Your excellency Ambassador Kowal, Ministers, Members of Parliament, council colleagues, from the city and Waimakariri, Representatives from Australia and other parts of New Zealand, distinguished guests and members of the Polish community.

Can I thank the Ambassador for making this special visit to celebrate what is an important occasion not only for the Polish community but also for the city.

I remember the celebrations of 145 years of Polish settlement back in 2017 – it feels like more than 5 years ago, but that is a reflection of the times we have been living in.

Our city has lived and breathed crisis for over a decade and we know the effects of the disruption this causes people’s lives.

And when we look to your side of the world and the memories that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine must be invoking, and the generosity of the Polish people to their neighbours, all I can say is our hearts are with the Polish people as they are with the people of Ukraine at this time.

We have experienced here in our city, man’s inhumanity to man, and I truly hope for the sake of us all that there is a generation of leaders coming who will say no more – no more violence, no more war.

A celebration of this magnitude - 150 years since Polish settlers first came to Aotearoa New Zealand - is something of which the Polish community can be very proud.

You have truly made your mark.

I loved the fact that we were able to celebrate the market gardening tradition that transformed the peat marshes of Marshlands to the food basket of our city, with the naming of Polish Settlers Place and the commemorative plaque we unveiled five years ago.

I loved joining you that year in Akaroa at the Church of Saint Patrick built in 1865 just seven years before the first Polish settlers arrived in Lyttelton.

When we think back to what it must have been like to arrive here with no knowledge of English, and the success that we celebrate today, it is clear that they were a determined and driven group.

And this is very much reinforced by the numbers of people who live here who are descendants of the original group.

Your Polish heritage and cultural and national identity have survived through times where it wasn’t as easy to maintain unique identities, culture, language or faith. The social pressures that drive assimilation were high back then and, in some respects, remain so for many migrants and refugees the world over.

I would like to commend the ‘Between the Rivers Trust’ and the Polish Association for keeping this connection between Christchurch and Poland alive and active.

And thank you to Winsome Dormer for your incredible leadership as the Honorary Consul for Poland. You have been enormously generous in promoting the special relationship we can all feel today.

And thank you for allowing me to share in so many occasions with the Polish community of Ōtautahi Christchurch. It has been an honour and a privilege.

​Congratulations on your anniversary, as we look forward to the future with a wish for the peaceful resolution of the conflict that I know troubles us all from the part of the world from where your community’s journey commenced 150 years ago. 

President Prue Kapua and may I also acknowledge my dear friend and former Parliamentary colleague, Louisa Wall.

Past presidents, Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts, Dame Areta Koopu, who I travelled to China with in 1995, Kitty Bennett and Druis Barrett
Members of the Māori Womens League Te Rōpū Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora

I wanted to formally welcome you here today, because this is the last opportunity I have to do so in my role as Mayor.

I have spoken at your annual conference twice before in my former role as the Minister for Women Affairs, the 54th and 55th conferences in 2006 & 2007 respectively, so it feels right that I can share the value I have always placed on my relationships with the League at this the 68th National Conference, as my time in public office comes to an end.
For 70 years you have been the independent voice for Māori women and children.

Although independence does not come with a secure and steady stream of funds, your independence has enabled you to be the authentic voice of Māori women, nationally and internationally.

Your independence is your strength.

Thank you for coming to Te Waiponamu, thank you for coming to Ōtautahi. We value greatly our contribution to the success of the League with outstanding leaders such as Past Presidents Dame Aroha Reriti-Crofts, and the late Linda Grennell.

I had managed to write only this much of my speech when I sent a text to Louisa to see what she and Prue were doing. A phone call later and I was on my way to Wigram to watch the extraordinary film, Whina.

This disrupted my speech writing, which had to continue when I got home, but the emotions of what I experienced in the theatre last night, with tears running down my cheeks, washed over my thoughts about what I would say today.

This is a story that is needed now. A story that offers a bridge between two world views.

A story that crystalises the opportunity for Aotearoa to be the nation that forges an unbreakable bond between tangata whenua and tangata te tiriti.

Both times I came to speak as Minister of Women’s Affairs, I spoke of the significance of the role of the Māori Women’s Welfare League. I talked about the continuing support of the League, which, for more than half-a-century, had worked to create a pathway of security and opportunities for future generations of Māori. I said in 2006, “You can take no small credit for the success of the current generation of Māori women, and I know you are committed to even greater progress in the future”.

When I spoke in 2007, I spoke about family violence, both because it was an issue to which I had a deep personal commitment and because it was something that the government was determined to address.
It was also a subject that was to be addressed at CEDAW that year.
Government cannot do it alone, I said back then, and that is as true today as it was then.

I commented on the practical contribution you had made for many years through things like positive parenting programmes.

I was pleased that it was clear that that this was where the interventions needed to begin – right at the start of life. Babies nurtured in warm, loving, safe and stimulating environments will grow into strong, caring adults, capable of forming strong, caring relationships.

Babies who are neglected or 'incubated in terror', as one person described the effects of violent households on babies, have little chance of achieving their true human potential. We talk about a crime when someone steals property; but what is it to rob an innocent child of its future?

Helping parents understand the importance of those early years and teaching them the skills they need to nurture their child's potential is the most valuable work that can be done. That was 2007.

What saddens me is that the film last night reminded me of the roots of the League and Dame Whina’s words, which became the driving force of the first constitution – and yet the words I have just spoken could just as easily be spoken today.

The relationship that you have entered into with police and the Strategic Partnership with Oranga Tamariki – something formerly considered the preserve of iwi – and the recognition you have in the UN, these are tangible examples of the progress you have made, and will help continue to focus our nation’s attention on these vital issues.  

As Mayor, I have the honour of presiding over citizenship ceremonies.

I have always held the first ceremony of the year on Waitangi Day at one of our Marae – and can I acknowledge the Papatipu rūnanga: Te Rūnanga o Wairewa, Te Ngai Tūāhuriri Rūnanga, Te Rūnanga o Koukourarata, Te Hapu o Ngāti Wheke, Ōnuku Rūnanga, and Te Taumutu Rūnanga.

It was sad that we could not hold a citizenship ceremony on Waitangi Day at Ōnuku with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu this year due to Covid.

Each time I have held these ceremonies, I have reflected on the significance of gaining citizenship on Waitangi Day, as it is on that day that we reflect on our bi-cultural nationhood, the firm foundation upon which we have built a diverse multi-cultural society.

I remember soon after becoming Mayor, the City Library asked me to write about what Waitangi Day meant for me so that they could share the message with the children who were learning about the Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document.

It caused me to reflect on my own experience. I said when I was a child, we didn't learn anything about the Treaty at school. As an adult I became ashamed at how little I knew. We didn't know how to pronounce the names properly or even know the meaning of the place names we were associated with.

I went on to say that I was pleased that young people today learn about our shared history and not just the history of the European settlers and their forbears, as I did. No one should underestimate the significance of teaching history as part of our curriculum.

I always speak of the Treaty in modern times as having served as the basis for resolving grievances that arose when it was not honoured.
Every settlement begins with a statement of the facts (gleaned from a consideration of all the evidence by the Waitangi Tribunal) and an apology for the wrong that has been done.

It is easy to explain to children the importance of people owning up and saying sorry when they have done wrong.

In this case the wrong was done by the Crown, which lives on in the form of the Executive arm of government, which is why the apology is recorded in the Act of Parliament that confirms the settlement.

Just after I became Mayor, I spoke at a service to commemorate the life of Nelson Mandela and his gift to his nation of truth and reconciliation.

It was a nation's chance for restorative justice – the chance to speak the truth, acknowledge what had been done, own up and take responsibility for personal actions, whether directed or otherwise, and to express sorrow and regret – a genuine apology for the wrongs that had been committed against others.

Recording the history – laying down the truth – and apologising for wrongdoing is at the heart of our Treaty settlement process here in New Zealand.

It is a firm foundation for building enduring relationships and creating unity.

And it is here that I find a link to the kaupapa of your conference - Ki Uta ki Tai, kia matatū – From the mountains to the sea, be mindful and vigilant.

A concept developed for freshwater in 2014 – te mana o te wai – meant very little to a new Mayor struggling to cope with a massive hole in a budget left in the wake an agreement signed just four months before I took office. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, let alone have time for a National Policy Statement on Freshwater – something that was the primary preserve of our regional council.

The day I was sworn in as Mayor the Upoko of Ngāi Tūāhuriri, Rik Tau, spoke of the historic grievance that was the Ihutai Reserve and issued a challenge to our council to put right this wrong.

I did not appreciate the wero he had laid down, because I had no background or knowledge of the issues, nor was there advice within the council I could call on.

There were no Treaty relationship advisers employed at Council when I arrived. My invitation to the Chief Executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu was the first she had received to meet in the Mayor’s Lounge even though she had been in the role for over 12 months.

I have focussed my role on building those relationships and I am grateful for the support I have received, because relationships are not one way, they are based on reciprocity; it takes both sides to form enduring partnerships. But I tell you this, not to take credit for anything. It is simply to say from a pakeha point of view that it takes time to build the knowledge and understanding that is needed to build that bridge between two worlds.

Now that I know the history of Ihutai Reserve, and the scale of the challenge it will take to right that wrong, and now that I have listened to hapū from around the country who have told their stories of land confiscated under the Public Works Act and the trampling of wāhi tapu and mahinga kai for the sake of development, I fear public debates often lead us away from developing a shared understanding of the solutions.

When we add the significance of the future that climate change and sea level rise will bring to our low-lying coastal city and peninsula, I am worried about the scale of the challenge I am leaving to the next generation of city leaders.

But when I watched Whina last night, I felt the strength of the voice of Māori women speaking for their children and their children after that. The answer lies in te mana o te wai – ki uta ki tai. Kia matatū asks us to be vigilant and we must be.

And that’s why and how we work together – when my world view sees a mountain or a river or the sea and your world view sees your ancestors – your whakapapa. Surely that is the foundation upon which we build. Truth and reconciliation.

I read a description of Kaitiakitanga, one that has always remained with me - it is more than stewardship, guardianship, preservation and protection and yet it is all of them. It recognises the relationship between everything and everybody in the natural world – with no distinction between people and their environment. 

It is completely independent of ‘ownership’ in a European sense. It is seamless and all-encompassing – making no distinction between moana and whenua - the sea and the land. It ensures any use is sustainable, because it is an intergenerational responsibility - past, present and future - a duty of care owed as much to our ancestors as to our children's grandchildren.

And I feel that this is the challenge before us.

You have come to the right place to speak of such challenges. Ōtautahi has been through a decade that has tested us all.

​It is the place where we can build a bridge and the place where we can find solutions together.
 

​Kia ora koutou katoa

Assalum Alaikum Peace be upon you.
 
The Council meeting of 10 March 2022 is reconvened.
 
Today marks the third anniversary of the terrorist attack on Al Nur Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre where members of the city’s local Muslim community were at prayer. It is a day we will never forget.

I acknowledge the 51 shuhada, their families, the injured survivors, and all those who were witness to or affected by the attack.
 
We are not holding a civic Remembrance Service as we have previously – the bereaved families and those who survived the attack have asked that there is a different way to commemorate the day.
 
They want us as a city and as a nation to always remember the 51 shuhada – to never forget who they are and what they meant to those who loved them.
 
And they also want us to come together in Peace, Love and Unity – a reflection of the way we came together as a city and a nation at that time.
 
Remembering that time for peace, love, and unity, helps us all to remember what is important in life, even when we are confronted with the very worst of man’s inhumanity to man.
 
And at the same time it challenges us to ask whether we have lived up to our commitment to become a more inclusive society.
 
I attended the launch of Islamic Awareness Week which has focused attention on Love Peace and Unity and which concludes today, a day that also marks the beginning of Unity Week.
 
I want to acknowledge in particular the 15th March Whanau Trust and the Sakinah Community Trust for reaching out into the wider community in the spirit of cooperation to create a meaningful role that everyone can play to promote unity. I also acknowledge Mahia Te Aroha and InCommon. Thank you all for your wisdom, your courage and your leadership. These are groups that have been born of tragedy, inspired by compassion and empowered by generosity – the essence of what we commemorate today.
​
This afternoon at 1:39pm, again at the request of the families, Radio New Zealand will broadcast nationwide the Adhan, the Call to Prayer. Other radio stations will also play the Call to Prayer during the day.  I wish to thank them all for doing so.
 
I will visit Al Noor Mosque today to welcome Temel Atacocugu as he completes his Walk For Peace. I want to honour him for his courage and tenacity for reclaiming the route from Dunedin to Christchurch for peace.
 
What a powerful act.  
 
At the launch of Islam Awareness Week I quoted a message that one of our residents posted in response to the announcement about Islam Awareness Week and Unity Week being led by the Muslim community.
“I’m happy that the bereaved families have made their voices heard and been listened to. I don’t yet have the words apart from saying I am here and I stand with you.”
 
I am here – says I am present, I empathise with you, I recognise your humanity and I love you as a brother or a sister. And I stand with you – says I support you, I will walk alongside you, I will defend you, I have got your back.
 
And as we reflect on that time three years ago, for me those words are reflected in the actions of those who turned up for the Call to Prayer one week after the attack.
 
The wider community wasn’t asked to come – they just came – in their thousands. It was the most powerful expression of solidarity I have ever witnessed.
 
So let us all say ‘I am here and I stand with you’ today and every day. We are here and we stand together.
 
I now invite everyone to join me in observing a minute’s silence to acknowledge the victims of the 15 March 2019 terrorist attack.
 

​Kia ora koutou katoa
Assalam Aleikum

Can I begin by acknowledging the 51 shuhada, their families, the injured, and all those who were witness to or affected by the terrorist attack of 15 March 2019.

I also acknowledge Members of Parliament, Ibrahim Omer and Sarah Pallet, as well as my colleague Cr Anne Galloway.

I acknowledge our local Muslim communities in Ōtautahi Christchurch, and all those who have joined us on the livestream.

And finally, can I also acknowledge the important collaboration between FIANZ, the Muslim Association of Canterbury, and the 15th March Whanau Trust that has brought us here today. Thank you for your work.
I am incredibly proud to be here as the Mayor of our city as we come up to the third anniversary of the 15th of March.

The reason that I am proud is because of the way the community has invited us all to reflect on that time in Love, Peace & Unity – Aroha, Rangimārie and Kotahitanga - values that bring meaning to and enrich all of our lives
Islamic Awareness Week, which is designed to showcase the real meaning and teachings of Islam, encourages us all to cultivate connectedness and a sense of community – that is kotahitanga in action.

When we, as a Council, placed a message on Facebook to say that we had heard from the community how you wanted to lead this year’s commemoration, with Islamic Awareness Week leading to the 15th March and a Unity Week leading from the 15th March, one of the messages we received back said this:
“I’m happy that the bereaved families have made their voices heard & been listened to. I don’t yet have the words apart from saying I am here & I stand with you.”

And that represents the feelings of so many people. The words ‘I am here & I stand with you’ somehow feel inadequate.

However, when we think about what they mean, they are powerful words, because they are literally what love, peace, and unity stand for. I am here & I stand with you.
When I reflect on that time three years ago, for me those words are reflected in the actions of those who turned up for the Call to Prayer one week after the attack.

The wider community wasn’t asked to come – they just came – in their thousands. It was the most powerful expression of solidarity I have ever witnessed. We could all feel it.

I am here – says I am present, I empathise with you, I recognise your humanity and I love you as a brother or a sister - and I stand with you – says I support you, I will walk alongside you and defend you, I have got your back.
And we heard the powerful words of the Imam, with Masjid An-Nur as a sombre backdrop –
"This terrorist sought to tear our nation apart with an evil ideology that has torn the world apart. But instead, we have shown that New Zealand is unbreakable, and that the world can see in us an example of love and unity."

Remembering that time for peace, love, and unity, helps us all to remember what is important in life, even when we are confronted with the very worst of man’s inhumanity to man.

I want to thank the 15th March Whanau Trust, along with the other community-led groups that have formed as a result of what happened on that day, for your wisdom, your courage and your leadership.

Each of these groups has been born of tragedy, inspired by compassion and empowered by generosity.

And it is in the spirit of reciprocity that I acknowledge the work we all have to continue to do to keep the essence of that compassion alive.

​Thank you again for inviting us to share this special occasion as you launch Islamic Awareness Week in Love, Peace and Unity.
Assalam Aleikum

have been given two minutes to say a few words, but that is plenty as all I want to say is thank you.

Two years ago, we were about to go into lockdown. I got to explore the city. With no cars, no noise and beautiful clear blue skies.

I have a photo collection of street art, which has come to define our city post the trauma of the earthquake.

Len Lye, an inspirational sculptor, took his inspiration for his lifelong love of art, from a moment in time. As a boy he was kicking a kerosene can around the backyard here in this city on a sunny day – he caught a flash of light and he heard a loud clap like thunder. He later said of that moment that he was literally ‘Stopped Short by Wonder”!

I want to pay tribute to everyone who has created the opportunity for us all to be stopped short by wonder.

Thank you to all the local artists, those who have come from all around New Zealand and Japan.  Thank you to the whole team, the volunteers – for the mentoring, creative thinking, connecting, improvising – I am in awe of you all.

And finally a huge thank you to the SALT District and ARCC (Arts Reaction Christchurch Central) and all the sponsors who have ignited the Flare Street Art Festival.