Delta House, Official Opening

Saturday 14 February 2004

It’s a pleasure to be here to help salute a form of community care that actually delivers. I always thought the absolute high tide of cruel social change was when it became fashionable to shut down the big safe places and replace them with very little in return.

Its been said many times before that the measure of a society is in how it treats its most vulnerable people. On that measure our society still has some way to go.

One of the greatest things about Christchurch is that as a city we have never completely turned our back on the old idea that we are all our brother’s...and sister's.....keeper.

We held onto our city’s assets when other cities flogged them off. We enjoy the lowest rates of any major city as a result. The dividends from public ownership see to that.

We also not only kept, we expanded on our stock of affordable rental housing. We provide a rich mix of parks, facilities and recreational options that are publicly owned and publicly enjoyed.

We also like to get behind grassroots groups like the Delta Community Trust who literally hold out the hand of friendship to people. Like most powerful, profound ideas this one is deceptively simple. Provide people with friendship and acceptance and interesting things start to happen.

The world ceases to be so large and intimidating and instead can become a place with positive possibilities in it. Loneliness and isolation can give way to a sense of belonging. From that simple foundation new lives can begin to be built. It really is as simple as that.

Support and positive human contact is something we all need. In the case of people with degrees of disability the need is all the more deep. 

I'm told you have about 70 volunteers at the moment involved with the friendship links. The Catholic mystic, Thomas Merton, said that he though it was the good works and prayers of a just a few truly good people that keeps the world turning. I like the idea but believe myself that it is a much larger number of people than that.

The energy, compassion and kindness of the volunteer workers in this city is amazing. It is a story that is not told very often, or loudly. I wish it was. If it was we would have a more realistic idea of who and what we really are as a city, and as a people.

I'm delighted to be here to see some more strong evidence of how our community does care for its own. Just lately we’ve been hearing a lot more of the voices of separation and differences raised in our public arenas, and I’ve been thinking how easy it is to point the finger when you can marginalize and shut yourself off from people.

And how impossible that is when you stop to realise they are all someone's children, siblings, parents and friends. I like community makers, not breakers. Today we salute makers.

I now announce you officially opened.