Mana Maori Business Awards

Distinguished guests, warm greetings to you all gathered here tonight. I am proud to be able to celebrate with you the success and achievements of Maori in business.

I want to acknowledge all the multi talented people here tonight. I believe you are the embodiment of Maori in business as leaders, challengers and achievers.

My sincere thanks to Dame Georgina Kirby, trustees, nominees, whanau and supporters for your vision and for the enormous contribution they have made to Maori businesses for well over a decade now.

I believe these business awards are vital and are the means of encouraging and acknowledging Maori business productivity, growth, innovation and job creation.

I believe nothing is impossible for our people and feel encouraged when I see you all here tonight.

I believe we can achieve great things in creating wealth, prosperity, jobs and choices as individuals, business people, whanau, hapu and iwi.

Everything we do as Maori must be measured for the contribution it makes to the future of our people, your work in leading business helps to establish Maori as achievers operating at the forefront of the global economy.

Over the last three years Maori exceeded non-Maori in the total entrepreneurial activity stakes. Many Maori entrepreneurs continue to express their confidence and optimism about business opportunities.

The Maori commercial asset base is substantial and conservatively estimated at around $9billion –not an insignificant part of the national economy.

Maori capability and capacity is absolutely critical to Aotearoa's future economic well-being. Naturally we want a Maori workforce that is highly skilled and representative of all professions and sectors.

The growing Maori economy requires a unique blend of executive and cultural leadership skills.

We must build the capability now amongst our young. And that is why we are placing an emphasis on education, enterprise and entrepreneurial skills amongst rangatahi.

Staggering as it sounds, it’s estimated that Maori untapped employment potential is around $45 billion. That’s about five times the value of Maori assets!

Our economic future as Maori and non-Maori in this country is inextricably entwined.

Working inclusively gives us a stronger sense of national identity. It makes us stronger as a community and as a nation.

The challenge now is to continue to build on the platform that’s been laid down.

We live and operate in a global market-place. We have the capacity to move into business without compromising the importance of our culture, beliefs and aspirations.

For the Maori economy to thrive internationally we need to develop leaders capable of striding the world stage armed with commercial acumen and expertise and cultural integrity.

The challenge of modernisation and economic development is that other forms of leadership need to be embraced along with cultural leadership.

Investment in cultural and executive leadership recognises that Maori success relies on taking the best from both worlds.

It will be your leadership and stewardship that will have the greatest impact on our destiny and continue to define us as a nation.

We are a country with huge potential, we are a nation with incredible talent, and I am committed to continuing to work with them to realise that.

I am immensely proud and encouraged by that prospect and thankful that the life of this nation is being enriched by talented Maori business people like those here tonight.