May 29, 2024
History lesson in Samoa bill
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Former Pacific peoples minister Aupito William Sio says Samoans have a chance to tell their stories of the dawn raids of the 1970s and 80s by making submissions on a bill now before parliament.
Submissions close on Friday on Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono’s bill to restore the entitlement to New Zealand citizenship for people born in Western Samoa between 1924 and 1948, when the islands were administered by New Zealand on behalf of Britain.
After a 1982 Privy Council ruling that all Western Samoans born since 1924 were New Zealand citizens, the then-National Government rushed through a law limiting citizenship to those living in New Zealand at that moment.
Mr Sio says it’s time to right an historic injustice.
“What’s important is we are able to tell our stories in front of that select committee because a lot of New Zealanders don’t know what happened in that period and a lot of our young people don’t know that history as well,” he says.
Aupito William Sio says he’s just back from Western Samoa where more than 1000 submissions have been made already, and he’s also had messages of support from the Kiingitanga and other Māori leaders.