Hutt International Boys' School (HIBS)

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: Marty Grenfell, Chairperson of the Board and your fellow trustees; John Ross, Chairperson of the Board of Proprietors and your fellow Board members;  Grahame Duffy, Principal of Hutt International Boys’ School and your staff; Your Worship Wayne Guppy, Mayor of Upper Hutt; students; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Ladies and Gentlemen. 

Thank you for inviting Susan and I to visit Hutt International Boys’ School here in Trentham, Upper Hutt. Presented this morning is an opportunity to talk to you all about my role, as Governor-General of New Zealand, the importance of serving your community, and also about the importance of education in preparing you for the rest of your life.

Before I do, I should mention that I have with me a class set of a booklet that Government House has published called New Zealand’s Governor-General: Constitution, Ceremony and Community.    It outlines the changing role of New Zealand’s Governor-General as well as providing more detail on the job I do.

An equally useful resource is the Government House website, which has a really easy URL to remember: www.gg.govt.nz. It is updated daily and follows activities of Susan and myself throughout the year and as such, will give you a much broader sense of the role of the Governor-General.

Additionally, we now have an Official Facebook page and a Twitter feed – the links to which can be found off our main website just mentioned.

From the way I speak, it is obvious that I am a New Zealander. However from the way I look you can also tell that I am of Indian origin. My grand parents were from India and migrated to Fiji. My parents were born in Fiji and moved to New Zealand and I was born in Auckland.
After going to school in Auckland, I went to the University of Auckland and from 1970 to 1982 I worked as a lawyer.  In 1982, I was appointed as a judge and in 1995 as an ombudsman, a job I held until 2005. In 2006, I was appointed Governor-General.

The Governor-General’s role has evolved as New Zealand has evolved into an independent nation. Governors-General used to be appointed from British sources, often military or members of the aristocracy.

But since 1967, all Governors-General have been New Zealanders and they have come from many backgrounds.

Sir Arthur Porritt, while our first New Zealand-born Governor-General, who served in the late 1960s, spent almost all of his life overseas as a distinguished surgeon, diplomat, military officer and athlete. 

In 1973, the Governor-General was Sir Denis Blundell, the first Governor-General who was not only was born in New Zealand but had lived most of his life here.

Including myself, four have been former judges, one was a mayor, another a Prime Minister, one an archbishop, one was a diplomat and another a doctor.  One of those Governors-General was Māori and two were women, while I have both Asian and Pacific ancestry. 

These changes show how New Zealand has changed and is changing.   Our country is becoming increasingly diverse, with people of many different cultures, religions and ethnicities living here.

When travelling through New Zealand, I am often asked to explain my role.  To do so, I need to provide an explanation of how our government works.

As you know 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.
New Zealand is a democracy which means that the people of New Zealand elect the Members of Parliament (or MPs).  The Prime Minister is the person able to lead Parliament because he or she has the support of more than half of the MPs. That side, which is what is called ‘the Majority’, forms the Government.

The first part of the role is a legal one.  When the Government in Parliament passes laws by voting in favour of a new law, those laws need to be signed in the name of The Queen in order to become part of the law of the country.  The Governor-General signs the laws and needs to be sure the laws have been properly passed. 

The Governor-General also signs other important documents appointing people to be Judges, Diplomats and Heads of Government Ministries.  Most importantly, in 2008 I signed the documents that authorised the November General Election.  After the election, I formally appointed Mr John Key as Prime Minister as he was able to show he could command a majority in Parliament. All of this is called the Governor-General’s constitutional role. 

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 a new session of Parliament, the welcoming of visiting Heads of State and attending commemorations of Waitangi Day and ANZAC Day. 

The third part of the role is to do with community leadership.  This means visiting people and places throughout New Zealand attending celebrations and seeing things that people have done well.  It also includes as a matter of attending when tragedies and disasters have occurred, for example the Pike River Miner explosion and the Christchurch earthquake. 
This last aspect, the community role, is the part of my job that keeps both my wife Susan and I busy. It is also that part of the job which keeps us in touch with so many New Zealanders.

It is what has brought me to your college.   I see it as a key part of my role to emphasise those things that positively unite us as New Zealanders rather than those things that divide us.

Emphasising all that makes New Zealand and New Zealanders special, and everything that we as a nation have achieved is actually an easy one.

There is so much to celebrate.  New Zealand may be a young nation, but we are an old democracy.  For 107 years, all New Zealanders have had the right to vote, regardless of whether they were rich or poor, men or women, Māori or Pākehā.  It is a record few other countries can match.

I understand that HIBS, as it is commonly known, was founded in 1991 and so celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. May I congratulate this school on reaching that milestone!

I have been interested to learn of your School’s focus on developing in students an International orientation in knowledge and attitudes, or what can be said to be a global respect.

Global respect involves acceptance, appreciation and tolerance for people of all nationalities, cultures, languages and traditions. That is increasingly important in New Zealand, where our communities are increasingly diverse.

It is estimated there are now about one million Kiwi expats.  Given that New Zealand only has a population of 4.4 million, this “Kiwi diaspora” can be said to be proportionally one of the largest diaspora of any developed country.

Many expats have become highly successful, making impressive contributions in many fields.  That contribution extends beyond their individual pursuits, to lend weight to the phrase that New Zealand and New Zealanders punch above their weight in many areas.

However the foundation for that success lies in your education. Your teachers are not only giving you the skills to read, write and do long division, but how to understand the world around you.  It is the key that unlocks all that follows—don’t let it slip from your hands.

I am reminded of a wonderful Māori proverb which goes:

Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro  - nōna te ngahere.
Engari te manu e kai ana i te mātauranga - nōna te ao.
The bird that eats of the miro berry owns the forest.
But the bird that eats of education owns the world.

Whatever you choose to do, be it tertiary study or heading straight into the workforce, striving to be the best that you can, in everything you put your mind to, will be of great benefit. Your school motto “Excellence and Encouragement” outlines that principle well.

All New Zealanders who have succeeded in their endeavours started somewhere. Let this be your starting point in your journey to achieving great things.

And with a sense of anticipation, 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.