Meng Foon, Race Relations Commissioner

My hope is that we continue to enhance our harmonious relationships through understanding and education, through the multi cultural country that we are. I hope that all schools will be safe from bullies. That is one of my key planks for the next year or so, encouraging schools and boards of trustees to take bullying seriously.

Thirty per cent of our students, that’s a quarter of a million, are bullied on a daily or weekly basis, and that’s not acceptable. We have a high suicide rate and that’s not acceptable.

If bullying was a disease like measles, we would have a very strong action plan.

I’d like to see more equity in our society. I hope that all the Treaty of Waitangi claims will be settled so that Ma¯oridom can build their economic base back up.

I hope that the government will entrench the New Zealand Land Wars into legislation, so that our children will learn more about our history and get to understand it. The New Zealand Land Wars are one of the most significant events next to the Treaty of Waitangi. They are our stories as well, so we should be celebrating and commemorating. Other public holidays are imported and not homegrown.

I would like to think that being a Kiwi means that we love our country dearly, we love our people dearly. That we show kindness to each other. That we live in a safe environment, and a safe community. I hope that people will be paid fairly for what they do. As a New Zealander we like to be fair to each other, so that we share more of our wealth around. I’m hoping that the country will build more homes so that housing affordability and home ownership will be achievable by more

New Zealanders.