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Just a few days ago I marked the anniversary of my eighth year as Prime Minister and my tenth as leader of the National Party.

Such an occasion seems a fitting time to not only take stock of the past 10 years, but to look forward.

Being leader of both the party and the country has been an incredible experience.

Along with my Cabinet and caucus colleagues, we steered the country through the global financial crisis which was arguably the worst recession since the Great Depression.

Good Morning,

New Zealand has convened today’s high level meeting on Syria for one simple reason: no other issue more urgently demands the attention of world leaders.

The Syrian civil war is the most devastating conflict of the 21st century.

We see a country shattered, terrorism and extremism rampant, and the daily horrors of the deliberate displacement, starving and killing of civilians.

It’s a special pleasure to speak to the General Assembly under the Presidency of a Pacific Island friend.

Mr President,

The world is facing serious challenges. 

Borders are closing to people and products, to investment, to ideas.  Many States are turning inwards. 

The politics of fear and extremism are gaining ground.  Too many States are flouting the rules.

But no country can face today’s challenges alone.

Good afternoon,

I’d like to acknowledge

• Justice Minister Amy Adams
• Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell
• Distinguished members of the judiciary,
• Chief executives,
• Ladies and gentlemen

Thank you for the welcome.

And thank you all for the contributions you make to help New Zealanders lead safer and more secure lives.

It’s great to see so many people passionate about making a difference.

For most children, New Zealand is a great place to grow up.

It’s always a good sign when a service provider takes steps to upgrade their offering without some complaint or customer pressure to improve.

That’s what’s happened here – the policy community has decided to lift their game without being asked to.

I initially wondered why we needed the Policy Project – I was pretty happy with the service I was getting.

 But there is always room for continuous improvement and innovation.

Good afternoon.

It’s great to be here today, at the Zealandia wildlife sanctuary in the heart of our capital city.

It’s an important place for New Zealand and it tells an important story.

It shows that, as Sir Paul Callaghan said shortly before his passing, we can bring back our native wildlife to our main islands.

This was once thought to be impossible.

But Zealandia has been remarkably successful in achieving its conservation goals, and inspiring many similar efforts around the country.

Good morning,

It’s fantastic to be back here at TRENZ.

I’d like to thank the Tourism Industry Association for having me here today. 

I appreciate the great working relationship I have with Grant, Chris and the team and acknowledge all the hard work that goes into running an event like this.

It’s also great to be back in Rotorua – one of New Zealand’s best-known and best-loved tourism destinations.

Good morning and welcome to New Zealand’s first ever Cyber Security Summit.

It’s great to have so many business leaders from across New Zealand here in one room. 

You’re here because you’re passionate about New Zealand’s economy and about keeping it safe and secure.

So am I.

Cyber incidents and attacks threaten our economy.

They can undermine our strategic and competitive advantages and cost our economy of millions of dollars each year.

Good afternoon.

It’s a pleasure to be here today to discuss New Zealand’s place in the world, which is always the focus of much debate.

The debate revolves around issues like whether we should join trade agreements, welcome immigration or join international efforts to combat terrorism.

Two schools of thought stand out.

One is a very defensive position.

Put up barriers to imports and restrict investment.

Be suspicious of foreigners, especially those who don’t look or sound like us.

It’s good to be back here for my annual pre-Budget speech and I want to thank Business New Zealand for hosting me once again.

This year’s Budget will be delivered against a backdrop of a growing economy, supported by strong levels of tourism and migration, a large pipeline of construction projects and low interest rates.

Notwithstanding challenges in the dairy industry, most New Zealand forecasters are predicting growth of around 3 per cent on average over the next few years.

That’s a good position for the country to be in.

Honourable Members.

The Government is continuing to implement its plan to build a faster-growing economy with more jobs and rising incomes, and to support New Zealanders and their families.

Over the next year, we have a comprehensive policy agenda, and a substantial legislative programme to put before the House.

Our policy agenda and legislative programme will reflect the Government’s four priorities:

Good afternoon. It’s great to see so many of you here today.

I want to start by acknowledging Mayor Len Brown, the Auckland Council and the Chamber of Commerce – all strong advocates for this city.

And I want to thank the Chamber for hosting this event.

Finally, can I acknowledge my ministerial colleagues Steven Joyce and Nikki Kaye. Unfortunately, Transport Minister Simon Bridges cannot be here today as he’s visiting Antarctica.

It’s good to kick off the New Year here in Auckland - New Zealand’s gateway city.

Mr President,

Let me begin by again conveying my condolences to the victims of the attacks here in Paris, to the people of Paris and the French Republic.

The people of New Zealand stand with you and New Zealand remains committed to global efforts to counter terrorism.

Against that backdrop I would like to acknowledge what a significant moment this is.

Over 150 countries working together to address climate change.

Mr President.

The 70th anniversary of the United Nations is a good opportunity to reflect on the organisation. 

For most of us, the United Nations has been one of the key international realities of our lives. 

It has been at the heart of and has shaped the significant developments of the post-World War II era.

But, as we all know, it is not perfect.

A lot can be said about the shortcomings of the UN.

They are many and some are serious. 

Good afternoon. Thank you Peter for that warm welcome and for the Chamber’s hosting of this event.

It’s good to see so many of you here today.

Can I start by acknowledging Mayor Lianne Dalziel and other local body representatives from around the region.

Just as central government has to make some tough decisions and trade-offs, so too do councils as we work together to rebuild this city.

Together, we’re making significant progress. Although, of course, there is still much to do.

It’s a pleasure to be with you here in Dubai this morning to open this business seminar.

And I’d like to thank the Dubai Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event today.

As you may be aware, I arrived in Dubai last night after attending significant war commemorations in Turkey.

Today marks the beginning of my visit to several Gulf States, and I’d like to thank you for the warm welcome I’ve received.

There are places on this peninsula whose names will never be forgotten.

Each country remembers where their soldiers fought, and where they fell.

Places where extraordinary bravery was shown, in unspeakable conditions.

For New Zealanders, nowhere in Gallipoli is more special than here on Chunuk Bair.

It was not the scene of a great triumph.

But it was the closest the Allied forces came to making a breakthrough in the whole Gallipoli campaign.

And it was led by a few hundred Kiwis, 10,000 miles from home.

On this beach, on this day, at this hour, exactly 100 years ago, the first Anzac troops came ashore.

Instead of the open spaces that had been described to them, they landed here with steep hills rising in front of this narrow beach.

And in those hills, Ottoman Turkish soldiers were already positioned and ready to defend this land.

We New Zealanders rarely think of ourselves as anyone’s enemy, or as aggressors.

One hundred years ago today, thousands of young New Zealand and Australian soldiers waited anxiously for the orders that would send them ashore in an attempt to secure the Gallipoli Peninsula.

On shore, Turkish soldiers from their 9th and 19th Divisions waited just as anxiously, prepared to lay down their lives to protect their homeland.

Two days later, 25 April - Anzac Day - thousands of soldiers on both sides were dead or wounded, on the first day of a campaign that would last eight harsh months.

It is a pleasure and it is also fitting to be here with my Australian counterpart today for the dedication of this magnificent memorial.

This park was opened only two days ago, though its origins date back to 1919 when the government agreed to build a National War Memorial here in Wellington.

It was to be visible from any part of the city, from ships entering the harbour, and from Parliament, so that future governments would remember the sacrifice that had been made in the First World War. 

Thank you all for being here to witness the official opening of this park as a place of commemoration and remembrance for the whole nation.

This opening comes as we are focussed on the 100th commemorations of the First World War.

That war had a deep and abiding impact on New Zealand and New Zealanders.  In our small nation, almost every family was affected by it.

Good afternoon.

It’s great to be with you today. I’d like to thank Business New Zealand for hosting this event.

Like all New Zealanders, we have a shared interest in building a strong economy that provides opportunities for Kiwi families and businesses to get ahead here in their own country.

We don’t always agree on everything – and that’s to be expected.

But I do appreciate Business New Zealand’s pragmatic and positive attitude in engaging on important issues affecting businesses, their staff and their families.

Mr Speaker, today I am announcing to the House the Government’s decisions about our contribution to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.

Last November I gave a national security speech which outlined the threat posed to New Zealand by ISIL.

This brutal group and its distressing methods deserve the strongest condemnation.

ISIL’s ability to motivate Islamist radicals make it a threat not only to stability in the Middle East, but regionally and locally too.

Rau rangatira ma e huihui nei,

Nau mai, haere mai ki Waitangi.

Tēnei aku mihi māhana mo te Kāwanatanga Nāhinara ki a koutou.

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Today we commemorate 175 years of the Treaty of Waitangi relationship. 

It’s a relationship we should all have pride in. And we should all have great confidence that it will continue to strengthen.

Like the first Maori who arrived here many hundreds of years ago, European settlers arrived by sea.