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Nimen Hao.

Tēnā koutou.

Greetings.

I acknowledge our honoured guests and key speakers.

Thank you to the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges and the New Zealand China Council for bringing us together in this ground-breaking event.

As our Prime Minister has already mentioned, today’s forum realises a milestone goal for our Government as we strengthen relationships and networks with the Chinese people.

A pōwhiri and festival are to be held in Auckland to celebrate Maori and Chinese cultural bonds, and to consummate the relationship between the two cultures. The Minister of Māori Affairs, alongside hosts Ngāti Whātua o Orākei, and Auckland Chinese community leaders announced details of the ‘Taniwha & Dragon’ festival during the Prime Minister’s visit to China to celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples today formally received a Māori feather cloak (kahu huruhuru) in Beijing, which will be temporarily loaned to Te Papa for display later this year.

The cloak was given to Chairman Mao Zedong in 1957 by New Zealand pioneer film maker Ramai Te Miha Hayward on behalf of the fifth Māori King, Korokī. It was presented to Dr Sharples and the Prime Minister’s delegation at a ceremony at the National Museum of China in Beijing, China today.

Minister of Māori Affairs, Dr. Pita Sharples, has congratulated Miraka, a Māori owned milk processing company for entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with Shanghai Pengxin.

The relationship signed today signifies the intent by Shanghai Pengxin to secure supply of milk from their New Zealand farms for processing at Miraka’s planned UHT plant once it has been completed.

The government is seeking feedback on five major proposals to streamline the complex rules governing Māori land, freeing its economic potential and strengthening guardianship, Associate Minister of Māori Affairs Christopher Finlayson and Minister of Māori Affairs Dr Pita Sharples announced today.

Minister of Maori Affairs, Hon Dr Pita Sharples has welcomed the news that today Australia’s House of Representatives unanimously passed an Act of Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as first peoples of Australia, which also commits the next Parliament to hold a referendum with the intention of recognising their indigenous status in Australia’s Constitution.

Dr Sharples said “I applaud the commitment shown by Australia’s House of Representatives to provide recognition for the rights and status of indigenous people in Australia.”

Mihi.

Tihēi Mauri Ora!

First let me congratulate Dr Lance O’Sullivan for winning Māori of the Year announced today. He is an inspiration for us all; working with whānau and communities at the grass-roots making a real difference.

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Tēnā koutou katoa.