Video transcript: Moving to New Zealand to live and work

Transcript for a video featuring some of our staff talking about moving to New Zealand to live and work, and the Office's performance audit work.

Title: Office of the Auditor-General logo

Title: Moving to New Zealand to live and work

Kate Williams (Senior Performance Auditor)

I was previously living and working in London, and I knew a lot of New Zealanders where I was working in London and they seemed like really great people so I thought it would be a really good opportunity to come to New Zealand and try it out for myself.

Pat Johnson (Senior Performance Auditor)

I was attracted to New Zealand because I’d done a lot of research. I thought that the culture would suit both me and my daughter – we moved here at the same time.

Mike Scott (Assistant Auditor-General, Performance Audit)

We were looking for a change in lifestyle. Somewhere safe to bring up the kids and a bit more relaxing in terms of less travel, less kind of busyness, but still a good and rewarding place to work.

Gary Emery (Manager, Performance Audit Group)

The thing I found surprising about New Zealand was just how friendly and welcoming New Zealand was – generally and, in particular, the Office.

Kate Williams

New Zealanders, most of them have travelled a lot, so they’re quite helpful for other people who have travelled or moved overseas. And also Wellington’s a relatively small city so it’s easy to get to know it and get to know your way around so you don’t feel like a stranger for too long.

Gary Emery

The Performance Audit Group – or the PAG team – is made up of quite a variety of different people from different backgrounds.

Warren Ross (Director, Data and Analysis)

Across the Office, PAG probably employs the most diverse group of people – lots of different backgrounds and skills. We have people who are more on the analyst side, and people who are on the generalist side – amazing general knowledge, lots of personalities, so working with the people in PAG has been really entertaining.

Mike Scott

The great strength of the team is the mix of people we have and the different perspectives they bring to the issues we look at.

Warren Ross

The OAG itself, as an entity, has a vantage point that almost no other entities have.

Kate Williams

We get to look across all government agencies – anywhere that the government spends money, we can go and look.

Pat Johnson

And we also give assurance to Parliament that things are working in the way that they intended.

Kate Williams

That involves talking to people – people right from chief executives down to people that work on the front lines, so you get to meet a real variety of people which is really interesting.

Mike Scott

Because our work programme varies from year to year, I think there’s probably more scope to do work in different areas and get broader experience, I think.

Gary Emery

We’re independent, and we work in a society where we can say what we want in terms of what we find so we can have real influence and real traction, and that’s really important. You really feel that you’re making a difference.

Pat Johnson

And we’re part of a bigger system of accountability in New Zealand that helps us ensure that there’s a transparency and accountability through government.

Kate Williams

All our reports are available for the public, and they’re the people whose money – the taxpayers – whose money is being spent on all the activities that we look at, and so we help give them assurance that their money’s being used properly.

Gary Emery

So it’s a really unique, really interesting job, and it certainly gets me out of bed in the morning.

Warren Ross

As a prospective immigrant, you need to look at what your pros and cons are. For us, it was things like it’s a very safe country – New Zealand is one of the safest countries in the world – and I think if you come out here and you make careful choices, and you’re careful and considered with what you do and where you settle, you can enjoy a good standard of living surrounded by people who are generally quite courteous and kind and will look out for you.

Pat Johnson

I think people should consider whether they’re moving to New Zealand for the right reasons, and to do some good research and a financial viability check before they get here.

Mike Scott

Yeah, I think, you know, you have to consider the risks that go with it I guess. There are risks, but I think the benefits far outweigh those risks.

Warren Ross

The people that have done the best here have been the ones who have embraced the opportunities and the positive reasons for them coming here.

Gary Emery

Most of all, you should come to New Zealand with an open mind. It is a very welcoming and encouraging country. You will have a great life when you get here.

Kate Williams

If you don’t come and give it a try, then you’ll never know what it’s like. If you do come and give it a try and it’s not for you, at least you gave it a go.

Title: For more information about joining the Office of the Auditor-General, visit www.oag.govt.nz

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