A talanoa on the Samoa citizenship bill in Auckland on Friday was held against the backdrop of the passing of the Māori king, Kiingi Tuheitia, as well as the death of the RSE workers who died in a car crash on Monday.
Over 200 members of the Samoan community in Aotearoa gathered at Le Maota o Samoa in Mangere.
They shared their views with Acting Prime Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters and the NZ First Party to ensure MP Teanau Tuiono's member's bill to restore the citizenship of Samoans that was removed by the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 bill will go through the second and third reading.
"We offer our condolences to [the RSE workers] families and say to all their fellow workers that we will do all we can, both here in and in Samoa, to lighten their present burden," Peters said in his speech.
He said NZ First viewed the invitation and as "rather unusual but they'd better come prepared" to talk about the issue.
He highlighted that in a previous discussion with the Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa on the matter, when he asked what the Samoan government's view was on the issue, Fiame responded that it was an issue for the New Zealand government.
Peters has previously stated that NZ First will continue to support the bill all the way, but they would like to see some adjustments.
"We did not vote it down," he said
"We were the ones to support it to select committee, and keep it alive, while we found out what peoples feelings were and what their intentions were.
"Bearing in mind though that in the Pacific, there is extraordinary worry in those governments about the number of people leaving their lands.
"We are very focused as a government on ensuring we do our upmost to keep the economies in the Pacific alive to keep their people and their populations going forth with confidence," he said.
The Samoa citizenship bill aims to restore a pathway to New Zealand citizenship - for a group of people born in then-Western Samoa between 1924 and 1949 - whose citizenship was revoked by the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act of 1982.
Over 200 members of the Samoan community in Aotearoa gathered at Le Maota o Samoa in Mangere. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai
In 1982, Falema'i Lesa, a Samoan citizen living in New Zealand, was prosecuted for overstaying.
She argued she was not overstaying and was a New Zealand citizen.
The Privy Council at the time ruled that because earlier NZ legislation had treated those born in Western Samoa after 13 May 1924 as "natural-born British subjects", that cohort of people received NZ citizenship and those people by descent or by marriage.
The Muldoon Government acted swiftly and in 1982 passed the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982.
The 1982 Act removed NZ citizenship from those people who, under the earlier NZ legislation, had NZ citizenship because they were born in Western Samoa between 13 May 1924 and 1 January 1949.
New Zealand citizenship was not created until 1948.
Before then, New Zealanders were British subjects. At the time citizenship was created, New Zealand was administering present day Samoa (known until 1997 as Western Samoa).
Peters said NZ First believed the bill "had merit".
"We don't make a promise and just walk off on it," he said.
"We made sure that the bill stayed alive. We believe it had merit and when all of that is complete, we will tell you what we are going to do.
"We are going to do right for Samoa, so let's find out going forward what the rest of Parliament thinks," he said.
Winston Peters speaks at the Le Maota o Samoa in Mangere. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones has also expressed his support to support his leader and his colleagues.
"About a decade ago, I had the privilege of being the Pacific ambassador. The desire, passion to do the right thing is at the foundation of our political party," he said.
'We are encouraged'
NZ First was invited by the Pacific Leadership Forum (PLF) for the talanoa.
PLF coordinator Teleiai Edwin Puni said Peters' accepting the invitation "demonstrates strongly to the 200,000 Samoan New Zealanders NZ First's commitment to advocating for support".
"We are encouraged of your sharing, placing the interest of our country at the forefront of government decision making," he said.
"We met with the Act Party, today is with NZ First, we are also extending our visit to the Labour party and Te Pati Maori," he said.
Public submissions on the bill closed at the end of last month.
The select committee will provide recommendations to the House before MPs will be able to vote at the second reading.
