Waitangi Day Address 2023

Ko ‘te amorangi ki mua’
ko ‘te hāpai ō ki muri’.

Tuatahi ki te Atua,
koia te tīmatanga,
koia ano te whakamutunga
o ngā mea katoa.

Tātai whetū ki te rangi,
ka mau tonu, ka mau tonu
tātai tangata ki te whenua,
ngaro noa, ngaro noa.

Ka hoki mai ki te mata ora
tatou kua hui mai nei
tēnā koutou
tēnā koutou
tēnā tatou katoa.

My very warmest greetings to you all on this, New Zealand’s national day. I wish to first acknowledge those in the upper North Island who have been affected by the recent extreme weather events.

I hope that those who are able, come together with your friends and whānau this Waitangi Day, and reflect on its meaning for all New Zealanders.

While the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic are still being felt across our communities, I wish to take this opportunity to again acknowledge my fellow New Zealanders – for all that you sacrificed, and continue to sacrifice, to keep each other safe.

It will be for historians to judge Covid-19’s lasting impact on the fabric of our society. But I hope that out of these uncertain and difficult times, we never lose sight of the good: the skill and selflessness of our healthcare workers; the commitment of our public servants and those who kept our essential services running; and the duty of respect and care we each upheld as citizens of New Zealand.

We established that shared citizenry at Waitangi, 183 years ago. However that enduring sense of unity should never mean we are striving to be the same. Unity embraces and celebrates difference, and the pursuit of unity is an opportunity to build wisdom and strength through our diverse histories, beliefs, and perspectives.

This Waitangi Day holds particular significance in being the first we commemorate since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and with King Charles III as our Head of State.

Throughout her reign as Queen of New Zealand, Her Majesty held a special affection for New Zealand and its people, and a deep sense of the bonds and responsibilities formed through Te Tiriti o Waitangi – sentiments our new King also expressed on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds four years ago.

It was on Her Late Majesty’s visit to New Zealand in 1995 that the Queen signed into law the Waikato-Tainui Treaty Settlement, which included a statement from the Crown on behalf of all New Zealanders, seeking ‘to atone for acknowledged injustices as far as that is now possible, and to bring about the process of healing’.

That process of atonement and healing is ongoing – facilitated in part by the settling of historical Treaty claims – and it was heartening to see the progress made across a number of claims over the last year through the Waitangi Tribunal.

As we continue along this path of reconciliation and growth, I hope we can always keep sight of the essential partnership at the heart of the Treaty, asking us – tangata whenua and tangata tiriti – to build our future as a country together.

In my first Waitangi Day Address as Governor-General, I said I was looking forward to better knowing and understanding Aotearoa through its people.

Over the past year, I have been fortunate to meet remarkable New Zealanders from across the country – individuals often hidden from public view, leading lives in the faithful service of others.

In November last year, I visited South Canterbury, where I met a community embracing new migrants and refugees, protecting and sharing our taonga, and supporting those most in need.

I hosted the Excellence in Foster Care Awards – acknowledging caregivers who provide vulnerable young people with a safe and loving environment in which to learn and grow.

I presented medals to Star tamariki – brave young New Zealanders who have used their own experiences of fighting cancer to give comfort and courage to others.

And every day I spend in this role, and have the opportunity to meet such selfless, caring, generous people, I am filled with pride to serve as your Governor-General, and with hope for our future.

Professor Albert Wendt, member of the Order of New Zealand – New Zealand’s highest honour – once wrote:

We can’t rewalk the exact footprints
we make in the stories of our lives
but we'll hear again our footprints
like the lullabies our parents sang us
the moment our stories end.
Perhaps out of our footprints
our children will nurse wiser lullabies.

I have no doubt we are growing in confidence and wisdom as a nation. But this process takes time – and it is something we must continue to work at, on this and every day, for ourselves, for our children, and for all in the future who choose to call New Zealand their home.

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tatou katoa.