NE ZEALAND TOUR 1967
RECEPTION } IVET1 BY THE CAIhTERBURY CHAMB; ER OF
COIME RCE IN HONOUR OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF
AUSTRALIA, IiR. HIAOLD HOLT
CHIRISTCIJIURCH, NE7 ZEALAND 4TH FEBRUARY, 1967
Text of Speech by Mr. R. E. Smith, President of Chamber
The Right Honourable the Prime Minister of New Zealand,
the Right Honourable the Prime Minister of Australia Your Jorship
the Mayor, Your Excellencies, our Distinguished Juests, and Ladies
and Jentlemen: Eight years ago the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce
celebrated its 100th Birthday. Over the history of our existence
we have entertained many distinguished guests, and amongst us this
evening are a numoer whom we would be happy to receive as guests
in their own right our own Prime Minister, Mr. D. McNicol,
Australian High Commissioner in INew Zealand, Ir. J. L. Hazlett
New Zealand's High Comrmissioner in Australia, Sir .' iark Oliphant,
a very distinguished Australian scientist, Mir. R. Maddres President
of the Nlew Zealand Manufacturers Federation, and we have five
Presidents of Chambers of Commerce from other parts of the South
Island. To these and our other Distinguished ruests might I offer
a very sincere welcome. e are glad to have you with us. But never
before throughout our histor have we had the honour and privilege
which we have this evenin o' welcomilb as our guest the rine
Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. On oehalf of our members
and our Distinguished Juests, may I, Sir, offer to you and to Mrs.
Holt our greeting, our respect, and our warm good fellowship.
Australia had a birthday recently. It was its 179th
Birthday and never before today has a Prime Minister of Australia
visited the South Island of New Zealand. Consequently I have been
authorised to officially welcome the Prime . linister and Mrs. Holt
on behalf of the independent peoples of the South Island. Perhaps
I should explain that I use the word " independent" in its
descriptive and not its political sense. To mark the occasion I
have been reouested to present you with a Certificate given under
the Cla of the ' reat Moa which says: " i'hereas Harold Holt,
having been born in all innocence beyond these southern shores,
is nevertheless now, recognising that he is geo: raphically underprivileged,
granted full status as an Honorary South Islander, with
all the rights and purtenances that go with it." Perhaps I could
extend our welcome a little further. I : ould welcome you as the
Chief Minister of a member of a family of nations, the family of
nations we belong to, and, like any other family, it has its varied
personalities. One of our Scottish cousins was reported recently
as saying that New Zealand should realise it is a big boy now and
someone should prise its hands from its mother's apron strings.
e11, it is true that families' interests vary as time progresses,
but we also have to admit that mother, to use this description, has
her own problems at the moment. Within this family I think it is
generally and correctly acknowledged that Australia and New Zealand
are brothers, and it is a fact that brothers, particularly if one is
bi ger than another, tend to have separate and competing interests,
but eventually I think they realise that there is a great deal to
be gained by joint co-operation. Sometimes it takes a family crisis
to oring this about. It's true, too, that brothers sometimes even
speak different languages, like Strine and New Zealand.
The Canterbury Chamber of Commerce is keenly aware of the
part that it must play in this changing world, and as evidence of
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this I would like to present to you, Sir, a survey of Christchurch
and its farming environs which was initiated by this Chamber,
financed and puolished with the joint co-operation of four
organisations representing the businessmen, including farmers,
of this Province, and prepared, you will be interested to note,
Sir, by a leading firm of Consultants from Australia. believe,
Sir that survey demonstrates the potentials and the advantages
of this area that we know exist. . ie are cognisant, too Sir, that
as outposts in the South lacific, Australia and New Zealand must
have a closer association with their relations in the Pacific area,
and particularly in South East Asia or, as I refer to call it,
the near North. are -lad, Sir, that you and our own Prime
Minister are aware, in the words of one of our local churchmen,
the Reverend Allan Brash, th: t our children have a western heritage:
and this is their ood fortune: they also h. ve an Asian future:
this is their challen'e. This is a time of change and challenge,
and we know that you save very great responsibilities. , e
conrratulate you, Sir, on the qualities of leadership which you have
amply displayed. ,7e oelieve that you have earned this period of
rest amongst the peace and the ueauty of our mountains and lakes,
but we are confident that you will return. Gentlemen and Ladies,
would you please demonstrate the warmth of your welcome.
( Acclamation.)