Wellington Central City Citizens Advice Bureau opening

Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and Sign Language.

Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and (Sign)

Greetings to you Wellington Deputy Mayor, Alick Shaw; Councillors; Staff and volunteers of the Wellington Central City Citizens Advice Bureau; Representatives of the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux; Wellingtonians.

It is a great pleasure for my wife Susan and myself to be here today to officially open the new premises for the Wellington Central City Citizens Advice Bureau.

There are two separate, but connected, reasons which bring me here today.

The first is in my role as Governor-General. In this capacity, I acknowledge the work of Citizens Advice Bureaux around the country, like this one, in providing support and advice to New Zealanders.  They have done so for 35 years now and have achieved a remarkable credibility with the general public.

In October last year, I launched the Citizens Advice Bureaux National Conference. In preparing for that address, I was interested to learn of the beginnings of CAB's in 1939 in the UK, decline in the 50's and 60's and then resurgence in the 1970's, not only there but in countries like New Zealand where this role of empowering citizens with knowledge has proven to be so important.

As an Ombudsman in my last career, I am very aware of the importance of the Bureaux in helping raise public awareness of, and access to, the complaints bodies available to them like the Ombudsmen.

You are able to do this because of the reach you have into so many parts of the New Zealand community, and are thus in a very good position to know where there may be any problems within our systems and to be an advocate for social change. 

In that way CAB's are making a difference to the lives of individuals, and to New Zealand society as a whole. 

I know this Bureau alone has supported many thousands of New Zealanders. I am advised that since 2000, you have assisted with more than 80,000 enquiries of a very broad nature. I congratulate you for this work.

I am also present today as Susan's husband. Susan was herself a volunteer at the Central City Citizens Advice Bureau for nine years and like so many of you volunteers, put in long hours here (or at least downstairs) and found the experience both rewarding and satisfying.

By means of that involvement over such a long time, there have been many friendships either made or continued in this setting.

I would like to acknowledge the support of Wellington City Council in relocating and refurbishing this Bureau for the next phase. And I wish the staff and volunteers all the best in providing their services from this new location.

I now take great pleasure in officially opening the new premises of the Central City Citizens Advice Bureau.