Source: New Zealand Governor General
E nga mana, e nga reo, e nga iwi o te motu e huihui nei, tēnei aku mihi nui ki a koutou. Kia ora tātou katoa.
I specifically acknowledge: Andrew Hubbard, Deputy Chief Executive, Citizens Advice Bureau New Zealand; Helen Rodenburg, Chairperson; and Jeremy Kennerly, General Manager, Citizens Advice Bureau Wellington. Kia ora koutou.
It is my pleasure to welcome you here to Government House Te Whanganui-a-Tara, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Citizens Advice Bureau Wellington.
Celebrating this significant milestone with you today is particularly poignant to me, because I was raised in a household of volunteers. My Grandmother was J.P. and a Māori Warden in South Auckland, and along with my grandfather, she ran a vegetable garden to feed the wider community.
Seeing the many ways they lent their skills and knowledge for the betterment of others, taught me how our communities flourish thanks to those who selflessly give their time to many endeavours. It would also inspire me to volunteer, which eventually lead me towards my chosen career path.
Volunteers work in their communities, not for thanks or for recognition, but because they see a need, and they have the skills to do something about it.
As Governor-General, I now have the great privilege to meet with many volunteers who contribute around Aotearoa, and ensure they are rightfully acknowledged for all that they do to make our communities diverse, enriched, and connected.
For the past 50 years, the people of Wellington have had a knowledgeable, inquisitive, and determined group of volunteers and staff who have been contributed to the success of Wellington C.A.B.
The global C.A.B. initiative began when people were in dire need of support to cope with the immense stress and trauma of World War II.
After the war, there remained a necessity for experts to assist those navigating an increasing number of laws and regulations that come with living in a modern society. The idea caught on, and Citizens Advice Bureau expanded globally, finding its way to New Zealand in 1970, and then to Newtown in 1974.
Coincidentally, one of my predecessors, Sir Anand Satyanand, provided legal advice as a young law graduate at that very first CAB in Ponsonby. His wife, Lady Susan, spent 10 years volunteering right here at the Wellington CAB.
Society is complex, and not always intuitive. To participate fully, requires an understanding of mechanisms that may not be apparent to many people.
It is reassuring to know that for 50 years, Wellington has had the advocacy of the Citizens Advice Bureau, to help with almost any query that may arise. This support, freely given, and without judgement or reservations, has been deeply appreciated here in the Capital.
On behalf of all Wellingtonians past and present, who have sought your expert advice, who have found solutions to problems great and small, and whose lives you have made all the more easier – thank you for all that you do.
This important work is echoed the whakataukī: ‘I orea te tuatara, ka patu ki waho. A problem is solved by continuing to find solutions.’
Congratulations once again for 50 years of service to the Wellington Region, and I wish you all the very best for the years ahead.
Kia ora hui hui tatou katoa.
