Blockhouse Bay Intermediate School Jubilee Hall Opening

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 morning (Sign)

I then specifically greet you: Robyn McMillan, Chairperson of the Blockhouse Bay Intermediate School Board of Trustees and your fellow trustees; Terry Wood, former Chair of the Board ; Colin Andrews, Principal and your fellow staff; Hon David Cunliffe, MP for New Lynn; Ross Clow, Chair of the Portage Licensing Trust; Representatives from the Ministry of Education, Architects and Builders; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls.  

Given the highly multicultural nature of the school roll, I will add several other greetings: Malo e lelei, Talofa lava, Namaste, Salam, Selamate, Buenos dias, Ni sa bula, Un nyung and Ni hao .

Thank you for inviting my wife Susan and I to Blockhouse Bay Intermediate School for this ceremony to mark the opening of your Jubilee Hall.  We have both been asked to present several Kauri awards to hard working students as well. 

Before officially opening the hall a little later in this ceremony, I would like to speak a little about the role I undertake as Governor-General and a little about your school and the importance of education.

I have brought with me a class set of a booklet that Government House has published called New Zealand’s Governor-General: Constitution, Ceremony and Community which describes the role of New Zealand’s Governor-General.

From the way I speak, you can probably tell I am a New Zealander.  From the way I look, you can also probably tell I am of Indian origin.  The reason is that my grandparents migrated to Fiji from India and my parents were born in Fiji and moved to Auckland where I was born.  In another words, like many of you, I am another New Zealander with an international background.

After going to school in Ponsonby and Glen Innes, I studied at university in Auckland and before working as a lawyer.  In 1982, I was appointed as a judge and in 1995 as an ombudsman.  In 2006, I was appointed Governor-General.

The role of Governor-General has changed as New Zealand has changed.  Before 1967, Governors-General were British-born.  New Zealand is now a fully independent country and since then, all Governors-General have been New Zealanders and have come from a number of backgrounds.

Including myself, four have been judges, one was a mayor, another a Prime Minister, one an archbishop, one a diplomat and another a doctor.  One of those Governors-General was Māori and two were women, while I have both Asian and Pacific background.  This shows that one’s background is no bar to achieving public office in New Zealand. 

The ethnicities and cultures on display at this school demonstrate again how diverse our country has become, with people of many different cultures, religions and races living here. 

At school events, I am often asked to explain how my job works and I will do that as simply as I can.  To start, I need to provide an explanation of how our system of government works.

New Zealand is a monarchy, which means that our Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II.  Because she is in London, she needs someone based in New Zealand to represent her.  That person is the Governor-General who holds the job for five years when another person will be appointed.

New Zealand is also a democracy which means people elect their Members of Parliament every three years at a election.  The Prime Minister heads the Government because he or she is the MP with the support of more than half of the MPs.  An important role of the Governor-General is to appoint the Prime Minister after an election.

After the election there are other legal things to do.  When the Government in Parliament passes pieces of legislation, the Governor-General signs them in the name of the Queen so they can become part of New Zealand’s laws.  The Governor-General also appoints people to be Judges, Officers in the Defence Force and Heads of Government Departments.  

The second part of the role is ceremonial. This means that the Governor-General represents the country at public ceremonies such as the opening of Parliament, the welcoming of visiting Heads of State and attending Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day events. 

The third part of the role is to do with the community.  This means visiting people and places throughout New Zealand attending celebrations, opening new buildings and observing things that people have done well.  This last aspect is the busiest in terms of time. It is also that part of the job which makes for keeping in touch with so many New Zealanders in every part of the country. And that is what has brought me to Blockhouse Bay Intermediate School—the happy event of opening a new school hall.

Education is such an important part of life.  Your teachers are not only giving you the skills to read, write and do long division, but how to understand the world around you. 

Your school’s motto is “Stand Tall—Ruia Taitea” and quite appropriately the mighty kauri tree is your school symbol.    May I say that there is no better way to stand tall than through education.  Education gives each person an opportunity to realise our potential and become everything we want to be. 

In particular, if I could stress one single thing to everyone who is a pupil at this school, it would be to read, read and read. It would be to say “never stop reading”.  If sport and exercise keep the body fit and healthy, it is reading that keeps your brain fit and healthy.

How many here have read Dr Seuss' book, Green Eggs and Ham?  Well he also wrote another book called I Can Read With my Eyes Shut and in it he wrote something that talks about learning.  He wrote: "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

In conclusion, this magnificent new Hall marks a further step in the history of Blockhouse Bay Intermediate, which celebrated its Golden Jubilee last year.   The school roll has grown significantly in the last few years and this new means everyone will be able to attend assembly without having to sit on the floor!

I also understand that in addition to funding from the Ministry of Education, there was significant community fundraising.  I want to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone, including the sponsors, school community, architects, and builders, for their work in bringing this project to fruition.  

As Governor-General, it gives me great pleasure to declare the Blockhouse Bay Intermediate School Jubilee Hall officially open.

And on that note, I will close in New Zealand’s first language Māori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.  

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.