Sio William: Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau) Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSio William: Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau) Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 05 May 2015. Volume:705;Page:3185. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Su’a WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Māngere): I want to state categorically for the House how proud I am to be a New Zealander but that I am also equally proud of my Samoan heritage. I want to place that before the House tonight as we debate this bill with reference to the people of Niue the Cook Islands and Tokelau.The Samoan in me would also like to say to members of this House how proud I am as a New Zealander of Samoan heritage that when it comes to things of the Pacific it seems there has been a shift over the years. You will recall Mr Deputy Speaker that as a young man in the 1970s I hated Parliament particularly the Government of the time and what occurred during that period. But over the years there has been a shift. I want to commend that shift which has also included the will of members of Parliament throughout the various political parties to come together united around supporting the people of the Pacific.With reference to this bill however although the Labour Party supports it as my colleagues who spoke earlier particularly Poto Williams said the Government could have done more. It has not done what I believe is the right thing to do with reference to the people of the Realm of New Zealand. In my earlier speech in the first reading I referred to the people of Niue the Cook Islands and Tokelau as the forgotten people. I think they are the forgotten people because most New Zealanders have very little if any understanding that these people are New Zealanders. We are talking about New Zealand citizens who live on soil that is referred to as the Realm of New Zealand.One has to ask if we are limiting their rights as New Zealand citizens by placing this 5-year condition on them what the difference is between people living in Niue the Cook Islands and Tokelau referred to as the Realm islands and those living on Waiheke Island and Stewart Island. What is the difference? The Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau use the New Zealand passport they use the New Zealand dollar in their economies and although they are fortunately bilingual English is the predominant language. So why is the Government wanting to continue to treat these New Zealanders as if they are not full New Zealand citizens as if they are second-class citizens? That is the argument we will continue to push this Government on becausealthough yes it is welcome that the change in this bill allows people from these Realm countries to return to the islands once they have been able to meet the criterion of 5 years after the age of 50 and to receive their pension at age 65 why must they be forced to do that when they are New Zealand citizens living on soil that is regarded as New Zealand soil?I note that the Cook Islands became a British protectorate in 1888 and Niue became a member of the New Zealand Realm in 1901. Tokelau became a protectorate of the United Kingdom and a territory of New Zealand in 1877. So it is not something that just happened overnight. The UK took over and gave the Cook Islands protection because it was afraid of what the French might do. If you look further New Zealand had a role to play in the 1800s when the United Kingdom Germany and America were trying to divvy up the Pacific. New Zealand left Samoa to the Germans and took over Fiji. Then in 1914 at the beginning of the First World War New Zealand landed on the shores of Samoa and took control of Samoa. So this is not a one-night stand if you like. It has been like this for some years now.I think that the House needs to be quite clear in its thinking that we are talking about New Zealand citizens living on New Zealand soil not on a distant island that is not part of the Realm of New Zealand. I can accept that for Samoa and Tonga despite what they might wish. But firstly these are forgotten New Zealanders who must be recognised and acknowledged as full-bloom New Zealand citizens.Only a few weeks ago the country celebrated Anzac Day. It seems like new information to many New Zealanders when we say to them that 500 Cook Islanders volunteered to fight for the empire on behalf of New Zealand. They fought in the First World War and the Second World War and 150-plus Niueans fought in the First World War. That is why they were often forgotten in the action—they were either small in numbers or were referred to as Māori because Sir Māui Pōmare was trying to raise the number of Māori for the Māori Battalion. At one time and rightly so some Māori said “Why should we go over and fight in the war when we are treated differently here?”. Therefore it was Cook Islanders and Niueans who were brought on board to fill the Māori Battalion. I have to say I also want to acknowledge the numbers although very minor—33 I think from Samoa and individuals from Tonga and Fiji—who also took part in that war.The point I am making is that I am glad Parliament this House of ours is united in terms of the Pacific. I wholeheartedly along with my colleagues in the Labour Party support this bill. I want to say to the Government that it can do more but it first needs to recognise that this is not a different group of people. They are not foreigners. They are New Zealand citizens living on the soils of New Zealand in the Realm of New Zealand. I think there was room for the Government to seriously consider the removal of the condition it had placed. There is a Supplementary Order Paper which will be introduced by New Zealand First that I look forward to debating.I think it was Poto Williams in one of the select committee sessions who asked how much it would cost if we did away with that condition. I think it was to the tune of $9 million to $21 million. I followed it up with a question. I asked the officials “How much would it save New Zealanders if we allowed that to happen?”—if we allowed people in Niue Tokelau and the Cook Islands full rights to receive the full pension. They could not answer that—they could not answer. I have to ask why the Government did not do any work in terms of identifying the ongoing savings if this took place and the long-term benefits to the relationship of New Zealand and these Pacific Islands which are in the Realm of New Zealand and whose people are New Zealand citizens. I think if the Government seriously looked at that it would find that there would be savings in more people returning to retire in the islands in the same way that Aucklanders retire to Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf.