It was an absolute honour to host the inaugural Ethnic Xchange Symposium last month, right here in Auckland.
The symposium brought together Government and business, community and industry experts to explore an important topic: the role that our ethnic communities and businesses can play in growing New Zealand’s economy. Focusing on the key areas of trade, investment and innovation,
it was a day filled with valuable insights, practical tips and case studies on how ethnic communities can supercharge our economic growth.
A common point that was raised was that New Zealand’s ethnic diversity is a real competitive advantage compared to many other Western countries – so, are we leveraging it to its full potential? Plenty of food for thought and I look forward to seeing the tangible next steps to come out of this symposium.
I’m always aware of what a privilege it is to hold the ministerial portfolios of Economic Development and Ethnic Communities, and the symposium represented the perfect synergy between them. My thanks to the Ministry for Ethnic Communities for delivering such a great event and a shout-out to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for its significant input too.
The symposium being hosted in Auckland was no coincidence – our city has been ranked the fourth most ethnically diverse in the world. This was backed up by the latest batch of 2023 Census data released last month, which revealed that one in three Aucklanders has an Asian ethnicity.
This diversity is something that should be celebrated. As Ethnic Communities Minister, it’s a real privilege to not only join in, but also champion a range of cultural celebrations as a way to promote social cohesion. We’re now fully into Diwali season and I’ve already been to several celebrations in Auckland and elsewhere in the country – with more coming this month. It’s a real testament to New Zealand’s rich ethnic diversity, which reaches all corners of our country.
As ever, our Government is cracking on with the job of getting our country back on track. It was great to see the FamilyBoost scheme kick in, providing valuable cost-of-living support to families with children in early childhood education (ECE). Eligible families are reimbursed 25 percent of their ECE costs, up to $75 a week. You can find out more at www.ird.govt.nz/familyboost. Also last month, we rolled out our final quarterly Action Plan for 2024, which has a big focus on making it easier and faster to build infrastructure in New Zealand.
It's astonishing that we’re already into November – where has the year gone! Time really flies when you’re part of a team that’s busy delivering real, positive outcomes for New Zealanders. I’m looking forward to carrying on this momentum as we enter the last couple of months of the year – this Government is laser-focused on getting our country back on track.
Until next time, (Hon Melissa Lee)
National List MP based in Mt Albert Authorised by Melissa Lee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
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