Source: New Zealand Government
Distinguished guests, community leaders, business representatives, and faith leaders.
It is my pleasure as the Minister for Ethnic Communities to address you today.
New Zealand is home to speakers of more than 170 languages, and while I would love to greet you in each one, for now let me extend a warm welcome to you all with a simple “Kia ora. Tēnā koutou, katoa.”
I would like to acknowledge and extend my gratitude to everyone here today. Your dedication and contributions continue to strengthen the fabric of our nation.
I also wish to thank those of you who have shared your insights and experiences, providing valuable perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand’s Ethnic Communities. Your input is critical in shaping policies and initiatives that reflect the needs of all New Zealanders.
It is a privilege to serve as the Minister for Ethnic Communities. When the Prime Minister invited me to take on this role, I was deeply honoured and excited by the opportunity to support and champion the diverse communities that make up our nation.
Almost one in four people in New Zealand belong to an Ethnic Community. In Auckland, that number rises to one in three. These communities contribute immeasurably to our country—bringing expertise, knowledge, and cultural vibrancy that enriches every aspect of New Zealand life.
I was fortunate enough to become Minister just in time to host the Lunar New Year event at Parliament, which was a vibrant and wonderful celebration.
And in a couple of days, I will be hosting Eid celebrations as well, and I look forward to recognising and celebrating the many other significant cultural events that unite our communities throughout the year.
Today, I would like to outline my priorities as your Minister and share my vision for how we can work together to achieve meaningful outcomes. I will get to that shortly. First, a bit about myself.
I bring my own experience to this role. I have lived in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. I have lived and worked in many communities sharing the challenges they faced and immersing myself in the culture and history of their countries.
I am constantly learning but my experience has helped me understand where our ethnic communities come from, what is important to them, some of the challenges and complexities of making a new country home, and the richness and value they have brought to New Zealand, whether they arrived a week ago or 100 years ago.
Recently at an event celebrating EID I was able to talk to 3 young 2nd generation Somali Kiwis about Somalia. The beauty of the country, rich in history and with so much potential but facing continued challenges.
They love being Kiwis and love New Zealand but remain so proud of their Somali heritage.
My message is I’m a 4th generation Kiwi of Irish descent and very proud of both being Kiwi and of my Irish heritage. I have the privilege of not just looking through the eyes of our ethnic communities through a New Zealand lens but also in many cases through the country-of-origin lens.
I believe this experience will help me be an informed, effective, passionate Minister and advocate, providing loyal service to our Ethnic Communities.
My priorities
There are four key areas that I will focus on as Minister to ensure that Ethnic Communities thrive in New Zealand: economic growth, security and resilience, emergency management, and social cohesion.
Economic growth
First, economic growth.
Many of you will have seen the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation speech. In that speech, the PM focused almost exclusively on economic growth as the main priority for our Government.
Why? Because economic growth is vital for improving quality of life. For delivering better infrastructure. For providing Kiwis with more choices. And for giving a sense that better days lie ahead.
Ethnic Communities already make a huge contribution to our economy.
In 2021, this contribution was estimated at $64 billion. The average value of export goods for ethnic businesses is more than double the New Zealand average. However, there are barriers that need to be addressed to unlock the full potential of these businesses.
At the Ethnic Xchange business symposium the Ministry facilitated last year, people identified what the Government could do to increase foreign investment. Business owners said long waiting times with the Overseas Investment Office and a lack of coordination between agencies put off foreign investors.
The Government is taking action. We are setting up Invest New Zealand to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ to attract and promote foreign investment.
We are making changes to the Overseas Investment Act to make investment rules less restrictive and more welcoming of investment.
The changes will ensure that for many investments, decisions will be made in just 15 days, where the application isn’t contrary to New Zealand’s national interest.
And we announced changes to the Active Investor Plus Visa to simplify the categories, increase the scope of acceptable investments and remove other potential barriers to investment, such as the English language requirement.
Last month, we held a global infrastructure investment summit to showcase New Zealand’s infrastructure pipeline and growth sectors.
You may be aware that I recently travelled to India with the Prime Minister.
During that trip I saw first-hand the value and strength of the relationship between New Zealand and India, and our trading relationship was very clear. All of this shows the Government’s commitment to growing the economy.
Security and resilience
Second, I want to talk about security and resilience.
Foreign interference affects the safety and security of everyone in New Zealand. The Government is clear that we do not condone foreign interference in New Zealand. It is particularly concerning that some members of our Ethnic Communities are experiencing undue pressure and suppression of rights from foreign states. This is unacceptable.
As Minister, I want to acknowledge that Ethnic Communities’ resilience is a national security asset to all of New Zealand. I’m committed to delivering practical support that will help our communities to withstand foreign interference and to ask for help when they need it.
We’ve released resources in 24 languages to raise awareness about foreign interference in New Zealand. Including case studies, information about your rights, keeping safe online and how to report foreign interference.
This is only the beginning of the work. I know the Ministry for Ethnic Communities is working hard, including looking internationally, to ensure what it produces for our communities is world-class.
While we’ve started to shine a light on foreign interference there is more to be done. Work will continue with a range of communities to develop and release more resources later this year.
Emergency management
Third, I want to talk about emergency management.
We can’t get away from the fact that New Zealand is prone to emergencies. Many of us have experienced the devastating impacts of floods, cyclones and earthquakes, and have learned about them first hand.
Recent events have highlighted gaps in the system, particularly in how emergency responses account for the linguistic, cultural, and religious needs of Ethnic Communities.
The support provided was often not responsive to language, cultural or religious needs. And important information in different languages was slow in getting to the people who needed it.
The Government has committed to making changes to the emergency management system to ensure it is fit for purpose.
The changes will build capability and capacity, support local government and help different parts of the system to work better together. They are based on the idea that everyone needs to be part of preparing and responding to emergencies and recovering afterwards.
Our Ethnic Communities often stand up in times of emergencies to provide life services for the entire community. I have asked NEMA to make sure this important role is formally recognised and codified in the new Emergency Management legislation.
There has been positive progress made in recent years. The Get Ready website, which provides information about what to do before, during and after an emergency, is translated into 14 languages. This proved to be a valuable resource during Cyclone Gabrielle.
NEMA have also told me they are close to completing a resource about what support is available and where to find it.
This resource can be distributed to communities in multiple languages as soon an emergency happens, rather than taking days to develop and translate.
You can have confidence that the needs of Ethnic Communities will be reflected in NEMA’s work.
Social cohesion
Finally, I want to talk about social cohesion.
New Zealand is becoming increasingly diverse. With Ethnic Communities expected to make up one-third of the population in the next two decades, it is essential that we build cohesive and safe communities.
We must build an inclusive society where all communities feel a sense of belonging and where discrimination and prejudice have no place.
I have heard concerns from many of you about experiences of harassment, Islamophobia, and antisemitism. These are issues we must confront directly.
I’m also particularly concerned about the impact geopolitical events overseas are having on domestic social cohesion.
It’s important we don’t let overseas tensions and conflict play out between our communities here.
I am committed to listening, learning and taking action to deliver relevant and tangible initiatives that will make a difference for Ethnic Communities.
Ensuring that we don’t just talk about social cohesion but do things to actively strengthen it.
I want to explore more ways to foster Ethnic Communities’ sense of belonging to and integration with New Zealand society.
I would like better ways to bring faith and community leaders together to build bridges and unite communities.
The Ministry for Ethnic Communities is actively fostering social cohesion through community engagement, interfaith dialogue, and targeted funding. And I am committed to continuing these efforts and identifying further ways to strengthen ties between communities.
Other issues
While some issues fall outside my direct ministerial responsibilities, I remain committed to advocating for the needs of Ethnic Communities.
For example, mental health remains a pressing concern.
Research indicates that Middle Eastern, Latin American, and African youth face disproportionately high rates of mental health struggles, yet cultural barriers often prevent individuals from seeking help.
I will work closely with the Minister for Mental Health to ensure that culturally appropriate support services are accessible to all who need them.
Closing
New Zealand’s Ethnic Communities make an invaluable contribution to our society—socially, culturally, and economically. My commitment as Minister is to ensure that these contributions are recognised, valued, and celebrated.
By working together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive nation—one where diversity is seen as a strength, and where every community has the opportunity to thrive.
Thank you for being here today. I look forward to continuing these important conversations and strengthening our relationships.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
