NZDF LSV Patrons Programme Reception

E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi o te motu e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou.  Kia ora tātou katoa.  Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all.  Nau mai haere mai ki te Whare Kawana o Te Whanganui-a-Tara – welcome to Government House in Wellington.

I specifically acknowledge: Hon Amy Adams, Minister of the Crown; Major General Tim Keating, Vice Chief of the Defence Force; and Helene Quilter, Secretary of Defence.

It is a great pleasure for Janine and me to host this reception at Government House this evening to acknowledge and celebrate your contributions to the Limited Service Volunteer Programme.

Having been established in 1993, the Limited Service Volunteer Programme or LSV Programme has seen thousands of young New Zealanders complete the six-week course.  This year the programme turns 20!  However, it’s only been over the last three or four years that the LSV Programme has seen a fillip in its arrangements – including the appointment of “Course Patrons”.

My own connection to the programme dates from 1995 when I was tasked to prepare a decision-brief for the Chief of General Staff.  Going into the review, I was not convinced of its utility – seemingly it was not “core business”.  As I learned more about LSVs my view and attitude changed.

Its focus on enabling and equipping unemployed and yet capable young men and women, with important life skills and self-confidence resonated with me – and it still does.  “Watching young adults with low levels of esteem grow and mature, and start believing in themselves to the point that when they graduate they feel they have something positive to offer prospective employers” is fantastic.  And when you see the pride in which their families hold the trainees when they march-out, that is simply superb.  I also enjoy seeing and hearing of the delight of the LSV instructors in their work.  These things are why I was enthusiastic about becoming Patron of the Patrons Programme.

The value of the LSV Programme cannot be understated.  I recall reading a news article published last year that shared the story of two young Blenheim men who undertook LSV training and said that it was the best thing anyone could do with their lives .  The journey from drug use and unemployment, to carpentry training and work placement with lifelong job prospects is just one of the many success stories that the programme has encouraged.

Those of you here this evening also have a strong connection with the LSV Programme.  Most of you have given your time and mana to respective course “classes” as a Patron.  To my mind, there is something more decent involved with your commitment than a simple agreement of association.  What you have communicated to those young people is that you care, that you, people of mana and high-profile, value them and the potential they represent.  For many of the trainees it’s perhaps the only positive affirmation they have had in their short lives.

Let me be quite clear, yours are significant contributions, and its value is beyond words to quantify.  As Patrons, you will have seen, as I have seen, the talents and passions of our young people can be nurtured no matter what their background.  With the help of role models and people that they have a respect for, the calibre of our most vulnerable youth can be encouraged and strengthened through the LSV Programme.

So this evening I want to thank you, the Patrons, for your contributions, for what you have done and what you can do for New Zealand.  Gifting your name, gifting your time, and gifting your mana to at-risk young New Zealanders is greatly appreciated.  The success of the LSV Programme has been to change perspectives for the better.  And for the trainees it is that they can re-enter their lives much better for the LSV experience, and better prepared to get on with their lives.  If there is something we could work on as a group, it is to develop a follow-up arrangement or network for LSV trainees – now there’s a challenge for you! 

As Patron of the Patrons Programme, and as Governor-General and representative of all New Zealanders, I extend my gratitude for the part you have played in engaging, enabling and equipping young New Zealanders, to be empowered and motivated contributors in our society. 

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.