A tribute to some fine politicians
Some of my favourite NZ politicians are stepping down as MPs and have given valedictory speeches over the past few days. They have done more and tried harder than the average Kiwi gives them credit for and it is sad to see them go.
It is with particular sadness that we note the, as always very sad, death of Brian Donnelly, who I remember as a funny man with a good sense of humour and always willing to sit down and discuss the real issues across the parties. He worked hard and was, I am sure, a fine High Commissioner in his final years.
Here are some of the final comments made by some of my favourite MPs:
Mark Gosche (for clarification - his wife requires 24 hours care following a brain haemorrage in 2002 and his son committed suicide last year) - ”I would forego a thousand tax cuts if I were able to access the treatment and services that Carol needs, and would receive if she were covered by ACC…I ask on behalf of hundreds of families like ours that efforts continue to reduce our suicide rate and to find answers so we can avoid the grief…This insane idea that we must all be available to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, has ruined family life for many.”
Marian Hobbs (she was incredibly good to me and an amazing person to learn from) - ”Politics is about making decisions, be it the laws we pass or the budgets we approve…But modern news media doesn’t evaluate our decisions in the light of which policy is best…Instead they build a web around personalities and behaviour. It’s about a smiley new face versus the one we are familiar with. The news is about decision makers, rarely about decisions.”
Tim Barnett (gave me very useful advice on LSE and living in London) - ”I’ve long ascribed to the advice that if you’re going to invite a tiger to lunch, there’s little point in pouring the sauce over yourself.” (On the Media)
Mark Blumsky (we had our run-ins on the campaign but he’s a good guy with a real, and very deep, passion for Wellington) - ”The `them and us’ feeling is stronger than I had suspected…neither of us can be exactly right and I think we sometimes miss out on the real solutions.”
Katherine Rich (an MP I respect and admire for having done and continue doing what she believes in) - ”Kiwi music brings us together as one of the glues to our society. The market will never support local music sufficiently, given the size of our country…Demotion [in 2005 under Brash] clearly wasn’t a career highlight but it was preferable than trying to explain why I, a well-paid mother with all the supports in the world, intended telling a DPB (domestic purposes benefit) mum to leave her baby in childcare to net less than half the minimum wage.”
And finally, at least for now, my old local MP, who might have had something to do with my interest in politics and the Labour party. Steve Maharey (part-time Robbie Williams impersonator) - ”Fairness and equal opportunity have long been part of the New Zealand political tradition and it led to governments putting in place institutions that made a practical difference to people like me…Members will have their own goals. Make them bold. The mistakes of the 1980s and 1990s have left an legacy of understandable caution in politics…The current economic crisis reinforces this stance. But in the midst of new times, the spectre of the past should not be allowed to get in the way of a vision for the future.”
These people, and many others that aren’t quite ready to leave yet, have shaped my perception of the way the world works and I am thankful for their insight. They might not have been perfect but they fought for things they believed in and did so in the unkind and difficult environment that is national politics. I greatly respect them and wish all the very best in their future careers and lives.
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