After unanimous support, a bill to restore the right to New Zealand citizenship for certain Samoans passed its third and final reading in the House this afternoon, the Pacific Media Network reported.

The bill now a law will give New Zealand citizenship to a cohort of Samoans who had their citizenship stripped by an unjust law.

In August of last year, Green MP Teanau Tuiono’s member’s bill, Restoring Citizenship Removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982, was selected from the biscuit tin.

Tuiono acknowledged the rarity of an opposition MP's bill being picked and progressing as far as it did.

The bill initially passed its first reading in April, garnering support from all parties except National.

National MP Cameron Brewer confirmed the party's support for the bill during the third reading on Wednesday. Still, he defended the initial (Western Samoa) Act 1982, passed unanimously by all parties in the House at the time, including Labour, led by Bill Rowling.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins emphasised the bill's role in correcting a historical injustice and acknowledged activist Falema'i Lesa's oral submission, which moved some members of the Select Committee to tears.

Source PMN