GEORGINA BEYER (NZ Labour--Wairarapa): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. You will be pleased to know that my comments will be brief, much less than 5 minutes, so we will keep to reasonable time. I rise, of course, not to support this bill going ahead. I believe that the rebranding exercise that is being proposed here is not appropriate. We have our day of national celebration, which is Waitangi Day, 6 February. There has been eloquent commentary from many members in this House this afternoon who also support the bill's not proceeding, and who have spoken extraordinarily well on the reasons---the whys and wherefores---for what is being proposed.

I think that we can seize upon some of the issues that have been raised this afternoon as a great opportunity to build upon what even Mr Dunne himself has referred to in regard to the Prime Minister's actions at the Waitangi celebrations this year. We could take that further now by not diminishing the importance of the events and celebrations that occur at Waitangi itself with regard to the official part of the celebrations, but going out to our provinces, hinterland, and rural communities to enhance the sense of nationality and "New Zealandness" amongst ordinary New Zealanders in far-flung places who never ever, or very rarely, go to Waitangi, and probably experience it only from a television "media-ised" perspective.

It is a great opportunity for all of the multicultural societies and communities that live within New Zealand to get right down to celebrating everything that is wonderful about our country. Also at the same time it is the time to reflect upon the apparent divisiveness of Waitangi Day in recent years and in the past. But again, there is the opportunity not to run away from those issues, which has been mentioned by previous speakers, but to take those issues on board and to fulfil what is required with regard to honouring the treaty. In doing that exercise, as a nation, and as New Zealand citizens, we will come closer and closer together to work biculturally and multiculturally to make our nation unique and diverse as we want it to be.

I commend Mr Dunne for bringing this bill forward and for raising those questions and issues. They are important. They do need to be discussed. I congratulate him on winning the ballot to get this bill here today. However, I have to say that I join my Labour Party colleagues in not supporting the bill's proceeding further.