NEW ZEALAND WAITANGI DAY

That this House is proud to join the people of New Zealand in celebrating Waitangi Day, their national day, on 6 February 2011, commemorating the historic signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 that marks the coming together of the Maori people and representatives of the British Crown; recognises the importance of maintaining close links between the United Kingdom and New Zealand and cherishes the strong historical bond and unshakable friendship that exists between all the peoples of the British Isles and islands of New Zealand; further recognises the shared heritage, common language, longstanding trading relationships and deeply intertwined cultural, educational and military ties that exist between these great allies and Commonwealth members, who also take pride in sharing HM Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State and Sovereign; and urges the Government to continue to foster and strengthen this special relationship that, despite the long distances in being oceans apart and on opposite corners of the Earth, continues to bind both nations together.