Royal New Zealand Plunket Society Conference

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.

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

Greetings: Kaye Crowther, New Zealand President of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society; Mayor of Dunedin, Your Worship Peter Chin, Past Presidents of  Plunket, Plunket Nurses, Volunteers, Distinguished Guests Otherwise, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Thank you for inviting my wife Susan and myself to attend today's historic Plunket National Centenary Conference.

In every New Zealand setting, whoever speaks ought first to establish a place to stand before the audience. 

In this regard, I have an affinity - like many thousands of New Zealanders - with Plunket that bears mention.

First, I am a Plunket baby and father of three children who were Plunket babies.

Secondly, various members of my family have had a strong affiliation with Plunket. 

My wife Susan, a long time Plunket mother, was serving as President of Rose Road Plunket, and later, as Vice-President of Auckland Plunket, during Lady Perry's time.

Indeed, Susan presented to a Plunket Conference many years ago on the subject of plants that are poisonous for children.

My parents both had an interest in Plunket, driven by their professions.

For my mother's part, this was as a result of her training and work as a Karitane Nurse.  For my father's part, he was an Otago Medical School Graduate and GP who had clear reasons to be involved with, and supportive of, Plunket.

The final part of my connection with Plunket lies in my current role. As Governor-General, I am Patron of the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society.

So, my connection with Plunket is multi-layered.  And each of these has given me an insight into the important work this Society has undertaken for New Zealand families over the last 100 years.

This is a significant milestone. There are few health organisations in New Zealand that have not only survived for this length of time, but that have also thrived.

Plunket is one such organisation.  As the Lisa Macknight article put it in Saturday's Otago Daily Times,

"Like the All Blacks, ANZAC and buzzy bees, Plunket is part of the fabric of New Zealanders' lives."

It has flourished, sometimes during challenging times, and has continued to help New Zealand children enjoy healthy and happy childhoods.

I am conscious of speaking at an historical moment.  To quote from column 2 on page 18 of Jim Sullivan's excellent history:-

"A meeting at the Dunedin Town Hall on 14 May 1907 marked the formal beginnings of the society which soon became known as the Plunket Society in honour of the Governor's wife, Lady Victoria Plunket, an ardent supporter of [Dr Frederic Truby] King's work."

New Zealand is a very different place today, than it was in 1907. The pressures faced by our families have shifted considerably and Plunket has evolved with this.  Plunket's key word can be said to have been adaptability. 

Whereas in 1907, I am advised that Plunket's focus was very much directed towards reducing high infant mortality rates and poor postnatal health, in 2007 the focus is more holistic.

Today, Plunket is committed to the early physical, intellectual and emotional experiences of childhood - for a child and its family.

It does this within the parameters of our evolving society, by recognising that definitions of family have changed, as have our definitions of what it means to be a New Zealander. These changes bring new pressures for families, and they also bring new opportunities for Plunket to be the champions of children.

For example, Plunket has developed services which acknowledge our country's increasing ethnic diversity, and the experiences of child-rearing which may be unique to particular cultures within New Zealand.

When we consider that Plunket, it is said, touches more than 90 percent of young families in New Zealand, we can see how critical it is that Plunket accommodates our increasing diversity.

We have changed in other ways too.

Whereas once the mother was almost always the primary caregiver and most services were directed towards her as a result, now fathers and grandparents are recognised as playing significant roles in caring for babies and children.

Fatherhood - and the expectations society places upon fathers - has changed a great deal, particularly in the last twenty or so years.

These changes have been driven by a number of social and economic factors - at both local and international levels. And the changes have occurred even since I was the father of young children, in the late 1970s.

Perhaps the most visible change is that it is today much more accepted, and common, for fathers to choose to be a primary care-giver at some point in their children's life.

While mothers still provide the primary care in the earliest months, it is not as unusual as it used to be to hear of a father choosing to stay at home, while the mother returns to paid employment for some time.

This change reflects a broader evolution within New Zealand, where women increasingly apply themselves to equal employment opportunities.

We might expect to see this changing dynamic more in the future and this is a positive thing for our children.

Fathers who stay at home are perhaps at the far end of the change spectrum. It is still a relatively recent shift and the tendency is still for the mother, or a paid care-giver, to provide the primary care.

However, it is one symptom of a change in fathering which we have experienced in New Zealand over time. It is a very positive development for New Zealand children and New Zealand families and I believe it is one that Plunket stands with.

An apposite quote comes from Plunket's most recent Annual Report, from a Christchurch father called Martin who said:

I really enjoy my children and spending time with them. Plunket encourages fathers to be involved in their children's upbringing and in the life of the Plunket community in our area. As a family, it's brought us closer together.

In talking about positive shifts in parenting, including the greater role fathers have, it would be remiss not to also acknowledge that there is still room for improvement in New Zealand's parenting record.

I am advised that Plunket continues to play an important role in educating families on positive parenting - not only in encouraging greater involvement by fathers, but in improving all aspects of parenting.

This aspect of Plunket's mandate is carried out at a number of levels, including through direct contact with families, through the community sector, and by advocating at a government level.

The same 2006 Annual Report says that Plunket is connected with more than 600 communities throughout New Zealand. This alone speaks volumes of the integral part Plunket plays in supporting our young families.

This association with New Zealand homes could not be achieved without the volunteer networks that have sustained Plunket.

It is said that it takes a small village to raise a child. So it is that Plunket could not support the children of New Zealand without the support of its community of volunteers.

Each year, thousands of people volunteer for Plunket and the time and effort they give to the cause is reason for registering thanks.

Importantly too, these volunteers help facilitate support networks for parents, and connect families with each other. This, in turn, helps spread good parenting practices through shared experiences.

Plunket also lobbies for children's rights at a government level.

Whilst I do not want to say anything about the matter of the repeal of section 59 of the Crimes Act, given that it is not my role to enter political debates, it is to be noted that Plunket has been involved in the debate and has worked to further the organisations's objectives in this regard.

I am advised that Plunket works alongside a number of government and non-government organisations to advocate for positive outcomes for children. As a result, our children are less likely to drown in their swimming pools, be injured in car accidents, in their homes and in the community.

The New Zealand community can thank Plunket for many things. Many of us can thank Plunket for the role they played in supporting us as parents, and others of us can thank them for supporting our parents in giving us the best possible start to life.

By remaining flexible enough to accommodate the evolution of New Zealand families, Plunket continues to provide invaluable support and guidance to parents. And it helps make our country a better place in which to be born.

If I could issue this audience with a challenge, or a wero, it would be to continue supporting Plunket in its championing of our children.

It cannot do the work it does without this support. Plunket is a keystone of New Zealand's community of care and it cannot exist in isolation - just as a child cannot enjoy the best start in life without a good family to nurture him or her.

I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages.  May I close by speaking in Maori issuing greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours.

No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa