I accept that simply talking about the problem of child abuse will not make a substantial difference, but I hope that the combined effort of so many New Zealanders such as yourselves, with some assistance from me and other influential people, might make noticeable inroads into reducing the risks that so many of our children face.

179

World events have overshadowed a great deal of what has happened in our country but today, as every year at Waitangi Day, we stop to look at ourselves as New Zealanders and where we find ourselves as a nation.

136