✨ Government Address
The coalition government is between two parties. The government looks forward to co-operation with other parties in Parliament on matters of mutual concern and interest.
That cooperation will be particularly strong with the Greens who have indicated their support for the Government on confidence and supply. The two government parties will establish a cooperative and durable relationship with the Greens, based on a negotiated protocol.
That will include consultation at the leadership level and between Ministers and spokespeople on a range of matters, particularly the content and the means of progressing the government’s legislative intentions.
HONOURABLE MEMBERS. My government recognises that the Treaty of Waitangi is New Zealand’s founding document. Article II of the Treaty commits the Crown to duties and obligations which have often been breached in the past. The righting of those wrongs is a process to which successive governments have been committed since 1985. This process will and must continue to its conclusion in a measured and considered way. Undue haste, pressure, or lack of good faith will not lead to genuinely lasting settlements.
Article III of the treaty implies equality in the rights of citizenship. My government is committed to ensuring that this right is maintained, but it goes further than the rights enshrined in the treaty. As long as the economic and social gaps between Maori and other New Zealanders remain large, the government of New Zealand cannot claim to have addressed the needs of all New Zealanders. My government is committed to closing the gaps.
The economic, social and educational needs of our Pacific communities are also of particular concern for my government and will be similarly addressed. New Zealand celebrates its Pacific location and the special contribution to our culture from its peoples, as it welcomes the contribution now being made by the many other ethnic communities which have been established in our country.
Overall economic and social advancement for New Zealand cannot proceed satisfactorily without improvement in the country’s overall economic and social performance.
During the 1990s, the economy has experienced great volatility. A recession in 1991 was followed by a recovery which quickly overheated. The recession of 1998/9 is being followed by a similarly unsustainable short term expansion of the domestic economy.
Underlying this volatility are major structural problems which have not been addressed by the radical reforms undertaken since 1984. The current account deficit is very large, reflecting both mediocre export performance and poor levels of savings.
New Zealand remains overdependent upon the production and exporting of commodities. Increases in commodity prices provide welcome increases in rural incomes. But they are quickly followed by appreciation
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VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 1999, No 198
NZLII —
NZ Gazette 1999, No 198
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
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Speech from the Throne
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🏛️ Governance & Central Administration21 December 1999
Governor-General, Parliament, Government Address, Coalition Agreement, MMP Review, Political Integrity