Will’s Word: 2024 Person of the Year, MP Teanau Tuiono

All this this week I've been ranking the best cabinet ministers and opposition MPs.

Well, today I'm naming my person of the year and, truthfully, it was perhaps the easiest decision to make out of all the calls I made this week.

Of course, some have been controversial, I fully concede that, but my person of the year, and perhaps I should even say my parliamentarian of the year, has to go to Green MP Teanau Tuiono.

Tuiono was, of course, responsible for introducing the members' bill to restore (NZ) citizenship to some Sāmoans that had it wrongfully stripped from them back in the 1980s.

It was an outdated, old, frankly racist, Muldoon-era law that was totally unjustified.

The fact that Tuiono ended up getting not only unanimous support for the bill, but reaching consensus, even with the likes of the National Party, should not go unnoticed.

I'm immensely proud of what he's achieved for our Pacific community, and to have someone like him advocating for us in Parliament.

Is Teanau Tuiono a future Green Party co-leader? Photo / Supplied

He has done a huge service to our community this year, relentlessly fighting for what he believes is right, and I admire that about him, the gusto of the man to get this through.

Many in the past have tried and failed to get the Sāmoan citizenship bill as far as Tuiono did.

Many people have dreamed of achieving what Tuiono was able to.

And so, my person of the year, like I say, has to go to Teanau Tuiono.

A fantastic effort by him this year, and I'll also say this, could we potentially see Green Party leader perhaps, Green Party co-leader that is. I would love to see that.

Immensely proud of what he's been able to do this year, so Teanau, thank you for all you've done this year for our community.

That's Will's Word.

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