Wednesday, 21 February 2024 - Volume 773 Sitting date: 21 Feb 2024 WEDNESDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2024 The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m. KARAKIA/PRAYERS SPEAKER: Almighty God, we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests, we acknowledge the King and pray for guidance in our deliberations that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom, justice, mercy, and humility for the welfare and peace of New Zealand. Amen. DEATH OF MEMBER Fa'anānā Efeso Collins SPEAKER: Members, it's my sad duty to formally inform the House of the death of our colleague Fa'anānā Efeso Collins, who served as a Green MP in this Parliament. I extend my sympathy and prayers to his family—aroha to them—and acknowledge his contribution to the public life of New Zealand. Members, there will be an occasion in the very near future, in a few weeks, where those who wish to express their feelings towards our late colleague can do so, but today is a day for the formal recognition. Accordingly, we'll hear from specified speakers. At the end of those speeches, there'll be a waiata, which is on your desk, and following the waiata, I'd ask members to stand for a moment's silence to mark the respect we have for our late colleague. I call on the Hon James Shaw. Hon JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green): [Samoan text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Today, we say goodbye to an extraordinary man: a man of service who believed that his life's work was to deliver a better life for those who followed, a proud son of the Pacific, a community leader, a father, a husband, a brother. To Efeso's beloved family—his wife, Fia, and their two daughters: you gave him strength and purpose and joy and friendship and love and support. The thoughts of everyone here and around Aotearoa are with you. I'd like to pass on our gratitude to the staff and the volunteers of ChildFund. Your work meant so much to him and I know that you will feel his loss deeply. To those who cared for Efeso this morning: thank you. We know that you did everything that you could for him, and we are grateful. One of the first things that you notice about Efeso is his graciousness, his huge smile, and his reassuring voice. He was joyful, he was funny, he was kind, and thoughtful. He conducted himself quietly and kindly and gracefully. He worked to change not by forcing his ideas on others, but by listening and seeking out ideas from others. He was a man full of empathy, a man who knew that the first step towards change is an open heart, a man who embodied the idea that our work here is to serve the communities that we represent; to be their voice for change. Efeso Collins was a good man. He was called to come to Parliament because of what he could see of the worsening poverty, the inadequate incomes, the profound inequities that affect and shape Pacific communities that he came from. Aotearoa needed him. We needed him. Every day that Efeso came to work, I know that he carried the expectation of his South Auckland community. It was a responsibility that he wore solemnly, but he also made it look easy—fun, even. Six days ago, standing right here in this House, Efeso Collins delivered his maiden speech. It must also now serve as his valedictory. He spoke of his journey here. He spoke of his love for his family, and that evening, Efeso was joined in celebration by some of his closest friends and family. There's a photo from the evening which captures one of Efeso's daughters dancing in full Samoan dress. Behind her, slightly out of focus, is her proud father, our friend, with the biggest—the biggest—smile on his face. To his girls: your dad will be your Valentines forever. None of us can ever know how long we're going to be here. All we can do is to live our lives as best we can, with purpose, with love and joy; to use each day to show those closest to us how much we love and care about them; to treat others with respect and kindness; and to strive to make the world a better place. Efeso showed us what that means every single day, and the best way to honour him is to follow his example. Fa'anānā Efeso Collins led a life full of love. He showed us how each moment, each day, each choice we make, is an act of love. Closing his maiden speech, Efeso said, "Love is an act of courage, not fear; love is a commitment to others. No matter where the oppressed are found, the act of love is a commitment to their cause, the cause of liberation." Ia manuia lau malaga. Farewell on your journey, my friend. Rt Hon CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Prime Minister): [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] On behalf of the coalition Government, I join with James Shaw and all of the Green Party and this whole House in expressing our immense shock and sadness at the passing of Fa'anānā Efeso Collins. I acknowledge Efeso's wife, Fia, and their two young daughters, who sat in this place only just last week, as James just said, to hear the husband and the father that they love so much deliver his maiden speech. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they process the shock and the unspeakable sense of loss and grief that they feel today. I met Efeso almost two years ago, and, in fact, the two of us caught up just a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about balancing family and work life in this place and his hopes for starting out here. In all my interactions with him, Efeso was always so friendly, gracious, generous, kind, positive, and collaborative, with a lovely sense of humour. He certainly lived by the words he uttered in his maiden speech, which was to lead with the spirit of peace and love and service. He was what I would call a true servant leader. I also acknowledge the loss his community will be feeling today too. He was so deeply committed to public service and a true champion and advocate for his Samoan and South Auckland communities in the various leadership roles that he held over the decades. He was just getting started in his place in Parliament, and I think he had a promising political career. Efeso came to this place with the same grace and humility and mana he brought to all of his work as an advocate for those that he represented. I have no doubt that he would have been very successful and very good for this Parliament and this place. Finally, can I acknowledge the loss that both the Green Party and the Labour Party will be feeling today, having lost a dear colleague and friend. All the members of this House extend our support to you. The Government's deepest sympathies are, of course, with Efeso's family, the loved ones, and his colleagues. Efeso, alofa atu. Moe mai rā, moe mai rā. Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Leader of the Opposition): Talofa lava, Mr Speaker. I want to begin by extending our thoughts to the family and the loved ones of Efeso Collins. The loss of a husband and a father is never easy, but to do so in such tragic and sudden circumstances makes it that much harder, and I know all of our thoughts are with them today. Efeso Collins, a New Zealand-born Samoan, was raised in Ōtara, South Auckland. He spent three terms on the Auckland Council serving as chair of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board, and councillor for the Manukau ward. He represented and was a passionate advocate for some of our most disadvantaged communities. He lived and breathed public service. Prior to entering local and national politics, Efeso lectured in teacher education. He consulted in leadership development and cross-cultural communication. He published research on youth gangs, and he developed youth mentoring programmes. He was the first in his family to attend and graduate from university and holds a master's degree in education. I first met Efeso Collins in 1999 at a then New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) conference. As so often is the case with student politicians, with all of the things going on in the world at that particular point in time, the student politicians from across the country had gathered together in Auckland to do what we were very passionate about and attack each other. And Efeso, as the newly elected president of the Auckland University Students Association, spoke some way into the meeting. I know that he was a believer that there is power in being the last to speak, and he spoke in a very tense meeting, and he began by making a joke at his own expense. And for the next 10 minutes or so, he held the entire room in the palm of his hand. He spoke with passion and with eloquence, and that is something that I will always remember him for. He could break tension with just a few words, he could bring people together effortlessly, and he could convey complex ideas in a way that captivated people's imaginations. Efeso is married with two children. He enjoys spending time at local playgrounds, could be found on a Saturday morning refereeing rugby or netball, and enjoyed a good milkshake. It is a matter of record that he contested the Labour Party selection for the Manukau East seat in 2014 before going on to then run for the Auckland mayoralty. As my Green Party colleague Teanau Tuiono mentioned this morning, he was like "a wayward son of the Labour Party who wandered his way to the Green Party." But we shared values in common. In his maiden speech to Parliament, he quoted a Samoan saying, "no one stands alone, no one succeeds alone", and, for him, no one should suffer alone. I believe that he lived up to those words. And I believe that we were only just starting to see his true potential and what he had to offer for Aotearoa New Zealand. I want to hand the balance of my time to my colleague the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, who knew him well, but I want to end with a Christmas wish that he expressed last year when asked by Radio New Zealand what he wanted for Christmas. He said, ""My hope for the community is that we as a nation settle on some basics, that every child will wake up and know that they've got three meals every day, and that they've got somewhere safe and warm to sleep at night." I know that that is what he dedicated his life to. Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Deputy Leader—Labour): [Samoan text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Fa'anānā Efeso Collins, you fought the good fight, you finished the race, and you remained faithful. I stand before this House to express the Labour Party and our Pacific caucus' deep sadness and shock at the loss of our friend, our colleague, our Samoan brother. No one in this House expected that Efeso's maiden speech would serve as his farewell speech to us all. Many of us have known Efeso for decades, not just years. Many of us studied with and/or worked with Efeso over the course of those decades. Many of us have been on the receiving end of his support and his criticism; such was the man who never shied away from sharing his views. I knew Efeso from university days. He was and continued to be a force to be reckoned with. Whilst a fighter, his ability to use humour to put people at ease and diffuse situations was unparalleled. It would have been impossible for anyone to not know who Efeso was. He was a vocal advocate for workers, for the poor, for the vulnerable, for students, for our young people, for South Auckland, and for our Pasifika community. His priorities never wavered; they were God, family, and serving his community. Efeso may not have found his eventual home with the Labour Party but he continued to be part of our family. He may have moved out of our fale but he only moved to the fale next door. Our connection and history was too long and deep for that tie to be severed. Losing Efeso is a loss to our country and to our Pasifika community. There will be a gaping hole left in so many spaces. He called out racism; he challenged discrimination and unfairness; he held individuals, systems, agencies and organisations to account. He also shouted from the rooftops the amazingness and the aspirations of our Pasifika community. To the Green Party, we acknowledge your loss and we all share with you in the mourning that you are experiencing now; we mourn with you. Mostly we cannot stop thinking of Efeso's beautiful wife, Fia, and his two daughters. He was so proud of his wife and daughters. We pray that they are strengthened by the people around them wanting to bring comfort over the coming days, months and years. [Samoan text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] The pathway to leadership is through service. [Samoan text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Efeso Collins, you lived by this Samoan proverb; you led through service, you were a leader, and your legacy of service and leadership will be remembered. DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori): Tēnā koe e te Māngai. [Authorised te reo Māori text to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] [Authorised translation to be inserted by the Hansard Office.] Te Pāti Māori shares in our condolences for the devastating loss of our tungāne. Our heart goes out to his wife, his children, his parents, and his community. We are so grateful for their generosity in sharing him with us. We can only imagine the gap that he leaves for his whānau, his loved Samoan Pasifika community. His humility and desire to listen and speak last was felt, especially in the last week. We would often finishing having sparring interjections with the left, sit down, look at him, feeling like we'd just dusted off from war, and he would humbly smile. I'm not sure if he was shocked with his neighbours or sitting there in awe, but I do have to wonder if he was going to come to another door, having left from Labour to the Greens, to Te Pāti Māori! It was feeling that way because his love was just so genuine you thought you were the only ones receiving that love. It is such as a moumou—it is such a moumou—and that's the only thing I can find in my heart, as a Māori wahine, is the waste, to have had this young leader here, to spend so long and so hard to get here. I want to say that it wasn't wasted on a lot of us. He said that he'd come to help open doors so that we could all connect better. And what we saw today, in receiving the devastating news, is that Te Pāti Māori went over to tautoko our whānau kākāriki. Te whānau Labour arrived, and I sat there, listening to us all, sitting in one big caucus—which is ten times bigger than Te Pāti Māori's caucus room—and thought to myself, "Well, this is the first time you've brought us all together." So I'd like to say that his time here may have been short, but the impact of his legacy certainly was felt, and I want to hold on to that beautiful memory that he has shared with us. I think the other thing, too, is that it's a valuable lesson—and I was talking to one of our colleagues just before we came in here—in the significance of all it is that we do here, that we have our whānau, that we have our communities, that we ring our parents, that we hug our children, and remind ourselves, and I can't say this enough, how important our real lives outside of this place are. And sometimes we get that lesson at the cost of some of the most valuable people. So I also want to share, from Te Pāti Māori, that we receive that lesson, we feel that lesson, we appreciate the decisions that have been made that we rise today and we go home, back to our communities, to take the impact and truly treasure our whānau. I'd like to also remember with humility and love this esteemed brother, who has fallen, and wish that he goes in peace and that everyone else returns back to their homes in peace as well. Kia ora rā. Waiata—"Whakaaria Mai" Waiata—"Fa'afetai i le Atua" SITTINGS OF THE HOUSE Hon CHRIS BISHOP (Leader of the House): I move, That this House adjourn until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, 27 February 2024. Motion agreed to. SPEAKER: The House stands adjourned until Tuesday, 27 February. The House adjourned at 2.25 p.m.