Address at Microsoft Presentation to Champion Centre

Thank you for inviting me today as your guest of honour. I'm delighted to be part of your celebration. It is very satisfying to know that Microsoft's generous donation to the Champion Centre not only guarantees the centre's survival, but will enable you to extend your innovative programmes for children with delayed development.

Technology has opened up a wonderful new world of knowledge and communication for people with disabilities, limited only by cost and access. The earlier those opportunities are available, the more successful they will be in enabling young children to reach their full potential.

This is why Microsoft's donation today is so important. The $90,000 will provide a developmental springboard for pre-school children at the Champion Centre, which will improve the quality of their lives forever. The models and methods developed at the centre - including a website - will have a spin-off for other families and professionals around the world. That's a fantastic contribution.

The decision by Microsoft to fund this project, a first for New Zealand, is a tribute to the centre and its dedicated staff and parent community. I understand this is not the first time your work has been recognised internationally, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

As Minister for Disability Issues, I am delighted to see what can be achieved when business recognises its responsibility to the community and acts on it. This initiative is a great example of partnership between the private and the community sector, and I congratulate both parties.

Partnership is also a key feature of the way this government is committed to working. We have rejected the competitive model of the last decade. It hasn't worked for New Zealand's most vulnerable citizens - including children with disabilities - and we're not going to use it any more.

Like you, we believe that working together is the best way to improve health and disability outcomes for all New Zealanders. We believe that people with disabilities have the same human rights as other people. We believe that we all have a responsibility to remove the barriers that stop people with disabilities playing a full part in their communities.

Microsoft's donation and the Champion Centre's 20-year commitment to young children with delayed development are practical expressions of these beliefs. Thank you for caring about our children, and congratulations once again for working together so effectively on their behalf.