Speech to the Niue Constitution Day flag-raising ceremony

Lilifu he matua Palemia, Honorable Dalton Tagelagi and Mrs Tanya Tagelagi

Lilifu he fakatonu fono, Speaker of Parliament Hima Douglas and Mrs Pat Douglas

Lilifu he tau Ikipule, Honorable Ministers

Lilifu he tau Ekepule, Members of the Assembly

Matua Pelesiteni he Ekalesia Niue and representatives of all the churches on Niue

Lilifu Palemia Fakamua ha Niue the Honorable Young Vivian

Australia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Penny Wong

The United States Ambassador to New Zealand Mr Tom Udall

Japan’s Deputy Head of Mission to New Zealand and Niue Tatsushi Nishioka

The representatives of the diplomatic corps on Niue.

To the Director of Taoga Niue, members of the Niue public service and to all those here today.

Fakaalofa lahi atu ki a mutolu oti

Tēnā koutou Tēnā koutou Tēnā koutou Tēnā koutou katoa

It goes without saying that it is a privilege to be here today, to join Niue as it marks 48 years of self-government in free association with Aotearoa. Thank you, Mr Premier, for the invitation. And thank you for the warmth of the hospitality and depth of friendship that has been extended to me during my visit this week.

I’m also pleased to be here, at the Fale Fono II and across from the Taoga Niue museum, which I visited on Monday - two very real examples of our commitment to Niue and to its governance and culture.

We are proud to be Niue’s only Constitutional partner. Ours is a relationship that extends back for more than a century, but which was formalised in 1974.

We respected the decision of the people of Niue to attain self-government then, as we do now. And that is because our connections are based not only on our shared history - including a colonial history - and our shared governance arrangements, but on our deep whakapapa connections.

It is our enduring people connections, our culture and heritage within these connections, that creates our unbreakable bond.

This year, we – Niue and Aotearoa New Zealand – recommitted to our relationship and future when Prime Minister Ardern and you, Mr Premier, signed a refreshed Statement of Partnership setting out our commitments and expectations of each other in the coming years.

Within this partnership, Niue and Aotearoa have agreed on five priority areas for cooperation.

These are:

• Ko e Feutuaki he tau Malolō mo e tau Lotomatala Gahua Fakalataha - Partnership
• Omoiaga he tau Matagahua Tutuli Monuina he tagata mo e faka-Fakatufono - Prosperity
• Gahua Fakalotomatalla ke Fakatūvelae Monuina mai he Takatakaimotu mo e tau paleko he hikihikaga he matagi – Resilience environment and climate change
• Peace and Security, and climate change.
• People – Te Tangata - Tau Tagata Niue nofo motu.

Our commitment to people extends through our support to health and education on Niue, but importantly, also to supporting and enhancing the preservation and revitalisation of Taoga – including language.

Last month, I launched New Zealand’s first ever Pacific Languages Strategy. I did this because we are committed to ensuring Pacific languages thrive, both in home countries such as here on Niue, but also in Aotearoa New Zealand.

It is crucial for our well-being and identity as a people, and vital for our future generations. My colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon Nanaia Mahuta, joins me in this commitment.

She was pleased to announce a collaboration between Te Taura Whiri, the Māori Language Commission, and the Niue Language Commission when she visited in August. These are important steps, and I am genuinely excited to see what we can achieve together.

Mr Premier, these past few years have presented challenges that none of us could have imagined only three years ago. The global pandemic brought devastation to families around the globe, including in Aotearoa and the Pacific, and it has delivered economic hardship.

But in some ways, it has contributed to our understanding of how important our partnership is.

Aotearoa New Zealand played a critical role in ensuring all on Niue had access to vaccines, and your vaccination rates are the envy of the globe.

We provided support through the Polynesian Health Corridors programme, including on training, mentoring and coaching health teams.

Customs and Immigration assisted with border policy developments.

Foreign Affairs and the New Zealand High Commission ensured Niue’s voice and perspective was heard by my government. Because of our responsibilities to Niue, Aotearoa New Zealand has provided an additional $22.4 million in budget support, on top of our triennium commitment of $81 million.

This is significant, at a time when economies across the Pacific are struggling.

I was pleased to visit the hospital and health team yesterday, to convey in person, my appreciation for their work and for the work of Niue’s COVID Committee.

Today, I would like to publicly acknowledge Niue’s outstanding management of the pandemic. It is an achievement, of the government and of the people. We are here, together today, as a result of it - and we owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have dedicated themselves during this crisis to Niue and to the communities of Niue.

Mr Premier and Mr Speaker, I wish Niue a successful pule fakamotu

In closing, I am reminded again of our Statement of Partnership and of its commitment to people – because today we remember what the most important thing is:

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

It is the people, the people, the people.