✨ Speech from the Throne
4700
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 187
9 NOVEMBER 2005
Honourable Members of the House of Representatives. It is a privilege for
me to exercise the prerogative of Her Majesty the Queen and open the 48th
Parliament.
On 17 September the people of New Zealand voted for the fourth time under
the MMP electoral system. Negotiations since then have resulted in the
formation of a third term Labour-led government with a majority in the House
on confidence and supply.
All parties involved in this process were looking forward to making a
contribution to the new Parliament. It was therefore a tragedy to learn of the
untimely death of Mr Rod Donald MP, the co-leader of the Green Party.
Mr Donald had been instrumental, not only in building support for the electoral
system by which New Zealanders now choose governments, but also in the
Green Party making such a strong contribution to Parliament in recent years.
He will be sorely missed.
My government’s overall objective for the next three years is to continue
New Zealand’s transformation to a dynamic, knowledge-based economy and
society, underpinned by the values of fairness, opportunity and security.
In the last six years my government has sought to lay the foundations for this
transformation.
A great deal has been achieved. My government has implemented a
framework for growing a higher value economy. It has invested heavily in
education and skills development. It has refocused our system of social
assistance. It has supported creative New Zealanders.
Ours is now a country more confident of its economic future and more secure
in its sense of identity.
In the past six years New Zealand has enjoyed economic growth above the
rate of our major trading partners. We have seen a significant decline in
poverty levels and we have recorded the lowest crime rate in 22 years.
Unemployment has been reduced to the lowest rate in the OECD. Solid
progress is being made towards the goal of eliminating child poverty.
Honourable Members,
Over recent years, my government has set about developing a distinctive
New Zealand way of responding to the challenges and opportunities of the
21st century.
This is an approach founded on New Zealanders’ creativity and innovation, on
valuing both inspiration and aspiration, and on seeing our size and place in
the world not as a limitation, but as offering opportunities to succeed.
The New Zealand way is much more than the clichés of "number eight wire" or
"punching above our weight". It is based on the belief that as a confident,
diverse, inclusive Pacific nation, we can work together to find new
opportunities and market our best ideas profitably to the world.
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Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 2005, No 187
Gazette.govt.nz —
NZ Gazette 2005, No 187
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Speech from the Throne at the State Opening of Parliament
(continued from previous page)
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration8 November 2005
Governor-General, Parliament, State Opening, MMP, Electoral System, Green Party
- Rod Donald (Mr), Deceased MP and co-leader of the Green Party