Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill

I move, That the Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill be now read a third time.

What a great day it is to be Pasifika in this Parliament. Actually, it is always a great day to be Pasifika, but let me begin by saying, before the Hon Barbara Edmonds says it, that this is the 682 backing the 685. Let me begin by giving a big kia orāna kōtou kātoatoa to all of my Samoan relatives today, and a big I-E-Ko-Ko!

This bill is about justice, reconciliation, and progress for our Samoan communities in Aotearoa, and I hope that the passage of this bill is a milestone in addressing historical injustices, acknowledging intergenerational harm, and fostering accountability for past actions such as the Dawn Raids. It’s also about community involvement and the broader importance of strengthening relationships between Aotearoa and our Pacific neighbours while also promoting unity in our pursuit for justice for our communities.

This bill is a significant step for Pasifika justice here in Aotearoa and around the Pacific. I also want to acknowledge the rarity of this bill receiving unanimous political support across the House in the second reading and, of course, in the committee of the whole House. As we say in politics, it’s best not to count your chickens before they’re in the umu, but I am confident that there will be enough support—hopefully, unanimous support—for this bill to get through its third reading.

I want to also emphasise that I didn’t know previously—because this is the only bill that I’ve ever had pulled out of the biscuit tin—that it’s rare for an Opposition MP to get a bill this far. I want to acknowledge the very strong advocacy of the community today. It was your advocacy and your ability to talk right across the political aisle that is the reason why we have gotten to this point today. I say a big fa‘afetai tele lava to all of you.

Often people ask me the reasons for me putting this bill in the biscuit tin, and there are a number. As a first-term MP, you try to put something together to put into the biscuit tin, and in the last parliamentary term we were working on the Dawn Raids apology, an incredibly heavy and painful subject for our peoples. As I was doing that, Samoans my age were reaching out to me going, “Well, while you’re doing this, there’s actually all these other issues, and in particular this very specific issue for our communities that we want you to address.”

Today, I want to acknowledge the Samoans of my generation who are, like myself, first-generation Pacific Islanders born here in Aotearoa New Zealand, who have similar experiences as me and who asked me to put this bill into the biscuit tin. I want to acknowledge a number of them today. A friend of mine, Tai Pritchard is here as well. Other friends of mine like Tony Fala are here, and Renee Dingwall as well, a Green Party councillor who asked me specifically, a lot, to actually put something together and put this in the tin.

I also acknowledge all the Samoans I went to Auckland University with, along with the Hon Jenny Salesa—she’ll know all of them—people such as Lotu Fuli. A number of us ended up in the Foufou a Pulotu o Niue, which was the Niuean Students Association; people such as Terry and the others. You had an enormous impact on me, on why I should put forward this bill in solidarity with you and your communities. Most of all, today, I am thinking of my brother—our brother—Fa’anānā Efeso Collins. This one’s for you, uce—this one’s for you.

There is a historical context to this bill, and I want to acknowledge Falema‘i Lesā, who I think might be in the gallery somewhere today. I want to acknowledge her commitment and the work that she did in 1978 to challenge the Government when they took away her citizenship. I want to acknowledge the workers of that time who came to the select committee, who presented and talked about how they rallied behind Falema‘i and her legal team to get the pūtea together, to get the funding together, to take the case to the Privy Council. They won that court case and they were right. They were New Zealand citizens, and they had their citizenship removed.

I want to reflect on the weight of the debates that we’ve had in this Chamber, the weight of the conversations that we heard through the select committee process, and I want to celebrate and acknowledge the extensive consultations that we had with the impacted community. There were powerful testimonies from the Samoan community during the select committee process. I want to praise the authenticity and the passion of young people—of our rangatahi—who came to the select committee process with their vision for a better future. If I can say to our Pasifika communities, seeing the strength and the intelligence of those young people, I am certain that the future of Pasifika communities is in safe hands.

I want to acknowledge the involvement of many former MPs. I acknowledge you, Arthur Anae, for your steadfast commitment to continue to push on this issue. I note that there was a 2003 petition which had nearly 100,000 people and also a demonstration outside the steps of Parliament. I want to acknowledge the other former Samoan MPs who have participated or shown their support throughout this process, such as the Hon Luamanuvao Winnie Laban; Terisa Ngobi; and Aupito William Sio, who was actually one of the first people I rang when the bill was pulled out of the biscuit tin.

I want to acknowledge Te Pāti Māori for being one of my first responders when I asked them if they would support the bill, and acknowledging the connection between tangata whenua and tangata moana. Tēnā koutou katoa. I also want to acknowledge the role of engagement with Vaovasamanaia the Rt Hon Winston Peters and the considered conversations with myself. We had a number of conversations with myself and the Hon Jenny Salesa. In 1982, I was just a kid, so having the experience of the right honourable Deputy Prime Minister was valuable in trying to find a way to navigate a way forward in this.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene messaged me this morning, and I know that if she could have been, she would have been here—if she could have been, she would have been here. Suga, sister, I know that you are probably listening today. This bill is also for you. This bill is also acknowledging the work that you have done in the select committee and in your communities to get people to move forward as well.

I would like to acknowledge the ACT Party who, in the first reading, surprised the nation, I think, with their support. Dr Parmjeet Parmar, I would like to recognise your contribution and the contribution of the ACT Party. The select committee process was amicable, I think, and I’d like to acknowledge Cameron Brewer, Tim Costley, and Tom Rutherford for their work behind the scenes, trying to wrangle their lot to get this over the line in a way that suits and benefits them, and, of course, Andy Foster, whose tabled amendment got up when my two didn’t. Congratulations to him for making sure that those tabled amendments got over as well.

Before I end, I have to say that the thing with these types of things, as members of Parliament we get up and we talk and everybody thinks that it’s all about us, but, actually, the real heroes are the staff. The real heroes are the workers. I’d like to acknowledge the staff that have helped to support me, our chief of staff, our directors, our communications staff, but I want to acknowledge Samu Telefoni, who is here today. When I started this, I started this with Samu. I am an Atiuan; he is a Tongan—so you have an Atiuan and a Tongan supporting our Samoan family.

I would also like to acknowledge Leaara Kauika-Stevens, who did a lot of the heavy lifting behind the scenes, making sure that I’m organised, along with Samu as well, and the massive amounts of support that we’ve had from many of our young Māori and Pacific staff as well: Jack, Poppy, Tamahina, and Chargn, and all of our Green Party staff.

The Greens are proud to have championed this bill, and we hope that it goes some way to atoning for the past wrongs of this Parliament, by the State, against Pasifika communities. Let’s savour this small but significant victory and carry forward the momentum to achieve possibly even greater things. When we unite in the pursuit of justice there is so much more that we can accomplish. Mr Speaker, fa‘afetai tele lava. Meitaki ranuinui. I commend this bill to the House.

The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Talofa lava, Mr Speaker, distinguished guests, and Your Excellency, Samoa’s High Commissioner to New Zealand. Thank you for your submissions, thank you for your patience, thank you for your belief in the process, and thank you for your graciousness. The National Party is pleased—very pleased—to support this third reading of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill. We believe we have landed at a good place after a lot of work from a lot of people.

The bill will restore New Zealand citizenship to individuals born in Western Samoa between 13 May 1924 and 1 January 1949 yet were not in New Zealand in 1982, whose citizenship was removed with the 1982 Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act. The House’s intention is clear; the Governance and Administration Committee’s intention is clear: we are ring-fencing a cohort of now very special elderly people, possibly up to 3,500 individuals, and only those directly affected will be eligible, as of right, for citizenship by grant, not their descendants. By ring-fencing the eligible 1924-48 cohort, we have done something, as I’ve said before, that no New Zealand Parliament has done in the 42 years since the Privy Council decision. We are acknowledging today what many lost when the 1982 Parliament unanimously voted to rule those living in New Zealand at the time, citizens, but not those living in Samoa or elsewhere.

One historical perspective that continues to be perpetuated, including in the New Zealand media today, was that it was the Muldoon Government alone that overturned the Privy Council’s ruling through the 1982 legislation to take away that citizenship. Taking away that citizenship in 1982 was a unanimous decision by this Parliament, with Bill Rowling’s Labour Party and Bruce Beetham’s Social Credit joining the Government of the day to unanimously push through that legislation. Isn’t it great that, 42 years later, this Parliament is united again in the restoration of citizenship?

I want to pay tribute to our Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, and I also want to pay tribute to the support from senior MPs, their offices and their officers—the Hon Nicola Willis; Shane Reti; Chris Bishop; Erica Stanford; our Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) spokesperson Chris Penk; and the chief of staff in the Prime Minister’s Office, Cam Burrows. I also want to acknowledge the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Rt Hon Winston Peters, and our Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden—thank you, Mr Peters, for all the work that you have done and continue to do in the Pacific as part of your Pacific reset programme.

By amending and not repealing this legislation, we have avoided violating the 1962 protocol to the Treaty of Friendship and potentially straining diplomatic relations with Samoa. With that in mind, and all that work that’s been done to get us this far, I want to acknowledge the sponsor, Green MP Teanau Tuiono, for his work—all his work—and leadership and willingness to adapt his original bill to get it over the line—before we could arguably lose what is the last chance to make a meaningful acknowledgement to this generation.

I want to also thank my Government colleagues National MPs Tim Costley and Tom Rutherford, as well as New Zealand First’s Andy Foster, for their interrogation and hard work over many months to knock this into shape. I want to also acknowledge Anae Arthur Anae, one of my old bosses, for all the work that he’s done and the tenacity that he’s shown. I remember writing research papers on this for caucus back in the late 1990s and he never let it go. As I’ve said before, I turned up to Auckland Council with him and he was still going on about it—and he never let it go. Thank you for all the work you’ve done, Arthur. I know it’s not exactly what you wanted, but it’s as good as we could deliver across this House and you should be very proud.

I want to also take this opportunity to make a public service announcement of some sort, with information that I have sought from the Department of Internal Affairs today, via the Minister’s office, to shine some light on how this will work in an operational sense, in a logistical sense. Assuming that the bill is signed by the Governor-General on Monday, applications for citizenship can be received from Tuesday next week. I want to also announce that the estimated processing time is 30 working days, but this is dependent on the volumes received and the information applicants provide.

The website—the dedicated web page—will be www.govt.nz/citizenship-Samoa-pre-1949. You’ll be able to find it just by going to the govt.nz site—remember that: the govt.nz site. That’ll go live by Friday—that’ll go live by Friday—with the application form, information on how to apply, and a contact centre will go live as well.

People can also—their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, friends and themselves—apply in person at a DIA counter in Auckland, in Wellington, in Christchurch, in Sydney, in London, and, most importantly, at the High Commission in Apia; or by mailing the application form to DIA. Information on the refunds for successful applicants, which the Government and others have agreed to, will be on the website—so that’s the information on the refunds.

This is a very, very historic day. As I was just saying to my good friend Tom Rutherford, no two days in the New Zealand Parliament are ever alike. It’s great to be here for this historic moment, knowing that it has been 42 years in the making. Frankly, our Prime Minister can feel proud that since 1982, after six Labour Prime Ministers and four National ones, he is the one Prime Minister who is putting his support to this.

I want to also acknowledge the support and willingness of the National caucus to back this—that is, the front bench and the backbench. This is 42 years in the making and it gives me great pleasure to commend to the House the Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill. Thank you.

Talofa lava, Mr Speaker, and to all of our Samoan communities who are here at Parliament today and who are watching around Aotearoa and, in fact, the world, I know today is a very significant day for all of you. Welcome to Parliament. Today is about righting an historic wrong. It is a very big day, and I’m proud to be able to take this call and lend Labour’s full support to this bill.

Today is about correcting and finally recognising thousands of Samoan New Zealanders who have always had the right to New Zealand citizenship. Today is about justice, and I acknowledge it has been a long and hard battle for so many people who have fought for justice for so long.

I want to acknowledge Teanau Tuiono for bringing this bill before the House. I want to thank him and the Green Party for working constructively with all parties in this House and for working particularly with my Labour colleagues who I’m speaking alongside here today. Thank you for your collaboration in making sure that this bill made it over the line. On issues like this, working together is absolutely the right thing to do, and I’m very proud to stand here today to say Labour has supported this bill at every step of the way.

To the tens of thousands from our Samoan communities whose voices have helped to shape this bill, thank you for your ongoing and strong advocacy. I know there have been a lot of talanoas held throughout the year with the community, and I want to acknowledge that many have shared deeply felt, personal, and generational stories of their experiences as a result of that 1982 Act and the history between New Zealand and Samoa. I want to thank you for sharing those stories.

I want to thank our Labour MPs who have put so much work into making sure that we as a team understood why this bill was important and why our support for it mattered. They have been right there alongside our Samoan New Zealanders, supporting them each and every step of the way, whether it’s during all of those meetings around the country, on marches, bringing their voices and aspirations to Parliament. Thank you to our Pasifika MPs. To Lemauga Lydia Sosene, who can’t be here today but who sat on the Governance and Administration Committee, a very warm thankyou to you. To Carmel Sepuloni, Barbara Edmonds, Jenny Salesa, and Tangi Utikere: thank you for all of the engagement I know that you have been doing with our communities across the country. And can I thank Rachel Boyack, who so competently chaired the select committee, and all of the members on the select committee for bringing this bill back to the House.

It is a powerful thing to have strong Pacific representation at Parliament, and I’m very proud of Labour’s strong connection with our Pacific communities and the strong representatives that you have sent to be part of our team. The strong relationship and that strength of relationship is something that we celebrate and we respect every single day in this House. It helps to bring about change, like the one that we are seeing here today, and that’s why I’m proud to say that Labour will continue to wholeheartedly support this bill.

There have been many strong voices heard during this debate—almost 25,000 submissions during the select committee process. It’s been very clear that this is an issue important to and close to so many within our community. I want to thank one submitter, Falema‘i Lesā, who made history by successfully arguing her case to the Privy Council four decades ago, that she was indeed a New Zealand citizen. Her oral submission, spoken in Samoan, articulated, “The only thing I want is for my people to be able to travel freely without hindrance or legal implications. If only they didn’t take away this right from Samoans.” We have heard that message. She and many other aunties and uncles have shared similarly heartbreaking experiences of facing deportation when they should have been recognised as citizens. Thank you for sharing your testimony and for continuing to advocate to this day.

Although this bill only applies to the elders of the community—and I say elders only in the sense of age—I feel very much encouraged by the staunch voices of young Samoans who have also been pushing for change. To quote one young and bright activist who led a petition in support of this bill, Esmae Salesa, who is here. I want to quote from her directly: “[They] have a right to be here as much as anyone else does and they deserve their citizenship.” I totally agree. This is about fairness. It’s about ensuring that those who are entitled to the rights other New Zealanders have are afforded those rights.

Outside of the scope of this bill, during the select committee process, we also heard from the community that they want Samoan New Zealand visas to be reviewed. We as a Labour team would be supportive of the Government exploring those issues to remove and alleviate any potential barriers for Samoan New Zealanders wanting to make coming to New Zealand more accessible for their families.

Today’s decision to overturn injustices of the past against our Samoan communities is the way forward in honouring the spirit of the Government’s Dawn Raids apology. The apology was a watershed moment for New Zealand, and I know how important it was for our Pacific communities. I also know that we’ve still got a way to go to make sure that our actions match up with the words in that apology. Today’s passage of this bill through the House is another thing that gives meaning to the words when we said as a country that we were sorry.

We must look to our past to reconcile our future. The Muldoon era heralded a series of discriminatory immigration laws, which, of course, led to the Dawn Raids and the subsequent 1982 removal of citizenship for Samoans born between 1924 and 1948. It should never have happened. Today is a step forward.

I know for many aiga, they’ve waited a long time for this. I know just how much today means for you all and what it means for the thousands who are now going to be eligible for citizenship. I’m glad, through the select committee process, we were able to achieve something which wasn’t achieved at the first reading, the unanimous support of all parties in Parliament for this legislation. There were concessions along the way that needed to be made to get that, but I am glad that everybody got there in the end. What’s important is that there is a pathway forward for those who would otherwise have been left behind.

I know our Samoan communities are amongst our hardest-working and proudest New Zealanders, and I know that today is a big day. I know, for some of you, citizenship was the last step to being fully recognised as a New Zealander and finally feeling like you can call Aotearoa New Zealand home. I can assure you that you have always been home here.

Whenever I’ve been with our Samoan communities here, whether it’s at a Pasifika Fest, at the fale, or simply walking down Great South Road in Ōtāhuhu, I’ve always been made to feel very warmly at home, I have always been very, very well fed, and I have always enjoyed great company.

We are really proud of our Samoan communities here in New Zealand. Thank you for everything you contribute to the richness of this country. It’s a legacy of empowering our communities that we’re firmly committed to upholding. For those of you who are eligible—I understand the oldest cohort may be as young as 100 years young—once the applications are open, I encourage you to consider it. You have a right to participate in this country to the fullest, and we are very pleased that you are finally going to get this opportunity. Fa‘afetai tele lava. Thank you all again. As my colleague and good friend Barbara Edmonds, who no doubt is going to speak and say this later on, says, “Today is the 685s to the world.”

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I’m taking this call on behalf of the ACT Party to support the Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill. We are quite pleased to see that this bill has come to this stage. I know that it’s a member’s bill, so for any member for their bill to be drawn from the ballot is quite exciting. And then to see this bill come to this final stage in the House is even more exciting. I would like to congratulate the member in charge, Teanau Tuiono, for bringing this bill to Parliament, giving us the opportunity to debate this issue, and coming to this point that we are agreeing to support this bill.

I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to 24,000-plus submitters. Their effort is commendable. I also want to thank everybody who has been part of this process. I know that during the first reading we had many, many members of the community—those who came here to witness the passing of the first reading and then the second reading. After the second reading, we had a beautiful function with the community, and I can say there were easily close to 150 members of the community who joined us for that function after the second reading was passed in the House.

In the committee of the whole House, good progress was made on this bill. The amendment which was made—Andy Foster’s amendment, supported by the whole committee—I want to acknowledge, because that amendment provided a good balance. This bill is not about obtaining citizenship; this bill is about reclaiming citizenship. I think it provides that really good balance that if the application is approved, the applicant will be able to get their fee refunded. The whole committee supported that amendment which is, again, a great thing.

Now, in the third reading, again, I see that there are so many members of the community here in the gallery and our gallery is full. Thank you so much for making this special effort. I know it’s not easy to come all the way to Parliament, but you have done this because this is so important for you all. It’s great to see that the community is here in person to witness the third reading of this bill. I want to thank you all for your efforts.

Just recently at an event I was talking to an individual—a respectable individual. I guess I can name that individual because that individual’s daughter has been already named: the Hon Jenny Salesa. I was talking to her, and she said that her daughter has been quite instrumental in gathering support for this bill because her grandad was affected by the 1982 Act. There have been so many reasons why people have come forward to support this bill. People really felt strongly about putting their word forward in the select committee process.

This has shown that our democratic system works. This is not the first time that the issue has come before the House. As the member in charge mentioned before, there was a petition that was in 2003, which had close to 90,000 signatures. At that point, that issue did not go through, but now this has come in the form of a member’s bill, and we are all supporting this bill and really looking forward to seeing that this bill becomes law. To the community, I would say that if you really believe in an issue, do not give up—do not give up. This is your Parliament. Keep bringing that issue again and again, as you have done this time: convinced a member to take up an issue as a member’s bill. Continue to do that. I really commend your efforts in doing so.

Becoming a citizen—as I am an immigrant—is not a small thing. Especially becoming a citizen of New Zealand is a matter of pride. It is a matter of real privilege. We know the value of being a New Zealand citizen. It brings a lot of positives. It brings a lot of obligations which are all positive, again. It brings responsibilities as well. That is our duty towards the royal authority and our duty as New Zealand citizens to make sure we are following all the laws of our country. These people have been waiting, waiting, and waiting for a very, very long time to be citizens of New Zealand and to reclaim their citizenship, so it’s not going to be anything new.

Today, with the passing of the third reading of this bill, I know that it will evoke a number of different kinds of emotions amongst community members. There will be those who will feel their obligation becoming a New Zealand citizen, and there will be the sense of relief as well, because this has been a long fight. I want to acknowledge Falema‘i Lesā and everybody who joined in that journey when that journey started, and all the community that is here today to support us debating this bill. This shows that sometimes the road to justice is not that straightforward. It’s not quick, it can be long, it can have some bumps, but ultimately justice is delivered.

As I said in the first reading of the bill, for the ACT Party, it is about fairness, it is about equality, it is about justice. We really wanted to see this bill go to a select committee process, and it did. I’m really glad to see that so many came forward to speak about this bill and support this bill. I want to acknowledge all my ACT Party colleagues for being so supportive of this bill from the start. I want to especially acknowledge the Hon David Seymour, and the Hon Brooke van Velden as the Minister of Internal Affairs. It’s really good to see that they have been very, very supportive from day one about this bill.

Going forward, yes, the process will start very, very soon. After five days, all those individuals who will be eligible after this bill goes through will be able to apply to reclaim their citizenship. It will be, I know, an exciting moment, because I know so many of these individuals already have families here in New Zealand. It will be a great opportunity for them to become New Zealand citizens and then utilise their time with their families here in New Zealand without going through the longer processes that they might be going through at the moment.

The community’s voice has been heard. The community’s voice has been really strong. I would like to say to the community: keep your voice strong. Continue to advocate for issues that matter. This is something that is to fix a historical wrong. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to fix this historical wrong. It is because of you coming forward that we have been able to pay attention to this issue and take this issue seriously and bring it to this stage.

Finally, I also want to say that I know that there are so many other community members who could not be here today and could not join us during the first reading or the second reading of the bill. I want to acknowledge them as well. I really know that the commitment of those who have been part of this fight, those who have been part of this journey, will be honoured by the entire community. As an immigrant, I understand the emotions that the community is going through and the emotions that the community will feel applying for citizenship and seeing their family members able to reclaim New Zealand citizenship.

Going forward, I know that we are quite excited and we are really looking forward to welcoming those 3,000-plus Kiwi Samoans to New Zealand, as they will become Kiwi Samoans after gaining New Zealand citizenship. I want to congratulate all those individuals who will be reclaiming their citizenship. It’s a real pleasure to support this bill and commend this bill to the House. Thank you.

This is a good day, this is a happy day, this is a day of alofa. It’s a day that we, together, take the final steps in this House to right a wrong that is 42 years old. It’s a day when this Parliament does what no other Parliament has done over that 42 years, despite several requests to take action; and it’s a day when this Parliament will be unanimous—I’m confident we’ll be unanimous, Teanau—in supporting this legislation to correct that wrong, which was done 42 years ago when that House was unanimous in creating the wrong in the first place. I’m delighted to speak in support of this bill on behalf of New Zealand First.

First of all, I just want to make some congratulations. Teanau Tuiono, I want to congratulate you. People can get congratulated for getting a bill drawn out of the hat, but the reality is you had to be in to win. You got it in there, it came out, and you have worked diligently with the Governance and Administration Committee, with the Samoan community to make sure that we got this bill to a place where it can get through today. I wanted to congratulate you for all of that.

I also wanted to place on record my thanks and congratulations to all of the select committee. The Governance and Administration Committee worked really collegially under the chairmanship of Rachel Boyack; Lemauga Lydia Sosene, who’s unfortunately not able to be with us; quite a number of other members of Parliament were involved in it—my colleagues on this side are Tim Costley, Cam Brewer, and Tom Rutherford—and we worked really, really collegially together to make sure that we got this bill into a place where it will get through this House unanimously.

We thanked a little bit the officials, but I do want to place on record—and I’m probably going to miss someone here—our thanks to all the officials from the different agencies: the Department of Internal Affairs; the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, through immigration; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT); the Ministry for Pacific Peoples. The fact that you have so many agencies just illustrates that what looked like a simple bill wasn’t; it became very, very complicated. Every time you peeled the onion a little bit, it got more and more complicated. I want it placed on record my thanks to all of those officials.

But my biggest thanks is to the Samoan community. I just want to say it’s great to see you all here in the gallery with us. Talofa lava, afio mai, and it is wonderful to have you here. This is your Parliament, and I hope that today is a way of your Parliament saying that we are your Parliament and proving that.

I also want a very special welcome to His Excellency Afamasaga Faamatalaupu Toleafoa—I think I got that there; it’s lovely to see you, Your Excellency—and also to Falema‘i Lesā, who I believe is in the room as well. Thank you for your courage and what you did all the way back in 1982 and for following through on that, because, without that, we would not be here today and we would not be celebrating this day. Thank you.

I’d also like to thank, as others have done, Arthur Anae, who has been absolutely diligent in pushing for this. As others have said: you haven’t quite got everything here, but it’s a big step forward. Thank you, Arthur, and thank you for keeping on the case.

It’s been, as I said, a privilege to be on the Governance and Administration Committee to work through this complicated bill. As you’ve heard, we had in excess of around 25,000 submissions. Actually, on top of that, one of those submissions actually represented nearly 6,000 people, so, effectively, we had 30,000 voices from around New Zealand but also from Samoa as well. I think that shows the depth of feeling and the importance of this bill to the Samoan community.

I want to say we heard you. We heard what you had to say. We heard your stories. We heard your hopes, your dreams. We heard the stories of your fathers, your mothers, your grandfathers, and your grandmothers. We heard clearly the sense of a great injustice having been done in 1982. We heard your passion. We heard about the immense positive difference that you have made as the Samoan community in New Zealand, and I just want to say thank you for telling us your stories, thank you for your patience, thank you for your positivity, and thank you for your grace in what you have done.

What the bill does: well, first of all, as we know, it gives the right to citizenship for people born in Samoa between 13 May 1924—and when I wrote down “24”, it’s like going, “Oh, that’s this year.”, but no, it wasn’t; it was 100 years ago—and 31 December 1948. It gives the right to apply for New Zealand citizenship and to know that it will be granted—to know that it will be granted.

I was pleased that the House unanimously picked up and supported an amendment, which one or two of the other speakers have already mentioned. We deliberately tried to keep the price of application low in the first place, but we decided we would put a price on it simply because otherwise we might have an enormous number of applications which weren’t eligible. The Immigration Service was saying, “Please God, don’t let us get overwhelmed by that.”, so we put a price on. But, to me, the issue there was: why should you have to pay for something which was already yours? You pay upfront, and the amendment which the House unanimously supported—which I thank you all for, from myself and from New Zealand First—is that you will get that money back. That is so you don’t have to pay for what you already have.

This bill, soon to be an Act, is built on history and it’s not a history that New Zealand can be very proud of. New Zealand took over Samoa—in the great colonial way, as things were in those days—from Germany during the beginning of the First World War. New Zealand held Samoa as a protectorate, as a mandate country, until independence on 1 January 1962. There are a whole series of citizenship Acts in New Zealand, and it was actually only in 1948 that New Zealanders became New Zealand citizens—before that, New Zealanders were British citizens. But, to me, when you look at that legislation, it’s quite clear that people born in Samoa when Samoa was a protectorate of New Zealand were New Zealand citizens—because if not New Zealand citizens, then what? Samoa was not recognised, so what other than being a New Zealand citizen? That, really, is at the heart of this case, and that was the heart of Falema‘i Lesā’s case: “How can I be an overstayer if I’m already a New Zealand citizen?”

Now, the courts in New Zealand said, “No, no, that can’t be right.”, but the Privy Council said, “Yeah, that’s right. Yes, you are a New Zealand citizen.” Then, of course, the Government of the day—with the support of the Opposition of the day; all the parties of the House—said, “Actually, no, we don’t like that, so we’re going to remove that.” That is the injustice which we’re putting right today. As I said, it’s not a history that New Zealand can be proud of.

It was negligence—a bit of arrogance probably in there as well—that led to a New Zealand ship docking in Samoa during the influenza, and one in five of the Samoan population perished as a result. It was probably worse than negligence when New Zealand forces opened fire on a peaceful demonstration in 1929, killing 11 people. Then, of course, I don’t know what you call it other than racism to say how New Zealand behaved during the Dawn Raids. New Zealand does not have a proud record. As we went through the process of hearing some of the submissions, I kind of wondered, “Why is it that you want to be part of New Zealand?” I say sorry on behalf of that—and you’ve had apologies over time, but New Zealand does not have a proud record in terms of our relationship with Samoa.

In terms of the bill, we considered several key issues. First of all, do we agree with the core of the bill? And the answer now, unanimously, is: yes, we do. Secondly, do we repeal the 1982 Act—because it’s much hated, it’s a good symbol to repeal it—or do we amend it? We decided by majority to amend it. The reason for that was, apart from MFAT saying, “Just please don’t repeal it, because there are a whole bunch of things tied up in the Treaty of Friendship”—and we’ve only actually got one Treaty of Friendship with New Zealand and that is with Samoa—“because it will cause ructions in that.”

The 1982 Act, of course, also included a faster pathway to citizenship. If you’re in New Zealand, you don’t have to wait the five years, which other people do. I remember as the Mayor of Wellington, I always used to ask in citizenship ceremonies, which are a wonderful thing, how long people have been in New Zealand: “Oh, five years”—six years, seven years, 20 years, 30 years. Samoan people said, “Oh yeah, a year maybe.” It was a faster pathway, so we didn’t want to get rid of that. We’d have had to rewrite that into some other piece of legislation had we repealed it. But the important thing was—I think we’ve got to the right place—the title of the bill got changed. Changed the title to “(Restoration)”. Restoration—something that always should have been yours being restored. I think that that is a really good, positive thing to do. As I said, citizenship will be automatic. You just have to apply.

Just to finish off with, there’s a couple of other things outside the bill, and I was really, really strong on this personally. One of them was we heard a lot of submissions saying, “We want the ease of being able to move backwards and forwards. Whether we’re a citizen, whether this affects us or not. It’s the ability to be able to move backwards and forwards for family reasons, for events, whatever it might be, for celebrations.” That’s really important, and that is one thing we as a select committee have said to the executive: “Please can you have a look at that?”, and we heard the Leader of the Opposition saying that they would support that as well.

The final thing I wanted to say was that we also heard a little bit—not a lot; a little bit—about superannuation. Normally, it takes 10 to 20 years to get superannuation, depending on the age, but that is something that New Zealand First will give very careful thought to. Once again, I commend the bill to the House, but this is a special day; it’s a happy day. Fa‘afetai lava. Thank you.

This is a five-minute split call.

Tēnā koe e te Pīka. Ou te tu atu i luma nei e avea aʻu ma sui o Tangatawhenua ma mokopuna o Samoan Māori e lagolago le mamalu o tagata Samoa o lenei Tulafono. Ia faamanuia atu o matou Tupuna ia outou, ia aumai e le Atua le manuia mo tātou. Fa‘afetai lava.

Kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, kei aku w’akatamarahi ki te rangi, kei aku w’akateitei ki te w’enua, tēnā tātou katoa. E tū ana au hei māngai mō ngā kaikōrero o Te Pāti Māori e kaha tautoko ana i tēnei kaupapa, otirā i te pānuitanga tuatoru o tēnei pire.

Kei aku whanaunga o te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, nō koutou te rā. E tika ana te kōrero e kī ana, “Papaki mai ngā nunui, wawaratia ngā tai rere, e ripo e ngā ngaru nui, te rehu tai, ‘ei konei rā.”

[To the great and important ones, those who stand proud to the heavens, those who stand tall upon the earth, greetings to us all. I stand to represent the speakers of the Māori Party, who strongly support this initiative; indeed, the third reading of this bill.

To my kin from the Pacific Ocean, the day is yours. True is the statement that says, “The great waves crash, the currents spread, swirling with the large wave, the sea spray, fare well.”]

The great waves crash, the currents spread, swirling with the large wave of the foam of the sea—this is the kōrero that describes our w’anaungatanga and the power of the movement of the oceans signify the movement of the significance of today and, in this case, the significance of you, our whanaunga, our tuakana. We are one moana; we are one people; we are multiple, multiple waka. It is right, it is pono, it is tika to always be here and witness when something so kino, so bad, has been removed.

We acknowledge all who had to stand in the face of this harmful, racist legislation and all our mokopuna today who continue to have to confront the experience of racism, discrimination. For those who don’t believe and feel the beauty of our w’anaungatanga, of our mokopuna, of our Samoan mokopuna, our Māori mokopuna, our Pasifika mokopuna, it is heartbreaking to know what you had to endure, and we stand in sadness for all of our tūpuna who didn’t get to experience this today.

If only this House could stop creating harm. We call on you as our tuakana because you are not immigrants—you are not immigrants. Citizenship is about w’anaungatanga and w’akapapa, and if we were running our country, the ability to flow with the moana, in and out, around and back, would happen as seamlessly as it did in the past. That is what citizenship, for us, is about.

Today, we celebrate what has been achieved and what has been fought for. A huge mihi to you, our brother, Teanau Tuiono, who had the vision and the boldness and the humility to be able to negotiate this to where it is today.

Our w’akapapa is something to be treasured, and while it is that we hear the lament of those in this House who have apologised and have supported this bill, I acknowledge you all. I acknowledge the mokopuna of those who had to experience this great deep sadness and what it is that they turned up yesterday for us, because your tēina here are going to call on you and will need your tautoko for what we’re confronting as well.

Heoi anō, w’ānau, this is a celebration to w’akanui you and to w’akanui the strength, the vision, and the guts of those who never gave up, and may that always be flowing through the blood of our mokopuna today, as they have to continue to fight, but also enjoy the blessings of our God, who made sure that we got to be here today to enjoy and be able to see what it is for us to experience kotahitanga.

Te Pāti Māori has the absolute honour to be here to tautoko this bill. May we never ever see the repeat of this in our history, and may we be brave and bold enough to continue to push for what it is that we know is real and true.

I thank you for the honour of my mokopuna and the most beautiful son-in-law that I could ever have. Our Manutai whānau, you have graced us with every strength that we could have and, together, we will continue to look at what the waters and the moana brings us. Nō reira, i te āhuatanga o ō tātou tūpuna, ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou katoa. [And so, in the spirit of our ancestors, loving greetings to you all.]

[Applause]

Just before I call Ricardo Menéndez March, I’ve just had a discussion with the previous Speaker as we came in. Clapping is great, but it’s actually broadening out the time. All parties have spoken now, so maybe we’ll just save our cheering and our waiata for the end. I’m not wanting to tamp down your excitement, but let’s have a big celebration at the end. Thank you.

Tēnā koe, Madam Speaker. I just firstly want to acknowledge that this is a bill about justice and reconciliation, and I note your comments, Madam Speaker, about clapping, but I can’t avoid but feel the wairua and the energy from the gallery around how momentous and historic this is, and I just want to commend your validation and basically your words by nature of the reciprocity when it comes to how you engage with this debate.

I want to acknowledge the longstanding history of advocacy and campaigning, from Samoan communities, for truth, because, actually, when I heard submitters, rewatching the amazing words that were spoken to the Governance and Administration Committee, actually, many people were simply speaking the truth in the pursuit of justice. People were seeking for intertwined histories to be recognised—the good, the bad, the ugly, including our shameful history of colonisation. When we’re here finally at this stage, I think there’s an opportunity to set the terms of how we move forward, not just in this bill but in any other policy that touches your communities.

I want to acknowledge my friend and colleague Teanau Tuiono and our beloved Fa’anānā Efeso Collins, who we carry with us every single day. I know how much this bill meant to him and the communities that he served.

This bill has been decades in the making. I know that many have acknowledged Falema‘i Lesā for her amazing advocacy and fight to have her rights recognised, but for any MP who does constituency work, we know that we continue to see members of the Samoan community who have been deemed overstayers and how they have to plead to the system for their connections with Aotearoa to be recognised. This is a fight that no one should have to have, and I think this bill will be one step to avoid having members of the communities pleading their case for what is simply theirs and was always theirs to begin with.

I wanted to echo the words of Auckland University law lecturer Dylan Asafo, who, when he was talking about the history of why we have this bill, noted the moral panic, and if I quote him, he said, “It’s one of the most racist pieces of legislation on the books. It came about because the Muldoon government deemed Pacific migrants a danger to NZ society. If the government is genuine and wants to apologise for the racism [of the Dawn Raids], then it needs to repeal this piece of legislation, to at least offer to Sāmoans, who had their citizenship rights revoked through that legislation, to get their citizenship back.” Today, I think we’re finally getting one step closer to the words that were spoken in the Dawn Raids apology by the Government, because I think those words needed to be carried by action. That was actually what the people, on that day, communicated to politicians.

The Green Party fought for justice to be delivered in full, and I want to acknowledge every other political party that worked collaboratively with my colleague Teanau Tuiono to get to a place where the bill could have unanimous support, but I do want to note that submitters asked for descendants to be included. I want to note that submitters asked for the fees to be completely waived. Submitters also pleaded to politicians to look beyond the scope of this bill to look what justice actually looks like in full.

Many noted that our immigration system continues treating Pasifika as a danger to New Zealand, and I think this is reflected by the fact that we continue asking Samoans to fork out hundreds of dollars to apply to visit their relatives. I know submitters asked us to look at the broader immigration settings, and the Greens remain committed for Samoa to be a visa waiver country, for the rights of recognised seasonal employer workers to be improved, for workers to have pathways to residency, and for us to finally put in place an amnesty for so-called overstayers.

Those are all things that the Green Party will continue backing the submitters and members in the community who have long campaigned for justice to be delivered, because what I see today in the gallery and across the nation over the past few days is a rising movement for Pasifika justice, for Te Tiriti justice, and a recognition that our histories and our liberations are intertwined and that I am not free until all of us are free.

I want to end by commending this bill to the House in the hope that we can all move forward in delivering full and true justice, as previous speakers have said, and that we can collaborate to get Samoa to be a visa waiver country as soon as possible. Kia ora.

Faatalofa atu i le paʻia ma le mamalu o Samoa ua potopoto. Talofa lava, Madam Speaker. In my office in Levin proudly hangs some artwork. [Holds up artwork] It is artwork that represents our community in Horowhenua: artwork from Fiji, Aotearoa, Tonga, and, at the top—though I know you can’t see it from the gallery—proudly, it says “Manu Samoa”.

James Meager: Table the artwork.

TIM COSTLEY: Well, I’ve been asked to table it, and I would happily do so. It was done by students at Taitoko School in Levin. It’s our lowest-decile school, but the most amazing school and the most amazing children, who represent their Pasifika communities so well. At the school, they have big murals from these different Pasifika countries—including Kiribati, as well—that are hung up, and I am just so proud of them, not just for their art but for what they bring to our community, the important role that Pasifika play in Horowhenua, especially. I’m so proud to represent them and all of us here, today.

I want to just start by noting the character that we’ve seen from our Samoan community over 110 years, and the patience, the dignity, and the willingness to persevere while working through our democratic institutions and our parliamentary system to fight for the right outcome but also to fight in the right way. I think we have seen that depth of character from our Samoan community, one that inspires me. I see it in all our Pasifika communities, but I see it particularly in Horowhenua, in Levin, in the Ōtaki electorate, across New Zealand, and, of course, across the Pacific.

It has been a 110-year journey to get here. I think back to 1914, when the UK asked New Zealand to go to Samoa and take over what was a German colony. No consultation—clearly, not with the Germans—but no citizenship was promised, either. From 1924, following on from the Spanish flu, and, again, we were told the intent at the time was clearly to offer no citizenship—that is what we are overturning today. We are overturning that much of the intent from 1924 in the clear intent of this bit of legislation. But it goes on. In 1946, the then Labour Government made it very clear that the destiny of Samoa was for its people to have no New Zealand citizenship, and while the legislation that came into force at the start of 1949 holds today, we are changing the bit that leads up to that, which we can.

I have to acknowledge the fight of Falema‘i Lesā—and what an honour it is to have you joining us here today—from 1975 through to 1982. Even then, after the victory in the Privy Council, the entire New Zealand Parliament joined to say that there would be no citizenship. In 2003, the petition was turned down by the Government—no citizenship. I heard from Radio Samoa in Auckland the commentary that all the hopes for what might be were not to be.

This bill today is so significant, and I have to acknowledge Teanau Tuiono for his work in bringing it—bringing it where no one else was willing or able to do so, answering the question that many had just let go walking by.

Now, the number of people impacted today might be small, but the significance is large. The symbolism is huge. It goes where no other country has gone before. Of all those League of Nations - mandated countries, Mesopotamia, now Iraq, had no citizenship from the UK; and it was the same for Transjordan, now Jordan. There was no French citizenship for Syria or Lebanon; nothing from Belgium for Rwanda or Burundi; and I can think of Tanzania, Cameroon—which was the UK, and a small portion was France—and Ghana; and Australian-mandated countries like New Guinea, which is now Papua New Guinea, and Nauru. The South Pacific Mandate offered no Japanese citizenship; South West Africa, now Namibia, offered no South African citizenship; and the same, until today, was true for Samoa.

That is the significance of the day. We’re not just going where we have never gone before; we are going where no one—no country, no Government, no leader in the world—has gone before, and in New Zealand, we weren’t willing to go there. Not the Reform Governments of the 1910s and the 1920s, not the Labour Governments of the 1930s and 1940s—successive Labour and National Governments through the last century and the first quarter of this one. Not Massey, not Savage, not Fraser, not Muldoon, not Lange, not Palmer, not Moore, not Clark, not Ardern, and not Hipkins, but Luxon is the first Prime Minister to see this through, and that is significant.

We have changed the bill in the Governance and Administration Committee to refine it to adhere to the intent of the 1982 legislation and to ensure that it is reversing what was done in that 1982 legislation, and, secondly, to change it to amend and not to repeal. Those two changes are significant—they are so that we maintain the Treaty of Friendship and we can honour what was there—but the most important thing is that this is not, I believe, a victory for MPs, though Mr Tuiono should take a great deal of credit; this is a victory of the Samoan people, and that is what has inspired me the most. That is what has caught my emotions the most through this.

I want to finish by just reading some of the things that touched me from the huge pile of submissions I have, and I wish we had time to read them all. There were three key themes. One was “We need to see a tangible action.”—and I’m quoting from David Lui here. He said that the previous apologies were “hollow”, and “They fell short because there is inadequate action.” The same was true from Dr Melani Anae, and she said that “The two governmental apologies do little to dismantle our Pacific memories.” The Samoan Trade and Investment Council said, “The previous apologies don’t cut it.”; and from Su’a Hans Schwalger, who brought the same message. He said that “We need a tangible and outward and visible sign of this inwards and invisible bond that our two countries share.”

I think of those that shared their personal experience of how this impacted their families, like Akeripa To’alepaiali’i, who spoke about how he didn’t have citizenship. He was born in the target window, and he said, “The loss of our New Zealand citizenship has been a source of profound personal and collective grief for many of us.” He has had to apply for that three-month visa to come and see his daughter and his grandchildren.

Mataio Lemaveve shared a similar story. Ierome Lui Vaoliko spoke about this being a blessing. You know, the Samoan people I have seen are a people of great faith, and it is something that inspires me and something I want to share with you. It speaks of the blessing that comes from this legislation. Lealasā Tovio has her citizenship. She was born in 1948, but her older sister, who was born in 1946, doesn’t.

Again, it’s this wanting to reunite the families once more. I have piles of these that we don’t have time to read, but they all deserve the recognition and the credit for what they have done. As Leaula Desmond Amosa said, “The role of Parliament is to ensure justice is served.”, and that’s what today, I believe, is doing.

Let me finish: we support this bill, which is, in a refined sense, targeted to those impacted by the 1982 legislation. It is amending it and not repealing it so that the Treaty of Friendship can continue. It is the victory of the Samoan people and what they have demonstrated, and I have to finish by quoting Tamasese Lealofi, who died in the 1929 massacre. He said, “My blood has been spilt for Samoa. I am proud to give it. Do not dream of avenging it, as it was spilt in peace.” The way that the Samoan people have worked and have led over the last 110 years in peace—you deserve what comes from this. This is your day. This is your victory. Ou te matua lagolagoina lelei tele mo Samoa.

E so’o le fau i le fau—a thread can’t hold its own, its strength comes from being interwoven with other threads to create the fine mat. Unity is in strength. It is the unity of our Samoan community that has led to what will be a successful passing of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill here today.

With that in mind, my first acknowledgement must go to our Samoan community who have driven the campaign to have this bill heard and passed: our elders, our young people, Samoans in Samoa and in other parts of the world and Samoans here in Aotearoa. I sat on the Governance and Administration Committee to receive some of the submissions; you were staunch, you were evidence based, you appealed to the human decency of all the select committee members. At times you had select committee members in tears; you had me in tears. You shared the injustices inflicted on our Samoan people and the struggles that ensued. Fa‘afetai lava for possessing the courage to share our collective stories, our collective experiences, and our collective reality here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

My father is an avid Radio Samoa listener—and yes, I saw you up there, Savea. He has listened keenly to all of the talkback guest interviewees, politicians, and Samoan community leaders on this issue, as did so many. I know that alongside Radio Samoa, the Pacific Media Network, Tagata Pasifika, and all of our Pasifika media and Pasifika journalists made sure that this was an issue that was made accessible to our community. We are grateful for the role that our media has played across the course of this billed being pulled from the tin to now about to pass third reading, for keeping our people informed. Because of all of you, we are about to pass this bill that rights a historic wrong for those born in Samoa who had their citizenship revoked under the 1982 Act when they were rightly entitled to it.

Now, sometimes as politicians, someone from another political party has a good idea. The real test of politicians is our ability to get in behind that idea and put aside the party political agendas and to support with seeing the policy or law through to fruition. This was not a problem for Labour in this instance. Teanau Tuiono is our Cook Island brother. Outside of Labour, he is the only other elected Pacific member of Parliament in Parliament at this time. We share in our love for our Pasifika community and in the knowledge of the history of our community here in Aotearoa New Zealand: the good, the bad, and of course the ugly. We share in a belief that the Treaty of Friendship with Samoa needs to be honoured and that there have been decisions made by the New Zealand Government over the course of time that have not honoured that friendship.

We also believe that the Dawn Raids apology is a living apology and didn’t start and finish on the day the apology was made. As politicians from across political parties, we should be continually seeking out opportunities for actions to match the words of that apology through our policy, through our funding, and our legislative decisions. Teanau Tuiono, thank you on this occasion for being the politician with a good idea. Not just a good idea, but a bill that would address an injustice committed against Samoa and Samoans.

I feel that the substance of the Samoan citizenship bill has been adequately traversed by those that have spoken before me, so I’d like to give the gallery and listeners a peek behind the scenes into the politics of this House on the bill. This will also enable me to make some acknowledgements of political parties and politicians, both current and former.

Now, there was never a question about the Greens, Labour, and Māori Party support for this bill. It was not only about the current politicians; we had our former ones on our tails making sure we were living up to the expectations of our community. From Labour’s perspective, I particularly acknowledge—and she can’t be here with you all today—Luamanuvao Winnie Laban and Aupito William Sio. They were active proponents for this bill, and all of our other former Labour Pasifika MPs were constantly also checking in on us. We also had our two lead Labour MPs on the select committee who diligently consulted with our Labour Pacific MPs on this bill: the Governance and Administration Committee chair Rachel Boyack and our Samoan sister Lemauga Lydia Sosene, who can’t be with us here today due to illness.

Despite our position being clear from the get-go, when I reflect on the journey of this bill, I’m very mindful of the other political parties and their positioning. From the time the bill was drawn, we actually had some faith in the possibility that New Zealand First might support this bill. Although we don’t agree with a lot of the New Zealand First policy agenda, the one thing that the Rt Hon Winston has demonstrated over the years is a level of commitment to our Pacific region and a respectful relationship with our Pasifika communities. I will share with you that initially Teanau Tuiono found him to be quite elusive when trying to lobby him on this issue, but with some tag-teaming between himself and Jenny Salesa and lobbying from our strong Pasifika leaders, conversations were able to be had. In true Winston Peters style, the New Zealand First position was held close to their chest until the first reading, but the Rt Hon Winston Peters lived up to what we hoped for.

Now as I said, we don’t agree with a lot of New Zealand First policy, but we agree with even less when it comes to the ACT Party. In saying that, there was some hope that they would support this bill. The hope for me sprang from David Seymour participating in the delegation to Samoa in 2022 to commemorate 60 years of the Treaty of Friendship. While on this delegation, David Seymour had the opportunity to feel and experience the hospitality of Samoa and to hear the Samoan Prime Minister and other Samoan leaders speak to the special relationship between New Zealand and Samoa. The Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern gave all members of that delegation the opportunity to participate in high-level conversations with leaders. I often find it difficult to comprehend David Seymour’s views on matters, let alone agree with him, but the words he shared, whilst they were insightful and genuine—knowing this, when this bill came up I knew there was an outside chance he would agree and he did.

Turning to National, I think they underestimated their two coalition partners on this matter and I will also add I feel they did themselves a disservice by voting against this bill at first reading. It is disappointing because, despite not having any current Pacific representation, National has had Samoan and Cook Island MPs who undoubtedly would have supported this if they were currently in caucus. I acknowledge Anae Arthur Anae, in particular, as a former National MP who has been one of the most active people promoting this bill; malo, Anae.

The redeeming factor for National here is despite opposing the bill at first reading, National was able to listen to the voices of over 24,000 Samoans who submitted on this bill and then work with other political parties to form a consensus on this bill. Although it’s good that we can agree, it is important to note when there are areas of disagreement. Labour and the Greens heard the call from the community to extend eligibility to descendants born prior to 1 January 1962; this was not supported. Labour and the Greens also wanted the application for those eligible to be free of charge. Instead, an amendment was put up at the committee of the whole House stage that means those who make successful applications can be refunded the fee.

There were also areas traversed during the submission process that fell out of the scope of the bill. It’s important to mention them; it was issues with the quota for Samoans coming from Samoa, there were issues with visas and access to Samoa, particularly for important events. As has been mentioned in the House by our leader Chris Hipkins, Labour believes that these areas should be explored. Labour commits to giving consideration to these next steps, but given the reins of power sit squarely with National, ACT, and New Zealand First, we encourage you to keep the pressure on. Make your thoughts and voices heard; be relentless in your drive to have more change effected that not only honours the Treaty of Friendship but honours the spirit of the Dawn Raids apology. I can assure you that Labour, and no doubt the Greens and the Māori Party, will be right beside you.

I started with a Samoan saying, so it’s only appropriate I end with another. E vave taunu’u le malaga pe a tatou alo va’a fa’atasi—our destiny is within sight when we paddle our canoe together. Labour commends this bill to the House.

Talofa lava, Madam Speaker. Good afternoon and good evening to all my friends in the public gallery today. I promise you there will be no tears. Today marks the culmination of a journey towards justice, as we complete the third reading of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) (Restoration) Amendment Bill. This moment carries special significance as we prepare to move from legislative process to practical implementation—from promise to action. To our guests in the gallery and those watching at home, particularly those whose lives were directly impacted by the 1982 Act: your patience and perseverance over four decades has brought us to this historic day. Your presence here reminds us that behind every line of legislation there are real lives, real families, and real stories of resilience.

For over 40 years, the Samoan community has lived with the impact of the 1982 Act—an Act that stripped citizenship rights from thousands overnight. This wasn’t just about legal status. It affected families, careers, and lives. It created a wound in our relationship with Samoa that has taken generations to heal. The stories we heard during select committee of families separated, of opportunities lost, of dignity denied, remind us of the real human cost of that decision. Each testimony served to strengthen our resolve to ensure that this legislation would deliver genuine, practical restoration.

The Government understands the importance of fostering strong relationships with Pacific nations. We take seriously our responsibility to be a good neighbour and partner. What we achieved today is unprecedented: the first time in history that a trustee administered country will be given citizenship in this way. No other mandated country has ever taken this step. This makes our actions today not just nationally significant but internationally groundbreaking.

The strength of feeling on this issue was demonstrated by more than 24,000 submissions received by the Governance and Administration Committee, one of which represented the views of nearly 6,000 people. This extraordinary level of engagement from both here and overseas shows the power of community organisation and the importance of this moment. It speaks to the deep connection between our nations and the urgency of addressing this historical wrong.

This parliamentary process has been thorough and considered. At first reading we debated fundamental questions about scope and implementation. Through select committee we heard powerful testimonies that shaped our understanding and approach. During committee of the whole House we refined and improved the technical aspects, ensuring the legislation would work as intended. Through the select committee process we secured several important amendments that improved the bill’s clarity and effectiveness. These include a decision to amend the 1982 legislation rather than repeal it wholesale, providing a clearer, more straightforward way to restore citizenship without breaching the 1962 Treaty of Friendship with Samoa.

This careful approach ensures we maintain the important frameworks that have governed our special relationship with Samoa over six decades. We also clarified the bill’s scope of eligibility to the cohort of approximately 3,500 individuals who were born between 1924 and 1948 and lost their citizenship when this law was changed in 1982.

The bill establishes a straightforward application process through the Department of Internal Affairs, with a modest application fee of $177. Importantly, as agreed during the committee of the whole House stage, this fee will be refunded to successful applicants—a change we made to further reduce barriers to citizenship restoration. This approach ensures accessibility while maintaining the integrity of our citizenship process. Let me be clear about who can apply under the legislation: those born in Western Samoa between 13 May 1924 and 1 January 1949 who were British subjects by virtue of that birth, women who became New Zealand citizens in 1949 through marriage to such persons, descendants of those born in this period who were themselves born before 1949 and were British subjects, and women who became citizens through marriage to those descendants.

Following strong advocacy from select committee members, particularly Lemauga Lydia Sosene and the bill’s sponsor Teanau Tuiono, we have ensured that clear communication will be at the heart of implementation. All documentation, guidance, and support will be provided in both English and Samoan, ensuring the process is truly accessible to all those who are eligible. The legislation strikes a careful balance. While it rights a historical wrong, it does so in a way that strengthens rather than compromises our relationship with Samoa.

The Department of Internal Affairs will provide comprehensive support to help applicants understand their eligibility and navigate the process. This will include dedicated staff, documentation guidance, and resources in both English and Samoan. For those who are eligible, the path to reclaiming New Zealand citizenship will be straightforward and supported. Each step of the process has been designed with the applicant in mind, ensuring dignity and respect throughout. Most importantly, today we’ve demonstrated how Parliament can work together constructively to achieve meaningful change.

To the officials who will be tasked with implementing the legislation: your role is vital. Each application you process represents a family’s story, a legacy to be restored, and wrong to be righted. The mana of the legislation will rest in how it is brought to life through your work. We trust you to carry out this important task with the care and respect it deserves.

To our Samoan community: this bill’s final form reflects your voices, your stories, and your aspirations. The practical process it establishes will soon allow many of you to reclaim what was taken in 1982. While we cannot turn back time, we can and will move forward together.

When future generations look back on Parliament’s work, let them see in this bill an example of how a nation can acknowledge its mistakes and take practical steps to address them. Let them see how we can strengthen relationships with our Pacific neighbours through actions, not just words. Let them understand that while justice may sometimes be delayed, it need never be denied.

I wish I could carry on talking for the rest of my three-minute contribution, but I want to make sure we get to the vote before the dinner break, all right? Today, we don’t just pass a law; we open a door that was closed 42 years ago. We extend a hand of justice to those who have waited too long, and we strengthen the bonds between New Zealand and Samoa for generations to come. Fa‘afetai tele lava. I commend this bill to the House.

The next call is a split call.

Tatolu mai tatolu mai, tatolu mai tatolu mai, lua pati mo Samoa, lua pati mo Samoa. I just wanted to make sure that we have the Samoans still in the House today.

Much history has been transversed as this bill has progressed through our Parliament—our Samoan history with the New Zealand administration, from the ship the Talune and the influenza pandemic to the Dawn Raids apology. Today is a joyful and historic day for our Samoan community. Again, representatives of our Samoan community are here in Parliament to ensure—like any auntie or uncle would—that we, the members of this House, hold true to our word and support this last reading. There is nothing like the stare of repercussions by a Samoan auntie or uncle to ensure we comply—let that be a lesson for us all.

In the same spirit that yesterday’s hīkoi was conducted, a kaupapa of rangimarie under the cloak of aroha—peace and honour—we see what is possible when people come together for a right and just cause. It gave me such heart when I saw the Samoan flags and the flags of our Pacific nations side by side with tangata whenua over the last week. My ask is that we continue as tangata moana to stand in solidarity with our tēina who are feeling the weight of decisions being made without them—much like why we are here today.

Much deserved thanks has been given to our brother Teanau Tuiono for his shepherding of this bill. If he didn’t before, I’m sure he knows fully well now that us Samoans are a complex yet organised people, with many, many views as to the right way of doing things. We stand wholeheartedly behind him. Our thanks to you for taking this forward. We also remember at this time our good friend Fa’anānā Efeso Collins, and his wife Fia, and his beautiful girls, who would have been proud of the impact he continues to make here.

Much thanks has been given today; I echo those sentiments to all those that have been named. The one group I wanted to focus my particular thanks to today, as we conclude this historic day, are the hundreds of cleaners, kitchen hands, and supermarket workers in our Samoan community in the 1970s and 1980s who organised to raise the funds for the Privy Council taken by Falema‘i Lesā, who tested the law, succeeded, and ultimately has paved the path to where we are today. These low-income workers and their supporters did what we know best: worked as a village to raise funds for a matter of significance. What little they had, they still gave, and—similar to the parable of the widow’s offering in the Gospel according to Mark—much blessings will be given accordingly, whether it be in this life or the next.

Villages need chiefs, and I want to ask the House to indulge me on acknowledging the Special Committee on Overstayers Issue. This special committee was formed to lead this organisation and fund-raising, and it was based both here in Wellington and Auckland. It is only fitting that on this day, I name them so that their contribution to our history be recorded in the Hansard: Faalua Elifasa; Asofa Tagataese; Richard Robert Pritchard; Auuaola Fia Samuela; Michael Fomai Fio Mercury; Sakaria Peniata; Elizabeth Peivi Smith Leelo (Auntie Liz); Dr George Barton; Pulepule Ta’avao Aiono; George Rosenberg; Paula Siuga Masoe; Reverend Tuao Tiatia; Puni Raea; Pipi Fa’ailo; Pisa Fa’aeia; Ti’i Letolo—some, and many, who have passed away. And, of course, Falema‘i Lesā herself. Fa‘afetai, fa‘afetai, fa‘afetai tele lava to you all.

It is my great privilege—first and foremost a Samoan girl from the villages of Fale’ula, Faleatiu; Safotu; Fasito’o-uta; and Asau—to lend my support. I commend this bill to the House—685 to the world!

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Malo le soifua, one and all. It really is a pleasure to rise on this extremely, extremely profound and special occasion. I must begin by saying that I did not have the pleasure of being on the select committee that helped shepherd this bill to this stage with Teanau Tuiono—the Governance and Administration Committee—but it is a privilege to stand here today.

If you don’t mind, I’m only going to take a couple of minutes, because I’m aware that many of you need to travel home, hopefully to Takanini and beyond, but I will say that it’s an important bill that was drawn from the ballot on 3 August 2023. What I’ve been reflecting on is how interesting the dynamics of this is, that something so deep and so impactful was drawn out of a ballot. I guess we can reflect on that as we continue with our journeys in this Parliament; in this great House.

I’d like to acknowledge the approximately 24,581 people, groups, individuals that made submissions. I’d like to acknowledge as well my friends in the gallery, Teleiai Edwin Puni, my neighbour, and Tofilau Tevaga. I saw you both for the first time giving a deputation at the Manurewa Local Board and I realised you’re absolutely movers and shakers, so thank you for all the contribution you’ve done as well.

Finally, I’d like to say that I was blessed to have my heart opened to our Pasifika community many years ago in Australia when my sister married my Pasifika brother-in-law, and I have half-Pasifika nieces and nephews. What I’ve learnt about our Pasifika community is that, in many instances, you smile and laugh with all your heart, but when you suffer, you suffer in silence but continue to have the smile on your face for everyone.

God bless you all. Thank you for the wisdom that you’ve shown us and that you’ve woven into Aotearoa New Zealand. God bless your journeys going forward. I commend this bill to the House.

Talofa lava. Fa‘afetai tele, Madam Speaker. O le aso lenei na faia e Ieova, ia tatou olioli ma fiafia i ai. This is the day that the Lord has made, we shall rejoice and be glad in it.

This is a really significant and historic day for our Samoan aiga and for Aotearoa New Zealand and Samoa, as well as the many thousands of Samoans all over the world. Malo le soifua and welcome to all of the Samoans in your hundreds who are here in Parliament, as well as those who are watching online from other parts of Parliament, as well as from Saint Paul’s Cathedral and right across the world. It is unusual that this House of Parliament is so full of alofa. It is unusual that we are so united as politicians, as many of you both current politicians and former politicians know, but this is the right thing to do. It is so good that we are united to restore justice.

Tens of thousands of Samoans have been affected by the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act, which was passed in this Parliament in 1982, and as we have heard through the thousands of submissions, that Act effectively revoked the citizenship of Samoans who were rightfully entitled to New Zealand citizenship. But it is not actually just Samoans for whom today is significant; it is also a significant day for New Zealand, because we are addressing one of those historic wrongs, and consequently it is a step towards justice that all New Zealanders should recognise and be really proud of.

Restoring justice for our Samoan aiga has been a very, very long process and for lawmakers in Aotearoa New Zealand, it is indeed with humility that we reflect on the past, that we acknowledge the injustices that have resulted from the passage of an Act that was enacted from this House.

I would also like to thank the many Samoans, especially those affected by the 1982 Act, who are in this House today in person. I thank you for your guidance, I thank you for your advocacy, and I thank you especially for your patience. Fa‘afetai tele lava to all of you nearly 25,000 people who made submissions on this bill.

I would also like to especially acknowledge my friend and colleague Teanau Tuiono. We were at law school together, so I’ve known him for many decades—I won’t say exactly how long. Meitaki maata. Ngā mihi nui, Teanau, for all of your hard work, as well as all of your patience in shepherding and guiding this legislation through and for all of the hard work, not only in making sure that all of the parties in this House agree but actually ensuring that our communities—because there are many voices in our Samoan community, making sure that all of those voices are actually reflected in the final bill that we have in front of us.

Like you, Teanau, I would also like to acknowledge our friend and colleague Fa’anānā Efeso Collins. Today, if he was here, he would have been so proud. He would have made a speech that would have made all of us laugh and all of us cry too. I acknowledge him.

I would also like to acknowledge Falema‘i Lesā for your work and your resilience. I acknowledge you and your legal team and all of the people—my colleague the Hon Barbara Edmonds said all their names before, the Samoan community both here in Wellington and in Auckland who got together, who fund-raised to ensure that your legal case went all the way to the Privy Council. I thank you, Falema‘i Lesā, because you are here today. You are here to witness justice being restored. I thank you also for coming to the Governance and Administration Committee. I was one of the privileged MPs that sat in that select committee. Even though your submission was mostly in Samoan, you actually made me cry. So many of the submitters that came to us that day made us cry. Thank you for never giving up.

Today is about acknowledging the many tens of thousands of Samoans whose citizenship was revoked and disavowed in 1982. I want to remember that some of those Samoans are here today and watching online, however, the sadness of today is that this redress has taken over 40 years and that most of the Samoans that were affected by the 1982 Act have since passed away. They have not lived to see this moment. Today we remember all of them.

This issue is personal to me and my family and to many thousands of constituents in my own electorate in Panmure-Ōtāhuhu. Nearly 50 percent of my electorate are Pacific people. Many of them are Samoans and Tongans. My father-in-law is one of those people affected, Tusanilefaia’ao Ieremia Salesa. I mention him today because of his deep connection not only with our family but I mention him because we have so many fathers, fathers-in-law, grandfathers, mothers, aunties, and uncles—all of our aiga who are not here to see this justice. We remember all of you.

These acts of memory are absolutely vital to us to keep us at our best and to ensure that we remain the best nation we can be. As we saw yesterday, under the leadership of Te Pāti Māori, New Zealand continues to wrestle with its colonial past. It is important that today we remember Samoa’s part of New Zealand’s colonial history which is so often forgotten and overlooked. We will only move forward together if we face our past honestly and with integrity.

As the great Samoan writer Maualaivao Albert Wendt put—and I quote—“We are what we remember.” Today, we remember those deep connections that bind Samoa and Aotearoa New Zealand together. Our roots are deep, but our past is not easy and parts of it are confronting.

In 1914, New Zealand established a military occupation on behalf of Great Britain to take possession of Samoa from Germany. In 1920, this colonial role was affirmed by the League of Nations as the administrator of Samoa. Samoan people had no say in those decisions, no votes. They were not consulted. This was true of the entire period of New Zealand’s rule. New Zealand’s role as colonial administrator continued right up until 1962. There were many difficult times for Samoans during this period. The colonial period in Samoa was not to New Zealand’s credit. The Samoan resistance movement, the Mau, struggled against New Zealand rule for decades. Their vision for Samoa was Samoa mo Samoa—Samoa for Samoans.

I would like also to acknowledge Arthur Anae and the Mau movement group, Tofilau Nina Kirifi Alai, and many others, as well as Lemauga Lydia Sosene, who had a lot to do with this bill in the select committee.

I also would like to especially acknowledge, similar to Teanau, the Rt Hon Winston Peters and New Zealand First, because the two of us tag-teamed New Zealand First to ensure that we actually got their support right through to third reading. You see, we were united in Opposition, so we only needed one party from the coalition of the Government and that was our hope—New Zealand First.

I do want to thank Dr Parmjeet Parmar and the ACT Party as well. Those of us who were here during that first reading, as soon as Dr Parmjeet Parmar said that the ACT Party supported this bill, there were so many of us who were yahooing because we knew that this bill would get to select committee.

Last but not least, I would like to acknowledge my National Party colleagues, Cameron Brewer and all of the members in the select committee and the National Party for supporting this bill. It is wonderful that it is a bill that is unanimously supported, because it is the right thing for all of us to support it unanimously in restoring justice for our Samoan people.

I would like to thank all of our Samoan people, especially those affected by this Act, for your advocacy, your guidance, and your patience. Fa‘afetai tele lava to all of you who submitted and made this bill become law. Fa‘afetai tele lava. Manuia le aso.

Lau Susuga i le Fofoga Fetalai, ou te faafetai tele i le Atua ua mafai ona tatou faatasi i lenei as i lona alofa. Faatalofa atu i lau afioga le Fofoga Fetalai, Susuga i le Palemia ma lau Kapineta faapea sui uma a le fono o le Palemene o Niu Sila. Faasilisili ona ou faatalofa atu i le mamalu ma le paʻia o Samoa ua potopoto faapea Samoa i tuluʻiga uma o le lalolagi. O upu a le fai Salamo, “e faasaga aʻe oʻu mata i mauga, e maua mai ai loʻu fesoasoani o loʻu fesoasoani e maua mai ia Ieova lea o le na faia le lagi atoa ma le lalolagi”. Faafetai Samoa mo le tou auai mai i le aso e molimauina le aso o le a toe faafoi atu ai le sitiseni o Niu Sila i tagata Samoa

I love Wednesdays. They start early with morning prayer at the cathedral just over the road. It’s a weekly reminder of where the real power lies. Sometimes my prayers are requests. This morning, they were only praise. For today is a good day—it’s a very good day. I spoke about this with Savea last Friday on Radio Samoa. Good to have you here, Savea.

In the gallery today is Pastor Tomasi Aiono, who hails from the villages of Fasito’o Uta and Lona, Fagaloa. Tomasi is the second-eldest of 10 children. His parents, Aiono Fina’i Mika and Gafa Aiono, lost their citizenship in 1982. Two years later, they sent their son to New Zealand to pursue a better future. Tomasi found a job, worked incredibly hard, and over the next six years was able to bring both his parents and siblings to New Zealand. He and his family planted a church in Ellerslie. They adopted and cared for many children and have blessed, and continued to do so, thousands of New Zealanders.

Tomasi’s wife, Ioka Aiono, is also here today. She hails from the village of Saleapaga. Ioka’s the second-eldest of 14 children—I thought we had done all right with five. She came to New Zealand in 1987 with the hope of bringing her parents, Uialatea and Faleosina Fauena, to New Zealand. She was never able to. Ioka, I’m sorry. But I know you have aunties and uncles who have lived to see their citizenship now restored. This is a good day.

Tomasi and Ioka’s daughter is my friend and colleague Margaret Epati. Along with Shani Hatitio, we have the privilege and delight of together serving the people of Maungakiekie. Last Thursday after work, Margaret went to buy a dress but the shop was closed so she drove outside the electorate all the way to Ormiston mall—she really wanted that dress. There, she was approached by a distressed lady who asked if she spoke Samoan, and could she help as the EFTPOS card had just failed at the supermarket and she was out of petrol to get home. As Margaret sorted those things, she asked her story.

Losa Leota came to New Zealand just two years ago with her four children, but sadly not her husband—he was killed in a car accident in Samoa just after they qualified for New Zealand through the quota. A few weeks ago, Losa brought her mother to New Zealand. Alofa Toma is currently here on a three-month visa and Losa is desperate for her to stay as there is no one back home in Samoa to look after her and she needs her mum. Losa applied for a further visa for her mother, but at her advanced age there was no chance. At that point, Margaret asked what year her mother happened to be born. Losa replied that Alofa was born on 17 September 1940. Margaret told Losa about this bill, which she had not heard of, to make sure that they listened to this third reading now. When this bill passes in a few minutes and she submits her application on Monday, her mother Alofa will again be a citizen of Niu Sila. This is a good day.

A o le i uma laʻu tautalaga ou te faafetai atu Samoa, ou te faamanuia atu Samoa i ou tagatanuʻu e tusa ma lau saʻiliga malo. Faafetai i la outou lagolago malosi ina ia manuia lenei pili a lea ua tali le Atua. Faamalo le loto toa faamalo le loto atunuu. Fai mai le Efeso muamua fuaiupu e tolu, “Ia tatou faafetai atu i le Atua le Tama ma lo tatou Alii o Iesu Keriso o le na faamanuia mai ia i tatou i faamanuiaga faaleagaga uma lava i mea o i le lagi ona o Keriso”. Faamanuia le Atua, 685 to the World!

OK, so I appreciate—I say to the gallery—that you’ve waited a very long time. I’d just ask for your indulgence of about 30 more seconds.

Members, I have some housekeeping before I put the question. At the conclusion of this order of the day, the House will be suspended for the dinner break and will resume in committee at 7.30 p.m. for consideration of members’ order of the day No. 2, the Corrections (Victim Protection) Amendment Bill. The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.

Bill read a third time.

[Applause]

[Speech from the gallery]

Waiata—“Le Atua Mamana e”

Sitting suspended from 6.04 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.