The Kiwi way

How many people do you think would turn out to hear the New Zealand Philharmonia Orchestra (part of the NZSO) perform at an outdoor concert with temperatures hitting 0 degrees Celsius and torrential rain??  This isn't a rhetorical question, but a real-life situation! More than 4,000 people from the Chengdu District in China did just that on New Year's Eve.   

With the heaters needed to keep players warm and the lighting needed for the stage there was a 20-minute power outage during the concert, but with no fuss our wonderful and talented musicians made themselves available to sign autographs and to chat and mingle with the audience in the open and welcoming Kiwi way.  It was an unforgettable sight to witness 4,000 people giving a standing ovation to the group despite the cold and rain. 

At that moment, I felt immensely proud to be a Kiwi.  There were no complaints from the musicians about the conditions, only warmth of spirit with them giving it their best.   

The night's events remind me of a comment recently made by the British Conservative Leader, David Cameron, that 'we can't bully people into feeling British - we have to inspire them'. 

I am often asked, especially around Waitangi Day, how I feel about being a New Zealander.  This year, I was asked that question by Maori Television, which will form part of their eight-hour coverage of the day.  I personally believe that Waitangi Day is a special and unique occasion of historical significance and we need to stop being defensive about it and start celebrating it. 

I recently returned from Los Angeles where I was attending a family funeral.  The lengthy and arduous security checks made me feel fortunate to be a New Zealander.  Yet, something else dawned on me during my stay and that was that no one asked me where I came from.   

Only one taxi driver asked me this question, but rather, he wanted to know what state I was from! When I asked him to guess, he then went on to decide that I sounded like a New Yorker! It was amazing to see that Americans assume strangers to be Americans first.  Many of our ethnic minorities would welcome this kind of attitude, and I think that would inspire them to feel like New Zealanders. 

According to Mr Cameron, there are also economic barriers to achieving racial harmony.  The lack of opportunity to be self-reliant or successful often comes from deprivation, a lack of education and, most importantly, a lack of hope.   

As our leader, John Key, said in his state-of the nation address earlier this week, there are streets in our country where this kind helplessness has become a way of life. There are people who believe they are locked out of everyday New Zealand the way most of us experience it, and are locked into a certain way of life. 

We're not just talking about poor communities, but about places where the rungs on the ladder of opportunity have been broken.  

The worst are home to families that have been jobless for more than one generation; home to families destroyed by alcohol and P addiction; home to families who send their kids to school with empty stomachs and empty lunch-boxes; places where LA-style gangs roam the streets.  

Dealing with these problems is a priority for National, both in opposition and in government. Our response will be based on our enduring principles - individual responsibility, support for families and communities, and a belief that the state can't and shouldn't do everything. 

The Kiwi Way is to give each other a fair go.  National is ambitious for the future of our beautiful country and people, and along with your help we can achieve anything. 

Enjoy Waitangi Day and let's celebrate being Kiwis.