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Thank you to Clive Lansink – the National President, Jonathan Godfrey – your vice president – and all the board members of Blind Citizens New Zealand for your invitation to be with you today.

I am delighted to be with you today, to take part in this very exciting conference hosted by Imagine Better and Parent to Parent.

And I take this opportunity to mihi to Lorna Sullivan who has been a leading light, an icon in this field. 

Your organisations have earned a cutting edge reputation for making a tangible difference – a difference that can be seen – in improving the quality of life for disabled people, children and families.  

Building and Construction Minister Maurice Williamson and Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia today announced a review has begun into building access for disabled people.

The review will look into how New Zealand Standard 4121, which outlines how people with disabilities can access buildings, aligns with the Building Code and how the Code more generally represents the needs of disabled people.

I am delighted to welcome here today, to your House - our Special Olympic graduates, your friends, supporters, sponsors and of course your families who make it all possible.

I want to thank Ian McKelvie, MP for Rangitikei; and the Chairperson of Special Olympics for the honour of addressing you at this very important event.

I acknowledge two very important people with us today - Kathy Gibson, your Chief Executive and Grant Quinn, the Founder of Special Olympics New Zealand.

I want to thank Cindy Johns, your National Manager and Hamish Taverner, your National Chairperson for the opportunity to speak at this event. I also thank Lee Rutene for opening this event.

I can’t help but think that flying free like the butterfly is a wonderful image for your logo. For 30 years you have been speaking up and giving voice to the voiceless to say what was important to disabled people.

It is with great pleasure that I follow in the footsteps of your esteemed life member, Robert Martin, in this very important milestone event.

Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia announced the introduction of a brand new service today to help make government services more accessible to Deaf people.

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) is being progressively rolled out around the country in key government services. It connects a Deaf person to a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter based in an Auckland call centre via an internet video connection and to a face-to-face meeting with a government service worker.

I want to acknowledge the importance of the Disabled Persons Assembly who for over thirty years have been working to promote the wellbeing of disabled people in New Zealand.

I want to congratulate and commend Bev Grammer the President, Brendon Murray the President Elect and the ever-energetic Rachel Nobel who is doubling as both our MC and of course the Chief Executive of DPA; for hosting this event today.

Ka rere atu nga mihi ki te hau kainga, te tangata whenua, tena koutou katoa. 

Ki aku hoa, Te Kahui Tumuaki - ki a koe e Kimiora, tae noa ki a koutou katoa kua tae mai i nga kokona e wha o te motu, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

I want to thank Dr Nigel Christie - your General Manager and Trenton Martin - your cultural advisor for the opportunity to be with you today - and to share some time thinking about the difference you make in working alongside the families whom you support.

And it is great that at this conference you have been able to bring together clients, support workers, board members and staff of Te Hauora Pou Heretanga to focus on how to achieve your mission - To Value Wellbeing.

This is such a wonderful occasion to come together, to celebrate a new era; an era in which the language of the hands is being recognised as the key to communication and opportunity.

I want to firstly acknowledge our Human Rights Commissioner for Disability Issues; Paul Gibson; who is such a bold advocate; a passionate champion for people with disabilities.

Rau rangatira ma e tau mai nei ki tenei hui, nau mai whakatau mai ki Te Whare Paremata. I would like to acknowledge our MC for this evening, Sally Wenley for doing a sterling job running our hui tonight. Tena koe Sally. I would also like to acknowledge Disability Rights Commissioner Paul Gibson, Ombudsman Dame Beverley Wakem, Chair of the Convention Coalition of Disabled Peoples’ Organisations, Rachel Noble and the authors of this media report, Pam MacNeill and Chris Ford.

The Minister for Disability Issues Tariana Turia announced today that Cabinet has approved a three-year demonstration of Enabling Good Lives in Christchurch, with work starting immediately.   

Christchurch school leavers with disabilities will be the first to benefit from Enabling Good Lives – a new way of supporting disabled people that offers people greater choice and control over the supports they receive and the lives they lead. 

My parliamentary colleagues; Paul Gibson our Disability Commissioner; Riripeti Paine, the Chair of Parents of Vision Impaired; Paul Manning, your Executive Officer; family, friends and tamariki/mokopuna.

Once upon a time…those magical words have captivated our children and given joy to both storyteller and listener for ever and a day.

Minister of Disability Issues Tariana Turia has commended the courage of disabled people living in Gisborne and Tairawhiti for sharing their stories in research released today, The Hidden Abuse of Disabled People Residing in the Community; an exploratory study by Tairawhiti Community Voice and Dr Michael Roguski.

“The report is a brave account of experiences of disabled persons living in residential services, institutions, homes and the community,” said Mrs Turia.

The Government has committed to a number of initiatives in Budget 2013 to improve the lives of those who live with disabilities, Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia says.

E te iwi e tau mai nei mo tenei huihuinga, tena koutou. Ngati Ranginui iwi, Ngai Tamarawaho hapu, nga kaumatua me nga kuia, tae atu ki te hunga rangatahi, koutou katoa nga uri o Tamatea Pokai Whenua e whakatuwhera nei i to koutou marae mo tenei hui, tena hoki koutou katoa.

What a great day this is to come together to share the work of Maori providers of disability services. I always look forward to these hui taumata and would like to acknowledge Te Piringa for bringing us together once again with a great theme for this year – Kia piri ai tatou. I agree!

The Minister for Disability Issues, Tariana Turia has called for Tauranga Bus Company ‘Go Bus’ and all public transport companies to review its policies and provide staff training immediately following a third incident of discriminatory treatment of a disabled resident trying to board a bus.

“I’m alarmed that within the space of a few months two disabled passengers have experienced discrimination while trying to board Bay Hopper buses,” says Minister Turia.

E te iwi o Ōtautahi kua pāngia nei e te āhuatanga o te rū whenua, kua whai huarahi anō hei oranga mā koutou i tēnei wā taumaha, tēnei te mihi ki a koutou katoa.

Thank you for inviting me here today to the opening of your new premises.

E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga karangatanga maha, tena koutou katoa.

His Excellency, The Governor- General, Sir Jerry Mateparae, tena koe. Paul Gibson, Commissioner for Disability Issues - tena hoki koe.

Tena koutou katoa. Ki te mana whenua, ara ki a Ngati Whatua, tena ra koutou katoa.

I am delighted to open this International Initiative for Disability Leadership Network meeting. I want to thank Fran Silvestri, President and Chief Executive for the honour in being asked to join you at this forum.

It is my very great pleasure to welcome to Aotearoa, international leaders who are making a difference for disabled persons and their families right across the globe.

Senior Citizens Minister Jo Goodhew and Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia are pleased to announce the funding of a new advisory service available to Canterbury people planning to re-build or renovate their earthquake damaged homes.

The Office for Senior Citizens and the Ministry of Health are providing a total of $99,000 funding to Enable New Zealand for a free professional advisory service on sustainable housing design.

I want to thank Helen Melrose, your chairperson - and Chris Higgins, your chief executive for the invitation to visit these wonderful accessible premises - premises by which I predict the Muscular Dystrophy Association will be known by.

The open plan environment - the spacious floor area- the bright atmosphere will soon become the benchmark, I hope, for accessible buildings.

It is a living demonstration of the campaign that you have promoted as an association, ‘Living life with less boundaries.’

I am well used to attending formal signings – but the majority of these are between two parties; the Crown and iwi.

This event today, is remarkable for the scale of collaboration it represents, and I want to formally acknowledge all those parties who have put their hand up, to take ownership and drive leadership of the Taranaki Disability Strategy.

I therefore commend the initiative of the mayors of the

• South Taranaki District Council;
• Stratford District Council;
• New Plymouth District Council;

I want to firstly acknowledge our impressive MCs - Ruth Jones, Kanohi ki te Kanohi Consultancy and Duncan Armstrong, from People First. There are also some key movers and shakers who should be recognised upfront on this important day:

• Paul Gibson, our Disability Rights Commissioner
• Dame Beverley Wakem, Ombudsman
• and Rachel Noble, Chair, Convention Coalition of Disabled People’s Organisations.