Asia New Zealand Foundation Dinner

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, Cook Island Maori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.

Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is evening and the sun has set [sign].

May I specifically greet you: Hon Philip Burdon and Dr Richard Grant, Chairman and Executive Director respectively of the Asia New Zealand Foundation; Sir Frank Holmes, Asia New Zealand inaugural chairman; Ambassadors, High Commissioners and your colleagues from the Diplomatic Corps; Asia New Zealand trustees, supporters and representatives of a number of New Zealand's Asian communities; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen. 

Given the nature of our gathering it is desirable to add a number of other relevant greetings - ni hao, nimen hao, namaste, kem cho, salaam wailaikum, salamat, anyong hashimnika, konichiwa, sawatdi, mabuhay, sok sabai jiete, chao ban and sawatdi - to cover a number of the ethnic groups represented here tonight.

My wife Susan and warmly welcome you all here tonight - and I am particularly delighted to have an opportunity to speak as Asia New Zealand Foundation's first patron.

Since being appointed Governor-General in August 2006, there have been many more requests made for me to be patron of organisations than could possibly be serviced. There was, however, one invitation I did not have to think much more about, before accepting - that of the Asia New Zealand Foundation and this enabled continuance of a long and highly enjoyable association with the Foundation, including some time as its deputy chair.

But I would like to acknowledge the leaders in government and the community whose prescience has led to an organisation that is respected for its role in improving relationships of New Zealand and New Zealanders with Asia  by advocacy, by research, by husbanding contacts and by involvement with activities.  The leaders include the relevant Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of Trade in their time - Rt Hon Don McKinnon, Hon Philip Burdon, Hon Phil Goff and Rt Hon Winston Peters.  And they have been joined by other New Zealanders from what can be called New Zealand Inc - Sir Frank Holmes, Ken Douglas, Sir Dryden Spring and Karen Sewell to name but four of a distinguished number.

There can be no doubt that enormous progress has been made since the Foundation was established almost a decade and a half ago. 

In that time, three Asian New Zealanders have been elected mayors of their cities, Sukhi Turner and Peter Chin in Dunedin and Meng Foon in Gisborne; Asian New Zealanders, Pansy Wong and Dr Ashraf Choudhary, sit in Parliament.  Asian New Zealanders occupy seats on regulatory bodies like the Securities Commission - Mai Chen; Advocacy and Change Organisations like the Families Commission - Rajen Prasad; leadership of public companies Jonathan Ling; the governance bodies of more than one of our country's professions.  And, a New Zealander of Asian and Pacific descent, now serves our system of Government as Governor-General.

I was in Gisborne last year for the unveiling of the Beijing Olympic Sculptures Exhibition, and there was provincial Mayor, Meng Foon speaking in fluent English, fluent Maori and fluent Cantonese.  It was a joy to see Gisborne's mayor expressing New Zealand biculturalism and multiculturalism both at once and with ease, grace and enormous good humour.

Another pleasant multi-cultural experience of that kind occurred in June in being welcomed on to the Hukanui Marae at Gordonton in the Waikato.  Welcoming our party was not only the people of Ngati Wairere but also the Indian community of the Waikato whom the iwi had been invited to be present, and who turned out in great number.

These are just two examples that show how diverse New Zealand has become in this new century, not only ethnically but also culturally, religiously and in our family lives.  The 2006 Census revealed that there are more than 350,000 New Zealanders of Asian descent and while I could confidently assert there may be people with ethnic links to every nation in Asia in New Zealand, 71 percent, however, are of either Chinese or Indian ethnic descent.

New Zealanders of Asian descent are becoming far more involved in the wider New Zealand community. They are standing up and making their voices heard in the debates of the day in a way that they did not do a decade ago.  The Asian community in New Zealand can be said to have come of age.  They are assisted in this by a lively and vibrant media.

Sir Frank Holmes once lamented that New Zealand public policy seemed to be based on what he called, "an illusion that 'minorities' should somehow be content to discard their identity and merge with the dominant group".

This assimiliationist view no longer holds sway. Asian people have integrated, rather assimilated into the New Zealand community and have to a large extent retained their own cultural heritage while enriching New Zealand's cultural mix at the same time.  An example of that is my wife Susan being Patron of the Cantonese Opera Society of New Zealand, whose concerts in Auckland are not only much enjoyed, but which have also raised funds for many worthy charitable causes in the city.

The challenge will be to continue this cultural strength as the children of migrants, 'homegrown' Asian New Zealanders, take their place as adults in their communities.

As the Maori saying has it:

'Ko tou reo, ko tuku reo te tuakiri tangata  Tihei uriuri, tihei nakonako'

which translates as:

'Your voice and my voice are expressions of identity; May our descendants live on and our hopes be fulfilled.'

As I have mentioned on a number of occasions, while I believe our nation's growing diversity is strengthening and enriching New Zealand's culture, society and economy, I also recognise that it is not without its challenges.

As recent events in Auckland in the past month have shown, in this modern era we continue to be confronted by challenges, be they matters of law and order, or issues around how those new to New Zealand can adjust to a society with very different cultural and social mores, and how that society in turn comes to understand those with a different cultural background to their own.

In addressing such challenges it is important that communities work together rather than divide or become polarised over such issues.  There is a need to offer practical solutions to what are essentially problems that confront many New Zealanders. 

The Asia New Zealand Foundation has played a significant role in helping Asian communities retain their own 'voices' and in helping the New Zealand community to understand and appreciate them.  Like the Asian community itself, the Foundation has also come of age.

Among its many activities are the Action Asia business programme, the Young Leaders network, Asian regional linkages, community leadership, media exchanges, cultural events, research and professional development.  Through this multifaceted approach it has enhanced the knowledge and understanding of Asia among New Zealanders and has enhanced New Zealand's relationships and profile in the Asian region.

The challenge now is to build on the networks that have been developed in order to create a closer and wider relationship - ones that are mutually beneficial in both social and economic terms.

Business leaders in New Zealand have been most generous in their support of the Foundation's work - and the business advisory board in Asia has made a top quality contribution.

I would like to thank them, and all those, like many present this evening, who have given so much of their time and energy towards laying the ground for a stronger relationship between New Zealand and Asian countries.

There is plenty of scope for the future - with a growing recognition that that Asia's three billion people could provide a much bigger market for New Zealand products and services - and that the increasing diversity of our population enhances our national life.

My predecessor in office as Governor General, Sir Keith Holyoake, made this point well when he spoke to the United Nations General Assembly in 1976.  He said of New Zealand, and I quote:  'We are a multi racial society.... Some might see this cultural diversity as a liability, or as a source of friction. We do not. It is a strength.'

His comments were made just over three decades ago and I think it is fair to say that on that score New Zealand has been going from strength to strength ever since and it is to organisations such as the Asia New Zealand Foundation that the country owes equal measures of acknowledgement and tribute.

On that note I would like to close in New Zealand's first language Maori by offering everyone greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours: No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.