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El Alamein, Egypt

Speech by the Honourable Dr Jonathan Coleman, Minister of Defence

Distinguished guests, veterans, serving New Zealand Defence Force Personnel, ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to address you on this significant occasion.

We are gathered here to commemorate New Zealand's part in the Second Battle of El Alamein, and more generally, the North African campaign of the Second World War.

It gives me great pleasure to be given the opportunity to open this newly installed Medal Repository here at the National Army Museum today.

This Museum stands so proudly at the southern entrance way into the Central Plateau and is a fitting national memorial to some 33,000 New Zealand Servicemen and women who have given their lives in the service of this Nation.

It is by coincidence but also fitting that we open this repository in a week the national is debating the recent actions and bravery of New Zealand servicemen under fire.

Kia Ora Tatou, Good Afternoon

Your excellency the Governor General, Sir Jerry Mateparae,

Deputy Prime Minister, Bill English, Parliamentary colleagues,

Members of the New Zealand Defence Force, and most importantly of all, the loved ones, family, whanau and friends of Lance Corporal Pralli Durrer and Lance Corporal Rory Malone.

It is with great respect and gratitude, but mostly with an overwhelming sense of sadness that I address you here today.

Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I really appreciate this opportunity to address you today.

I thank the organisers, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Dr John Chipman, and our local hosts, the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Singapore, for the enormous efforts they have made to ensure the success of this Dialogue.

I was appointed to the New Zealand Defence portfolio towards the end of last year and this is my first Shangri-La Dialogue.

Good evening everyone

I am very pleased to be here tonight as we recognise some of the incredible work and innovation of New Zealand’s public servants.

It’s especially fitting in 2012 that we acknowledge this – as this year marks the centenary of the Public Service in New Zealand, which came in to being in 1912.

For 100 years New Zealanders have benefitted from a professional, unified and impartial Public Service.

Your Excellency the Governor General

Your Excellencies: Ambassador Etienne
              
                               Ambassador Meister

Good afternoon everyone and thank you for the opportunity to speak today – the Minister of Finance Bill English has asked me to pass on his apologies as he is unable to attend.

I think it’s very timely that your conference is addressing the important and ongoing challenge of transformational change.

In the time I have with you today I’d like to touch on:

Thank you Burgemeester Evrard

Your excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Today’s ceremony is a chance to reflect on the sacrifices of a generation of young New Zealanders who gave their lives in Flanders.

It is also a time to acknowledge the people of Flanders and Belgium for looking after the sons of New Zealand in remembrance of that terrible experience of almost a century ago.

The ties that bind our countries were forged here and will never be broken.

Secretary General

It is a pleasure to attend my first meeting of NATO’s North Atlantic Council with its ISAF partners and I look forward to working with you and all my colleagues around the table in the months and years ahead.

Secretary General, today’s discussion provides an important opportunity to further refine and shape the strategic plan for Afghanistan that will be adopted at the Chicago Summit in just over three months time.