October 21, 2021
First wahine Māori governor general to be sworn in
The first wahine Māori Governor-General, Dame Cindy Kiro, will be sworn in today at a ceremony at Parliament House in Wellington.
It’s the most significant state event since the opening of Parliament last November.
Dame Cindy will take the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Office, administered by Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann.
The commission of appointment will be read in both English and te reo Māori, followed by a proclamation declaring Dame Cindy has assumed the office.
Dame Cindy, who has connections to Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, and Ngāti Kahu, succeeds Dame Patsy Reddy.
The former Children’s Commissioner has extensive experience in the health, community and voluntary sectors, and was most recently chief executive of the research organisation the Royal Society Te Apārangi.