Anand Satyanand
Encyclopedia
Sir Anand Satyanand, GNZM
, QSO
, KStJ
(born 22 July 1944) was the 19th Governor-General
of New Zealand
. He previously worked as a lawyer
, judge
and ombudsman
.
family. His grandparents arrived in Fiji
from India
in 1911, and were married on Nukulau Island. His father, Mutyala Satyanand, a medical doctor, was born in Sigatoka
in 1913 and arrived in New Zealand in 1927 to attend high school. His mother Tara Tillak was a nurse from Suva
. She married his father after moving to New Zealand
.
Satyanand attended Sacred Heart College
in Auckland and then moved to Dunedin
to take a medical intermediate course at the University of Otago
. He was not successful in gaining entry to the medical school and later said "...in reality I did not do well enough ... (but)... Looking back over that year, I remembered that one of the things I had really enjoyed was the debating and forum meetings involving students." So instead he took up law, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws
from the University of Auckland
in 1970. He worked as a lawyer for the next 12 years, initially for Greig, Bourke and Kettelwell. Later he worked as a barrister
for the Crown Law Office
. He served on the Council of the Auckland District Law Society
from 1979 until his appointment as a judge of the District Court of New Zealand in 1982.
During the 1975 general election
Satyanand and his wife helped David Lange
in his first, unsuccessful attempt at election. Later, when Satyanand was a law student, he helped Clive Edwards
(later Tonga
n deputy prime minister) when he stood in Auckland Central for National
.
In 1995 he was appointed an ombudsman and he served two five-year terms. Between 2005 and his appointment as Governor-General he chaired the Confidential Forum for Former In-Patients of Psychiatric Hospitals.
Satyanand married Susan Sharpe in Auckland in 1970. She was born in Sydney
, Australia
in 1947 and moved to New Zealand
with her family in 1955. He and his wife have three adult children. In 2002, Satyanand and his wife were involved in a serious car accident in Dome Valley north of Warkworth
, Northland. An oncoming car crossed the centre line and crashed head-on into their car. The accident resulted in serious spinal injury to Satyanand, he broke his C2
and C3
vertebrae. He had to wear a halo traction to keep his head straight.
As well as English
, Satyanand also speaks Fijian
, Hindi
and Māori
.
. He replaced Dame Silvia Cartwright as Governor-General of New Zealand on 23 August 2006. His appointment was welcomed by every Parliamentary party leader. He is the first Governor-General of Indian descent and the first Roman Catholic Governor-General.
Satyanand was the first Governor-General not to hold a knighthood before entering office (Colonel Thomas Gore Browne
, Governor of New Zealand 1855-1861, was knighted in office). However, due to a change in the New Zealand Royal Honours system, he was knighted two years later, in 2009. On assuming the role of Governor-General he received the style The Honourable
for life; in 2010, he was advanced to the style of The Right Honourable
. This style will be accorded for life to all future Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Chief Justices, and Speakers of the Parliament.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
, Grand Prior of the Order of St John, received Satyanand as Governor-General designate on 7 July 2006 and invested him as a Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
In May 2007 changes were made to the Queen's Service Order
. Under the previous Royal Warrant
, the Governor-General was ex-officio Principal Companion of the Order but was not a member of the Order. The Royal Warrant now provides for the appointment of the Governor-General as a Companion of the Order
in his or her own right.
The first bill to which he granted Royal Assent
was the Coroners Bill.
Starting on New Year's Day 2009, Satyanand issued a "New Year's Message" intended to "to bring to attention a number of issues New Zealanders might consider as they looked to the future".
Following the changes to the honours system announced by Prime Minister John Key
on 8 March 2009, the Queen approved Satyanand's redesignation from a PCNZM (Principal Companion)
to a GNZM (Knight Grand Companion)
on 27 March 2009.
And $11 million on capital investment in Government House, Wellington
, principally used for its conservation, a total of over $18 million.
Laisenia Qarase
and Fiji's military
commander Commodore
Frank Bainimarama
at Government House
in Wellington
in an attempt to resolve the escalating crisis in Fiji. Although he hosted the meeting, he did not take part in the discussions, which were chaired by New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters
. This was the last serious effort by the international community to avert a military coup
, which followed on 5 December.
on 25 September 2010, Satyanand stated heavy investment in motorways and the decline of public transport after trams were taken off the roads in the 1950s had led to severe congestion to the detriment of both individuals and the economy.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, QSO
Queen's Service Order
The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...
, KStJ
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(born 22 July 1944) was the 19th Governor-General
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He previously worked as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
.
Early life and family
Satyanand was born and raised in Auckland to an Indo-Fijian and Anglo-IndianAnglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
family. His grandparents arrived in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1911, and were married on Nukulau Island. His father, Mutyala Satyanand, a medical doctor, was born in Sigatoka
Sigatoka
For the banana disease, see Black sigatoka.Sigatoka is a town in Fiji. It is found on the island of Viti Levu and is situated at the mouth of the Sigatoka River, after which it is named, some 69 kilometers from Nadi. In Fiji's last census the population of Sigatoka was at 9622...
in 1913 and arrived in New Zealand in 1927 to attend high school. His mother Tara Tillak was a nurse from Suva
Suva
Suva features a tropical rainforest climate under the Koppen climate classification. The city sees a copious amount of precipitation during the course of the year. Suva averages 3,000 mm of precipitation annually with its driest month, July averaging 125 mm of rain per year. In fact,...
. She married his father after moving to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Satyanand attended Sacred Heart College
Sacred Heart College, Auckland
Sacred Heart College is a secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand. It is a Catholic, Marist College set on of land overlooking the Tamaki Estuary in Glen Innes.- History :The college was opened in 1903 in Ponsonby, by the Marist Brothers...
in Auckland and then moved to Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
to take a medical intermediate course at the University of Otago
University of Otago
The University of Otago in Dunedin is New Zealand's oldest university with over 22,000 students enrolled during 2010.The university has New Zealand's highest average research quality and in New Zealand is second only to the University of Auckland in the number of A rated academic researchers it...
. He was not successful in gaining entry to the medical school and later said "...in reality I did not do well enough ... (but)... Looking back over that year, I remembered that one of the things I had really enjoyed was the debating and forum meetings involving students." So instead he took up law, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of Auckland
University of Auckland
The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...
in 1970. He worked as a lawyer for the next 12 years, initially for Greig, Bourke and Kettelwell. Later he worked as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
for the Crown Law Office
Crown Law Office (New Zealand)
The Crown Law Office of New Zealand offers legal advice to the New Zealand Government. The Solicitor-General of New Zealand, David Collins, is the organisation's chief executive. Collins has held this position since August 2006. The position itself was established in 1875....
. He served on the Council of the Auckland District Law Society
Auckland District Law Society
The Auckland District Law Society is the professional body for barristers and solicitors practising in the Auckland region of New Zealand. It operates in conjunction with the New Zealand Law Society and was established in 1879. Membership is compulsory in accordance with the Law Practitioners Act...
from 1979 until his appointment as a judge of the District Court of New Zealand in 1982.
During the 1975 general election
New Zealand general election, 1975
The 1975 New Zealand general election was held to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It was the first election in New Zealand where 18-20 year olds and all permanent residents of New Zealand were eligible to vote, although only citizens were able to be...
Satyanand and his wife helped David Lange
David Lange
David Russell Lange, ONZ, CH , served as the 32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed New Zealand's fourth Labour Government, one of the most reforming administrations in his country's history, but one which did not always conform to traditional expectations of a...
in his first, unsuccessful attempt at election. Later, when Satyanand was a law student, he helped Clive Edwards
Clive Edwards (Tonga)
William Clive Edwards OBE is a Tongan Cabinet Minister and former Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party and currently serves as Minister for Justice and Minister for Public Enterprise....
(later Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n deputy prime minister) when he stood in Auckland Central for National
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
.
In 1995 he was appointed an ombudsman and he served two five-year terms. Between 2005 and his appointment as Governor-General he chaired the Confidential Forum for Former In-Patients of Psychiatric Hospitals.
Satyanand married Susan Sharpe in Auckland in 1970. She was born in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1947 and moved to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with her family in 1955. He and his wife have three adult children. In 2002, Satyanand and his wife were involved in a serious car accident in Dome Valley north of Warkworth
Warkworth, New Zealand
Warkworth is a town in the upper North Island of New Zealand, within the Rodney District and lying at the far north of the Auckland Region but just south of the Northland Region...
, Northland. An oncoming car crossed the centre line and crashed head-on into their car. The accident resulted in serious spinal injury to Satyanand, he broke his C2
Axis (anatomy)
In anatomy, the second cervical vertebra of the spine is named the axis or epistropheus.It forms the pivot upon which the first cervical vertebra , which carries the head, rotates....
and C3
Cervical vertebra 3
The cervical vertebra 3 is a vertebra of the spinal column.The cervical spinal nerve 3 passes out above it....
vertebrae. He had to wear a halo traction to keep his head straight.
As well as English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Satyanand also speaks Fijian
Fijian language
Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken in Fiji. It has 450,000 first-language speakers, which is less than half the population of Fiji, but another 200,000 speak it as a second language...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
.
Governor-General of New Zealand
Satyanand was appointed by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, on the advice of Prime Minister Helen ClarkHelen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
. He replaced Dame Silvia Cartwright as Governor-General of New Zealand on 23 August 2006. His appointment was welcomed by every Parliamentary party leader. He is the first Governor-General of Indian descent and the first Roman Catholic Governor-General.
Satyanand was the first Governor-General not to hold a knighthood before entering office (Colonel Thomas Gore Browne
Thomas Gore Browne
Colonel Sir Thomas Robert Gore Browne KCMG CB was a British colonial administrator, who was Governor of St Helena, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Tasmania and Governor of Bermuda.-Early life:...
, Governor of New Zealand 1855-1861, was knighted in office). However, due to a change in the New Zealand Royal Honours system, he was knighted two years later, in 2009. On assuming the role of Governor-General he received the style The Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
for life; in 2010, he was advanced to the style of The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
. This style will be accorded for life to all future Governors-General, Prime Ministers, Chief Justices, and Speakers of the Parliament.
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family. Prince Richard is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 20th in the line of succession...
, Grand Prior of the Order of St John, received Satyanand as Governor-General designate on 7 July 2006 and invested him as a Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
In May 2007 changes were made to the Queen's Service Order
Queen's Service Order
The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...
. Under the previous Royal Warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
, the Governor-General was ex-officio Principal Companion of the Order but was not a member of the Order. The Royal Warrant now provides for the appointment of the Governor-General as a Companion of the Order
Queen's Service Order
The Queen's Service Order was established by Queen Elizabeth II on 13 March 1975, awarded by the government of New Zealand "for valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or...
in his or her own right.
The first bill to which he granted Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
was the Coroners Bill.
Starting on New Year's Day 2009, Satyanand issued a "New Year's Message" intended to "to bring to attention a number of issues New Zealanders might consider as they looked to the future".
Following the changes to the honours system announced by Prime Minister John Key
John Key
John Phillip Key is the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand, in office since 2008. He has led the New Zealand National Party since 2006....
on 8 March 2009, the Queen approved Satyanand's redesignation from a PCNZM (Principal Companion)
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
to a GNZM (Knight Grand Companion)
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
on 27 March 2009.
Finances
The New Zealand Government pays for the costs associated with the Queen's representative, the Governor-General, in their exercising of the powers of the Crown on behalf of the Queen, including travel, security, residences, offices, ceremonial occasions. In the 2010 Budget, the total cost of supporting the Governor-General was $3,591,000 for Support Services and Maintenance of the residences, $1,710,000 for Depreciation Expenses on Government Houses, $1,279,000 Remuneration and Travel and an estimated $1,680,000 for Policy Advice and Co-ordination; a total of $7,610,000.And $11 million on capital investment in Government House, Wellington
Government House, Wellington
Government House in Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand is the principal residence of the Governor-General of New Zealand. It was designed by Claude Paton in the office of John Campbell, Government Architect. Built between 1908 and 1910, the house's grounds total 12 ha, and the house is 4200 m²...
, principally used for its conservation, a total of over $18 million.
Fijian coup talks
On 30 November 2006 Satyanand hosted a meeting between the Prime Minister of FijiPrime Minister of Fiji
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji is the head of government of Fiji. The Prime Minister was appointed by the President under the terms of the now-suspended 1997 constitution....
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase
Laisenia Qarase is a Fijian political figure. He served as the sixth Prime Minister of Fiji from 2000 to 2006. After the military quashed the coup that led to the removal of Mahendra Chaudhry, Qarase joined the Interim Military Government as a financial adviser on 9 June 2000, until his appointment...
and Fiji's military
Military of Fiji
The Republic of Fiji Military Forces are the military of the Pacific island nation of Fiji. With a total manpower of 3,500 active soldiers and 6,000 reservists, it is one of the smallest militaries in the world. However, most of its surrounding island nations have no militaries at all...
commander Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
Frank Bainimarama
Frank Bainimarama
Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, CF, MSD, OStJ, Fijian Navy, known commonly as Frank Bainimarama and sometimes by the chiefly title Ratu , is a Fijian naval officer and politician. He is the Commander of the Fijian Military Forces and, as of April 2009, Prime Minister...
at Government House
Government House, Wellington
Government House in Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand is the principal residence of the Governor-General of New Zealand. It was designed by Claude Paton in the office of John Campbell, Government Architect. Built between 1908 and 1910, the house's grounds total 12 ha, and the house is 4200 m²...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
in an attempt to resolve the escalating crisis in Fiji. Although he hosted the meeting, he did not take part in the discussions, which were chaired by New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters
Winston Peters
Winston Raymond Peters is a New Zealand politician and leader of New Zealand First, a political party he founded in 1993. Peters has had a turbulent political career since entering Parliament in 1978. He served as Minister of Maori Affairs in the Bolger National Party Government before being...
. This was the last serious effort by the international community to avert a military coup
2006 Fijian coup d'état
The Fijian coup d'état of December 2006 occurred as a continuation of the pressure which had been building since the military unrest of the 2000 Fijian coup d'état and 2005-2006 Fijian political crisis....
, which followed on 5 December.
Public transport in Auckland
At the opening of the new New Lynn Train StationNew Lynn Train Station
New Lynn Train Station is on the Western Line of the Auckland railway network, New Zealand, and is part of an integrated transport centre where transfers can be made to and from bus services. A redeveloped station in a new rail trench was opened on 25 September 2010...
on 25 September 2010, Satyanand stated heavy investment in motorways and the decline of public transport after trams were taken off the roads in the 1950s had led to severe congestion to the detriment of both individuals and the economy.
Paul Henry controversy
On 5 October 2010 TVNZ Breakfast show host Paul Henry questioned whether Sir Anand was "even a New Zealander". He then repeated the question, saying of Sir Anand's replacement "Are you going to choose a New Zealander who looks and sounds like a New Zealander this time ... are we going to go for someone who is more like a New Zealander this time?" Henry attracted criticism from both sides of politics and New Zealand's race relations commissioner Joris de Bres. Henry later apologised, was suspended, and then resigned from TVNZ.Styles and honours
- His Honour Judge Anand Satyanand (1982 – 5 June 2005)
- His Honour Judge Anand Satyanand DCNZM (6 June 2005 – 4 June 2006)
- His Honour Judge Anand Satyanand PCNZM (5 June 2006 – 23 August 2006)
- His Excellency The Hon. Anand Satyanand PCNZM, Governor-General of New Zealand (23 August 2006 – 20 May 2007)
- His Excellency The Hon. Anand Satyanand PCNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand (21 May 2007 – 26 March 2009)
- His Excellency The Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand (27 March 2009 – 2 August 2010)
- His Excellency The Rt Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand (3 August 2010 – 23 August 2011)
- The Rt Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand GNZM, QSO (24 August 2011 - Present)
External links
- Government House, Wellington biography
- 2006 Birthday Honours List at Government House, Wellington
- Getting to know our new Governor-General