This Lecture, now in its fourth year, is developing a tradition of delivering to a discerning audience, a worthwhile contribution to the general discourse about principle and administration and law and governance.
Taking the word ‘tradition’ from its Latin root ‘tradere’ (to give for safe keeping), I can say that the contributions in the past years – from Foreign Affairs & Trade Secretary John Allen, Business New Zealand Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly and international businessman based in New Zealand Vino Ramayah, have certainly filled that bill.
Each Lecture has probed the need and basis for standards and their maintenance
This year seems to me to be a very suitable time for Phil Goff to be the Master of Ceremonies Sir Don McKinnon to be the Lecture deliverer.
During the past several months, we have seen from our comfortable position in New Zealand, a number of countries and jurisdictions in other parts of the world lose their grip on democracy and maintenance of democratic principles.
Electoral Reform
Mr Goff and Sir Don are household names in New Zealand because of their participation in public life and in furtherance of the democracy, which New Zealand has developed of its own fashioning. Both of them were Parliamentarians when the Royal Commission on the Electoral System did its work in the 1980s leading eventually to our country’s adoption of what we call the MMP system.
One or two phrases from that Commission’s Report bear repetition as we come up to another general election.
“The large responsibility of government rests and must be justified by democratic principle by consent of the people. Parliament is the essential source of law and not just an occasional adjunct to and supporter of the Sovereign. Elections must enable people to decide in accordance with the electoral laws which, of the candidates and parties, will form the government.”
Form of Governance
It is now well known that the Commission described the means by which New Zealand could have voting right for the future; in the context of New Zealand where we remain a constitutional monarchy with the Queen as Head of State; where we are unicameral that is with a single House of Representatives; where we have Parliamentary government with the government answerable in Parliament and where we have a unitary structure.
Mr Goff has developed a more-and-more well-known and respected profile as a Parliamentarian, aside from political roles, and thus seem to have hugely well identified to be the person leading to the Lecture this year.
In many countries there are some people who choose politics for the long term and who shine whether in government or in opposition.
Three or four of our contemporary politicians – Bill English, Eric Roy, Winston Peters, Peter Dunne and Annette King along with Mr Goff fill that bill in our country.
Changing scenario
As an Aucklander for much of my life, I cannot help relating in public how Mr Goff, by reason of being an MP for so long, he managed to change the name of three well known places in Auckland. Under his watch, it can be argued that Sandringham has become ‘Sandringhamistan,’ Balmoral has become ‘Bal Morale’ and with Mt Roskill Grammar being right in the centre of his electorate, that there is a suburb in Auckland called ‘Grammar Zone!’ So much so that others, a little further north, have taken up this name of ‘Grammar Zone’ as well!
Can do person
Sir Don, after leaving the domestic New Zealand political scene at the beginning of the millennium, went on to serve two successful terms as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth.
In the last 18 months I have been elected to a modest role in the Commonwealth myself, and it is wonderful to feel that I am slipstreaming someone who is a “can do” person and is widely and warmly respected for that.
People often ask, when I say I am from New Zealand, whether I know Sir Don and when I answer yes and that he is a friend so often there is the phrase or its equivalent. “Oh, he knows us too.”
My anecdote of Sir Don being a ‘can do’ person arises from a telephone call that he made in 1997 saying that he would like me to be a board member of Asia 2000.
When I said that I could not because an Ombudsman could not accept any role for profit or trust other than that of Ombudsman except with the permission of the Prime Minister (and that such had never been tried on before) his immediate answer was that he thought of persuading the then Prime Minister Jenny Shipley that this was a good idea would only take two or three days!
Mixture of skills
More seriously, Sir Don has had the broad canvas of world affairs at his feet for longer than any other contemporary New Zealander and he has seen so many countries struggling with democracy and helping with that with a mixture of skills that he can draw on. His choice as the Lecturer is a major statement of itself.
Four of us, Sir Don, Phil, Trade Minister Tim Groser and I, have another connection – that of support of the Asia New Zealand Foundation, which has been a catalyst for more knowledge and communication between our country and Asian settings. What you will all say will be both interesting and challenging, I have little doubt.
The proper focus for us is on another aspect related to good governance in our country.
The values we hold dear in life are not any birthright. They are grounded in the values of those who have preceded us, formed and shaped through education and through interactions with peers, colleagues and role models
I am one who has long admired the phrase of Robert Louis Stevenson, which is becoming a byword for this occasion: “Every heart that has beat strongly and cheerfully has left a hopeful impulse behind it in the world, and bettered the tradition of mankind.”
With a heart that is beating strongly and cheerfully may I thank you for your kind and courteous attention.
Rt Hon Anand Satyanand is a former Governor-General of New Zealand. He is currently Chairman of the Commonwealth Foundation based in London, apart from many other Government and Non-Government organisations. The above is a highly edited version of his speech (including the alteration from first person to third person) that he delivered at the Fourth Annual Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture on Monday, July 28, 2014 at Pullman Hotel, Auckland.
