President Denise President Royal Federation of New Zealand Justices Associations, Hon Andrew Little Minister of Justice, Hon Aupito William Sio Associate Minister of Justice, National Manager Tony Pugh and National staff, Past National President Graeme Kitto, Life Members, Association Presidents, Councils and delegates all

Welcome to the 90th Annual Conference and Annual General Meeting. We are particularly pleased that the Minister and Associate Minister of Justice are able to join us this evening.

Our organising Committee have carried out the groundwork organising the conference and now the ball is now in your court to make this a successful event. That said if there is anything we can assist with, please ask.

Conferences and Annual General Meetings provide an opportunity for the membership as a whole to have a say in the future of an organisation and I encourage everyone to make the most of this opportunity.

Let me say that in my opinion there are no silly questions, we can all learn so we should ensure that everyone is given the respect of being heard. Debate is a wonderful thing. We can come to these meetings with pre-conceived ideas however by keeping an open mind and listening to the discussions we will make sound decisions.

We belong to an organisation that provides an amazing voluntary service to the public. From our homes, work places, Service Desks and almost anywhere we carry out the duties that come with accepting the honour of being appointed a Justice of the Peace.

And as a Justice of the Peace we must ensure that we can fulfil the duties and responsibilities that come with the appointment.

We must attend regular Education Training Sessions and complete the on-line Accreditation to ensure that we have the skills to carry out those duties.

There are too many Justices that are sworn in, take an oath to serve the public and then we see very little if anything of them. I ask the question, if they do not regularly attend regular training sessions then how are they able to carry out their duties to the standard we set ourselves?

So we all must take responsibility to encourage our fellow Justices to maintain their skills because a poorly educated Justice reflects badly on us all. At this point let us all acknowledge the wonderful work our educators do providing exceptional training by sharing their in-depth knowledge and skills.

I am sure I do not need to remind you that there is a social aspect of conferences. The opportunity to meet Justices from throughout the country, rekindle friendships, make new friends, exchange ideas and learn from the amazing wealth of knowledge here this weekend.

And in your spare time, if you have any, take a look around our city. After the tragic events 7 years ago you will find a Phoenix rising from the ashes. There are still many scars of that event to see but there are also many great restaurants, cafes , bars and places of interest to visit.

So on behalf of the Canterbury Justices of the Peace Association I welcome you all and I know that you will have a great conference.

Thank you