael Woodward would like to correct something that I have said.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Yes my name: Woodhouse.Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR: Woodhouse.Hon Michael Woodhouse: But also Melissa Lee was born outside New Zealand.Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR: I happen to be referring to the Pacific Michael Woodhouse. Thank you.It allows the process of democracy to fully capture a nation’s development needs and solutions to these needs. For years now women have been left firmly at the margins and have been excluded from sitting in on decision-making processes. Or if they are they have little room to manoeuvre themselves because political authority is still very much a man’s world. We fail to realise that women make up half of the Pacific population. This is why their perspective and active participation is essential for good governance and for the process of democracy. Collectively women make up 12 percent of theparliamentary seats in the Pacific Islands and if we exclude the French territories that figure would fall to a mere 5 percent. New Zealand has a responsibility to play a role in this area although it does not help that there are budget cuts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade at the moment. Participation should be viewed as a measure by which we can assess good governance. This will ensure that the process of democracy is not tainted and that political credibility is in fact credible. Thank you.