EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Sir Anand Satyanand
Q: Sir, so what brings you to this tea party at the “Jewel of India”?
A: Had a very special lunch today with a well known Auckland personality, Mr Mohammad Iqbal,
who first came here as the promoter of the Ceylon tea and, as young lawyers, we used to go to his
centre to drink tea and have some curries.
Q: And how was the curry today?
A: Greatly enjoyed the curry here at Jewel of India. A very fine venue for our meeting.
Q: It’s been a year now, after you demitted the office of Governer-General, how has this last year
been for you?
A: In the first place, my wife and I spent several months in Australia, rediscovering things like
anonymity and spontaneity. We have returned to New Zealand and have settled in Wellington,
currently house hunting. I’m finding that there are a number of projects where I have been asked
to engage myself in. So long as they are not in public, or not involve in holding office, I’m fine to
make that kind of contribution.
Q: Any projects you can share with us?
A: I have reformed a connection with “Transparency International” – the organization that stands
for good practice and governance in the private sector and I’m finding that it involves a number
of aspects. Fortunately, New Zealand has a very high on CPI index that records incidences of
corruption and New Zealand sits on the top of that list, with the least corruption. That’s a very
fine record, but we can’t be complacent as a country. A new study is being taken on how New
Zealand works and I’m part of commissioning that.
Q: You have been recently been active with the Anglican Church. Can you tell us more about that?
A: I have a brief from the Anglican Church, at the request of the senate to work on ordination and
blessing of people who are in same gender relationships. I would be working with five people to
look at the ramifications of decisions like that.
And thirdly, my wife and I accompanied a tour by New Zealand’s secondary schools’ cricket team
to Sri Lanka and Malaysia, six weeks ago. So Lots of interesting activities…
Q: Any plans to go to go to Fiji in the near future?
A: I’ve been to Fiji twice in the last few weeks, due to the serious illness and death of Sir Moti
Tikaram, the first Ombudsman of Fiji and a close family friend. So I’ve been there for the purpose
of his funeral.
I would be going again next week for the Anglican senate meeting in Nadi.
Q: Would your recommendations to the Anglican Church be taken for other parts of the world
too?
A: No, this is an initiative of the Anglican Church Province of New Zealand and Polynesia. So it’s
just for this part of the world. Because Anglican Church has a multi-cultural approach, what they
say in the international setting, is greatly respected.
Q: What is your personal view on same-gender marriages?
A: I think it’s a matter of the quality of the relationship. If it’s a loving relationship between the
couple, it seems to me that is the main matter. So I don’t have a difficulty.
Q: When was your last visit to India? Any memorable moments out of the trips you made as the
Governor-General?
A: My last trip was in the beginning of 2011 when I was honoured with the Pravasya Bharat
Samman award. Before that, in the office of the Governor-General, I visited in 2008 and then in
2010, for the Commonwealth Games. India provides a wonderful experience of cultural, cuisine,
music and friendship and I have been lucky enough to enjoy all of those.
Q: Were you part of the Queen’s jubilee celebrations? Did you happen to go to London for that?
A: No, we were here in New Zealand and like other Kiwis, were just watching it on our television
sets. However, there will be a visit by His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, later this year. But the
Royal Family has made their business to visit many countries in this jubilee year. But we are very
happy that Prince Charles and his wife are coming.
Q: Sir, so what brings you to this tea party at the “Jewel of India”? A: Had a very special lunch today with a well known Auckland personality, Mr Mohammad Iqbal, who first came here as the promoter of the Ceylon tea and, as young lawyers, we used to go to his centre to drink tea and have some...
Q: Sir, so what brings you to this tea party at the “Jewel of India”?
A: Had a very special lunch today with a well known Auckland personality, Mr Mohammad Iqbal,
who first came here as the promoter of the Ceylon tea and, as young lawyers, we used to go to his
centre to drink tea and have some curries.
Q: And how was the curry today?
A: Greatly enjoyed the curry here at Jewel of India. A very fine venue for our meeting.
Q: It’s been a year now, after you demitted the office of Governer-General, how has this last year
been for you?
A: In the first place, my wife and I spent several months in Australia, rediscovering things like
anonymity and spontaneity. We have returned to New Zealand and have settled in Wellington,
currently house hunting. I’m finding that there are a number of projects where I have been asked
to engage myself in. So long as they are not in public, or not involve in holding office, I’m fine to
make that kind of contribution.
Q: Any projects you can share with us?
A: I have reformed a connection with “Transparency International” – the organization that stands
for good practice and governance in the private sector and I’m finding that it involves a number
of aspects. Fortunately, New Zealand has a very high on CPI index that records incidences of
corruption and New Zealand sits on the top of that list, with the least corruption. That’s a very
fine record, but we can’t be complacent as a country. A new study is being taken on how New
Zealand works and I’m part of commissioning that.
Q: You have been recently been active with the Anglican Church. Can you tell us more about that?
A: I have a brief from the Anglican Church, at the request of the senate to work on ordination and
blessing of people who are in same gender relationships. I would be working with five people to
look at the ramifications of decisions like that.
And thirdly, my wife and I accompanied a tour by New Zealand’s secondary schools’ cricket team
to Sri Lanka and Malaysia, six weeks ago. So Lots of interesting activities…
Q: Any plans to go to go to Fiji in the near future?
A: I’ve been to Fiji twice in the last few weeks, due to the serious illness and death of Sir Moti
Tikaram, the first Ombudsman of Fiji and a close family friend. So I’ve been there for the purpose
of his funeral.
I would be going again next week for the Anglican senate meeting in Nadi.
Q: Would your recommendations to the Anglican Church be taken for other parts of the world
too?
A: No, this is an initiative of the Anglican Church Province of New Zealand and Polynesia. So it’s
just for this part of the world. Because Anglican Church has a multi-cultural approach, what they
say in the international setting, is greatly respected.
Q: What is your personal view on same-gender marriages?
A: I think it’s a matter of the quality of the relationship. If it’s a loving relationship between the
couple, it seems to me that is the main matter. So I don’t have a difficulty.
Q: When was your last visit to India? Any memorable moments out of the trips you made as the
Governor-General?
A: My last trip was in the beginning of 2011 when I was honoured with the Pravasya Bharat
Samman award. Before that, in the office of the Governor-General, I visited in 2008 and then in
2010, for the Commonwealth Games. India provides a wonderful experience of cultural, cuisine,
music and friendship and I have been lucky enough to enjoy all of those.
Q: Were you part of the Queen’s jubilee celebrations? Did you happen to go to London for that?
A: No, we were here in New Zealand and like other Kiwis, were just watching it on our television
sets. However, there will be a visit by His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, later this year. But the
Royal Family has made their business to visit many countries in this jubilee year. But we are very
happy that Prince Charles and his wife are coming.
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