Our next Governor-General is a Champion of children and the poor

Dame Cynthia Alcyion Kiro, our next Governor-General (Wikipedia)

 Queen Elizabeth II has appointed Dame Cynthia (Cindy) Alcyion Kiro as the next Governor-General of New Zealand. She will be sworn into the gubernatorial post at a Ceremony at the Government House in Wellington on Thursday, October 21, 2021.

The term of the current Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy, appointed by the John Key government in 2016, ends on September 28, 2021.

Ceremonial Role

The Queen, in her capacity as the Monarch and Head of State, appoints Governors-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, who in turn consults the Cabinet and (not necessarily) the Leader of the Opposition.

The Governor-General provides non-partisan leadership in the community.

Governors-General of New Zealand are patrons of many charitable, service, sporting and cultural organisations.

Dame Cynthia will become the thirty-eighth Representative of the Sovereign since 1840.  Early in New Zealand’s European history, New Zealand had a series of Colonial Governors. The first modern day Governor-General was appointed in 1917 and hence Dame Cynthia will be the twenty-second person to hold the high office.

She is the fourth woman to be appointed to the role after Dame Catherine Tizard, Dame Silvia Cartwright and Dame Patsy Reddy.

Academic and professional achievements

Dame Cynthia has an impressive educational and professional background.

Born in Whangarei in 1958 of Maori and English descent, she affiliates with Nga Puhi, Ngati Kahu and Ngati Hine Iwi.

Raised in South Auckland, she studied at Rutherford High School and Massey University, where she obtained a degree in Social Work. Later, she obtained an Executive Master of Business Administration from the University of Auckland.

She launched her career as a Social Worker and worked (1995-2000) at Massey University as a Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and was awarded a Doctorate (PhD) in 2001 for her thesis on ‘Maori Health Policy and Practice’ (Kimihia Hauroa Maori).

At the time of her appointment as Governor-General, Dame Cynthia was the Ahorangi Chief Executive of the Royal Society Te Aparangi. Her earlier assignments include Children’s Commissioner, Head of Social Policy at Massey University, Head of Te Kura Maori at Victoria University of Wellington and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Maori) at the University of Auckland.

During her tenure as Children’s Commissioner, Dame Cynthia established the ‘Taskforce for Action on Family Violence’ that included many Chief Executives of government departments, top officials from the New Zealand Police, Family Courts and Maori and Pacific Island representatives. She was instrumental in the legislation of the Crimes (Substituted Section 59) Amendment Act 2007 which attracted substantial public and media interest.

She advocated the repeal of Section 59 of the Crimes Act, which provided a legal justification for using force against children.

Honours and Awards

Dame Cynthia received the Public Health Champion Award from the Public Health Association of New Zealand and a US Fulbright Travel Award in 2012.

During the same year, she was named ‘The Maori of the Year for Community Contribution’ by Television New Zealand.

In her New Year Honours List on January 1, 2021, Queen Elizabeth appointed her as a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Child Wellbeing and Education.

Dame Cynthia is married to Dr Richard Davies, has four sons and two grandchildren.

 
Dame Cynthia Kiro with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on May 24, 2021 (RNZ Photo by Samuel Rillstone)

Leaders welcome appointment

Announcing her appointment to the post of Governor-General, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that Dame Cynthia has demonstrated over many decades her passion for the wellbeing of children and young people as well as education and learning.

“I know that she will bring that same commitment to all New Zealanders as Governor-General. I very much look forward to working with her,” she said.

National Party Leader Judith Collins welcomed the appointment, saying that she had previously worked with Dame Cynthia, who had made a significant contribution to New Zealand in education and health, and worked to advance and promote research and scholarly activity in science, technology and the humanities.

ACT leader David Seymour said his Party congratulates Dame Cindy and wishes her all the best in the new role.

Speaking at the media conference Dame Cynthia said that she was ‘absolutely committed to serving New Zealand.”

“I am proud of my Maori and British heritage and so I bring with this unique marriage, an understanding of the foundational basis Re Tiriti o Waitangi and its place in our history. I have accepted this position with a huge sense of gratitude and humility and consider it as an opportunity to serve our country,” she said.

Focus on children, poverty

Dame Cynthia reflected on the poverty of her family in her speech.

“I was born to a very poor family. My mother was born in a hut with a mud floor in the far North. My father was born in the North of England in a coal-mining town. I know what it takes, hard work and dedication and perseverance to actually succeed in life. I have used that academic success as a way of progressing through life while also raising a family and trying to contribute to my community,” she said.

Dame Cynthia said that she understands and appreciates the struggles that people have in their lives and the road they have to travel to reach their goals and their aspirations and ambitions.

at the Royal Soceity in Wellington (Photo for Stuff by Robert Kitchin)

“It does not matter how hard or how high those are, we all know that it takes a lot of work. I have accepted this position under the existing constitutional arrangements and I will serve the Queen,” she said.

She said that the idea of service was old-fashioned, but still important.

“This notion of service has really gone to the heart of everything I have done in the past. It has been a career of service, especially for children and young people, but mostly for those people who don’t have a voice to speak for themselves. As Governor-General, I will focus on children, people in poverty, and people with complex high needs. I am a strong believer in the importance of knowledge but, more importantly, of wisdom. Wisdom is the distilled knowledge born of experience and ethical behaviour,” she said.

“The past two years have been truly challenging for this country in many ways, but we have really proved that we can come through using good knowledge and wisdom,” she said.

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