I think everybody's already talked about the why; the why is actually quite easy. Again, like the other speakers before me, I acknowledge the communities and the individuals and the professionals who came and submitted—the more than 130 who made written submissions and the dozens who turned up to share their experiences and their knowledge with us. As far as the why, a few things stood out to me. The New Zealand Sikh Youth community came and eloquently talked to us about intercommunal integration—that language connects us with our own culture and with each other. We heard from professionals who really clearly understand about identity, engagement, and wellbeing when language is included in our curriculum. We heard from a parent who talked about her children feeling at home and settled if they felt acknowledged through their language being acknowledged. The Punjabi women's association from Wellington talked about improving ethnic cohesion and their opportunity to change public perceptions of second language speakers so that New Zealanders will cease to experience the "Speak English" challenge on the bus or in the supermarket. The why is easy. 