Stanford EricaHon ERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays): To the family and friends of Efeso Collins thank you for being here today. On behalf of the National Party I'm really honoured to be asked to speak.My time with Efeso Collins I thought it was about 30 years ago but actually now I realise it was slightly longer—I'm older than I realised. It was at Auckland University. He was the president of the student association and I was brought in on a by-election as the international affairs officer—don't ask me what I did; I don't remember if I achieved anything. But I do remember Efeso and we stayed in touch over the years.My time with him as I say was so long ago but I remember his smile. He always greeted you with a hug. I always remember he—and he still does—he cared deeply about his community and he was the wonderful connector and such an incredible orator. I mean he was born to be on stage. He was born I think with a microphone or a megaphone in his hand either at a protest or behind a lectern. But the thing is when you met him you wouldn't know about that because he was a listener. He was always interested in what you had to say and you felt like you were the only person in the room when you spoke to him. He was curious and interested and humble. He'd always ask you about your family and your kids over the years.As I say he was a gifted orator chairing those meetings at Auckland University—and I can tell you they weren't easy to chair. I'm not sure if you know but student politics is much like politics in this House possibly even a little bit more fearsome—certainly back in the 1990s anyway! But he was so excellent at being a wonderful person who brought people together. He didn't just represent one community; he represented so many communities. He represented everybody at Auckland University as well as the Māori and Pasifika students. I was so happy to see him being elected.I have to say though in response to Willie Jackson I think we got played. Because actually to get what he wanted which was the best for his communities—I mean I was talking to my husband; he was flicking through his texts that he often got from Efeso I'll tell you that story shortly too. One of the things he said was when I became elected he goes: Oh you know maybe I could join together with that party as well." But he did that for a reason because he wanted certain things for his community and he knew how to get them and he knew how to play the game and he knew that he needed to be really well connected into all of our parties and indeed he was because he cared so much about his communities and advancing things for his communities.I didn't know him well enough to know why he got into politics but I get the feeling that in his heart he wanted a country that he was proud of and excited about for his daughters to grow up in because for him everything—as we've heard today—everything always came back to family. He talked to my husband regularly because my husband was the president after Efeso and Kane said to me that they would talk briefly about politics and reminisce and then immediately Efeso would always say "Mate how are your kids? How's Erica doing? How's the family?" And he would talk about his own family and he was so very very proud.Over the years he always stayed in touch with me. It was over 30 years ago that we were at university together. I might be the Pākehā Tory girl from the shore and he was the liberal Samoan bloke from the south side but he always stayed in touch. I always got texts and messages from him when something happened throughout the last 30 years congratulating me—whether it was the birth of a child or something Kane had done or the birth of my second child or being elected—and we always stayed in touch.I told this story on The AM Show but there was a bit more to it; I didn't tell the whole story. Before my husband was president he was campaigning for the person who was going to be running against Efeso Collins. So he was helping Graham Watson—for those of you who remember Auckland University—and Graham was running against Efeso. My husband Kane went into the largest lecture theatre in the whole of Auckland University to tell everybody why they should vote for Graham Watson and that was about democracy and freedom of speech. My husband said to the audience "What would you rather have democracy and free speech or what Efeso Collins is promising you: a pizza parlour on campus?" Every single person in that entire room said "A pizza parlour on campus." And he was duly elected. But the part of the story I didn't tell on air was like all of our student politicians he never did get that pizza parlour on campus. But I can say that he worked with my husband and inspired my husband to run for politics the very next year. But the one thing we learnt from Efeso was: know your audience.Can I just finish by saying that we will miss his huge smile and the fact that he got on with everybody so well. He was so loved. He will be missed by all. I'm just so so sad that we didn't get to see him fulfil his immense potential in this House."