07 November 2022

On Public Service Day we celebrate public servants across the country who are dedicated to serving New Zealanders.  

We have a public service to be proud of and that’s because of public servants who come to work every day wanting to make a difference for their communities.

We saw that through the COVID-19 pandemic, and we continue to see this as public servants continue to deliver on government reforms.

COVID-19 was arguably the biggest challenge we faced as a Public Service and regardless of the situation public servants work together across agency boundaries to pull together and work together as a team.

We witnessed that this year in many of the Spirit of Service Awards recipients and tonight, Te Tohu Ratonga Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | Public Service Medals will be awarded to public servants who have displayed meritorious service.

I really do believe in acknowledgment, especially as public servants do their jobs without a desire for public recognition.

The entire Public Service has my genuine gratitude for another year of hard work and dedication to the communities of Aotearoa New Zealand.

I am proud to be a public servant, and the Public Service could not be what it is without our people.

I encourage public servants to take a moment to pause and reflect today, celebrate your achievements, and recognise the impact you have made this year.

Thank you for the commitment and care that you bring to your work.