Mark RonHon RON MARK (Minister of Defence): Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Well I do need to put on the record a couple of things. It's been very interesting sitting in here listening to some of the speeches from the Opposition benches and I really do hate to upset the atmosphere of collaboration cooperation and mutual admiration that does seem to be befalling us right now but one cannot let some things go by particularly with this being the 25th anniversary of the birth of New Zealand First—well not this day but this year. Right from the outset the Rt Hon Winston Peters has championed and advocated for this law change. It's been interesting listening to various National Party speakers talking about how they support this legislation and talking about how it's good that this inequity this anomaly this injustice is now being corrected. The Rt Hon Bill English promised in 2017—he just happened to be on the election trail at that time—that he would correct this anomaly this error this inconsistency. I do recall that the Hon Murray McCully likewise whilst he was flitting around the South Pacific as the Minister of Foreign Affairs having heard the representations from Pacific Island leaders both here in New Zealand and back in the Cook Islands in Niue and in Tokelau also promised to redress this anomaly. I do recall very clearly on 29 April 2015 as we debated the Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau) Bill in its second reading a speech from the Rt Hon Winston Peters where he pleaded with the then National Government Minister the Hon Alfred Ngaro to accept his Supplementary Order Paper that would have redressed this very matter. And what happened? See one would assume from all of the speeches thus far from the National Party that they agreed. Well clearly they didn't agree because that's why we're having to pass this legislation now. It is just absolutely mind-boggling that the party that has opposed this tooth and nail back as far as 1993 to now should be asking everybody to recognise and applaud the Rt Hon Bill English the Hon Murray McCully and the Hon Alfred Ngaro because this piece of legislation apparently my coalition colleagues is a National Party - birthed child. Kiritapu Allan: Ah that's what they're saying isn't it? Hon RON MARK: Apparently. Well it is far from that. Then we go back to 29 April 2015 and read the words where the Rt Hon Winston Peters was pleading. He was saying We have a Supplementary Order Paper in respect of this bill because this … bill"—being portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau bill which was the National Party bill—"is extraordinarily biased and prejudicial towards Realm countries in the Pacific." He said "Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully has continually emphasised the special and historic"—[Interruption] Here they go. They don't like it up 'em do they? They don't like it up 'em do they—"relationship of the Realm countries and Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau) Bill is doing just half the job." said the Rt Hon Winston Peters. "We appeal"—now this is us asking. I don't want to say "begging" because the Rt Hon Winston Peters never begs but he does put a compelling case and he does ask the people who say they're going to do something to stick by their word and do it. So he said "We appeal to the Minister to finish what he started and amend the agreement to exempt the Realm countries from section 8(c) and that is what our Supplementary Order Paper will be [all] about." And—hello—what are we doing right now? We're exempting section 8(c) and the audacity—the audacity my coalition colleagues—is that that lot want to sit over there now and reap some sort of credit. Some credit? You have got to be joking me. DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am not. Hon RON MARK: Seriously they—DEPUTY SPEAKER: I am not. Could you come to the bill. Hon RON MARK: Oh Madam Deputy Speaker I apologise. DEPUTY SPEAKER: Would you come to the bill before us. Hon RON MARK: I am talking to the bill—section 8(c). DEPUTY SPEAKER: No I'm sorry but you don't argue with the Speaker. I have asked you to come to the bill. You've read something from years ago. I would like you to address the bill. Hon RON MARK: Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. The bill the Social Assistance (Residency Qualification) Legislation Bill—which we are supporting in New Zealand First—waives section 8(c) which is the five years after 50 rule. Why do we believe in doing that? Because it was wrong. It actually discriminated against people who are New Zealanders. It required these people to leave their Realm country and to come back to New Zealand to fulfil that five years' requirement to qualify and that is the very point that has been argued in this House for decades—decades. It is nice to see that after 25 years we are putting it right. It's interesting that when we look at these people who have been simply asked as New Zealanders to be treated correctly—and I do say we have to acknowledge that on this day of the second reading of this bill a Mr Les Priest who has represented in the Rarotonga and New Zealand superannuation lobby group of Cook Islanders and expatriate Kiwis these citizens for so long and so well. This has been a long battle for these people fighting for many many years. It is satisfying that we get to this point on the second reading with the unanimous support of the House and I do thank the National Party for finally getting to this point. But I do not think it's unreasonable to remind the nation at this second reading of how good this bill is and the tortuous path that has been walked to get section 8(c) and the five years after 50 rule finally dealt with. It has caused inappropriate dislocation. It has caused disruption. It has caused relocation. It has caused a breakdown in the social cohesion of the countries involved. It has caused people who have returned to their land having gained wonderful skill sets here in New Zealand in the decades that they've lived here and paid taxes who've gone back transferring those skills taking money with them and investing their time their knowledge their skills their talent and their money back in their countries in their own islands—to have to then up sticks to come back here to New Zealand to complete those five years so that they might qualify for something that was always rightfully theirs. That another Government could not recognise that in the last term is very very sad. It's sad. I'd only encourage those National Party members—and I congratulate them for voting for this legislation here today and on supporting it through to third reading—all to go back up to their Pacific Island communities and apologise. You know certain National Party Ministers gained honours and recognition from these Pacific Island nations on the back of promises that they made and did not keep. I think in amongst all of this the one man who has stood true to his word steadfastly for the last 25 years on this very issue and who is now the Deputy Prime Minister and enjoying the pleasure of seeing it enacted—and I thank the Opposition party for coming along with us on this ride—is the Rt Hon Winston Peters who made those points to sadly deaf ears on 29 April 2015. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker."