WAITANGI DAY 2016

That this House joins the people of New Zealand in celebrating Waitangi Day, their National Day, on Saturday 6 February 2016, 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; notes the importance of maintaining strong links between the UK and New Zealand; recognises the shared heritage, longstanding trading relationships, interwined cultural, educational and military ties, including the armed forces, competitive sports, and arts investment of these two great allies and Commonwealth members who share Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Head of State and Sovereign; and calls on the Government to make strengthening the close political, economic, sporting and cultural ties that continue to bind these two great nations together one of its very highest priorities for 2016.