Speech
United States New Zealand Partnership Forum
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 evening (Sign)
I then specifically greet you: Your Excellency David Huebner, Ambassador of the United States to New Zealand; Your Excellency Rt Hon Mike Moore, Ambassador of New Zealand to the United States; Ministers of the Crown, including Hon Murray McCully, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Hon Tim Groser, Minister of Trade; Hon Dr Wayne Mapp, Minister of Defence; Hon Simon Power, Minister of Commerce; Congressman Don Manzullo, Chairman, United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and fellow members of the United States Congress and Members of the New Zealand Parliament, including the Leader of the Opposition, Hon Phil Goff; Hon Maryan Street; Forum co-chairs from the United States: Senator Evan Bayh and Ambassador Susan Schwab; Forum co-chairs from New Zealand: Rt Hon Jim Bolger, Chair of the NZ US Council; and Hon Dr Michael Cullen; Your Worship Bob Parker, Mayor of Christchurch; Distinguished Guests otherwise; Rt Hon Dr Lockwood Smith, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you for inviting my wife Susan and me to the United States New Zealand Partnership Forum Dinner here in Christchurch. As Governor-General of New Zealand, it gives me great pleasure to further welcome delegates attending the Forum.
At the outset, I would like to congratulate the New Zealand United States Council and its Washington-based counterpart for organising this Forum. This is the fourth such gathering to be held and the second to be held in New Zealand.
Alongside the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Forum has played an important role in enhancing links between the governments, legislatures and businesses of the New Zealand and United States. That work culminated in the signing of the Wellington Declaration by United States Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, last November.
The declaration text underscores how much the United States and New Zealand share, as nations whose shores are lapped by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. They include commitment to democratic values and human rights, and more widely commitment to peace, prosperity and security. If one starts with the First World War, it can be said that New Zealanders and Americans have stood together in conflict zones throughout the world to defend values for almost a century.
The breadth of the modern relationship in business, trade, tourism, education, arts and culture, science, government, military co-operation and a host of people-to-people links is so extensive that if I went into any detail our dinner would go cold!
The signing of the Wellington Declaration has marked a new stage in the relationship between the United States and New Zealand. At the end of the new millennium’s first decade, it has categorised, correctly in the view of many, the relationship as a strategic partnership.
It is in the nature of such agreements that broad goals are set. The signing of an agreement and accompanying shaking of hands carries with it important public symbolism and represents the culmination of much behind-the-scenes diplomacy.
It is to be said, for all the effort that has occurred to reach that point, it is once the ink dries that the hard work begins. If the Wellington Declaration is to be more than just words on paper, both sides must roll up their sleeves and get on with the difficult task of matching the prose with deeds.
The deeds required to meet the challenges which the Declaration outlines are, many in number and complexity. Our region and world are challenged by many forces—economic difficulties, climate change, nuclear proliferation and extremism—to name but a few.
The work underway to expand the Trans Pacific Partnership, of which New Zealand is a member, into a wider free trade agreement that includes the United States is one example of words being translated into action.
Likewise, the attendance at this Forum of such a senior gathering of people in government and business from the United States and New Zealand shows there is a real commitment to giving substance to the Wellington Declaration and to the theme of this gathering, The Power of Partnering.
As daily experience constantly teaches us, whether it be in life, in negotiations between business or in dealings between nation states, by working together we can achieve more than what we could ever achieve singly.
As Mr Bolger, in one of his former lives as Ambassador Jim Bolger, stated at the 2005 Gateway to America Conference: "New Zealand and the United States are partners in the 21st century. To me this is an exciting and achievable proposition. Our partnership is based on the bedrock of shared values which both countries have been prepared to defend around the globe.… We have done this at great personal cost, testified by the fact that the bones of our people rest together for all time in distant seas and foreign lands. … The 21st century is going to challenge all who support open democratic values, so we must continue to work closely together."
And on what I trust is a note that emphasises the strong relationship between our two nations and wishing you well with your discussions, 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.