Bledisloe Reception

I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.  Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the afternoon (Sign)

I specifically greet you: Prime Minister, Hon John Key; Leader of the Opposition, Hon Phil Goff; Chief Justice, Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias; Ministers of the Crown, Judges and Members of Parliament, Your Excellency Pedro Herrera, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and your fellow diplomatic colleagues; Pita Paraone, Chairman of the Waitangi National Trust Board, Distinguished Guests from central and local government, from our country's Māori, Pasifika, military, church, and many other communities; Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you for accepting the invitation from my wife Susan and I to attend this Bledisloe Reception on the eve of 170th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

This gathering is an opportunity to acknowledge the generous gift to New Zealand of the Treaty House and grounds in 1932 by our predecessors: Lord Charles Bledisloe and his wife, Lady Elaine Bledisloe. 

Two years later, in 1934, the first Waitangi Day celebrations were held.  They were attended by more than 10,000 people.  At that first celebration, Lord Bledisloe laid the foundation stone of the Whare Runanga that now stands on the Treaty grounds near the Treaty House.

The Bledisloe's gift was greater than the physical house and grounds.  Lord Bledisloe, who was Governor-General during the Great Depression, seems to have understood the importance of symbols to nationhood. 

In a similar way that the gift of the Bledisloe Cup has defined rugby rivalry between Australia and New Zealand, the Bledisloe's gift of the Treaty grounds has provided our nation with a focus for reflection on and celebration of the birth of our nation.

The debate about the Treaty of Waitangi over the last 30 years might well have surprised Lord Bledisloe, although he was not blind to the strife that preceded and followed its signing in 1840.  He saw the Whare Runanga, Treaty House, and flagstaff as a triumvirate that symbolised the uniting of Māori and Pākehā under one nation, and he hoped that the gift might provide a place where former enemies could become friends.

As a member of the British aristocracy, Bledisloe was an outsider, which perhaps enabled him to stand apart from the tangled politics of the day and see the long-term importance of the Treaty. He described the Treaty as a "Magna Carta" for the Māori people.

Lord Bledisloe also saw the need for Pākehā to better understand and appreciate Māori art, language, heritage, and culture.   In laying the foundation stone of the Whare Runanga, he described it as an historic structure. He said: "It will, let us hope, provide a common meeting-ground where old feuds will be forgotten and new friendships will be forged, where national issues can be debated and where national problems can be approached from the Maori standpoint and explored in such a way as to assist the Pakeha in fully understanding and appreciating the Maori mind."

Seventy-six years after that first Waitangi Day celebration, we continue to discuss the significance of the Treaty in our nation's past. 

Waitangi Day is our national day and it is a time when we not only reflect on our history, but also rightfully celebrate all our individual and collective achievements, and look to the future of our nation.

New Zealanders have also come to appreciate that the Treaty and Waitangi Day are about more than the past and about more than one place.  History records that the Treaty was signed in many places and on many dates.

Tomorrow I will give the Governor-General's traditional Waitangi Day address in Akaroa in the South Island.  This is to recognise the fact that the signing of the Treaty at Waitangi, on 6 February was only the beginning of a process and a partnership that continues to this day.   Most of the rangatira who signed the Treaty did not do so at Waitangi. The Treaty was signed for the first time in the South Island at Ngāi Tahu's Ōnuku Marae near Akaroa. 

On the eve of the 170th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, I see the Treaty not as a burden, but as a beacon.  A good understanding of our past marks the way towards the great possibilities that lie ahead for New Zealand.

And on that heartening note I will close in New Zealand's first language, Māori, offering everyone greetings, and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours.    No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.