Two
fresh MPs from Labour and National have congratulated each
other on being in Parliament, as they describe what they
want their contributions to look like.
National’s
incoming Nelson MP Blair Cameron says he’s “absolutely
someone” to talk with friends across the aisle as he joined
incoming Labour list MP Chris Flatt on Morning Report’s
political panel for the first time.
Flatt said it was
a “bittersweet time”, as the party welcomes new members and
farewells those who didn’t make it back to
Parliament.
Cameron, who ousted Labour’s Rachel Boyack
in Nelson, said he had a “huge amount of respect” for her,
given her contribution over time and her kind and gracious
approach to conceding in person.
Host John Campbell
described it as “such a tonally different panel,” following
the kind and respectful introductions and a somewhat
fractious campaign with a lot of negative attacks, “long may
it last.”
Cameron described himself as having grown up
in the small rural farming community of Methven, raised by
his mum who was working and studying full time to be a
teacher, and dad who worked at a working men’s
club.
He went on to work at Princeton University and
the International Monetary Fund. He returned to New Zealand
in 2020 and settled in Nelson.
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Cameron got involved in
politics because he started to get “a little bit frustrated”
with some things going on in government.
He missed out
in the last election by 26 votes, and is “stoked” to get in
this time.
Labour’s Flatt lives in Cambridge, with
parents who came to New Zealand in the 60s. He was raised in
Papatoetoe before living in Finland on
exchange.
“Incredibly important in my political
formation, seeing a a country, a social democratic country,
which does not have a problem with the tax system that
redistributes into health and education in
Finland.”
He then studied politics and law, and worked
in Australia within the union movement before coming “back
to Aotearoa.”
He was the National Secretary of the
Dairy Workers Union, but pay equity changes and the
“absolute attacks on work rights by the coalition
government” propelled him to get into politics
directly.
Asked what he hoped to achieve with his time
in parliament, Cameron said he wanted to be the best MP for
Nelson.
He described a meeting he was at where no
young people said they wanted to remain in Nelson after
finishing school.
“It’s
known as a very good place to retire, but I think we need to
really grow economic opportunities in our region so that
young people see that they can build a future there,” said
Cameron.
He said he didn’t mind if kids travelled and
studied overseas but, “I want them always to have the option
to be building their future in Nelson and in
Tasman.”
Cameron described Nelson as having “amazing
national parks.”
“We have amazing outdoor activities.
I think we have the best climate in the world.”
Flatt
similarly described wanting to be working hard in his
electorate, despite being a list MP. He said the Waikato had
amazing agriculture, and some of the best energy in the
world, “it’s a geothermal hub of the world.”
“Yet when
I was on the campaign trail in places such as Putāruru or
Tokoroa, even Taupō, just a couple of blocks away from very
rich tourist areas, there is a loss of hope.
“There’s
a loss of jobs. There’s a loss of desire to stay in
Aotearoa. And I hear consistently of people saying our kids
have gone and we want them back. We want our whānau
here.”
Flatt also pointed to his union and primary
industry background in terms of wanting to have a discussion
about workers’ rights and a productive economy, pointing to
the Uber
law in particular.
Campbell finished by wishing
them well, and wishing they may have a friendship “across
the aisles.”
“We’ve both got big smiles on our faces
as you said that,” Cameron responded, “so I think
so.”
Flatt added there were a lot of similarities in a
number of MPs they found over the induction
process.
“Different views on how to achieve that, but
I think there’s a very common goal between a number of MPs
that are incoming and look forward to working with all of
the new crew, including Blair – congratulations again,
Blair, on on your win.”
“And to you, Chris,” Cameron
responded.
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