New Zealand political party Te Pāti Māori has thrown its support behind a proposed bill aimed at reinstating New Zealand citizenship for certain Samoans.

Pacific Media Network (P.M.N.) reported that Te Pāti Māori confirmed its backing for the bill, highlighting the shared struggles of Pasifika communities and the importance of indigenous support for Pacific Islanders.

The bill, introduced by Green MP Teanau Tuiono, seeks to restore citizenship entitlement for individuals from Samoa who had their rights revoked under the Western Samoan Citizenship Act 1982. 

If approved, a proposed bill selected for consideration last year may reinstate the rights to New Zealand citizenship for a specific cohort of Samoans born from 1924 to 1949 and could potentially rectify the citizenship status of Samoans affected by the legislative changes at the time. 

Co-leader of the Party, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has been quoted emphasising Aotearoa's position in the Pacific and underscoring the significance of reinstating Samoans' rights, framing the issue within the context of colonialism and past racist legislation that disproportionately affected Pasifika peoples.

“Te Pāti Māori supports this bill and we will support it all the way through … we have shared struggles throughout colonialism and racist legislation which impacted on some more Pasifika people to the detriment. This is about Samoans’ rights being reinstalled and we need to remember why this kaupapa came about.”

Ngarewa-Packer attributed the situation to previous government policies that initially welcomed Samoan workers but later perpetuated anti-Pasifika racism, culminating in events like the Dawn Raids. 

"This is part of the parcel of restoring mana from the apology that the Crown gave with the Dawn Raid era and we couldn’t be more humbled and proud to be supporting our whanaunga, our tuakana.”

She framed the bill as a step towards restoring dignity and mana, echoing solidarity with Samoan communities.

The bill requires 63 votes after the first reading to dvance to the select committee stage. While the Green and Labour parties have publicly pledged their support, the stance of NZ First remains uncertain, with deputy leader Shane Jones declining to confirm their position ahead of the caucus announcement.

Ngarewa-Packer criticized the coalition government, accusing it of disregarding its historical connections with Pasifika and indigenous communities. She warned of the erosion of values crucial to Māori and Pasifika well-being and urged sustained advocacy against threats posed by government policies.