Commonwealth Day 2023 Reflection

Delivered at Parliament on Commonwealth Day.

The theme for this year is “Forging a sustainable and peaceful common future”. I cannot think of a theme more relevant to youth, as the leaders of tomorrow’s world.

I am reminded of an important Whakatauki: Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua. I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.

This is a guiding principle that we take with us each and every day. When we think about the future we have to think about the past in equal measure. In te ao Maori, time is a concept where the past, present and future are interwoven, like a basket of flax.

In that basket we carry the past into the future because it is known to us, we are conscious of it, and thus our decisions are informed by it. 

Thinking about the future also confronts us with existential realities. Thinking about the future tends to make people anxious, discontent, and among other things, resentful.

Thinking about the future started a war last year. Russia believes invasion to be the only way to preserve their power and status. Ukraine is fighting for their right to exist at all.

They aren’t the only ones fighting an existential threat for their future. There are countries, many of whom are represented in this room, that are battling rising sea levels. Likewise, there are countries that will struggle to withstand shocks to agriculture and infrastructure brought on by climate-related natural disasters.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, we think about the future too. It’s a different future, often a happier and more comfortable future, where children grow up and live good lives. But sometimes it is a future shaken by events that were unpredicted.

Sometimes I wonder if, as young people grow old, as Governments come and go, that we forget to walk forward with our eyes fixed to our past. 

For the benefit of young people, I believe policymakers must consider the intergenerational implications of their work. For every benefit in the short term, what is the cost to future generations? When we consider the future, what is the cost of ignoring the past?

Thank you for thinking about the future.