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E te marae e takoto nei
E te whare e tu mai nei
Otira e nga uri Ngati Whatua ki Orakei
Karanga mai, mihi mai, whakatau mai
Tenei taku mihi atu ki a koutou me nga iwi katoa e pae nei
Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

Kei te maumahara ki a ratou kua mene atu ki te po
Haere nga mate, haere, haere, haere.

Fifteen years ago, following the formation of the first National-led coalition under MMP, three members of Parliament were invited by Ngati Hine to Otiria Marae. Each member was presented with a gift. Two of the gifts were weapons of war, one was a waka huia. The three members were Rt Hon Winston Peters, Hon Tau Henare and myself. There is no prize for guessing who received the waka huia.

The kaumatua told me to fill this treasure box with those things I most valued from my Parliamentary life. So, what are they?

"Awatea" stands for the Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association. As you may know, the word Awatea in Maori means "new dawn". 

It is hard to think of a more appropriate abbreviation for this exciting area of renewable energy generation.

Like most Auckland politicians, I spend a lot of time flying into Wellington airport.

Today we commemorate the battles in and around Maleme and Galatas. This sector saw the most intense fighting in the Battle of Crete, and the most decisive.

It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening, and to represent the New Zealand Government as we gather to celebrate the 63^rd anniversary of Israel’s independence.

Today, on the eve of ANZAC Day, we mark the 60^th anniversary of the Battle of Kap’yong. This is part of an unbroken line of ANZAC commitment extending back to ANZAC Cove 96 years ago.  Our national spirit was forged together, most crucially in battle.

As Prime Minister Julia Gillard noted in her address to New Zealand Members of Parliament two months ago:

"Our ties were indelibly forged in hardship and mateship, from Gallipoli and the Somme to Tobruk, Korea and beyond.

Professor Glyn Harper’s new book “Letters from Gallipoli” transcends time.

It takes us, the contemporary generation, back to the thoughts and values of our forbears of 96 years ago. We learn from the letters how they saw the world, how they saw New Zealand, how they suffered in war, and how they dealt with the horror they could have scarcely conceived as they boarded the troopships in Wellington in October 1914.

Tonight will be the last time I address your gathering. In November, I will be stepping down from politics.

I would like to take this opportunity to put what I have done over the last two and a half years, and what I intend to do before this year ends, into a wider context.

But before I begin I would like to take this time to acknowledge the devastating effects of the earthquakes in Christchurch and Japan.

New Zealand’s prosperity will be built through engagement with international science. We need to connect our ideas, research and innovation with the global economy to fully realise the benefits.

International science linkages are a hallmark of leading small economies. Countries as diverse as Finland, Denmark and Singapore have grown their economies through a combination of smart thinking and international collaborations that stimulate ideas, transfer knowledge and ultimately boost high-value exports.

 I want to start by acknowledging the immense amount of hard work that has gone into opening this new facility. 

Congratulations and well done to the staff and board of Canterbury Scientific.

The Government is committed to science and innovation, and that commitment has seen us embark on a significant programme of change. 

Today I want to take the opportunity to talk with you about those changes.  I would also like to talk about what those changes will mean for a small, innovative company like Canterbury Scientific.

Today’s launch of the Ministry of Science and Innovation is the latest step in the most intense development of our science strategy in the last 20 years.

When this Government came into office, we knew that New Zealand needed to get more out of our science and innovation system. 

In a major policy speech to Massey University’s Centre for Defence Studies in May 2009, I set out three reasons why the Government went into the 2008 general election promising a major review of Defence.

First, we needed to more clearly understand how defence contributed to our security, both within our region and in respect of advancing our interests in the wider international context.

In May this year, the Government announced a significant funding boost for business research and development (R&D). $234m over four years was set aside in new money for several initiatives.

All this was done with a view to grow New Zealand’s economy through science and innovation.

It is very clear to us that New Zealand can only be a player on the world stage if we know how to outsmart the competition.

 I welcome this timely visit of the OECD to New Zealand.  Over the last two years we have made the most significant fundamental changes that New Zealand’s science and innovation systems have seen in the last 20 years.  These changes, although important, are only steps in a continuous journey of improvement.

The OECD has provided invaluable information and input around best practice in science and innovation policy.

In June I met the OECD’s Deputy Secretary-General and Chief Economist, Pier Carlo Padoan. 

This morning marks a significant step forward in New Zealand’s medical and research infrastructure. This new 3T Skyra MRI scanner is the most advanced machine of its type in Australasia. 

The capabilities provided by this machine will have very real benefits for our people. Babies throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific that are born with significant heart defects will be scanned by this machine. Adult heart patients will also benefit. The information it will provide is a quantum step up on what has been achievable before.

I would acknowledge the organisers of the official launch of the CleanTech centre. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this event, and to speak today.

I want to acknowledge the role of He Waka Tāngata and the Oxygen Group in organising the Running Hot Conference and helping develop a connected and interdisciplinary research culture in New Zealan

Can I join in extending the thanks and appreciation of the Government to Secretary of Defence, John McKinnon, who has led the entire defence review process.

Today is a day we have been waiting for. We are accepting back into service the first C-130 Hercules to have been through the Life Extension Project.

This year's Defence Industry Forum comes on the eve of the White Paper, which we will be releasing in three weeks' time.

Our economy is open and, by world standards, lightly regulated.  New Zealanders are by and large well-educated, intelligent and open to fresh ideas.  Many of them come up with brilliant,

First, I acknowledge the organisers of this year's 20th Queenstown Molecular Biology meeting, led by Professor Peter Shepherd.