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Thank you for the opportunity to make this address this evening.

In one month from now I will have tendered my resignation as New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, having served in this capacity for nearly eight-and-a-half years.

At the outset, I want to acknowledge - and I have said this many times to my staff and to the Ministry - that the real foreign minister is always the Prime Minister.

An effective Prime Minister / Foreign Minister team need to present a seamless face to both the outside world, and to the New Zealand public.

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.

Ladies and Gentlemen

In my eight years serving as Foreign Minister I can’t think of a more interesting time to be addressing this group.

We are entering period of global uncertainty on a number of fronts.

Populism and nationalism are on the rise in many quarters.

During my occasional visits to New Zealand I am often asked which countries I have been to where the economy is in such good shape and the political scene is so stable. The answer, of course, is nowhere.

Tena koutou katoa. Welcome. It’s great to be here with so many people who are working hard to give Kiwi kids the best possible education.

Four years ago, I established the National Cross Sector Forum as a way for key stakeholders to get together and talk about the most important issues in education. I value this forum as a vehicle for me, as Education Minister, to be able to update you on the education work programme, to get your feedback and advice, and for you to interact with the government’s education agencies.

Tena koutou katoa.

I’d like to acknowledge our mana whenua and our hosts here at Victoria University.

As leading business men and women you know well that now, more than ever, we are a country of global citizens. And that how we embrace the world and its needs will have a clear correlation with how prosperous we will be as a nation.

On a recent trip overseas I was reminded how quickly education systems are evolving and how important it is that New Zealand not just keep up, but carve our own pathway in these areas.

Tena koutou katoa. Thank you for the invitation to speak on day two of the uLearn16 conference.

It’s wonderful to see so many educators together in one room. You are part of an increasingly connected, collaborative and innovative education system.

Education is the backbone of any successful nation.

As a small nation we need to be smarter and focus on building the potential of our children and young people to become a highly skilled and qualified workforce.

Shalom. Tēnā koutou katoa and warm greetings from across the Pacific.

Thank you for the invitation to participate in this Summit. I appreciate the opportunity to share New Zealand’s latest chapter in our ever-evolving education story, and how we’re preparing children and young people to be confident participants in their highly connected and increasingly innovative world.

Ours is a small nation with a far reach and big ambitions.

New Zealand welcomes today’s opportunity to discuss the serious threat to international peace and security posed by terrorist targeting of civil aviation.

I thank UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson for his leadership on the resolution just adopted.

Air links are critical to New Zealand. More than 99 percent of our international visitors arrive by air, and around 15 percent of our exports are transported by air. The security of international civil aviation is therefore of vital importance to my country.

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.

It is deeply disappointing to have to acknowledge that the comments I am about to make, and that others will make today, could have been made with equal force and relevance at any time in the last two and a half years since negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians were suspended. 

We all express dismay and outrage about the violence affecting ordinary Israelis and Palestinians; and yet innocent lives continue to be lost.

We all condemn settlements; and yet they continue to expand.

I thank Special Representative Yamamoto for his briefing. Sir, you have assumed your role at pivotal moment for Afghanistan.  

Afghanistan has been at war for far too long. Indeed, most Afghan people have no memory of anything but war.

New Zealand speaks today as a country that has supported Afghanistan in its pursuit of peace and stability over many decades, stretching back to the withdrawal of Soviet forces in 1989.

I will now make a statement in my capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs for New Zealand.

At the outset can I welcome the Colombian Permanent Representative to the Security Council today.

The historic peace agreement concluded between the Government of Colombia and the FARC rebels on 24 August represents a significant milestone, one that offers the promise of a future of security and prosperity for all Colombians in the years to come.

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.

I want to thank Foreign Minister Lavrov for very constructive discussions and a warm reception in Moscow.

We have held full and wide ranging discussions. Russia plays an important role in global affairs and I valued the opportunity to hear Russia’s views directly.

Bilaterally we have seen trade relations decline in the last two years.

New Zealand and Russia hold different views on the situation in Ukraine, and while we are not part of the sanctions or counter-sanctions process, these differences have constrained trade relations.

Tēnā koutou katoa, Kia orana, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Talofa lava, Mālō e lelei, Ni sa bula vinaka, and greetings to you all.

First of all today, I wish to acknowledge our guest speakers: Professor Terry Scott, Susan Barrett, Louisa Barham and the Children’s Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and expertise with us. 

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.

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.

It is a pleasure to be here today to open this event, celebrating 20 years of the Food Treaty.

I want to use this opportunity to highlight the importance and success of the Food Treaty for both Australia and New Zealand, and also give my thoughts on some of the topics you will be hearing about today, including the future of food regulation.

Importance of trans-Tasman relationship and success of the Food Treaty

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.

I would like to start by acknowledging:

• Apiculture New Zealand and the newly elected board members
• Scott Gallacher, Deputy-Director General, Regulatory & Assurance, MPI

It is a pleasure to be here today at the first ever Apiculture New Zealand National Conference.

It is great to see the establishment of Apiculture New Zealand, and the unification of the apiculture industry that this represents.

Local government touches everyone’s lives.

Councils help to build our roads, supply our water, and collect our rubbish. They manage our libraries, our community halls, and our swimming pools. They make decisions that affect the lives of people in their local communities every day.

Councils provide essential infrastructure and services to support jobs, regional growth and community development.

They have a challenging job, and their world is changing.

Tēnā koutou katoa. Welcome. It’s a pleasure to be here in the company of so many people who are working to give our kids the best possible start. I’d also like to acknowledge the presence of my ministerial colleague Nikki Kaye who is doing a terrific job, as Associate Minister of Education, of getting school infrastructure into a fit state for the 21st Century and the presence of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Education David Seymour who is as committed to raising achievement for all students as I am.

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.

As delivered by Hon. Murray McCully, Minister of Foreign Affairs, 11 May 2016 (New York time).

Mr President, members of the Security Council, may I start by thanking Minister Shoukry for convening this debate on countering terrorist narratives and ideologies.

Today we deal with a threat whose scale and spread requires a global and collective response, and surely commands the attention of the Security Council.

My country, New Zealand, once regarded itself as largely removed from the threat of international terrorism, protected by its geography.