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I’d like to start by thanking the hosts of this conference – the Salvation Army, the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment, and the New Zealand Police – for inviting me to open the two day Prevent People Trafficking Conference. 

Mr Speaker, I move that the Immigration Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a first time. 

I nominate the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee to consider the Bill.

Speech to Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association (RSA) National Council

I must say what a pleasure it is to be at my first RNZRSA Council Meeting, and what a privilege it is to be your Veterans’ Affairs Minister.

This is a portfolio that a number of my colleagues envy me for holding, and it was certainly a special moment when the Prime Minister offered me the portfolio in January.

Good morning and thank you for asking me along to speak to your conference today.

I want to start by acknowledging Peter Townsend, MC for the Conference, and Walter Stone, Chairman of your Association. It’s very important for me to come here to address you as members of New Zealand’s largest immigration adviser association. Developing and maintaining a good relationship with key stakeholders such as the NZAMI is crucial in ensuring we work as collegially and constructively as possible towards our goal of bringing the best people to New Zealand.

Good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to speak at the launch of Rail Safety Week.

This year the focus for Rail Safety Week is encouraging pedestrians to be safe around train tracks. I’m pleased to see that students from Mount Albert Primary School are involved in today’s events.

Our young people play a vital role in ensuring that the message about staying safe around trains, railway stations and tracks is shared with their wider communities. 

It’s an honour for me to be invited here today to open your 11th annual conference. I’m sure you will have some fruitful and robust discussions over the next couple of days.

Having been Minister of Immigration for just over six months now I’ve been doing plenty of reflection on immigration policy and process and I want to talk to you today about my priorities as Minister of Immigration and the practical measures the Government is taking to deal with some of the key issues we are facing.

I’d like to welcome all the conference participants especially those who travelled from outside Wellington. I am very aware of the efforts you made to take time out from your busy work schedules and family lives to be here. Good morning everyone.

Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my pleasure and honour to be here today and it is timely for me as Minister of Immigration to be addressing your conference, so thank you Peter and Geoff for inviting me.

Veterans, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to address you on this significant occasion.

I would like to begin by extending a special welcome to our contingent of veterans of the Pacific War who have returned to the scene of their youthful exploits after the lapse of 70 years.

It’s a real privilege for me to welcome you all to your new home in New Zealand.

We owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your sterling work with the Provincial Reconstruction Team and the New Zealand Police through EUPOL in Afghanistan over the past 10 years. Our personnel would not have been able to have done their work effectively without the invaluable help you provided on the ground.

Thank you for inviting me to be here today. I want to start by acknowledging the co-hosts of the Prevent People Trafficking Conference - the Salvation Army, ECPAT Child Alert, and the U.S. Embassy.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Marie Damour, for the American Government’s significant contribution to tackling this extremely critical issue.

America takes the issue of people trafficking very seriously. So does New Zealand.

Thank you for your warm welcome and thank you all for the opportunity to speak to you today and to meet members of NZAMI.

As New Zealand’s largest immigration adviser association you play a very important part in advising, supporting, advocating and helping migrants with settlement, and I thank you for the good work you do.

You will be aware that consultation is underway on the review of the Immigration Advisers Code of Conduct and licensed advisers have been invited to submit their views.