Statement to Bali Democracy Forum

Bali Democracy Forum

10-11 December 2008: New Zealand Statement

E nga mana, E nga reo, E nga hau e wha

Tena tatou katoa

To the powers, to the voices, to the four winds

Greetings to us all

Foreign Minister Wirajuda, other esteemed Ministerial colleagues, Excellencies, ladies and gentleman

It is an honour for me to represent New Zealand at this inaugural meeting of the Bali Democracy Forum. There have been a number of steps towards greater interaction in our region in recent times, most notably the East Asia Summit, and New Zealand is privileged to be part of this new grouping meeting here today.

I congratulate Indonesia for establishing this important forum and express my appreciation for the gracious hospitality of the Indonesian people, that has been a hallmark of our visit so far.

We are in a beautiful part of the world. This is my first time here and while our surroundings put us at ease, today we turn to the very important and serious task that the Forum has on its agenda, that is, the building and consolidating of democracy in our region. I know we will all wish to leave here with the sense that our time has been put to good use and that concrete steps towards the goal of democracy, and, in turn, greater peace, stability and prosperity for our region, have been put in place.

New Zealand is proud to be an independent, democratic nation with a popularly elected parliament and a stable social and political environment. We are a small nation of less than five million people, with growing Maori, Pacific and Asian populations, and we find that the way our democracy has grown works well for us. Democracy took a great step forward when, as Prime Minister Rudd reminded us this morning, the women of our two countries led the world in securing the right to vote.

A core principle for New Zealand is that governments are put in place to serve the population that elects them. Officials in New Zealand are described as "public servants", consistent with the notion that it is government's role to serve its people.

Civil groups and interested individuals participate in New Zealand's open system of government through parliamentary committees or direct contact with Members of Parliament. We believe a sense of ownership in the political process by every individual is a key to successful government, and to a peaceful, prosperous nation.

In regard to the Pacific, New Zealand has been working with Pacific nations to strengthen and develop democratic institutions and promote systems of transparency and accountability. We advocate for, and strategically provide practical assistance bilaterally and through regional and multilateral institutions such as the Commonwealth and Pacific Islands Forum.

NZAID allocates NZ$13 million per annum to the Pacific Programme for Strengthening Governance. Under the programme New Zealand aims to respond to the demand from our Pacific neighbours for strengthened governance at all levels.

We trust New Zealand's experience of democracy over the past 168 years since the founding of our nation - since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi - will be of interest to Forum members.

From our experience of democracy, both at home in New Zealand and in the Pacific, we have learned many things, including the following:

* Democracy takes time to take hold and grow, and is an ongoing process. Recent developments at home highlight this. Our endeavours to remove injustice and reconcile the interests of our own indigenous Maori population (of whom I am one), with those of the wider population, is an example of strengthening our democracy,

* In 1868 we established four parliamentary seats for Maori; and recent changes to modify our electoral process have allowed our increasingly diverse population to be better represented in our Parliament,

* Democratic institutions and processes must flow from the bottom up, rather than be imposed from the top down ie they must emerge out of the tradition, culture and structures which are unique to each country,

* Democracy works well when governments provide strong leadership to harness seemingly opposite perspectives to develop comprehensive solutions for the benefit of all,

And lastly

* Stable democracy comes from people living harmoniously together, which can only come about when governments work to provide equal access and opportunity for all their citizens. In this regard, New Zealand continues in its efforts to make this a reality.

Thank you, your Excellencies, for the opportunity to speak at this very important Forum. I am looking forward to seeing how the Forum can contribute to building and consolidating democracy in our region; and New Zealand joins others in endorsing this important initiative.

He aha te mea nui o te ao

He tangata, he tangata, he tangata

What is the greatest thing in the world

It is people, it is people, it is people.

Hon Georgina te Heuheu

New Zealand Minister for Courts, Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Minister of Pacific Island Affairs