Sosene Lemauga LydiaLEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour): Mānawatia a Matariki. Thank you Mr Speaker for the opportunity to rise and I wish to add to and highlight in this kōrero the Labour Government's significant investment in Budget announcements 2022. I do want to begin by thanking my colleagues led by Minister Hipkins. On reflection reconnecting New Zealand to the world there have been welcome announcements made recently of travellers no longer needing a COVID pre-departure test to enter Aotearoa New Zealand. That is so important to our New Zealand borders that are being reopened and I really look forward to a number of family and friends who will be visiting Aotearoa later this year. The COVID restrictions have meant people needed to stay home overseas. Especially to our closest neighbours whānau in Australia that trans-Tasman comradery-ship is really important and we really look forward to seeing them. It's going to be a special time reconnecting with family whānau and aiga and to have those special milestones. I make comments to highlight that the Labour Government is working very hard providing significant investment for Kiwis and I want to home in on Pasifika communities and focus my comments there: the creation of economic security for now and in the future. The unemployment rate is at a low 3.2 percent against the expectation when COVID hit that there would be a percentage of something like 10 percent. But that is not true: it is 3.2 percent. As you know I've only been here for a few months. I've had the privilege of travelling with a number of Government Ministers to see our communities—Minister Grant Robertson Minister Aupito William Sio Minister Poto Williams and Minister Carmel Sepuloni—and to talk to our Pasifika communities and communities at large about the Budget announcements 2022.The Wellbeing Budget 2022 Pasifika package is the largest—an investment of $196 million of funding for our Aotearoa Pacific communities. We had the pleasure of visiting the communities in Ōtaki with my colleagues Terisa Ngobi and Tangi Utikere. We visited the Horowhenua Learning Centre and we heard from the facilitator a young Pasifika woman Tessa. In her emotional tribute in a thankyou speech she highlighted three of their young people living in this district. Those young people have benefited from the programme of the Government's investment to lift their economic and health wellbeing and that is part of the Government securing our recovery. We also visited Porirua in a post-Budget breakfast. The Hon Aupito William Sio was able to launch the first Pacific employment plan and that plan sets out a vision with better employment opportunities including self-employment and training priorities for our communities. A key goal is that the Pacific communities will be able to progress the aspirations and prosperity of future generations.Just lastly I was able on behalf of Minister Aupito to attend and hand out and congratulate two young Pasifika recipients of the Tupu Aotearoa programme. Both had received a Master's scholarship and a doctorate scholarship and that will help both of those students—one young woman from Dunedin and a young Pacific man from Auckland—to benefit their Pacific research capability and capacity in recognising identity language and culture. I am very proud that the Labour Government is committed to securing our recovery in these initiatives and I am very proud of being a member of the Labour Government. Thank you.