SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER 2010
I helped out my whanaunga Hekia Parata campaign in her electorate of Mana in Porirua Wellington. The bi-election goes to the polls on Saturday 20 November.
What an interesting township. It’s apparently the fourth wealthiest suburb/ward in the country. For those of you who know the area, it takes in the lower socio-economic region of Cannons Creek – a high umemployment, state housing district and yes, that's where we live a high proportion of us, our Maori and Pasifika whanau. This is Porirua east. Is it surprising then that Mana is a left leaning and therefore Labour stronghold? All those aspects, lower socio-economic, blue collar working, Maori-Pasifika whanau are traditionally left-Labour supporters. So why is it then that this is the fourth wealthiest suburb in New Zealand? Not knowing the area at all – I’m figuring there must be pockets of wealthy, moneyed streets, perhaps Pauatahanui and Pukerua Bay.
The bi-election is being held because Labour incumbent Luamanovao Winnie Laban has retired to take up a position at Victoria University. Taking up the red-reins is former TVNZ journalist Kris Faafoi. The Christchurch born Tokelauan is former Chief Press Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition and Chairperson of the Rongotai Pacific Branch of the Labour Party.
I showed up at Hekia’s Mana office with a couple of National Party mates from Auckland and Palmerston and was immediately impressed by the volunteer support. The queue of helpers snaked out the door and onto the footpath. There was a mix of older Pakeha, middle-aged corporate public servant types (you can tell them they maybe casually dressed but they have the tell-tale crease down the jeans). The standout groups and there were two of them, both on the under 25 year side of life. I labelled one of the groups ‘Young Nat’s but they told me they had graduated, to what I don't know because they looked to me too young to be in the 40-below group. The other largish roopu there; were rangatahi Māori. It wasn’t just that there were a significant number of them about a dozen – but my goodness they were tall about 5’6, 5’7 slim young men and women aged about 16,17 all stuffing envelopes. Hekia’s relatives, I bet.
So off I went door knocking down Mungavin Street in Porirua. Heavily state housing area with about 90% Māori and Pasifika whanau. The street is both hilly and flat. The houses on the ridge had the best view back over to Titahi Bay. The houses on the flat are still on their original ¼ acre sections which means the area hasn’t succumbed to Auckland’s population squeeze and the need to infill. What struck me about this street was the amount of apathy locals have towards the bi-election. This is probably the hardest obstacle to tackle for any Politician. Trying to convince people to take control of their future, to have a say in what happens to them, their whanau and kids is difficult. You’re battling in some instances generational lethargy, indifference created by years of welfare dependency, disillusionment, disappointment and yes sheer bloody laziness. What to do about it takes concentrated co-ordinated effort from community agencies the Government and individuals. It’s not to say it isn’t happening already because it is. But ultimately the will to want to progress, be prosperous, be ambitious needs to come from the whanau themselves. My whanaunga Hekia Parata represents ambition, prosperity. Coming from a small rural East Coast town called Ruatoria – it has never been an affluent township. But concentration on furthering her education a determination to develop economically both on a personal and community level has seen Hekia and her immediate whanau in business and now in Parliament. Hekia is a great success story for the people of Mana, Titahi Bay and Porirua. This is what the National Government is all about prosperous, successful New Zealanders including Māori. So if you’re in Mana, go to the polls on Saturday 20 November and vote Hekia Parata National. Just a reminder it’s a vote for the MP only there’s no Party vote in a bi-election.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: GO LICK YOUR OWN WOUNDS! IT AINT OVER!
DAY AFTER:
Sunday 10 October 2010
Well it’s all over bar the screaming and a-shouting! I wasn’t selected for Local Board Owairaka subdivision of Albert-Eden-Roskill. In fact none of my C&R team mates made it over the line. Chris Fletcher won her race and Paul Goldsmith was pipped at the post by City Vision’s Dr Cathy Casey.
Of course I’m disappointed not to have made it over the line – you don’t enter a race to come second or last. I think I did well on the streets, I did a good door knock campaign, I really enjoyed meeting people – if there was anything I would change about that part of the campaigning strategy it would be that I would knock on more doors and I’d probably want to go round a second time. So next time and there will be a next time I’ll give myself more lead-in. Believe me there will be a next time and it won’t be in three years either. Now that I am not on a
Local Board, it frees me up to seek nomination for a central government candidacy. 
There’s no need for me to feel compromised by my duty to the Local Board and my determination to get to Wellington. Whether I get a nomination will depend on several very key factors:
a) How hard I campaigned at this Local Board level b) What skills I bring to the Party c) Team-ship; my dedication to the Party and its policies.
Selection will be up to me – how hard I work, how well I can convince the Party that my skill and experience will not only compliment but enhance the Party and although I have ‘Boss’ and ‘Leadership’ roles in my professional life I am also a very good follower. I hope also to convince the Party that I’m actually quite a nice person as well. I'm well conditioned that Party members can take me home to meet the husband/wife/kids and I won’t eat the pot plants and kick the cats. Don’t get me wrong….I said earlier I’m disappointed but age and business ownership has toughened me up I take very few things personally and I always have a contingency plan.
Should I take defeat personally….hell no. I know what Maori media commentators will say; Pakeha didn’t vote for me because I was Maori…and because suburbia is by and large homophobic they won’t vote for a gay. Well I don’t believe that, I refuse to buy into that paranoia. That’s rubbish.
What I do think is that, it’s harder to run at Local Board Level
if you don’t already have a very big profile at the coal face. There is scant to no media coverage given to Local Boards but rather the ‘sexy’ stories are up at Mayor and Councillor level. Which means for those of us who haven’t worked at flax roots it takes a lot more leg work, and you do need to diversify the methods of community contact: door knocking, community hui, telephone canvassing, fund raising events and there’s no substitution for actually working with and for charity and community groups. Those that won in Owairaka were Community people – absolutely they were; there’s no denying it. So when it came time to vote, as much as residents said they wanted change, Owairaka voted conservatively and stayed with those they knew. Because they knew these people the community felt they could trust them. I can understand that. It had nothing to do with ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ but everything to do with ‘Local’. The Super City is after all an unknown quantity. All communities are concerned and rightly so, about how they will fare. Will they be overlooked in the transitioning phase? Will they be bossed around by the CCO’s? Will their rates and rents increase? I’m not saying Owairaka chose correctly – they didn’t they should have chosen me. What I need to do is to convince them that they should have voted for me and they can vote for me next year.
In respect to the big-picture view of the elections, the ‘left’ – particularly the unions and Labour Party faithful worked strategically to get South Aucklanders to vote. They were methodical and meticulous and their efforts paid off. It took organisation and time and a lot of people power, but it worked. How desperate were the ‘left’ to get Len Brown into the job, very desperate. You got to admire the job they did on South and West Auckland. They rallied the people, constantly attended to them, it was almost bully-boy tactics. How desperate were they, very desperate.
So now I go back to my other job. I will not be licking my wounds,
I am not battered, or bruised physically or emotionally – that’s for kids! I go back to my day job, armed with my A4 exercise book crammed full of notes on how to run a bigger, smarter, slicker campaign – not in three years time but next year.
Follow me if you like. I’m still going to call the blog ‘Diary of a Campaigner’ and since I work in TV I may as well make it a VBLOG. That’ll be fun. To all of you who supported me with votes and good wishes – mauri ora koutou katoa!
Sunday 10 October 2010
Well it’s all over bar the screaming and a-shouting! I wasn’t selected for Local Board Owairaka subdivision of Albert-Eden-Roskill. In fact none of my C&R team mates made it over the line. Chris Fletcher won her race and Paul Goldsmith was pipped at the post by City Vision’s Dr Cathy Casey.Of course I’m disappointed not to have made it over the line – you don’t enter a race to come second or last. I think I did well on the streets, I did a good door knock campaign, I really enjoyed meeting people – if there was anything I would change about that part of the campaigning strategy it would be that I would knock on more doors and I’d probably want to go round a second time. So next time and there will be a next time I’ll give myself more lead-in. Believe me there will be a next time and it won’t be in three years either. Now that I am not on a
Local Board, it frees me up to seek nomination for a central government candidacy. 
There’s no need for me to feel compromised by my duty to the Local Board and my determination to get to Wellington. Whether I get a nomination will depend on several very key factors:a) How hard I campaigned at this Local Board level b) What skills I bring to the Party c) Team-ship; my dedication to the Party and its policies.
Selection will be up to me – how hard I work, how well I can convince the Party that my skill and experience will not only compliment but enhance the Party and although I have ‘Boss’ and ‘Leadership’ roles in my professional life I am also a very good follower. I hope also to convince the Party that I’m actually quite a nice person as well. I'm well conditioned that Party members can take me home to meet the husband/wife/kids and I won’t eat the pot plants and kick the cats. Don’t get me wrong….I said earlier I’m disappointed but age and business ownership has toughened me up I take very few things personally and I always have a contingency plan.
Should I take defeat personally….hell no. I know what Maori media commentators will say; Pakeha didn’t vote for me because I was Maori…and because suburbia is by and large homophobic they won’t vote for a gay. Well I don’t believe that, I refuse to buy into that paranoia. That’s rubbish.What I do think is that, it’s harder to run at Local Board Level
if you don’t already have a very big profile at the coal face. There is scant to no media coverage given to Local Boards but rather the ‘sexy’ stories are up at Mayor and Councillor level. Which means for those of us who haven’t worked at flax roots it takes a lot more leg work, and you do need to diversify the methods of community contact: door knocking, community hui, telephone canvassing, fund raising events and there’s no substitution for actually working with and for charity and community groups. Those that won in Owairaka were Community people – absolutely they were; there’s no denying it. So when it came time to vote, as much as residents said they wanted change, Owairaka voted conservatively and stayed with those they knew. Because they knew these people the community felt they could trust them. I can understand that. It had nothing to do with ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ but everything to do with ‘Local’. The Super City is after all an unknown quantity. All communities are concerned and rightly so, about how they will fare. Will they be overlooked in the transitioning phase? Will they be bossed around by the CCO’s? Will their rates and rents increase? I’m not saying Owairaka chose correctly – they didn’t they should have chosen me. What I need to do is to convince them that they should have voted for me and they can vote for me next year.
In respect to the big-picture view of the elections, the ‘left’ – particularly the unions and Labour Party faithful worked strategically to get South Aucklanders to vote. They were methodical and meticulous and their efforts paid off. It took organisation and time and a lot of people power, but it worked. How desperate were the ‘left’ to get Len Brown into the job, very desperate. You got to admire the job they did on South and West Auckland. They rallied the people, constantly attended to them, it was almost bully-boy tactics. How desperate were they, very desperate.So now I go back to my other job. I will not be licking my wounds,
I am not battered, or bruised physically or emotionally – that’s for kids! I go back to my day job, armed with my A4 exercise book crammed full of notes on how to run a bigger, smarter, slicker campaign – not in three years time but next year.Follow me if you like. I’m still going to call the blog ‘Diary of a Campaigner’ and since I work in TV I may as well make it a VBLOG. That’ll be fun. To all of you who supported me with votes and good wishes – mauri ora koutou katoa!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: MAORI MOANERS
DAY FORTY-EIGHT:
Thursday 07 October 2010
Have you voted? It’s not too late to get your forms in – take them to any Council today or tomorrow Friday and to any public Library on Saturday before midday. The preliminary results of the Council for the new Auckland will be known by 1pm on Saturday 09th October.
It’s a time of reflection for me on how I campaigned. This is the first time I’ve actually run for a
political position. Make no mistake about it Local Board is all about politics. I only bring this up because I had on the campaign trail been told that Local Board members aren’t real politicians – we’re ‘different’. By ‘different’ I think the person meant we’re at the coal face of the community and that we are the community. I agree with this premise – we are the community. But we have a responsibility to ensure that we positively exploit every policy, budget, legislation, Act and bureaucratic mechanism to advantage our communities. That entrenches us firmly in politics and makes us politicians. You can’t deny what you are by ignoring the facts and calling yourself another name – a rose is still a rose by any other name says Shakespeare. 
As a current affairs journalist and programme producer I’ve covered many local body elections – essentially to critique and scrutinize candidate’s policies and promises and to analyse their campaigning strategies.
Working in Maori media and covering local body elections the tone and tenor of coverage is always one of cynicism, and derision not of any person but of a system that some Maori believe to be racist. A system they say does not allow for Maori to vocalise and champion Maori topics. A system these critics say does not allow Maori to be themselves. I do not agree with these cynics. I think these types of commentators perpetuate the very ideology they say they’re fighting against.
By continuously bleating that Maori issues are ignored and over-looked creates a perception of separatism. By publicizing that Iwi can’t be ‘themselves’ on a campaign trail undermines the strength of Maori as individuals and collectively. For too long now we have listened to naysayer Maori, cynical Maori bemoan our position in this country as less than equal. For too long now Maori have followed these commentators and championed them as leaders. For too long now the dissemination of this type of almost conspiratorial ideology has contributed to a repressive world view.
Don’t get me wrong, there are very real historical injustices that still need to be addressed. Maori have faced systemic racism. Some Maori have and still do face personal workplace and street level racism. Maori do make up the majority of those at the bottom of the economic and social ladder.
Don’t get me wrong I do think vocalising injustices and often reminds us to continuously seek level playing fields and to seek justice. But to relentlessly complain without offering solutions is wrong. To demand redress for historical injustices without consideration to the long term affect on individuals and communities is irresponsible. To bleat incessantly about other people’s racist viewpoints toward Maori for publicity is in itself inciting hatred.
What I learnt on the campaign trail was humility. Past all the politicking and racial rhetoric was a community called Owairaka made up of Maori, Pakeha, Asian, African, European, Pasifika determined to live a life of prosperity. A community of people focussed on contributing positively to each other in some way. I met Mums and Dads working hard to give their children a better education than they had and greater opportunities to express their potential.
Owairaka like Maori do not need a constant barrage of cynical oppressive racially divisive diatribe. Nor do we need negative social statistics constantly reinforced as a permanent state of being. What we all desire are advocates of ambition, promoters of a hard work ethic, supporters of self responsibility and community champions.
Good luck to all those running for Council positions around the country, well done for standing up and wanting to make a difference.
Thursday 07 October 2010
Have you voted? It’s not too late to get your forms in – take them to any Council today or tomorrow Friday and to any public Library on Saturday before midday. The preliminary results of the Council for the new Auckland will be known by 1pm on Saturday 09th October.
It’s a time of reflection for me on how I campaigned. This is the first time I’ve actually run for a
political position. Make no mistake about it Local Board is all about politics. I only bring this up because I had on the campaign trail been told that Local Board members aren’t real politicians – we’re ‘different’. By ‘different’ I think the person meant we’re at the coal face of the community and that we are the community. I agree with this premise – we are the community. But we have a responsibility to ensure that we positively exploit every policy, budget, legislation, Act and bureaucratic mechanism to advantage our communities. That entrenches us firmly in politics and makes us politicians. You can’t deny what you are by ignoring the facts and calling yourself another name – a rose is still a rose by any other name says Shakespeare. 
As a current affairs journalist and programme producer I’ve covered many local body elections – essentially to critique and scrutinize candidate’s policies and promises and to analyse their campaigning strategies.
Working in Maori media and covering local body elections the tone and tenor of coverage is always one of cynicism, and derision not of any person but of a system that some Maori believe to be racist. A system they say does not allow for Maori to vocalise and champion Maori topics. A system these critics say does not allow Maori to be themselves. I do not agree with these cynics. I think these types of commentators perpetuate the very ideology they say they’re fighting against.
By continuously bleating that Maori issues are ignored and over-looked creates a perception of separatism. By publicizing that Iwi can’t be ‘themselves’ on a campaign trail undermines the strength of Maori as individuals and collectively. For too long now we have listened to naysayer Maori, cynical Maori bemoan our position in this country as less than equal. For too long now Maori have followed these commentators and championed them as leaders. For too long now the dissemination of this type of almost conspiratorial ideology has contributed to a repressive world view.Don’t get me wrong, there are very real historical injustices that still need to be addressed. Maori have faced systemic racism. Some Maori have and still do face personal workplace and street level racism. Maori do make up the majority of those at the bottom of the economic and social ladder.
Don’t get me wrong I do think vocalising injustices and often reminds us to continuously seek level playing fields and to seek justice. But to relentlessly complain without offering solutions is wrong. To demand redress for historical injustices without consideration to the long term affect on individuals and communities is irresponsible. To bleat incessantly about other people’s racist viewpoints toward Maori for publicity is in itself inciting hatred.
What I learnt on the campaign trail was humility. Past all the politicking and racial rhetoric was a community called Owairaka made up of Maori, Pakeha, Asian, African, European, Pasifika determined to live a life of prosperity. A community of people focussed on contributing positively to each other in some way. I met Mums and Dads working hard to give their children a better education than they had and greater opportunities to express their potential.
Owairaka like Maori do not need a constant barrage of cynical oppressive racially divisive diatribe. Nor do we need negative social statistics constantly reinforced as a permanent state of being. What we all desire are advocates of ambition, promoters of a hard work ethic, supporters of self responsibility and community champions.
Good luck to all those running for Council positions around the country, well done for standing up and wanting to make a difference.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)