On October 21, Dame Cindy Kiro was sworn in as the 22nd Governor-General of New Zealand. She is the first woman of Māori descent to hold the position.
First of all, what is the "Governor General" of New Zealand?
What is the position of Governor-General of New Zealand?
The Governor-General of New Zealand is called "Te Kāwana Tianara o Aotearoa" in Maori, which translates to "Governor-General of New Zealand" in Japanese.Although this position is not often discussed in Japan, he is actually the de facto head of state.
New Zealand is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, or Commonwealth for short. This includes not only New Zealand, but also countries that were formerly British territories.
New Zealand officially gained independence from the UK in 1947, but the current head of state is still the British Queen, Elizabeth II. The role of the Governor-General is to act as her representative in New Zealand, appointed by the Queen under the nomination of Prime Minister Ardern. You could say that he is the de facto head of state.
In New Zealand, a constitutional monarchy, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet have executive power, so the King of New Zealand (Queen Elizabeth) and the Governor-General do not directly get involved in politics. The Governor-General has the power to dissolve Parliament and the Cabinet, and to appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister, but his main duties include attending national events and ceremonies, visiting local schools, participating in sporting events, and dealing with guests from overseas. His term of office is traditionally five years.
New Governor Dame Cindy Kirro
Dame Cindy Kiro, who was appointed as the new Governor-General in May this year, is a woman of Māori and British descent and will be the first Māori woman to hold the position.View this post on Instagram
Dame Cindy Kiro has a PhD in Social Policy and an MSc in Business Administration and has led research at Massey University, Victoria University and the University of Auckland, where she was Director of research into how socio-economic status (the social circumstances of an individual or family) affects educational attainment.
She has also served in leadership roles in a variety of public sectors for many years, including as the Children's Commissioner, a position responsible for protecting children's education, health and lives, in the Ministry of Education, welfare and public health.
She was awarded the Order of Merit this year and will be given the title of Dame (Dame is a female title equivalent to a knight). By the way, the rule for the title Dame is to use the full name, such as Dame Cindy Kiro, or the first name, such as Dame Cindy, but not the surname.
The inauguration ceremony will be held with a small number of people
Due to the ongoing spread of the Delta strain of COVID-19, large-scale ceremonies were avoided and the swearing-in ceremony was held with a small number of participants. Dame Cindy said in her inauguration speech:I am incredibly proud to have been appointed the 22nd Governor-General of Aotearoa New Zealand and grateful for the opportunity to serve my country in this unique honour.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said:
We are currently living in very uncertain and anxious times, with many people across the country, particularly in Auckland, being affected by COVID-19.
The many challenges we face today may seem overwhelming and overwhelming at times, but we know that with the right knowledge, courage and compassion for others, we can overcome them.
We are incredibly fortunate to have Dame Cindy as our President.
He commented.
Dame Cindy has a long history of leadership and contribution in many areas, including education.
Dame Cindy, a Maori, said:
We want to reach out to all minorities, not just Maori people who make up only 17% of the population, but also immigrants, refugees, and people with physical or mental disabilities, and we want to respect all the people and cultures that make up New Zealand what it is today, and cherish diversity.He also said.
