E ngā rau rangatira mā, e kui mā, e koro mā, e huihui mai nei i tēnei wā, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou. Nau mai, haere mai rā ki Te Whare o te Kāwana Tianara o Tāmaki Makaurau.
I would like to begin by specifically acknowledging: Hurimoana Dennis, Board Chair; Tui Ah Loo, Chief Executive Officer; David Grear, Chief Operating Officer; Vivi Lee, Kahurangi ; Aroha Jessop, Housing Operations Manager.
As Governor-General, I am delighted to welcome you all to Government House Auckland today to recognise Te Pā: your vital work championing a forgotten segment of our society, and empowering vulnerable individuals to successfully transition back into whānau and our communities. Tēnā koutou katoa.
As New Zealanders, we like to believe we always give others ‘a fair go’ – yet this notion of fairness seldom extends to people who have experienced the criminal justice system. Instead, many serve a ‘silent sentence’, with ongoing stigmatisation, judgement, and bias. By defining individuals through their past mistakes, we lock them into an identity and cycle that restricts their opportunities and diminishes their potential.
It is also an undeniable and heartbreaking fact that prison numbers in New Zealand are so high. It costs over $200,000 to keep a sentenced inmate in a New Zealand prison each year, alongside the wider cost for whānau and our country as a whole. And we know our prisons house a disproportionate number of Māori, locked into intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.
Your very apt name Te Pā evokes a village; a community stronghold; a home; and therefore, a place of belonging. I commend your organisation for offering these vulnerable members of our community a safe space, run by compassionate professionals who understand and accept an individual’s past, without letting it define their future.
I particularly acknowledge your innovative Te Pā Tūwatawata ecology of care model based on a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tikanga Māori, which underpin the values and kaupapa of your organisation. This community-led approach ensures you treat people with respect, manaakitanga, and aroha. I am sure your kaimahi see every day how a simple word of encouragement and a listening ear can powerfully influence a person’s path to healing.
It was Archbishop Desmond Tutu who remarked, ‘Forgiveness says you are given another chance to make a new beginning.’
I was heartened to read the very moving stories of new beginnings in your annual report, showing the profound value of your work across generations. From a young mum wanting to do the very best for her tamariki, to ‘reluctant returnees’ sent here from Australia, your ‘one-size-fits-one’ approach to wraparound support focuses on the individual, restoring the mana of our tangata.
As I was reflecting on your kaupapa, the following whakataukī came to mind: ‘Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu.’ Adorn the bird with feathers so it can fly.
I thank each and every one of you for your compassion and dedication to a cause so few recognise and attempt to address.
Your work empowers these often-forgotten members of our community to build life skills, but more importantly, to build a life with purpose and with hope.
Ngā mihi nui. Kia maia, kia manawanui, kia kaha e koutou.