MPs Visit New Plymouth

Poto Williams (left)

On Wednesday this week we attended a morning tea meeting with four visiting MPs. Between 40 and 50 members and supporters of the Labour Party in New Plymouth got together to chat with them and listen to their comments.

There were four MPs, all members of the Caucus Law and Order Committee: Poto Williams, Jacinda Ardern, Adrian Raruwhe and Phil Goff.

Poto Williams explained the circumstances of some of her Christchurch East constituents four years after the earthquakes devastated their part of the city. She made clear her motivation for entering politics: a driving desire to see New Zealand develop into a fairer and more equal society.

Jacinda Ardern (right)

Jacinda Ardern impressed, as she does in formal parliamentary situations, with her very clear, concise exposition of current issues. She also gave us some background about James Shaw, the new co-leader of the Greens, with whom she had had election fights in the past!

Adrian Raruwhe (right)

Adrian Raruwhe, MP for Te Tai Hauauru, explained that it was taking him a long time to get to grips with all of his huge electorate: even to meet the mayors of the several dozen local bodies in his area is taking well over a year.

Phil Goff had recently been to a conference on Nuclear disarmament in New York; he is the Labour spokesman on nuclear disarmament. He expressed pride in the fact that New Zealand was the first country to become officially nuclear free. And in answer to a question he recounted his involvement in the free-trade deals with China and South-east Asia. Probably most important was his reiteration of the facts about governments' management of the economy: for nine years Labour produced a surplus in the budget, paid off debt and saved money for the future, in seven years National has not produced one surplus and yet has borrowed more.

Phil Goff (right)

After an hour or so the MPs left to meet community leaders here, and the audience finished off the plentiful food that was left, while discussing and digesting what the MPs had said.

Jacinda made an important point: the most mentioned issue concerning people surveyed in the party's research at present is Child Poverty. On Monday next, Community Paediatrician, Nicky Nelson, will address a public meeting at the Labour Party rooms: 7.30 pm if you can get to join us. Her subject: Child Poverty in New Plymouth.