Simone Robbers: Working together to support economic recovery, strengthen resilience, and develop culture

Speech by Simone Robbers, Assistant Governor & General Manager of Governance, Strategy and Corporate Relations of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, at the 16th Annual Financial Markets Law Conference, 22 October 2020.

The views expressed in this speech are those of the speaker and not the view of the BIS.

Introduction

Tuia nga maunga, tuia nga wai, tuia nga taurahere tangata

(Bring together the Mountains, bring together the waterways, bring together the ties that bind us.)

Tēnā koutou katoa, welcome everybody.

It's my pleasure to kick us off today at the 16th Annual Financial Markets Law Conference. Today's themes of integrity, excellence, and compliance are close to my heart and closely mirror the values of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand - Te Pūtea Matua.

These themes could also not be more important in today's circumstances. We find ourselves in the midst of an extraordinary degree of uncertainty about the economic outlook and there are large looming clouds on the horizon for Aotearoa New Zealand and the rest of the world.

If there was ever a critical time for collaboration and understanding between regulators and the financial institutions they oversee, it is now. We all need to collectively demonstrate stability, consistency, and resilience, in order to actively support our economic recovery. This recovery will require unified and courageous efforts for the collective good of all New Zealanders.