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We are indeed blessed today with the presence of our kaumatua, Denis Hansen; the Patron, Buck Shelford, and all of the whanau who are living in this wonderful house.

The name of this whare – waimarie – is absolutely perfect,

It is a concept which immediately conjures up an expression of hope: 

kia u ki te whakapono, kia aroha tetahi ki tetahi –
hold strong to your beliefs and care for one another.

We are indeed blessed today with the presence of our kaumatua, Denis Hansen; the Patron, Buck Shelford, and all of the whanau who are living in this wonderful house.

The name of this whare – waimarie – is absolutely perfect,

It is a concept which immediately conjures up an expression of hope: 

kia u ki te whakapono, kia aroha tetahi ki tetahi –
hold strong to your beliefs and care for one another.

The Minister for Social Development and Employment, Paula Bennett and the Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia, today announced the new Disability Innovation Fund making $500,000 available for innovative ways of getting disabled people into work or retaining them in work.

“A priority for me is to get people into work. This fund supports disabled people into work and also supports employers to retain disabled workers,” said Minister Bennett.

The Associate Minister of Health and Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia today announced the launch of the Choice in Community Living programme in the Auckland and Waikato regions.

Choice in Community Living is about supporting disabled people who want to move from residential services, where they live in a house owned or rented by their support provider, to a home of their own.

The programme aims to assist disabled people to build a life like other New Zealanders through connection to natural supports and the wider community.

Tariana Turia, Minister of Disability Issues, is delighted that her original intention to appoint a full time Disability Rights Commissioner to protect and promote the rights of disabled peoples has been upheld with a new bill introduced to Parliament.

"In late 2009 I began advocating for a dedicated Disability Commissioner in the Human Rights Commission to promote and protect the rights of disabled people."

Disability Issues Minister Hon Tariana Turia released the review of the New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 today.

The New Zealand Sign Language Act established sign language as an official language of New Zealand.

“The passing of the Act was a landmark day for the Deaf community that sent an important signal about their place in our communities and whānau,” says Mrs Turia.

E nga mana e nga reo, koutou kua huihui mai nei, ka nui taku mihi ki a koutou.

Te Atiawa, tena koutou katoa.

I am so proud to greet everyone today; on this most auspicious occasion.

I want to acknowledge the presence of David Rutherford, the new Chief Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission; Commissioners Dr Judy McGregor, Jeremy Pope and Richard Tankersley.

I thank our interpreters, Wenda Walton and Alan Wendt for helping to support this event.

I am so pleased to welcome everyone here today to this very important moment.

I want to firstly acknowledge your Chief Executive, Sonia Thursby, who has been instrumental in establishing this initiative, to enable the participants to dream their dreams, to grow and to achieve what they may never have thought possible before.

I have been really looking forward to being here today, to celebrate this inaugural graduation of the Voyager Leadership Development Training Programme. 

And I have been particularly looking forward to meeting the young people whom we are honouring tonight, for their success over the last year in this programme.

Justice Minister Simon Power and Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia have today announced the appointment of Paul Gibson as a part-time Human Rights Commissioner responsible for disability issues.

Mr Power said Mr Gibson, who was until recently the senior disability adviser at Capital and Coast District Health Board, brings a wealth of experience and skills to the newly created role.

“Mr Gibson has been a strong advocate for disability rights. He has extensive experience in leadership roles in disability policy, management, and governance.”

Minister for Disability Issues, Hon. Tariana Turia, has welcomed the New Model for Supporting Disabled People launched today in Tauranga.

“The overwhelming priority for me as Minister has been to support disabled people and their whanau with greater choice and control over the supports they receive” said Minister Turia.  “I have been determined to act on the aspirations  disabled people have shared with me, to identify and achieve what represents a good life for them.  

Delivered by Michelle McNabb on behalf of Minister Turia  Speech

I am so pleased to be able to pay tribute to Parent to Parent as a national organisation – and in doing so, to honour the amazing role that parents play in supporting children and families with disabilities.

I firmly believe that there is no greater responsibility, no greater privilege and no greater joy, than the raising of the next generation.

The Deaf, deaf-blind, speech and hearing-impaired community will soon benefit from an expanded range of communication services, Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Steven Joyce, announced today.

New services to be progressively introduced from late this year will include captioned telephony, which allows people to read live captions of spoken phone conversations. People will also be able to contact the relay contact centre by mobile phone, and use a prepaid calling card to make international calls by Internet relay.

Delivered by Nicky Wagner, List MP

I want to thank Graham Martin, The Trust Board Chair; and Karin Hofmans, your Manager, for the invitation to be with you all today.

Forty years ago this week, a Carole King classic peaked at number one on the Billboard Top 100 hits.   It’s a song that I dare say has been symbolic of the lives you, the people of Canterbury, have lived over these last nine months.  

It states, quite simply ‘I feel the earth move under my feet; I feel the sky tumbling down, tumbling down’.

I am honoured to be here at the invitation of Michael Barnett, Chief Executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce; and John Allen, Chair of the Employer’s Disability Network.

I want to particularly thank the Chamber for hosting tonight’s event; and all of the board members of the Employers Disability Network
who have walked alongside employers and members of the disability community in this journey to drive social change.

Disabilities Minister Tariana Turia is bemused by comments made from Labour’s Carmel Sepuloni following the social services select committee hearing into Vote Social Development.

“From the negative tone of her release, I wondered if Ms Sepuloni had attended a completely different meeting” said Mrs Turia.    “The focus of my presentation was the appropriation for promoting positive outcomes for disabled persons”.

Minister of Disability Issues Minister, Tariana Turia, has commended the initiative and the leadership of Nelson advocates for people with disabilities in placing the issue of accessibility on the agenda.

“’It was really positive to see the range of submissions presented by the Accessibility for All advocates, and others working on behalf of disabled persons to the Nelson City Council in their annual plan hearings” said Mrs Turia. 

I am absolutely rapt to be here today, to celebrate the launch of Te Whakaaheitanga Marae Accessibility Toolkit.

There is no better message than that of the vision of CCS Disability Action: Te Hunga Haua Mauri mo nga tangata katoa : including all people.

How do we truly care for all our people? What does inclusion mean? How do we ensure the environments we live, work and play in, are safe, friendly and accessible?

And importantly how do we increase awareness about the various health and disability issues that members of our whanau may face when at the marae.

The Government will invest $4 million over the next four years in Be. Accessible, Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia says.

“Be. Accessible is an exciting and innovative social change campaign that aims to influence the attitudes and behaviours of New Zealanders so we can each play our part in creating a truly accessible nation.

“It will inspire and enable businesses, individuals and organisations to step up to the economic and social opportunity to improve accessibility for people with disabilities,” Mrs Turia says.

Firstly, may I acknowledge, John Allen, Chair on the Board of Be.Institute, Chair of the New Zealand Employers Disability Network and Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, for your visionary leadership in establishing this Be. Accessible initiative.

I want to also thank Sir Don McKinnon – Director of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, for your generous partnership in hosting us here tonight and for your ongoing commitment to accessibility.

I have never been happier to be here in Aotearoa; on our whenua.

I am honoured to bring to you the words of Hon Tariana Turia, who has been representing the Government at the World Health Organisation in Moscow and I believe she may be in a plane right now heading home.

In these times of breaking news, it is indeed exciting to be gathered here today, on such a significant day.

And I am delighted that the students of St Pius the Tenth Primary School and Newlands College have been the ones who are literally helping us shape a new song for our future.

Disability Forum;  Bowen State Building, Wellington
Delivered by Hon Georgina te Heuheu

This is an important day – indeed it marks a significant milestone in our shared commitment to removing barriers for disabled people.

I want to firstly acknowledge Mr Sumasafu Vilsoni and Ms Savina Nongebatu, the Co-Chairpersons of the Pacific Disability Forum, for inviting me to open this second day of the Pacific Regional forum.

It is a great honour for us all in Aotearoa, to welcome to our shores representatives of disabled persons organizations, government agencies, donor organisations, disabled people and other interested parties from the Pacific, Australia and Asia.

And I have particular pleasure in seeing on the agenda a place for two people known as great friends to this forum:

I have a special pride in being asked to speak here today at the national Maori disability providers’ Hui Taumata.

Last year I had the honour of launching Te Piringa at your hui at Kairau Marae in Taranaki – within my electorate of Te Tai Hauauru.

Even though it was a launching - I knew that the inaugural Maori Disability provider hui had been some five years ago, at Te Puea Marae, Auckland in June 2006. And that between then and now there had been other Hui Taumata held at Huria Marae, Tauranga in November 2007, and Pehiaweri Marae, Whangarei in March 2009.

Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia is welcoming New Zealand’s first report to the United Nations on implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“The report illustrates that New Zealand is relatively advanced in its implementation of the Convention and considerable work has been achieved across all articles,” says Mrs Turia.