Sio Hon Aupito WilliamHon AUPITO WILLIAM SIO (Minister for Pacific Peoples): Mr Speaker can I begin by congratulating you on your role as the Speaker of Parliament and also your colleagues the Deputy Speaker and the Assistant Speakers.I want to particularly acknowledge for the record Poto Williams being your Assistant Speaker and the first Pacific person to hold this office. I'm not sure whether that's recognised by the House but that's a significant record as Pacific communities look to the future of New Zealand and recognise that this is their home. For a large percentage of Pacific peoples—60 percent of them are born here in Aotearoa New Zealand—this is their home; they know no home other than Aotearoa New Zealand.So the dreams and aspirations of their parents grandparents who first arrived into Aotearoa New Zealand—one of the key things of that vision was education. We all believed and the elders all believed that education was the key to the success of our communities albeit in the early days of the 1960s and 1970s many of the elders then got free tertiary education. That's why we have a lot of teachers; that's why we have accountants. In fact many on the other side of the House are beneficiaries of the free tertiary education policies of previous Governments.I think the policy that has been announced yesterday by the Prime Minister and by the Hon Chris Hipkins the Minister of Education—that is a policy that I would like to see this House shout from the rooftop over and over and over again because this is our investment into the future of New Zealand. Look we are saying that this is a policy—it's universal it is free there is no age gap here. It is available to those who are finishing up high school this year. It is available for those who want to go into apprenticeship schemes. It is available for those already in the workforce who want to receive organised training. I want to say that as part of the work that we did in the Future of Work Commission we know from what we see in other parts of the world that the work environment is changing and unless our population receives skills receives qualifications our population will not be able to receive the full benefits of this economy.I have to smile when I listen to the other side—and may they be effective members of the Opposition and may they be long-lasting in that role of Opposition—because when they were here in Government we would say Invest in the future of this country. Invest in free education." What happened? No they did not want to do one iota. Steven Joyce is somebody that got free education. Paula Bennett received the free education support from the State but when they were in Government they pulled the ladder up.So this is a policy that is not only going to benefit present generations but it'll benefit the future and the next generation. I know that in my heart unless Pacific children Pacific young people and the Pacific workforce which this country will rely upon in years to come—unless they are able to access tertiary education which the previous Government made harder under their regime. They made it difficult. It was a regime where if you had money you could access tertiary education. But under this new Labour-led coalition Government with New Zealand First with support partners the Green Party this is the stuff that strong foundations wealthy nations are made from: by ensuring that it is available for all. I know in my heart that unless our communities unless the working-class communities of South Auckland unless Pacific workers quickly take up this advantage they will for ever be treated by the other side as people only good for cleaning jobs only good for cleaning up the toilets only good for doing low-level skills and low-paying jobs.That's why it's not just a responsibility of this side of the House to be championing and shouting from the rooftop of the value of this policy but I think the other side members of the Opposition have a moral responsibility. If we are united in this House about doing what is good for New Zealand then they have a moral responsibility also to promote this policy to their constituency. When we look at the struggles of many families education is the key to remove them from the struggles and to succeed in Aotearoa New Zealand."