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When talking about Samoa citizenship bill passed in Auckland Friday’s commemorations come against the backdrop of the death of Maori King Kiingi Tuheitia and the death of an RSE worker in a car crash on Monday.
More than 200 members of New Zealand’s Samoan community gathered at Le Maota o Samoa in Mangere.
They shared their views with Acting Prime Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters and New Zealand First to ensure that a bill introduced by MP Teanau Tuiono to restore citizenship to Samoans removed by the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 would receive second and third readings.
“We express our condolences to the families of the RSE workers and to all their colleagues that we will do everything we can, both here and in Samoa, to ease their current burdens,” Peters said in his speech.
He said New Zealand First found the invitation “quite unusual but they had better be prepared” to discuss it.
He stressed that during a previous discussion with Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa on the matter, when he asked the Samoan Government’s view on the matter, Fiame replied that it was a matter for the New Zealand Government.
Peters has Previously, the New Zealand First Party had said it would continue to support the bill. But they would like to see some adjustments.
“We didn’t vote no,” he said.
“We are the ones who support the select committee and keep it alive, but we also understand people’s feelings and intentions.
“However, given the situation in the Pacific, these governments are extremely concerned about the number of people leaving their land.
“As a government, we are very focused on making sure we do everything we can to keep the Pacific economy moving forward so that the people and population of the region can move forward with confidence,” he said.
The Samoan Citizenship Bill seeks to restore a pathway to New Zealand citizenship for a group of people born between 1924 and 1949 in what was then Western Samoa, whose citizenship was revoked under the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982.
More than 200 members of the New Zealand Samoan community gathered at Le Maota o Samoa in Mangere.
photo: RNZ Pacific/Grace Tintali-Fiavaai
In 1982, Falema’i Lesa, a Samoan citizen living in New Zealand, was prosecuted for overstaying his visa.
She argued she had not overstayed her visa and was a New Zealand citizen.
The Privy Council ruled at the time that because earlier New Zealand legislation treated people born in Western Samoa after May 13, 1924 as “natural-born British citizens”, this group of people had acquired New Zealand citizenship by descent or marriage.
The Muldoon Government acted quickly and in 1982 the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 was passed.
The 1982 Act stripped New Zealand citizenship from those who had New Zealand citizenship under previous New Zealand legislation because they were born in Western Samoa between 13 May 1924 and 1 January 1949.
New Zealand citizenship was not established until 1948.
Prior to this, New Zealanders were British citizens. When citizenship was created, New Zealand was administering what is now Samoa (known as Western Samoa until 1997).
Mr Peters said New Zealand First believed the bill “had merit”.
“We don’t make a commitment and then walk away,” he said.
“We are committed to ensuring that the bill remains in place. We believe it has merit and when all the work is done we will let you know what action we will take.
“We will do the right thing for Samoa, so let’s see what the rest of parliament thinks first,” he said.
Winston Peters speaks at the Samoa House of Representatives in Mangere.
photo: RNZ/Marika Habbazi
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones also expressed support for his leader and colleagues.
“I had the privilege of serving as ambassador to the Pacific almost a decade ago. The desire and passion to do the right thing is fundamental to our party,” he said.
“We are very encouraged”
New Zealand First was invited by the Pacific Leaders Forum (PLF) to attend the talanoa event.
PLF co-ordinator Teleiai Edwin Puni said Peters’ acceptance of the invitation was “a strong demonstration of New Zealand First’s commitment to reaching out to 200,000 Samoan New Zealanders”.
“We are encouraged by your sharing and by your putting the national interest first in your government’s decision-making,” he said.
“We’ve met with the ACT Party, we’ve met with New Zealand First today, and we’ll be visiting Labour and Te Pati Maori,” he said.
Public comment on the bill ended late last month.
The select committee will make its recommendations to the House, before MPs can vote on the second reading.
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