Thank you for inviting me to open your conference. It’s great to be here.

I’d like to acknowledge the Minister of Fisheries Phil Heatley.

I’d also like to acknowledge Dave Sharp – the Chair of the Seafood Industry Council, as well as your board, and Owen Symmans – your Chief Executive.

And I’d like to acknowledge all of you who work in the seafood industry.

The food you gather from our seas is some of the world’s finest. By selling it around the globe, you bring in the foreign exchange that New Zealand needs to make our way in the world. You make an important contribution to our success as a nation.

There have been a few changes since I spoke to you last year, and your conference theme – “Changing dynamics: responding to change” – is well chosen.

First among these has been the change of government. And I’d like to start today by outlining how I expect the National-led Government will work with the seafood industry.

You rightly expect the Government to respect the property rights that you have, to listen to your views, and to work with you constructively. And you expect us to be fair.

But as quota owners and stewards of one of our great resources, you also have important responsibilities.

The National-led Government wants you to live up to these. We want you to work with us to continue managing our fisheries for the long-term benefit of New Zealanders and to continue to be as responsive to changing expectations as you have been in the past. And we want you to keep lifting your game.

We will acknowledge you when you do good work, and we will push you to improve when you don’t. We will expect you to hold us to the same standards.

By working together, I am excited about what we can achieve.

National, with the support of Act, United Future, and the Maori Party, has been working hard to address the issues that matter to New Zealanders and deliver on our election promises. These include our policies for aquaculture and fisheries, and Phil Heatley will talk about these in some detail tomorrow.

Today I’m going to talk about the challenges and opportunities that the global recession brings for your industry, and how we need to make the most of the advantages our seafood resources provide.

But before I look at where we are going, I’d like to take a quick look at where we have come from.

LOOKING BACK

On Waitangi Day I made my first visit to the Treaty Grounds as Prime Minister. And as the sun rose over the Bay of Islands I gave a short blessing.

I gave thanks for the fact that our country is one of the most amazing places in the world to live, where our oceans are teeming with fish, where our lands are arable, and where we can provide for our people.

That is a simple point we often overlook. And it is central to our future.

Our islands were settled by people who came from across the oceans. The sea and its bounty have shaped our history, our lifestyle, and our prosperity.

They continue to do that today.

At times we have been careless about how we managed the seemingly endless supply of fish from our seas. Like other nations, we took from our fisheries without enough consideration for what this was doing to our fishing stocks. We put short-term profit ahead of long-term wealth.

But we had the good fortune to realise our mistakes and take action before we did too much damage.

Today we know that healthy fisheries are far more valuable than one year’s catch. Our fish stocks are carefully managed for the long-term benefits they provide. And our seafood industry is a model for the rest of the world to follow. Since 1996, the wild catch value has increased by well over a billion dollars.

This is not to say that things are perfect. And this is not to say that progress has come easily.

But we need to acknowledge what has been achieved, because it shows how much can be done when industry and government work together.

There is quite a list.

New Zealand has established an Exclusive Economic Zone around 14 times as large as our land mass. It is the fourth biggest in the world.

We have created a deepwater fishing industry.

We have developed the world-leading Quota Management System and put our fisheries on a management footing that is designed to endure over the long-term. That now includes a staggering 96 species and 629 fish stocks.

We lead the world in the protection of vulnerable parts of the seabed. A third of our Exclusive Economic Zone is in Benthic Protection Areas.

We have settled commercial fisheries grievances under the Treaty of Waitangi. This has not only brought major benefits to iwi and hapu, it has also secured the future of the Quota Management System, and helped boost the seafood industry with new quota owners committed to our country’s future.

Today, our fishing industry is internationally competitive without being propped up by subsidies, and helps pay the costs of administering itself.

Past governments have helped drive these successes. But by far the larger contribution has been made by you.

And as a Government that knows it can only do so much, we know that the future of our fisheries relies less upon what we do and more upon your attitudes and expertise.

So I’d like to acknowledge the part that the seafood industry has played over many years in helping get New Zealand’s fisheries onto a sustainable long-term footing.

I’d also like to acknowledge the part the Seafood Industry Council plays in representing your members, working with the Government on fisheries management and environmental issues, and supporting research and innovation. 

And I’d like to encourage you to keep raising your sights, keep lifting your game, and keep improving how you manage one of New Zealand’s great resources.

Because there is a lot a stake, and if we continue to get things right, there is a lot more to gain.

TACKLING THE RECESSION

Never has this been more true than now.

We are facing a global economic downturn on a scale we have not seen for more than a generation. This is affecting demand in markets around the world. And it is impacting on New Zealand’s export industries.

As a government, we must do what we can to help our businesses and our people weather the storm.

We are continuing to roll out initiatives in our Jobs and Growth Plan. They include the Small Business Relief Package and the nine-day fortnight. They also include the bank deposit guarantee schemes and our plans to boost infrastructure development. And they include cutting taxes and improving the quality of government spending.

But we also need to make sure that we look through the recession.

Because despite the gloom, I believe New Zealand is well-placed to come out of this downturn stronger than many other countries.

Our banking system is in better shape than most. Our interest rates have fallen a long way, and quickly. Our economy is able to adapt to a changing global environment. And our improving trade relationships with China and other Asian nations will position us well when those countries recover.

But perhaps the best reason for optimism is this: what we sell to the world is still in demand.

Our primary industries, producing high-quality food, and protected in part by a lower dollar are suffering from the global downturn less than most. In tough times people don’t buy so many luxury cars or electronic goods, but they still eat.

And as the world recovers, the demand for high-quality food will only grow.

We need to make sure that our primary industries are in the best possible shape to take advantage of that.

Our seafood industry has a big part to play.

LOOKING AHEAD

We often hear dire predictions of how fish stocks around the world will be depleted within decades.

Some countries are subsidising their industries and encouraging over-capacity in their fishing fleets. If they keep this up they risk not having any fish for future generations.

New Zealand’s careful management and the property rights that quota shares give your industry are good reasons why our fisheries won’t go the same way.

We must continue to manage our wild fish stocks for the long term, making the most of the fishing today while protecting the resource for tomorrow.

That way, we will still have first-class wild fish stocks when many other countries do not. Fish from these stocks will be available for export and sold at a premium.

We can already get a sense of how the future will look.

Increasingly, wealthy markets in Europe and North America are demanding seafood that they can be sure is harvested legally and sustainably. We are seeing demands from the European Union that all seafood for sale should be traceable back to individual vessels.

If we want to sell our products at a premium in these markets we need to meet those demands. We need to assure customers that our seafood is top quality and is caught responsibly.

We know that our fisheries are carefully managed, but we need to make sure consumers know that. There is some good work going on in this area and I note that you have a speaker from the Marine Stewardship Council at your conference.

We need to keep refining our management. We need to keep working together. And we need to plan for the future.

That’s why the Government is taking the next step in the Fisheries 2030 project and following up on the independent review of the fishing sector.

And that’s why we are taking steps to focus the Ministry of Fisheries on frontline fishery protection.

We look forward to continuing to work with the industry to keep the management of our fisheries ahead of the game and to make the most of the opportunities ahead.

MAKING THE MOST OF OUR ADVANTAGES

The careful way we manage our wild fisheries provides a valuable lesson.

We have taken one of our great natural advantages – the huge fishery in our Exclusive Economic Zone – and applied good science, the best expertise, and innovative thinking. The outcome is an increasingly valuable resource that is a huge benefit to our economy.

Our prosperity as a nation relies on us applying the same philosophy to our other natural advantages so we can make the most of them.

Whether that be in our land-based primary industries, in other sectors of the economy where there is unrealised potential, or in parts of the seafood industry itself.

I’d like to spend the next few minutes exploring one such area with you now.

AQUACULTURE

The National-led Government strongly supports aquaculture.

We believe the aquaculture industry has the potential to provide big long-term economic gains without harming our coastal environment. That means growing and selling more top-quality seafood, providing more jobs in our regions, and earning more income for the country, while protecting our seas.

We want to unlock that potential. We want to grow our aquaculture industry. And we want to help it reach the goal of becoming a billion-dollar business by 2025.

The Government will play two important parts in helping that happen. We will encourage aquaculture development where this is appropriate. And we will get an effective regulatory regime in place.

The National-led Government is investigating the feasibility of potential new areas for aquaculture development.

Last month, the Environment and Fisheries Ministers asked the Ministry for the Environment to evaluate 19 possible AMA sites identified by the Northland Regional Council for their potential as marine farms. The Ministry will also investigate whether other promising sites exist around Northland.

We are continuing to invest in the development of the industry. The Government’s contribution to aquaculture research is around $16 million a year. In January we announced a $600,000 contestable fund to encourage innovative market development projects. And nearly $1 million remains available in the Aquaculture Planning Fund to help councils with the development of aquaculture in their areas.

We are also continuing to settle Treaty of Waitangi claims.

This afternoon I will sign a Deed of Settlement for pre-commencement aquaculture space covering the aquaculture areas of the Coromandel, the Firth of Thames, and the whole of the South Island.

The Deed makes amends for the impacts of establishing marine farms without taking into account the rights of Iwi. It also provides greater certainty for all players in the aquaculture industry.

With regard to the current aquaculture management regime, it’s clear that it is simply not working. We are going to overhaul it.

Aquaculture is treated more restrictively than other uses of the coastal environment. Since 2004 no new aquaculture space has been created and farmed under the new legislation. That is simply not good enough.

We have already made some important progress.

We are taking the Aquaculture Amendment Bill (No.2) 2008 through Parliament. This aims to remove a number of technical barriers to aquaculture. We expect it to pass into law in the next few months.

We have begun the first phase of reform of the Resource Management Act. This will streamline the RMA approval process and make it less difficult, time-consuming, and costly for aquaculture projects to be considered and approved. The reforms are currently being considered in select committee and I expect they will be reported back to Parliament in June.

Meanwhile, we have started working on the second phase of RMA reforms.

Phase Two will not be a quick fix. It will include more complex issues such as resource allocation and governance, and will look closely at the resource management issues around marine farm development.

At the same time, the Government is working with regional government and aquaculture industry leaders to improve the aquaculture management regime.

Both the Seafood Industry Council and Aquaculture New Zealand have made important contributions to that process and I’d like to thank you for your work.

Before I finish, I want to make a final point about aquaculture development.

Aquaculture is a hugely important component of our fisheries and it has enormous potential for growth. But no matter how the industry is reformed, we must always be conscious of two things.

Firstly, aquaculture developments must have regard for existing commercial fishing rights. I acknowledge that finding the balance between these is sometimes difficult.

And secondly, growth in the aquaculture industry must not come at the cost of our environmental responsibilities. As we have learned from the management of our wild fish stocks, thinking about tomorrow is the best way to make the most of what we have today.

CONCLUSION

Fishing is one of New Zealand’s success stories.

Our oceans are teeming with fish. Our world-leading Quota Management System and the sustainable way that the seafood industry manages this great resource is a tremendous achievement.

Despite the difficulties we face in the current economic climate, our fisheries provide New Zealand with a natural advantage that has the potential to pay big dividends in the decades ahead.

The National-led Government is determined to make the most of that advantage.

We want to keep improving the management of our wild fisheries so that the seafood you produce commands a premium on world markets. We want to reform our aquaculture industry and make it a billion-dollar business. And we want to ensure our sea’s resources are nurtured for the benefit of all New Zealanders – now and in the future.

I know you share these aims.

Let’s work together to achieve them.

Thank you and I hope you have a great conference.

Thank you for the opportunity to launch your new Strategy for New Zealand Dairy Farming.

Let me acknowledge all those who have gathered from around the country, industry leaders, regional councillors, representatives from DairyNZ, Federated Farmers and other distinguished guests.

Some weeks ago when I was asked to attend this event I accepted with great pleasure. That’s because I view agriculture, and within that the dairy industry, as a driving part of New Zealand’s economic engine. 

Farming has always been, and will continue to be, vital to New Zealand’s prosperity.

When things are going well on our farms, this flows through into the small towns, the provincial cities and ultimately into our big cities. Conversely, when the primary sector sneezes the New Zealand economy catches a cold.

So the planning you are doing now is important not only for the dairy farmers you represent but for the economic future of all New Zealanders. And in these troubled times I’m pleased to be celebrating an industry for which I believe the future can be very bright. 

Because the opportunities for New Zealand farming in the next decade are massive. 

We are seeing the rise of a large middle class in China and India, with growing appetites for high-quality food products.

New Zealand’s natural attributes, our temperate climate, our quality land, our relatively abundant water supply, combined with the world-class expertise and know-how of our farmers, mean our agricultural sector is well-placed to meet this demand.

So I believe New Zealand’s agricultural sector can play a critical role in improving the productivity, export and growth levels of the economy as a whole. 

But with the opportunity comes challenges.

New Zealand is not the only country who is willing to compete to fill the fridges and pantries of tomorrow’s families.

Other countries, particularly in South America and in parts of Asia, are increasing their agricultural production and positioning themselves to compete with us for old and new markets.

What’s more, after several years of expansion and intensification, New Zealand farmers have to contend with pressures on the resources they rely on – land, water and even skilled workers.

And all of this is happening in the context of a world in which consumers are increasingly aware of carbon footprints, climate change and environmental performance.

So if New Zealand is to meet these challenges, we need to play to our strengths.

We need to harness the experience born of generations of farmers, we need to make the most of our cutting-edge technology and know-how, and we need to protect our environmental credentials. All of these factors will play a part in differentiating New Zealand farm products and ensuring maximum prices for your products.

The question of course, is how this is best achieved. 

While the Government has a role to play in answering that question, ultimately it is you, the farmers on the frontline, who are best-placed to act. 

So I commend this strategy as an important step in bringing key dairy organisations together to chart a course towards meeting tomorrow’s challenges and maximising tomorrow’s opportunities.

I understand this strategy has been developed after more than 14 months of discussions with dairy farmers throughout the country. It lays out a direction for the industry for the next decade and sets some key goals, including:

increasing on-farm profitability

achieving a strong industry-Government partnership

ensuring an internationally competitive milk supply

enhancing the industry’s reputation locally and globally

and attracting talented, skilled people into the industry

These are worthy goals and the Government shares your commitment to them. 

I also want to take this opportunity today to say just how crucial a role good environmental management will play in achieving each of these goals. 

It is important that farmers step-up and take leadership on meeting some of the environmental challenges that will shape the future of your industry.

These challenges include protecting the quality of fresh water resources, responding to global climate change, and ensuring today’s natural farming resources are kept in good condition for the farmers of the future. 

Improving your environmental performance shouldn’t just be seen as an issue of compliance with central and local government priorities. Rather it should be seen as an integral part of your future business success.

Not only do you need to protect your good environmental brand abroad, you also need to keep faith with the New Zealand public who look to you as important custodians of the natural environment for this and future generations.

My experience in talking to farmers throughout the country is that the vast majority understand this, and they act accordingly. After all, Kiwi farmers have as much of a vested interest in clean waterways, erosion prevention, and carbon ‘miles’ as anyone else. 

The Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is a good example of the kind of voluntary industry-led environmental management that farmers are capable of. 

As we look ahead, wherever possible I would much prefer farmers to ‘own’ their responses to environmental issues and to work proactively to deal with them in accordance with their local circumstances. 

In short, as you plan for the future the New Zealand dairy industry needs to take responsibility as guardians of the environment on which your wellbeing and that of your fellow Kiwis depends. This will be critical to the success of the strategy being launched today.

You can be assured that the Government wants to work with you to meet the challenges that you face, including protecting water quality, removing barriers to free trade, and supporting your efforts to reduce the carbon ‘footprint’ of your products.

We look forward to making progress together. 

I understand that the industry now plans to go away and work together to determine the action plan for your strategy, including which organisations are responsible for delivering results.

I wish you well for this process. 

In closing let me re-state that the Government is right behind you as you chart a course for the future. 

We value the contribution that dairy farming makes to New Zealand’s economy and we are supportive of your efforts to grow your productivity. 

In turn we are committed to doing what we can to assist you, by, for example, working to remove barriers to free trade, supporting primary sector research and development, reducing unnecessary red tape, developing critical infrastructure, and supporting rural communities.

We look forward to taking these and other steps to support you. And we look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

We value the work you do, we want to see you do well and we wish you all the best as you put your strategy into action.

Thankyou.

Thank you for the opportunity to launch your new Strategy for New Zealand Dairy Farming.

Let me acknowledge all those who have gathered from around the country, industry leaders, regional councillors, representatives from DairyNZ, Federated Farmers and other distinguished guests.

Some weeks ago when I was asked to attend this event I accepted with great pleasure. That’s because I view agriculture, and within that the dairy industry, as a driving part of New Zealand’s economic engine. 

Farming has always been, and will continue to be, vital to New Zealand’s prosperity.

When things are going well on our farms, this flows through into the small towns, the provincial cities and ultimately into our big cities. Conversely, when the primary sector sneezes the New Zealand economy catches a cold.

So the planning you are doing now is important not only for the dairy farmers you represent but for the economic future of all New Zealanders. And in these troubled times I’m pleased to be celebrating an industry for which I believe the future can be very bright. 

Because the opportunities for New Zealand farming in the next decade are massive. 

We are seeing the rise of a large middle class in China and India, with growing appetites for high-quality food products.

New Zealand’s natural attributes, our temperate climate, our quality land, our relatively abundant water supply, combined with the world-class expertise and know-how of our farmers, mean our agricultural sector is well-placed to meet this demand.

So I believe New Zealand’s agricultural sector can play a critical role in improving the productivity, export and growth levels of the economy as a whole. 

But with the opportunity comes challenges.

New Zealand is not the only country who is willing to compete to fill the fridges and pantries of tomorrow’s families.

Other countries, particularly in South America and in parts of Asia, are increasing their agricultural production and positioning themselves to compete with us for old and new markets.

What’s more, after several years of expansion and intensification, New Zealand farmers have to contend with pressures on the resources they rely on – land, water and even skilled workers.

And all of this is happening in the context of a world in which consumers are increasingly aware of carbon footprints, climate change and environmental performance.

So if New Zealand is to meet these challenges, we need to play to our strengths.

We need to harness the experience born of generations of farmers, we need to make the most of our cutting-edge technology and know-how, and we need to protect our environmental credentials. All of these factors will play a part in differentiating New Zealand farm products and ensuring maximum prices for your products.

The question of course, is how this is best achieved. 

While the Government has a role to play in answering that question, ultimately it is you, the farmers on the frontline, who are best-placed to act. 

So I commend this strategy as an important step in bringing key dairy organisations together to chart a course towards meeting tomorrow’s challenges and maximising tomorrow’s opportunities.

I understand this strategy has been developed after more than 14 months of discussions with dairy farmers throughout the country. It lays out a direction for the industry for the next decade and sets some key goals, including:

increasing on-farm profitability

achieving a strong industry-Government partnership

ensuring an internationally competitive milk supply

enhancing the industry’s reputation locally and globally

and attracting talented, skilled people into the industry

These are worthy goals and the Government shares your commitment to them. 

I also want to take this opportunity today to say just how crucial a role good environmental management will play in achieving each of these goals. 

It is important that farmers step-up and take leadership on meeting some of the environmental challenges that will shape the future of your industry.

These challenges include protecting the quality of fresh water resources, responding to global climate change, and ensuring today’s natural farming resources are kept in good condition for the farmers of the future. 

Improving your environmental performance shouldn’t just be seen as an issue of compliance with central and local government priorities. Rather it should be seen as an integral part of your future business success.

Not only do you need to protect your good environmental brand abroad, you also need to keep faith with the New Zealand public who look to you as important custodians of the natural environment for this and future generations.

My experience in talking to farmers throughout the country is that the vast majority understand this, and they act accordingly. After all, Kiwi farmers have as much of a vested interest in clean waterways, erosion prevention, and carbon ‘miles’ as anyone else. 

The Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is a good example of the kind of voluntary industry-led environmental management that farmers are capable of. 

As we look ahead, wherever possible I would much prefer farmers to ‘own’ their responses to environmental issues and to work proactively to deal with them in accordance with their local circumstances. 

In short, as you plan for the future the New Zealand dairy industry needs to take responsibility as guardians of the environment on which your wellbeing and that of your fellow Kiwis depends. This will be critical to the success of the strategy being launched today.

You can be assured that the Government wants to work with you to meet the challenges that you face, including protecting water quality, removing barriers to free trade, and supporting your efforts to reduce the carbon ‘footprint’ of your products.

We look forward to making progress together. 

I understand that the industry now plans to go away and work together to determine the action plan for your strategy, including which organisations are responsible for delivering results.

I wish you well for this process. 

In closing let me re-state that the Government is right behind you as you chart a course for the future. 

We value the contribution that dairy farming makes to New Zealand’s economy and we are supportive of your efforts to grow your productivity. 

In turn we are committed to doing what we can to assist you, by, for example, working to remove barriers to free trade, supporting primary sector research and development, reducing unnecessary red tape, developing critical infrastructure, and supporting rural communities.

We look forward to taking these and other steps to support you. And we look forward to working with you to achieve your goals.

We value the work you do, we want to see you do well and we wish you all the best as you put your strategy into action.

Thank you.

On this day in 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps took their first steps into a new country and a prolonged and doomed battle.

They left behind wives, sisters, brothers, parents and children. They did so for all of us.

The men who landed at Anzac Cove that day could not have foreseen how this date would become embedded in the consciousness of future generations.

The Gallipoli campaign saw the highest percentage of casualties of any military campaign in New Zealand’s history. Of eight and a half thousand New Zealanders who served there, nearly five thousand were wounded and over two and a half thousand lost their lives.

As the Gallipoli campaign unfolded, the Anzacs had to come to terms with a reality we can hardly imagine. Day and night, no-one was ever safe. Even between battles, people died from sniper fire, sometimes mid-sentence. There was little food or water, and no sanitation. Soldiers had to learn to make their own hand-grenades out of empty jam tins.

On Anzac Day New Zealanders reflect on the start of a campaign that was in many ways disastrous for the New Zealand and Australian forces. Why, then, despite these disasters, do we identify so strongly with this day?

Perhaps it is because it was at Gallipoli that we encountered the very worst that war could throw at us. Because we got through with honour and humanity intact. And, because, though our men came out battle-wary and horribly reduced in numbers, both New Zealand and Australia emerged with a new sense of certainty about our place in the world, and a friendship that would survive the years.

The courage of the Anzacs humbles us all. And it reminds us of the strength within each of us, our capacity to meet fear with courage, and to meet adversity with endurance.

Anzac Day is our day to honour all New Zealanders who have served in times of war. And in particular to acknowledge the veterans of wars still living among us, living links to formative events in our history. We remember the servicemen who fought in theatres of war throughout the world– in the Pacific, Asia, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Atlantic Ocean.

This year there is a special significance as we mark the 70th anniversary of the beginning of World War Two. In that war 11,625 New Zealanders were killed, a further blow to families and communities around the country, only a generation after ‘the war to end all wars’.

It is a privilege to be in the presence of some of our veterans today, and to be in the presence of your children and grandchildren.

I am inspired to see the large numbers of young New Zealanders who are standing shoulder to shoulder with those who fought in these times of war. I know that this will be repeated up and down the country, as ANZAC Day unites generations of Kiwis and binds us to our history as a country.

Today we mark our proud history of sacrifice and heroism, we remember those men and women who put their lives on the line for our country, and who fought for a better world.

To this day we send the young men and women of our New Zealand Defence Force to the world’s trouble spots in the knowledge that they will continue to serve their country with courage and dedication.

On our behalf they take part in efforts to keep peace, to create secure environments for humanitarian support and to rebuild infrastructure in areas of conflict.

Today we acknowledge their service.

As we lay these wreathes together let us reflect on our ties to each other and our shared pride in our country. Let us reflect on what is to be a New Zealander. And let us remember the large and small acts of kindness that our fellow country men have performed for us in years gone by, and that they still perform for us today.

Let us celebrate the Anzac spirit we continue to share with our Australian neighbours. For we who were brothers in arms are brothers still.

Finally today let us salute the Anzacs who fought for us.

We salute their willingness to fight to preserve our freedom and humanitarian ideals.

We salute their willingness to meet adversity with courage and honour.

They were everyday people who rose to heights of sacrifice and, in doing so, preserved the living standards of all of us, for generations to come.

They fought for each and every one of us, they fought for New Zealand, and they fought for our world.

That is why we have gathered here today.

That is why we honour them.

That is why we must never forget.

E ngā iwi o te motu kia ora huihui tātou katoa.

Let me begin by paying tribute to those who have brought us to this point.

They worked hard for many years often with little progress and often without encouragement.

Every group represented here today will have members who worked hard to achieve justice.

It is important to acknowledge their effort and contribution because we are the ones who have benefited from that hard work.

Completing the historical settlements process is a high priority for me, and it is a high priority for this government.

One of my predecessors, the Rt. Hon Jim Bolger, signed the first large settlement on behalf of the Crown. He and his Government believed the political risk of establishing the historical settlement process was worth taking.

It is our ambition to complete the job that they began.

Breaches of the Treaty by actions of the Crown have caused great harm to Maori. It is time those breaches were dealt with and the wounds they have caused were healed.

Both Maori and the Crown benefit from settlements. Maori gain a settlement package that provides redress for those breaches.  While the Crown, in negotiating that settlement and providing redress, has its honour restored.  And all New Zealanders benefit from the resulting improvement in the Crown-Maori relationship.

In short, settlements address our past and they invest in our shared future.

I am impatient to see all Maori standing strong, economically independent and fulfilling their true potential.  I see the completion of historical Treaty Settlements as an essential part of achieving that.  Because only when the wrongs of the past have been addressed, will we all truly move our sights to the promise of the future. 

The National-led Government has a goal of 2014 as the date for the completion of just and durable settlements of historical Treaty claims.

By 2014 our target is for Deeds of Settlements to have been completed with all outstanding groups.

We believe all New Zealanders stand to gain from a faster completion of the historical settlements process. 

It will build better relationships between Maori and the Crown.

It will benefit the cultural, social and economic development of Maori groups and the wider communities in which they live. 

It will allow all New Zealanders to cast our eyes to the next ridgeline we must climb, and the brighter future that lies beyond. 

The question today is how will we achieve that goal?

Let me start by acknowledging that there are many aspects of the settlement process that are already working well.  We don’t want to interfere with those aspects, and we’re not interested in a fundamental policy re-think.  

The previous Government learned that lesson in 2000 when settlement progress stalled for most of that year while settlement policy was reviewed.

Even so, there are certainly areas where experience suggests we can do much better.  And I’m confident that with good will on both sides we can make these improvements to the settlement process while continuing to move ahead.   

We believe, for example, that we can increase settlement momentum by being more flexible about the way Maori and the Crown work together in the settlement process.  We want to move forward together with Maori in this process.

We would also like to encourage more Maori engagement in designing a settlement and determining how it will be achieved.

The Crown is ready to take a more collaborative and open approach to settlements to ensure this can happen. 

A settlement is not simply an agreement between two bureaucracies; it is a political compact between Maori and the Crown.  It is about creating a new and better relationship. Political leaders on both sides must engage and take risks if mutual goals are to be agreed and achieved.

The Government knows how important these relationships are.  That’s why we are lifting the level of political engagement with the settlement process.

It is why I am here today and my colleague the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance is also attending.  We are here because getting this right is a priority for us.  

Together with the Minister for Treaty Negotiations and the Minister of Maori Affairs we form a tight and powerful team dedicated to the task of completing the settlement process. We will also work together on Maori issues across the public sector generally.

Our increased political engagement is also reflected in the re-establishment of a Cabinet Committee devoted to the settlement process.

We are considering the placement of the Office of Treaty Settlements to ensure it has the leverage necessary to continue to lead the settlement process within the public sector.

We have also instructed Government agencies with roles in the settlements process to give those settlements a high priority. We see them as core business for those agencies, not optional add-ons.

Where necessary, we will also provide more resources for the settlement process to reflect the high priority we place on settlements and to allow public sector processes and performance to reflect that priority.  

Taken together we believe these ideas for improvement will considerably increase the momentum of the settlement process. 

I am grateful too that we come to this process in partnership with the Maori Party.  Ours is a mana-enhancing relationship and the ideas I have just discussed reflect many of the ideas and views held by the Maori Party.  These include the emphasis on greater speed, the importance of high level political engagement and the use of external facilitators.

After our meeting today I may be asked why we are making settlements a high priority at a time of economic stress.

The answer is a simple one.

We think settlements are good for Maori and good for New Zealand.

We are here today to seek your help in bringing more urgency to the completion of this process and to the opening of a conversation on how the settlement process can evolve to meet our common goals. 

I am confident that together we can bring the benefits of settlements to Maori and to the wider New Zealand community much faster than has been the case in the past. 

There is hard work ahead of us, but with the determination and commitment shown by so many so far, I am confident we will be able to stride side-by-side on our journey towards 2014.   

I will now ask my colleagues, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Minister for Treaty Negotiations and the Minister of Maori Affairs to speak.

Tēnā koutou katoa.