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Good morning and thank you for inviting me to speak at this Healthcare Summit. 

This is now the third year that I have spoken at this event, and I am pleased to see that it has become a regular fixture on the health sector calendar because it is an important event each year.

I am also delighted to see so many people involved in providing and managing health care resources having come together here today to discuss some of the key issues in determining the future direction of health care in New Zealand.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Thank you Tom [Parsons, Principal, Queen Charlotte College] for your warm welcome.  It’s great to be here today.

We are here to launch revised guidelines for individual education planning – called ‘Collaboration for Success: Individual Education Plans’.

We are doing this at Queen Charlotte College because you are a fantastic example of what being an inclusive school is all about.

Friday 16 September 2011; 10am

I couldn’t be prouder to be here today.

This is an historic day – a powerful moment in our shared histories when a statement is being made about the state of our lives.

This is a day when together  - Te Kawerau a Maki, Ngati Whatua and Te Runanga a Iwi o Ngapuhi have stood tall. 

E nga mana, e nga reo, tena koutou. Ngati Toa Rangatira, Ngati Raukawa, Te Atiawa, tena koutou.

This morning at 5am, there was the most brilliant full moon. It was one of those sights that make you think everything is fine with the world.

The perfectly formed moon shimmering on still waters – the first light of day breaking through, the quiet calling of the birds reminding us that we share our universe with others.

I move that the Spending Cap (People’s Veto) Bill be now read a first time.  At the appropriate time I intend to move that the Bill be referred to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

The Bill is a timely response to New Zealand’s challenging economic circumstances.  It will provide more certainty around the growth in government spending, greater spending restraint, and will improve the transparency of spending decisions. 

Mr Speaker, I move that the Local Government Borrowing Bill and Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009 Amendment Bill be now read a third time.

The purpose of the Local Government Borrowing Bill is to assist local authorities to borrow funds at lower interest rates than they can currently achieve.  The Bill will achieve this by facilitating the establishment and operation of the New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency. 

Mr Speaker, I move that the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill be now read a first time.

I intend to move that the Bill be referred to the Local Government and Environment Committee.

Mr Speaker, this Bill is an integral part of the Government's bluegreen programme to strengthen New Zealand's environmental and resource management systems.

Welcome to an event where I promise I will only mention the Rugby World Cup a few times.

We are here today to celebrate another very important national game – and that is Lotto.

Many of you might remember watching that first Lotto draw on 1 August 1987. I certainly do. I brought a ticket and I was pretty excited when I thought I’d won the jackpot.

Instead it turned out I’d won division 5 and got $26, which wasn’t a bad sum of money back in those days.

I am so pleased to be here at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o te Rangianiwaniwa surrounded by the wonder of all of our tamariki and mokopuna, to launch this aptly named initiative : MOKO – Manawa Ora, Korokoro Ora – a healthy heart, a healthy throat.

Today is about all our mokopuna - our heart and soul.

I have always liked the whakatauaki – kia tötöia ngä waewae o taku mokopuna hai whai tako: let the legs of my grandchild be massaged so that he may be supple and agile.

Twenty five years ago Te Whakaruruhau was established as the first Maori Women’s Refuge in Aotearoa.  

Ever since those early days, Te Whakaruruhau has been known as breaking new ground, providing the leadership and the inspiration for working with whanau in a way which would best result in wellness and wellbeing.

And so I am absolutely delighted, having shared the journey over the years, to now be here with you all, celebrating the opening of your new safe-house.

I have to say, I have a special fondness for Whakaruruhau. 

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.

Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Forum Secretary-General Tuiloma Neroni Slade.

Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon.

Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Kamalesh Sharma.

Secretary-General of the ACP Group of States Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

His Worship the Mayor of Auckland Len Brown. 

Diplomatic representatives.

Distinguished guests.

Welcome to New Zealand and the great city of Auckland for the 42nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting.

Good morning. I am pleased to be here with you today to open this year’s Suicide Prevention Information New Zealand (SPINZ) Conference.

I would like to thank SPINZ, the Mental Health Foundation and Te Rau Matatini for jointly organising and promoting the conference.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the speakers and attendees here today.

Looking around the audience I can see a fantastic turnout.

Mr Speaker, I move that the Local Government Borrowing Bill be now read a second time.

This Bill is to facilitate the establishment and operation of a new company, the New Zealand Local Government Funding Agency.  The Funding Agency will issue local government bonds to investors and on-lend the funds raised to participating local authorities to meet their funding needs.  This pooled approach will assist local authorities to borrow funds at lower interest rates than they can currently achieve. 

When I spoke to you 12 months ago there was quite a lot of despondency within the industry. There were calls for greater unity and greater cooperation.

It is, therefore, good to see both the Meat Industry Association and Beef and Lamb New Zealand hosting this conference together. It sends a clear signal to your industry that better collaboration is real and not rhetoric.

Dr Michael Wesley,

Distinguished guests,

This important conference takes place against the backdrop of the 40th anniversary Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ meeting.

Your gathering brings together some of the best economic, business, academic and civil society brains in the region.

The New Zealand Government very much appreciates the energy and commitment of the Lowy Institute in bringing it together.

Hello everyone.  Thank you so much for having me along again this year.

I note that the theme for this year’s event here in picturesque Queenstown is “Adventures in property.” 

Managing the economy has been a bit of an adventure for the Government, a worldwide recession, natural disasters and the tragedy at Pike River have provided unprecedented challenges for  the Government. There have been financial ups and downs in all areas of the economy, which have had their impact on property as you are all too aware.

It is a great pleasure to be in the company of a group of people dedicated to improving Maori health.

And it is both a credit to this organisation, and the initiatives you have pioneered, that I am told there are now over 250 Maori students and medical practitioners currently registered with Te Ora.

That’s 250 guardians to advance outcomes for whanau, hapu and iwi!

It also means we have 250 champions to pursue article 24 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People: that is,

• Prime Minister
• Mayor Len Brown and other city leaders
• Ministerial colleagues Judith Collins and Jonathan Coleman
• Local MP Nikki Kaye and other MPs
• Bernard Lapasset, directors of RWCL
• Brian Roche and directors of RNZ 2011
• Ladies and gentlemen

This afternoon we want to introduce you to the Cloud and to the programme that will run within it for the period of the Rugby World Cup.

This is also an opportunity to thank the sector representatives that are our partners in this venture.

Good morning and thank you for inviting me to address the Centre of Performance Measurement and Management’s inaugural event. It’s good to see you and the Centre for Health Systems jointly looking at improving health system performance. I look forward to hearing the outcomes of having the ‘bean counters’ and the ‘improvers’ in the same room.

Delivered by Hon Tony Ryall, Minister for State Owned Enterprises, on behalf of Hon Bill English

Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to speak to you and discuss some of the issues important to you at this time.

Welcome to the Australian visitors who are here to meet with your trans-Tasman counterparts.  This is a great opportunity to share ideas for developing your respective fisheries in a secure and profitable manner.

Good morning and firstly, welcome to Dr Tom McLellan, from the United States, and other distinguished visitors, and contributors to this symposium.

I would like to begin by congratulating the New Zealand Drug Foundation for organising this important event.

As a Member of Parliament, and also as a Minister, I get to meet all sorts of people. 

Often in the course of my electorate work I come across individuals and families whose lives have been directly affected by alcohol and drugs.

Good afternoon.  It is a pleasure to be here to address the New Zealand Aged Care Association conference and I would like to thank the Association for its invitation to speak to you.

Today I would like to thank you for all you’ve done following the Canterbury earthquakes, clinical integration and the launch of comprehensive clinical assessments for all residents.

Christchurch