Dog hairs and civic duty: The deserving status of Dame Cindy Kiro a Governor-General for our times
Dame Cindy Kiro: A Governor-General for Our Times
Does anyone have a lint brush? They’re not words you’d expect to hear from the Governor-General, the Queen’s representative in Aotearoa. But Dame Cindy Kiro, our newest Governor-General—and the first wāhine Māori to hold the title—is about to be photographed for this story, and she’s realized her dress is covered in dog hair.
How did we get here?
Blame Pebbles, Dame Cindy’s beloved pug who’s been using her owner as a cushion for the last hour, her soft snores providing the soundtrack to our interview.
“If Pebbles wants to sit on my lap, she’ll find a way,” laughs Dame Cindy. “She’s very determined.” A bit like her owner, really.
On a day that promised sunshine but delivered rain, Dame Cindy makes herself, Pebbles, and eight-month-old schnauzer-pug Lucy comfortable in an art-filled room on the ground floor of Government House. Sipping tea (milk, no sugar), she explains that she’s as surprised as anyone to be here.
“I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school, and I’ve never had a career plan, which everyone is shocked to hear. But I was the first in my family to go to university, I became a professor, a pro-vice chancellor at the University of Auckland, then a chief executive, and now the Governor-General. It’s a career that certainly wasn’t in the cards for me as a child.”
So much so that when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern summoned Dame Cindy to the ninth floor of the Beehive earlier this year, she wasn’t sure why.
“I was taken aback when she mentioned the Governor-General role. I wondered if I’d heard her correctly,” Dame Cindy recalls. “But here I am! I’m very grateful for the role and determined to do the best for my country, because I absolutely love and am committed to Aotearoa.”
Connecting with People
Dame Cindy, New Zealand’s first Governor-General to come from a predominantly academic background, is as charming, warm, and unguarded as I’d been told. The 63-year-old has also mastered the art of making people feel as though they’ve been her friends for years.
It’s partly to do with her background, which includes stints in the social justice trenches.
“I have a deep personal connection to people, especially those struggling to put food on the table and raise a family,” she says. “Because of my early career as a social worker and later in welfare reform roles, I honed the ability to connect with people who maybe haven’t had lots of opportunities. I want to be the kind of person who’s warm and open, who understands their situation.”
Looking Forward
Dame Cindy has only been in her new role for a few weeks, and the mother of two—and stepmother of two—says she’s most looking forward to “meeting people doing amazing things.”
“What inspires me are people and organizations doing work that will make a positive difference to their lives, their country, and ultimately their world. If I had to identify one thing I want to achieve in my five years in this role, it’s helping to unify the country. To focus on things that matter to me, especially the faceless, voiceless, and the disenfranchised. That includes some of the young leaders emerging from South Auckland, but also those who have not only been here for a long time, such as Māori and tangata whenua, but also more recent migrants and refugees who have been through so much, have had to be incredibly resilient to survive, and are now making an important contribution to Aotearoa.”
For more information on Dame Cindy Kiro’s work, visit the official New Zealand Government website.
