Hon Winnie Laban - Minister of Pacific Island Affairs

We drove to Wellington a week ago to meet with Winnie Laban. She has been a Member of Parliament for many years and was selected as a member of the Cabinet (Minister) about three months ago. We have met with her on four or five different occasions and she is a very good friend of ours, and most of all she is supportive of all of our activities. I scheduled the visit to get her perspective on the challenges facing the Polynesians in New Zealand and to get her support in promoting some of the family values programs that we will be taking to the various islands early next year. Her responsibility is limited to domestic issues, but the Polynesians in New Zealand have an excellent understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the their friends and relatives living in the Islands. She was most helpful and I may even invite her to join us on some of our travels to the islands.