Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Key: Official opening of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park

Rt Hon John Key
Prime Minister

18 April 2015
Speech Notes
Official opening of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park

Thank you all for being here to witness the official opening of this park as a place of commemoration and remembrance for the whole nation.

This opening comes as we are focussed on the 100th commemorations of the First World War.

That war had a deep and abiding impact on New Zealand and New Zealanders. In our small nation, almost every family was affected by it.

It is hard to describe the scale of mourning in the decade that followed the end of the war. People wanted to ensure that the sacrifice of their family members and fellow citizens would never be forgotten.

This desire to remember led to more than 500 local war memorials being erected in communities around the country.

In 1919 the Government agreed to build a National War Memorial here in Wellington.

It was to be placed so it would be visible from any part of the city, from ships entering the harbour, and from Parliament so that future governments would never forget the sacrifice that had been made.

The Carillon was completed and opened in 1932 in front of a crowd of more than 50,000 people. The Hall of Memories was added 32 years later. More recently, in 2004, we saw the return of New Zealand’s Unknown Warrior.

Today, with the opening of Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, we add another dimension and a place for New Zealanders to come together on ceremonial occasions.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Standing here today, I feel proud of the decision to make Pukeahu a reality.

New Zealanders can come here to reflect on our history of involvement in conflicts and the role that has played in shaping our national identity.

They can come here also to honour the hundreds of thousands of New Zealand men and women who have served their country in war and in peace-keeping, those who continue to serve, and the 30,000 who have died in service.

This is also a place where we can acknowledge our important international relationships. The Australian Memorial will be dedicated in two days’ time, the first of several memorials which will pay tribute to our relationships with other nations.

The commitment and dedication that has gone into creating this space reflects how strongly everyone involved wanted to ensure that the National War Memorial finally had the setting it deserved.

I am one of those people.

Creating this park has involved a long period of careful planning and two-and-a-half years of construction – all of which required the co-operation and strong partnerships of a huge number of organisations and groups. I thank them all.

I would like to acknowledge those Parliamentary colleagues, on both sides of the House, who have supported this project from the beginning.

I also acknowledge Wellington City Council for its significant contribution, including financial support.

In keeping with the original vision, we have created a place imbued with deep significance, which will be meaningful to New Zealanders for many generations to come.

I invite New Zealanders to use the park, and to reflect.

Pukeahu National War Memorial Park will help us honour the pledge that we regularly renew: Lest We Forget.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.