A bittersweet victory for Sāmoan justice

OPINION: It is another big story that's occurred this week. In fact just yesterday the passing of the Sāmoan Citizenship Bill with unanimous support.

Extraordinary scenes unfolding in Parliament last night. Did you catch it? Moving as well. Incredible speeches. And the way it was described in the House and it's the way that I think about it. It is a small but significant victory.

Now of course it's not perfect and we'll highlight the reasons why.

Thanks has to go to Green MP Teanau Tuiono for championing this bill. It is a big moment, not only for New Zealand, but obviously for our relations with Sāmoa.

It was an ugly part of our history. And it strained our relationship, dare I say, for a long time.

There have been people waiting for decades for this justice, and they finally received it yesterday. So credit where credit is due, you've done an amazing job Teanau Tuiono for getting this across the line.

And of course, all those that have supported him along the way. I'm thinking of the likes of former National MP Anae Arthur Anae who's been championing this kind of justice for a long time.

And so obviously this bill will apply to those who were directly impacted by it. Of course this all occurred during the Muldoon era, 1982. And so it was about those who were unjustly stripped of the right to Kiwi citizenship, even though they were deemed to be natural-born British subjects. So yes, this is a win for those who have long been fighting for this type of action.

But the kicker is, and this has long been seen as a problem ever since it went through the select committee process and when amendments were made to the bill, the fact that it won't apply to the descendants of those who were impacted by this pretty racist law, let's be honest.

So those who were descendants will miss out, and so therefore it's a bittersweet victory really. Important and great that it was acknowledged that it was wrong and that we've come this far, and that now there is a pathway to citizenship for those that were directly involved in it. That's great.

But for the descendants, who ultimately still don't quite have a pathway to citizenship, or as easy as it should be, sadly, it's still a bit of a loss for them.

But you cannot deny that it was a momentous occasion yesterday, and one that again will go down in history.

This week has been a history-making week, hasn't it? First the Hīkoi, now this.

Now the victory is small, but it's an important one. It provides some long overdue redress to those who were denied the rightful citizenship that they so richly deserve. Yet it's bittersweet because it's a reminder of the many who have not been included and who still face barriers to full citizenship.

I also want to make the point that it is pretty rare in New Zealand politics to get full bipartisan cooperation. To have unanimous support for the bill is extraordinary.

So credit to all parties within the House for reaching this consensus as well, and to the National Party for changing its stance on this as well.

That’s Will’s Word.