The new Governor-General is Dame Cynthia Kiro

The Prime Minister has just announced her (effective) appointment of Dame Cynthia Kiro as the 22nd Governor-General of New Zealand and 38th Vice-Regal representative. She will be the first female Māori Governor-General.

Dame Cynthia is currently the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of NZ. She was made a Dame in the last Honours list.

She was Children’s Commissioner from 2003 to 2008. She chaired the Government’s Welfare Expert Advisory Group and was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Maori) at Auckland University.

She was born in Whangarei and raised by her grandparents, who were manual labourers. A great example of New Zealand being a socially mobile country.

Congratulations to Dame Cynthia.