100 years of Buy Kiwi Made

Greetings, talofa lava, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa

Welcome everyone to this remarkable occasion. It's not every day that you get to both celebrate and create history. It's fitting that as we acknowledge our past, we pay tribute to those who helped to form it. I'd like to take a moment to remember the work of Rod Donald, whose vision led to the current Buy Kiwi Made campaign.

When I first took on the role of Government Spokesperson for Buy Kiwi Made, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Rod was passionately committed to this country and had a firm belief that one of the keys to our prosperity would be a strong domestic market for New Zealand made goods.

In fact, Independent research by Business and Economic Research Ltd for the Industry Capability Network in 2006, showed that for every dollar spent on New Zealand product, over imports, there are measurable positive effects for the country. These include: reduced welfare payments, and increased jobs, tax take and consumer purchasing power. So the economy benefits for every one million dollars of imports replaced with local goods to the tune of:

• 11.16 jobs created
• a decline in Government expenditure on unemployment benefit by $118,836.
• an increase in Government income tax revenue of $117,214.
• and an overall increase in consumer purchasing power of $194,887.
• as well as the flow-on growth and export opportunities that arise.

So for every extra 1 million dollars of Kiwi Made goods we experience more than 2 million dollars of value to the economy downstream.

While I do know that there's nothing new under the sun, what I didn't realise was that Rod's view had been around for 100 years. To tell us a little more about that story of buying Kiwi made, and why we're celebrating today, I'd like to welcome the Associate Minister for Economic Development, the Honourable Maryan Street.

Thank you Minister.

One very special guest I would like to acknowledge today is Kirsten Julian, grand daughter of Esther James, who is representing her father, Rick Julian, who can't be here today. I'd like to spend a moment explaining a little more about the role that Esther James played in the 'buy New Zealand made' story. I'd also like to explain a little more about the outfit I'm wearing today.

Esther was a pioneer ahead of her times and not afraid to rock the boat. She was the first women architect in New Zealand, an inventor and fashion model who retained her maiden name through two marriages. She was also deeply committed to buying New Zealand made goods. She initiated the first recorded walk across New Zealand from Spirits Bay to Stewart Island in the cause of buying New Zealand made goods.

Her journey of 1600 miles, wearing only Kiwi made clothing and with a New Zealand made notebook to record her journey, was a celebration of the best this country produced and offered a rallying point during the Great Depression. Her travels over 131 walking days inspired local communities to stage their own street parades and showcases to profile the benefits of buying New Zealand made goods.

The date of today's event, the 2nd of April, is no accident. It commemorates the date that Esther arrived in Wellington 76 years ago. She wore only New Zealand made clothing and was passionate about the quality of garments produced. As part of today's celebrations the Buy Kiwi Made campaign has recreated the type of outfit worn by Esther in as much of a tribute to today's clothing industry as that of the 1930s.

As Esther was all of 1.5 metres tall, we had difficulty recruiting a suitable model, so I volunteered for the task. What we do have in common is our belief in the quality and durability of the goods produced by New Zealand fashion manufacturers and I would like to thank one of them, our designer Emma Wallace, for her dedication to the task of recreating this outfit.

Emma has taken Esther James's outfit and remodelled it for the 21st century in the materials, and style of our times. I think she has done a spectacular job building a strong and stylish link between our history and our future.

I'd also like to thank to one of our high-fashion New Zealand shoe manufacturers, Minnie Cooper, for lending me a lovely pair of shoes to complete the outfit.

Now I'd like your indulgence to tell one story from Esther James's biography, "Jobbing Along".

Near the end of her walk, in Bluff, the town held a civic reception and dance in her honour. Esther was whisked on to the dance floor by a 'dashing young stranger' who didn't yet know who she was. He said to her:
'I've come all the way from Gore to see this big hiking woman. I bet she's built like an Amazon, eight feet tall with feet the size of a draught horse.'

Straight after the dance Esther was required to give a speech
'Some people,' I said, 'imagine that to walk all this way I must be a huge girl with big feet. But you can see that I am not. I weigh seven stone and take size three in shoes. You see, in New Zealand-made goods, it's the quality that counts not the size.'

At that point her blushing partner turned around and left the hall.

In that small exchange Esther teaches us an important economic lesson — the heroes of our economy are not towering captains of industry. It is ordinary Kiwis who can build our economy and be Amazonian heroes, just by asking for and buying Kiwi Made.

We intend to recreate Esther's entry to Wellington immediately following this event and I invite you to join me for that on the steps of Parliament at 10.45am.

Our regular research shows that with the help of the Buy Kiwi Made campaign more than 1.3 million shoppers are now thinking about buying Kiwi made, an increase of 200,000 since the media campaign began.

Just as significantly as the consumer response, retailers are now more likely to consider New Zealand made goods when stocking. Just three months after the consumer campaign began, 7 percent more retailers were likely to consider stocking Kiwi made goods. New research will be carried out in May and further increases are expected which will move us to the target of more than half of all retailers, across all categories, actively considering New Zealand made goods when it's time to order stock.

And that can only be good news for our manufacturers who have increased their support for the Buy Kiwi Made campaign — after just three months 60% of manufacturers across all industries said they were in favour of the campaign.

The media campaign has worked closely with the Buy New Zealand Made Campaign and one of our other success measures has already been exceeded. Halfway through the media campaign, membership of the Buy New Zealand Made Campaign Ltd, entitling use of the kiwi in a triangle logo, has soared past 1000 members. This is the logo that 85% of all consumers recognise as the mark of a New Zealand made product.

Working with Buy New Zealand Made, we are holding the first ever April "Buy Kiwi Mad" month. I'm going to show you some of the advertising support that we've put behind this promotion.

You may have seen in this morning's newspaper this full page advertisement commemorating the last 100 years. It says "1n 1931 Esther James walked from Spirits Bay to Stewart Island to support Buy Kiwi Made. You only have to walk to the shops."

But we're also looking ahead to the next 100 years of buying Kiwi made and our outdoor and magazine advertising focuses on the fact that it will be as important in the future as it was in the past. And yes, that's a real photograph. In it we have a Perky Pram from the 1940s, a Mountain Buggy and a future "Human dynamo" model created here in Wellington by Rob Uivel. I should also acknowledge Starfish clothing and Kumpfs shoes borrowed for the shot, as well as Julie Main who made our futuristic outfit.

In a store near you, and flying in the streets of some of our town centres, will be the April Buy Kiwi Mad month promotional materials. There's also an online advertisement expected on an internet site near you soon.

We've even taken the time to modify our television commercial that features the Oliverbot — that's the Oliver Driver robot — with a simple message at the end. We'll take a moment and play that for you.

It's clear that the media campaign is proving its worth and I'm pleased that the Government has agreed to extend it so that there will be another Buy Kiwi Christmas boost in December this year.

You may have thought I've forgotten about our radio advertisements. These have also been modified for the April Buy Kiwi Mad month. However in our radio advertising we've also taken the opportunity to alert shoppers to a great opportunity offered through Buy New Zealand Made Campaign Ltd.

I'd like to invite Director, Samantha Seath, to outline what that is and how we can take part.

Thank you Sam. Before you all leave here today to begin your April shopping sprees, you'll be handed a bag of goodies donated by members of Buy NZ Made Campaign. I'd also like to remind you to join me, if you wish, on the steps of Parliament at 10.45am.

Before we all dash off and go Buy Kiwi Made, I'd like to acknowledge the presence here today of Phil O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Business NZ, the parent organisation of Buy NZ Made; and Helen Kelly, President of the NZCTU.

As you know, through the combined efforts of their respective organisations, Buy New Zealand Made was established 20 years ago. I'd like to offer my congratulations to Buy NZ Made for its 20th birthday celebrations.

And because it just wouldn't be a birthday without a cake, I'd like to invite Phil, Sam, and Helen to cut the cake and yes, you get to eat it too!

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.