But even though the race is tight, she said on social media she had been stopped and congratulated by community members. “Here’s my question to National, who is it exactly that you’re going to have as the minister for Pacific people? Pacific community advocate Melissa Lama said she did not know how National planned to make decisions on Pacific issues. A common thread was concern that the Ministry for Pacific Peoples would be scrapped. “Our position very strongly is I’ve been supportive of the Pacific Peoples Ministry.