August 2, 2026 • 21 mins
Marama Davidson is the Co-leader of the Green Party and a List MP based in South Auckland. Born in Auckland, she spent her childhood living in several parts of Aotearoa before settling in Whirinaki in Hokianga, where she developed a strong connection to her Māori heritage. Of Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Tahinga descent, she was raised in a family of Māori activists and remains committed to improving outcomes for communities, particularly for Māori, by working alongside grassroots leaders.
Before entering Parliament, Marama spent 10 years at the Human Rights Commission and served as Chief Panelist for the Glenn Inquiry into Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, shaping her focus on preventing family and sexual violence. She later became New Zealand's first Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence and also served as Associate Minister for Housing with responsibility for addressing homelessness, including a focus on young people experiencing homelessness. A long-time Manurewa resident, Marama and her husband have six children and two mokopuna. She continues to advocate for social and environmental justice, drawing inspiration from her whānau and her belief that the wellbeing of communities depends on the wellbeing of the natural world.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection. It's Real Life with John Cowen
on News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Today. Welcome for a real life.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I'm John Cowen and Real Life is a program where
we get to know the people that you think you
already know, and they might have a public profile, but
in real life we like to see a limpus of
their heart, their motivations, their belief And my guest tonight
is Marama Davidson.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Welcome Marrama Jordan.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
John.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
It's such an honor to be on your show tonight.
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So it's a busy time you're coming up to of
election year. What's the biggest things in your diary.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
At the moment, It's pretty much all go. I just
finished launching Julian Genti's candidate campaign tonight for what was
it long with Ty Willington Bay's electorate. I've been around
the country helping to launch a whole lot of our
electorates who are really going to win the electorate. I
was in Napier just a couple of days ago for
(01:30):
here the Skipworth and her bid for ECU Audosity. So
you know, we're just our main focus getting out our
priorities for the election, getting around the country, having those
conversations with people on the ground for affordable lives, healthy nature,
honest politics for all of us.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Now it's going to be so busy between now and
the election, and of course once you get back into
Parliament again, it's as the business doesn't stop now. One
of the things I was thinking is that you're a
cancer survivor. Two years ago you got a diagnosis of
breast cancer and you had a lot of treatment and surgery,
and I'm just wondering, do you treat yourself differently these days,
(02:13):
to take your health more seriously and treat yourself in
a different way.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I really do. It was a bit of a wake
up call, as people might imagine, and it was a
lesson in taking seriously and centering well being. It's pretty
hard in this job, John, Any politician will tell you
to be not a very healthy lifestyle. Really, in some respect,
I'd go to be quite honest, it's probably one of
(02:38):
the most unhealthy lifestyles. I think about the fact that
we spend hours and hours you know that Parliament House,
the debating chamber, it has no windows. It's intentionally placed
in the middle of the building. It has no windows,
no natural light. You got a whole lot of people
who are working in who main hours under huge public pressure,
(03:02):
missing out on sleep, missing out on time with love
care about the most. It's probably not a good setup
for something to center well being. So it means that
you have to go above and beyond and you know,
try and prioritize sleep, try and get the good healthy
ki in because you know, that's another thing. It's hard.
(03:25):
It's hard to stay balanced on the road, on the travels.
It takes intention and I've definitely had to change that
right now.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Getting a diagnosis like that, it's one of the biggest
things that can ever slam into us. No one likes
to be bullied, but you actually got sort of bullied
into a diagnosis.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, that's a good way to put it, you know.
And I think I actually I actually credit her with
saving my life. No less, she was a doctor, and
she unfortunately passed on I don't know, maybe a year
and a half after that breakfast, that famous breakfast, Pink breakfast,
(04:11):
But she had just done a wonderful speech, and she
looked at me across the table. I was a minister
at the time and she and I was saying to her,
I wanted to admire her and I wanted to pay
my respects for her fantastic speech, and she wasn't going
to have a bar of it. She just looked at
me and she said, you know, I'm not here to
impress people with my speaking, you know, ability, I am
(04:33):
here to ensure that people get their screenings on Martima.
Have you had your screening? And well I hadn't, so
I felt very rightful and judged, and she said, you
have to go upstairs immediately from this breakfast and you
have to book in your mammogram because you are overdue.
And you know, so I did, I got. I got. Yeah,
(04:54):
Auntie judged into it, if you like. And it was
a life saving It was a life saving moment. And
I seen my love and wishes to her family and
her community.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It's a huge thing. And when it did, when you
did get the diagnosis, you suddenly had to put the
brakes on everything, and so as well as coping with
the surgery and chemo, you also had to subdly cope
with an empty diary with not being the you know,
madam and Davidson, the MP, the minister. That must have
(05:28):
been a shock to your sense of self.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
You know, John, I am ashamed to say that I
had more trauma from having to put down the tools
than I did from the actual cancer itself. And part
of that is because I was in a bit of
denial about the seriousness of a cancer diagnosis on the
one hand, but also because that's all I knew. A
(05:52):
life going one thousand miles an hour, seven days a week,
twelve months of the year a life was incredible purpose
and privilege of the sort of job that I get
to do and to be. Then oh, and here's the
other thing I suppose is a live that I felt
somewhat in control of. You know, even if it was
(06:12):
chaos and my dough was inhumanly full, it was still
me making decisions to live this life. What happens. What
happened with receiving a cancer diagnosis is it took me
quite a number of weeks, quite a bit of counseling,
quite a bit of reality checking from my health and
medical team to actually say to meet Madama, you are
(06:35):
not going to be able to do that job. You're
just not And so that was the trauma, and the
tears that first fell were actually for the discomfort and
not knowing how to put down the tools more than
they were for the actual cancer diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
So what filled the gap for you.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Are many many women particularly will will relate to even
after surgery, even when I was feeling at my it
was still really hard to sit. It was still really
hard to sit and recover. In fact, I think it
caused my family quite some grief, actually, I'm quite honest.
(07:20):
So it was finding things to do around the house.
It was, you know, suddenly cleaning a cupboard or a
bathroom that I hadn't cleaned in five years. It was
busying myself and moving all the time. And many people
will relate to how difficult we find it to just
sit and relax and rest. And so actually I ended
(07:42):
up finding all sorts of all sorts of things to do.
Oh jeez, jeez, John, you bring out the bloomin. You
bring out our secrets, don't you. I'm about to admit
to something else that you know, before one of my surgeries.
I think people might be able to relate to it
as if they are preparing for a booth, which is
a big major life change. Well, I was treating my seconds,
(08:05):
actually both surgeries. I treated my surgeries the same where
you found me at Kmart at two a m. On
the morning before my surgery, the very morning, buying shelves
for my cupboard because you know, after surgery, I was
not going to you know, dare go and tidy up
the cupboard. So I had to get all of these
(08:27):
things before surgery as if I was never again going
to set foot in my kitchen ever again, and it
had to be perfect. These are really silly things, but
they are part of the mechanics, I suppose for our
psychological process of trying to prepare for something significant, right, And.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Of course it is significant. And you got sex, children
and grandchildren and a good man, and it was impacting
them as well. And I suppose went to see them
concerned about you. That puts a weight on you as well,
doesn't it. But I guess they were trying to help
you and Espa.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Yeah, of course it was hard for them. It was
hard for them. For a fact. It was hard for
them to see their mum get really, really sick and
supposed to be recovering from some significant surgery that you know,
really really changed my mobility and my capability, my physical capability,
(09:28):
and it was hard for them to not see me
just resting, and so I completely uders they're probably quite worrying, actually,
But I think, you know, you helpefully talked about that
incredible support from incredible husband, beautiful children helping out, and
a whole lot of beautiful community love and support, which
(09:50):
I do feel quite humble and almost embarrassed by. But
it made me realize, you know, that this is the
sort of collective care that every single person with a
cancer diagnosis should be able to experience, so that they
can focus only on the healing, their treatment and their family.
Their health and their family. That should be it. But
(10:14):
that's not a privilege afforded to everyone, and it really
rander it home to me that that's part of the
motivation of coming back into this role is to try
and fight for the leavers to change the system so
we can afford that care and support for everyone who
needs it.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Right talking about family, I read through your script of
your debate in the Oxford Union. By the way, congratulations
on that. There must have been quite a buzz and
you won the debate two to one against the opposition,
and reading through it, I thought, there she is again,
your nana. You know she looms pretty large in your life,
(10:53):
doesn't she as an inspiration? I read, I'd seen several
mentions of her as I was reading through some of
your speeches. So tell us a bit about.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
It, well, spotted John, Yep. She was a featurer in
my maiden speech over ten years ago and half years ago.
She's a featurer in many and much of my work.
She's a political inspiration for a lot of my values.
And she was absolutely a feature in my Traveling to Oxford,
which was, by the way, the most terrifying terrifying thing
(11:26):
I feel that I've ever done. And I've done some terrifying,
terrifying things, but that was terrifying. Yeah. And she features
because she is a representation of both the economic injustices
that my people experience through colonization, but also the resilience
(11:47):
and her commitment to her fucker uppa, her commitment and
love for her children, her grandchildren. I mean she was
I was still young when she died. I think I
might have been fourteen, so I didn't even have her
for all of my life. I only had her for
my childhood and the fact that she's still I still
(12:07):
feel her every bit in my heart today as a
fifty two year old as I did then as a child.
I think that really says something about the relationship impact
that many grandparents have with their grandchildren, which is quite
unique and different from the relationship that they have again
with their children. So she just was absolutely a force
(12:33):
of nature in the care. But she was quite humble
and squishy, is how I described her in my maiden feet.
She was a squishy manner and for me that was literally,
and I guess symbolically and physically a squishy, soft, warm
manner who just felt like a cloud of love. That
(12:55):
was her demeanor. But in my maiden speech I talk
about the moment I saw her fury when it looked
like one of her grandchildren, me was about to be
picked on her boss. Yes, it's that side. And then
I just saw the roth and I saw her just
dig her toes and her heels right in and she
(13:15):
willn't going to have a bar of it. So you know,
I think she represents an approach to politics that I
also hope and aspire to as well.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Okay, that loving and caring, but tough as nails when
it comes to issues of justice and sticking up for
what you think.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
Is right, and that's the one.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And can I just say that the Greens, you've been
drawn in towards the Greens. Can you tell me what
the essence of the Green Party is? Not necessarily the
specifics of policy that you're going to the collection for,
but what do you think is the guts of it?
The essence of it? Because I was talking to people
on the beach this morning about the Greens and they
(13:53):
were saying, oh, are they really environmentalists? There's more of
a sort of a progressive party, and one lady described
it as actually just communists and disguise. So I'm just
wondering how you see the essence of the Green Party.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Upholding heftdit and social justice, environmental justice. The essence for
me really is Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous brilliance understands that all
of those things are connected. That is the key to
the Green Party and why I felt so at home
(14:29):
with them all those years ago is because indigenous people
around the world know that you can't look after the
environment without also looking after the people, That you can't
have climate justice without having economic justice. The Greens understand
this holistic connection. The Greens have never ever just been
(14:52):
about saving trees.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Right in europe Maiden speech, you use the phrase inequality
and climate change perpetuate each other. Indeed to tackle lie
that we have to tackle them both. And this is
what you're saying about the social justice being linked to
the environmental stuff. Can you just explain that linkage to me, because.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Yes, sure, sure, yeah. Climate just climate change, climate climate destruction.
There you go. The climate destruction that we are witnessing
has been driven by fossil fuel exploitation. That is what
is warming our planet, that is what is upsetting all
(15:34):
of the normal living systems, circles of life, ecosystem, degradation
of habitats for species, and the ongoing extinction and threat
of extinction for our native species around the world. So
climate change widely established as the human impact of the
(15:56):
use of fossil fuels into our environment. What has the
exploition exploitation of fossil fuels been driven by capitalism? It
has been driven by the wealth, the urge for wealth
and power to be held and maintained in the hands
of the few. That's where you get the link between
(16:17):
climate justice requires economic justice requires us to shift to
a way of living that does no longer depend on
fossil fuels and exploitation, and that redistributes wealth and power
rather than concentrate it in the hands of the few.
So that's where the sort of link between climate justice
(16:40):
economic justice. The economic system which has relied on us
being dependent on fossil fuel economy has driven the ruin
of the climate. And so we need the economic transformation
to resilient and renewable economic systems that, instead of exploiting
the earth, reflemish the earth. And that's an entirely different
(17:03):
economic model.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Okay, if these renewable resources and alternative sources of energy
become more economic, then surely capitalism will drive us in
that direction. Or is that not open?
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Why that's why we have to address capitalism or as
or to put it simply, that's why wealth redistribution has
to also be addressed, exactly right, because then otherwise we're
just green washing. We're just green washing otherwise. So yep,
that's where they go hand in hand. We have to
reduce our alliance on fossil fuels, we have to redistribute
(17:38):
wealth and power. You're absolutely right. They cannot exist without
the other.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Okay, what would New Zealand look like if all your
political dreams came true? You know, if you you know,
if everything came together, How would New Zealand be different
as a result of if every green policy got put through,
how would be different? What would it? How would say,
impact the very rich and the very poor?
Speaker 4 (18:03):
For instance, everyone living in a warm, dry, affordable home
that leeds less heating, but when it does need energy,
it is a renewable source that isn't dependent on the
mood of Trump and whether or not he's going to
shut down a whole hormove straight on the other side
of the world, that we have built our own resilient
(18:27):
energy system. We are generating our own renewable energy. And
that actually power is understood and energy is understood to
be a public good where everyone has what they need
to live good lives, including energy and power. At the moment,
the affordability of power bills is just nonexistent. It's through
(18:49):
the roof, so good affordable quality, stable homes with cheaper
power bills, more options for traveling around and moving from
a to B, which would include more public transport options
and safer cycling, and pedestrian option and less reliance on expensive, expensive,
(19:12):
expensive motorways, which by the way, do not decongest our roads.
And we would have more local and smaller medium businesses
being able to afford their power bills being supported. We
would have wat is and hyds invested in. We would
(19:32):
be manufacturing our own things because we used to do
that and we can do it again. We would have
biomass and regional housing being built, and tens of thousands
of jobs being invested in and created to build the
things that communities rely on being built by our own people.
(19:53):
Water infrastructure, public transport, renewable energy technolies, a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Then there's a lot there. Your new battle cry for
the greenses for all of us in just the minute
that we've got remaining, How is the Green Party going
to appeal to Blue voters and red voters and New
Zealand first and the others. What's going to win them over?
If it's for all of us we're.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Winning over in our conversations on the ground, it's just human,
ordinary conversations that we have enough and nultiettle for everyone
to live a good life. People need to understand that
that is true. When we have those conversations when people
can see there is enough, When people can see that
we can nactually have an alterator that looks after everyone properly,
(20:39):
when people can see that, even if you don't like
me as a politician, even if you have all sorts
of ideas about me as a politician, I will fight
for your right to housing and health and education and
public transport. I will fight for your right to those
public good services because everyone deserves them, and we have
(21:01):
enough for everyone to have that.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Ma'am, it's been wonderful talking to you, and thank you
very much. Wish you all the best for your pro rest,
and we'll go out on just a little bit of tea,
No not teks. We're going to be listening to Missy Elliott.
So thank you very much for taking time to be
with real life tonight. This has been John Cown. I'm
looking forward to being with you next Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Changing so much, John Bye, voice is Moss.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Can I get a ride on a white Horse.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Dodge For more from News Talks B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection. It's Real Life with John Cowen
on News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Today. Welcome for a real life.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I'm John Cowen and Real Life is a program where
we get to know the people that you think you
already know, and they might have a public profile, but
in real life we like to see a limpus of
their heart, their motivations, their belief And my guest tonight
is Marama Davidson.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Welcome Marrama Jordan.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
John.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
It's such an honor to be on your show tonight.
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So it's a busy time you're coming up to of
election year. What's the biggest things in your diary.
Speaker 4 (01:07):
At the moment, It's pretty much all go. I just
finished launching Julian Genti's candidate campaign tonight for what was
it long with Ty Willington Bay's electorate. I've been around
the country helping to launch a whole lot of our
electorates who are really going to win the electorate. I
was in Napier just a couple of days ago for
(01:30):
here the Skipworth and her bid for ECU Audosity. So
you know, we're just our main focus getting out our
priorities for the election, getting around the country, having those
conversations with people on the ground for affordable lives, healthy nature,
honest politics for all of us.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Now it's going to be so busy between now and
the election, and of course once you get back into
Parliament again, it's as the business doesn't stop now. One
of the things I was thinking is that you're a
cancer survivor. Two years ago you got a diagnosis of
breast cancer and you had a lot of treatment and surgery,
and I'm just wondering, do you treat yourself differently these days,
(02:13):
to take your health more seriously and treat yourself in
a different way.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
I really do. It was a bit of a wake
up call, as people might imagine, and it was a
lesson in taking seriously and centering well being. It's pretty
hard in this job, John, Any politician will tell you
to be not a very healthy lifestyle. Really, in some respect,
I'd go to be quite honest, it's probably one of
(02:38):
the most unhealthy lifestyles. I think about the fact that
we spend hours and hours you know that Parliament House,
the debating chamber, it has no windows. It's intentionally placed
in the middle of the building. It has no windows,
no natural light. You got a whole lot of people
who are working in who main hours under huge public pressure,
(03:02):
missing out on sleep, missing out on time with love
care about the most. It's probably not a good setup
for something to center well being. So it means that
you have to go above and beyond and you know,
try and prioritize sleep, try and get the good healthy
ki in because you know, that's another thing. It's hard.
(03:25):
It's hard to stay balanced on the road, on the travels.
It takes intention and I've definitely had to change that
right now.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Getting a diagnosis like that, it's one of the biggest
things that can ever slam into us. No one likes
to be bullied, but you actually got sort of bullied
into a diagnosis.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yeah, that's a good way to put it, you know.
And I think I actually I actually credit her with
saving my life. No less, she was a doctor, and
she unfortunately passed on I don't know, maybe a year
and a half after that breakfast, that famous breakfast, Pink breakfast,
(04:11):
But she had just done a wonderful speech, and she
looked at me across the table. I was a minister
at the time and she and I was saying to her,
I wanted to admire her and I wanted to pay
my respects for her fantastic speech, and she wasn't going
to have a bar of it. She just looked at
me and she said, you know, I'm not here to
impress people with my speaking, you know, ability, I am
(04:33):
here to ensure that people get their screenings on Martima.
Have you had your screening? And well I hadn't, so
I felt very rightful and judged, and she said, you
have to go upstairs immediately from this breakfast and you
have to book in your mammogram because you are overdue.
And you know, so I did, I got. I got. Yeah,
(04:54):
Auntie judged into it, if you like. And it was
a life saving It was a life saving moment. And
I seen my love and wishes to her family and
her community.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It's a huge thing. And when it did, when you
did get the diagnosis, you suddenly had to put the
brakes on everything, and so as well as coping with
the surgery and chemo, you also had to subdly cope
with an empty diary with not being the you know,
madam and Davidson, the MP, the minister. That must have
(05:28):
been a shock to your sense of self.
Speaker 4 (05:31):
You know, John, I am ashamed to say that I
had more trauma from having to put down the tools
than I did from the actual cancer itself. And part
of that is because I was in a bit of
denial about the seriousness of a cancer diagnosis on the
one hand, but also because that's all I knew. A
(05:52):
life going one thousand miles an hour, seven days a week,
twelve months of the year a life was incredible purpose
and privilege of the sort of job that I get
to do and to be. Then oh, and here's the
other thing I suppose is a live that I felt
somewhat in control of. You know, even if it was
(06:12):
chaos and my dough was inhumanly full, it was still
me making decisions to live this life. What happens. What
happened with receiving a cancer diagnosis is it took me
quite a number of weeks, quite a bit of counseling,
quite a bit of reality checking from my health and
medical team to actually say to meet Madama, you are
(06:35):
not going to be able to do that job. You're
just not And so that was the trauma, and the
tears that first fell were actually for the discomfort and
not knowing how to put down the tools more than
they were for the actual cancer diagnosis.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
So what filled the gap for you.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
Are many many women particularly will will relate to even
after surgery, even when I was feeling at my it
was still really hard to sit. It was still really
hard to sit and recover. In fact, I think it
caused my family quite some grief, actually, I'm quite honest.
(07:20):
So it was finding things to do around the house.
It was, you know, suddenly cleaning a cupboard or a
bathroom that I hadn't cleaned in five years. It was
busying myself and moving all the time. And many people
will relate to how difficult we find it to just
sit and relax and rest. And so actually I ended
(07:42):
up finding all sorts of all sorts of things to do.
Oh jeez, jeez, John, you bring out the bloomin. You
bring out our secrets, don't you. I'm about to admit
to something else that you know, before one of my surgeries.
I think people might be able to relate to it
as if they are preparing for a booth, which is
a big major life change. Well, I was treating my seconds,
(08:05):
actually both surgeries. I treated my surgeries the same where
you found me at Kmart at two a m. On
the morning before my surgery, the very morning, buying shelves
for my cupboard because you know, after surgery, I was
not going to you know, dare go and tidy up
the cupboard. So I had to get all of these
(08:27):
things before surgery as if I was never again going
to set foot in my kitchen ever again, and it
had to be perfect. These are really silly things, but
they are part of the mechanics, I suppose for our
psychological process of trying to prepare for something significant, right, And.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Of course it is significant. And you got sex, children
and grandchildren and a good man, and it was impacting
them as well. And I suppose went to see them
concerned about you. That puts a weight on you as well,
doesn't it. But I guess they were trying to help
you and Espa.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Yeah, of course it was hard for them. It was
hard for them. For a fact. It was hard for
them to see their mum get really, really sick and
supposed to be recovering from some significant surgery that you know,
really really changed my mobility and my capability, my physical capability,
(09:28):
and it was hard for them to not see me
just resting, and so I completely uders they're probably quite worrying, actually,
But I think, you know, you helpefully talked about that
incredible support from incredible husband, beautiful children helping out, and
a whole lot of beautiful community love and support, which
(09:50):
I do feel quite humble and almost embarrassed by. But
it made me realize, you know, that this is the
sort of collective care that every single person with a
cancer diagnosis should be able to experience, so that they
can focus only on the healing, their treatment and their family.
Their health and their family. That should be it. But
(10:14):
that's not a privilege afforded to everyone, and it really
rander it home to me that that's part of the
motivation of coming back into this role is to try
and fight for the leavers to change the system so
we can afford that care and support for everyone who
needs it.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Right talking about family, I read through your script of
your debate in the Oxford Union. By the way, congratulations
on that. There must have been quite a buzz and
you won the debate two to one against the opposition,
and reading through it, I thought, there she is again,
your nana. You know she looms pretty large in your life,
(10:53):
doesn't she as an inspiration? I read, I'd seen several
mentions of her as I was reading through some of
your speeches. So tell us a bit about.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
It, well, spotted John, Yep. She was a featurer in
my maiden speech over ten years ago and half years ago.
She's a featurer in many and much of my work.
She's a political inspiration for a lot of my values.
And she was absolutely a feature in my Traveling to Oxford,
which was, by the way, the most terrifying terrifying thing
(11:26):
I feel that I've ever done. And I've done some terrifying,
terrifying things, but that was terrifying. Yeah. And she features
because she is a representation of both the economic injustices
that my people experience through colonization, but also the resilience
(11:47):
and her commitment to her fucker uppa, her commitment and
love for her children, her grandchildren. I mean she was
I was still young when she died. I think I
might have been fourteen, so I didn't even have her
for all of my life. I only had her for
my childhood and the fact that she's still I still
(12:07):
feel her every bit in my heart today as a
fifty two year old as I did then as a child.
I think that really says something about the relationship impact
that many grandparents have with their grandchildren, which is quite
unique and different from the relationship that they have again
with their children. So she just was absolutely a force
(12:33):
of nature in the care. But she was quite humble
and squishy, is how I described her in my maiden feet.
She was a squishy manner and for me that was literally,
and I guess symbolically and physically a squishy, soft, warm
manner who just felt like a cloud of love. That
(12:55):
was her demeanor. But in my maiden speech I talk
about the moment I saw her fury when it looked
like one of her grandchildren, me was about to be
picked on her boss. Yes, it's that side. And then
I just saw the roth and I saw her just
dig her toes and her heels right in and she
(13:15):
willn't going to have a bar of it. So you know,
I think she represents an approach to politics that I
also hope and aspire to as well.
Speaker 2 (13:24):
Okay, that loving and caring, but tough as nails when
it comes to issues of justice and sticking up for
what you think.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
Is right, and that's the one.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And can I just say that the Greens, you've been
drawn in towards the Greens. Can you tell me what
the essence of the Green Party is? Not necessarily the
specifics of policy that you're going to the collection for,
but what do you think is the guts of it?
The essence of it? Because I was talking to people
on the beach this morning about the Greens and they
(13:53):
were saying, oh, are they really environmentalists? There's more of
a sort of a progressive party, and one lady described
it as actually just communists and disguise. So I'm just
wondering how you see the essence of the Green Party.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
Upholding heftdit and social justice, environmental justice. The essence for
me really is Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous brilliance understands that all
of those things are connected. That is the key to
the Green Party and why I felt so at home
(14:29):
with them all those years ago is because indigenous people
around the world know that you can't look after the
environment without also looking after the people, That you can't
have climate justice without having economic justice. The Greens understand
this holistic connection. The Greens have never ever just been
(14:52):
about saving trees.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Right in europe Maiden speech, you use the phrase inequality
and climate change perpetuate each other. Indeed to tackle lie
that we have to tackle them both. And this is
what you're saying about the social justice being linked to
the environmental stuff. Can you just explain that linkage to me, because.
Speaker 4 (15:10):
Yes, sure, sure, yeah. Climate just climate change, climate climate destruction.
There you go. The climate destruction that we are witnessing
has been driven by fossil fuel exploitation. That is what
is warming our planet, that is what is upsetting all
(15:34):
of the normal living systems, circles of life, ecosystem, degradation
of habitats for species, and the ongoing extinction and threat
of extinction for our native species around the world. So
climate change widely established as the human impact of the
(15:56):
use of fossil fuels into our environment. What has the
exploition exploitation of fossil fuels been driven by capitalism? It
has been driven by the wealth, the urge for wealth
and power to be held and maintained in the hands
of the few. That's where you get the link between
(16:17):
climate justice requires economic justice requires us to shift to
a way of living that does no longer depend on
fossil fuels and exploitation, and that redistributes wealth and power
rather than concentrate it in the hands of the few.
So that's where the sort of link between climate justice
(16:40):
economic justice. The economic system which has relied on us
being dependent on fossil fuel economy has driven the ruin
of the climate. And so we need the economic transformation
to resilient and renewable economic systems that, instead of exploiting
the earth, reflemish the earth. And that's an entirely different
(17:03):
economic model.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Okay, if these renewable resources and alternative sources of energy
become more economic, then surely capitalism will drive us in
that direction. Or is that not open?
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Why that's why we have to address capitalism or as
or to put it simply, that's why wealth redistribution has
to also be addressed, exactly right, because then otherwise we're
just green washing. We're just green washing otherwise. So yep,
that's where they go hand in hand. We have to
reduce our alliance on fossil fuels, we have to redistribute
(17:38):
wealth and power. You're absolutely right. They cannot exist without
the other.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Okay, what would New Zealand look like if all your
political dreams came true? You know, if you you know,
if everything came together, How would New Zealand be different
as a result of if every green policy got put through,
how would be different? What would it? How would say,
impact the very rich and the very poor?
Speaker 4 (18:03):
For instance, everyone living in a warm, dry, affordable home
that leeds less heating, but when it does need energy,
it is a renewable source that isn't dependent on the
mood of Trump and whether or not he's going to
shut down a whole hormove straight on the other side
of the world, that we have built our own resilient
(18:27):
energy system. We are generating our own renewable energy. And
that actually power is understood and energy is understood to
be a public good where everyone has what they need
to live good lives, including energy and power. At the moment,
the affordability of power bills is just nonexistent. It's through
(18:49):
the roof, so good affordable quality, stable homes with cheaper
power bills, more options for traveling around and moving from
a to B, which would include more public transport options
and safer cycling, and pedestrian option and less reliance on expensive, expensive,
(19:12):
expensive motorways, which by the way, do not decongest our roads.
And we would have more local and smaller medium businesses
being able to afford their power bills being supported. We
would have wat is and hyds invested in. We would
(19:32):
be manufacturing our own things because we used to do
that and we can do it again. We would have
biomass and regional housing being built, and tens of thousands
of jobs being invested in and created to build the
things that communities rely on being built by our own people.
(19:53):
Water infrastructure, public transport, renewable energy technolies, a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Then there's a lot there. Your new battle cry for
the greenses for all of us in just the minute
that we've got remaining, How is the Green Party going
to appeal to Blue voters and red voters and New
Zealand first and the others. What's going to win them over?
If it's for all of us we're.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Winning over in our conversations on the ground, it's just human,
ordinary conversations that we have enough and nultiettle for everyone
to live a good life. People need to understand that
that is true. When we have those conversations when people
can see there is enough, When people can see that
we can nactually have an alterator that looks after everyone properly,
(20:39):
when people can see that, even if you don't like
me as a politician, even if you have all sorts
of ideas about me as a politician, I will fight
for your right to housing and health and education and
public transport. I will fight for your right to those
public good services because everyone deserves them, and we have
(21:01):
enough for everyone to have that.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Ma'am, it's been wonderful talking to you, and thank you
very much. Wish you all the best for your pro rest,
and we'll go out on just a little bit of tea,
No not teks. We're going to be listening to Missy Elliott.
So thank you very much for taking time to be
with real life tonight. This has been John Cown. I'm
looking forward to being with you next Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Changing so much, John Bye, voice is Moss.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Can I get a ride on a white Horse.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Dodge For more from News Talks B listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com