Tom Rutherford - MP for the Bay of Plenty

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talk SEDB. Follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection, It's Real life with John Cowen
on News Talk s EDB.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Gooday, welcome to real life. I'm John Cowen, now cuddling
around the city of Torona. Is the U shaped electorate
of the Bay of Plenty. It's the bluest of blue,
having sat firmly in National's grip since nineteen forty one,
and the current MP is one of the youngest in Parliament.
Welcome to the honorable Tom Rutherford. Welcome Tom.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Good evening. John. Great to be with you.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
It's great to have you in the studio. And because
you've already had a busy day, I went on social
media and saw that you were out about around your electorate.
What were you doing earlier today?

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Yeah, it's the first Sunday of the month and so
for Sunday every every month, I'm down at my local
pop and Mile Community Market. I have a stand there.
They're from eight thirty to one o'clock and great opportunity
for anyone who either comes to the market and then
thinks they want to talk to their local MP to
have a chat with.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Me or not just selling things from your garage.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
The only thing I'm selling is myself and my ability
to serve the community. And yeah, it's a great opportunity
and I love it and I want to.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
People typically talk to you about do they grizzle, do
they do they have ideas? What's the MP gets subjected
to when he sits out in the open like that?

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Probably what this radio and interview is going to be.
Like John, a lot of different topics coming from a
lot of different angles. And I get a lot of
different things from people in the community, whether it's local issues,
things happening in parliament, people just wanting to say thank
you for something I might have done locally, people wanting
to say why haven't I done something locally? It just
varies from one person to the next.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
They don't draw you into their own personal dramas or
a pothole outside their drive or something.

Speaker 3 (02:02):
Typically not.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Typically not.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
They do try to drag me a little bit into
some of the council business as well sometimes, But yeah,
everyone is very approachable and very friendly and if they're
not interested to talk to me, that's fine. They just
smile and walk on bine it. I'm not offended.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
It must be a great relief to say something, be
able to say, oh, yes, well that's a council problem.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
I'll I still try to help. I still try to help.
I say, oh, that's a council problem, but I'll be
able to assist in this way. Or I could write
to the council for you on your behalf or something
like that if I can.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh, good on you. Now you are telling me that
Papamo has been voted. Is it the choicest.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
Suburb, the choicest suburb of New Zealand?

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Okay, and this is your home stomping ground. You're not
an MP that's just flying and to find some never
a thertile place to put down their political roots. You've
grown up there. Will tell me something you like about
the Bay of Plenty Papamal area.

Speaker 3 (02:51):
Yeah, I've lived in the Bay of Plenty electorate for
most of my life. That's why it's a real privilege
to be the local MP for the community, because it's
the place I know. Lots of people say I live
on this street or that street, and I say, great,
I used to do this on that street, or I
used to know my friend down on that street. The
things I love the most about pop More in particular
is just how we have everything at our fingertips. The

(03:13):
beach is there on a beautiful day if you're into
swimming or getting a suntan or whatever it might be.
There's plenty of local cafes, plenty of restaurants. We've got
fantastic local shops and things as well. And it's growing.
We've got nearly forty thousand people who live in pop
Mayer at the moment.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
It's just booming, isn't it.

Speaker 3 (03:30):
It is, And it's the place of growth in the
city as well, so more and more people are moving
there and I'm excited about that because I think growth
brings potential an opportunity with it, and so that's why
my fiance Hannah and I love living in pop Mayer.
I've got my local electorate office in pop and Moar
and it's just a wonderful community to be a part of.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
Okay, feeling new to parliament, this is your first term.
How are you finding the stress of it? Of the busyness?
I mean, as it surprised you how busy you are.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
Ah, yeah, it is a particularly busy job. I'm not
going to lie, but I absolutely love it. It's an
incredible opportunity. I wake up most days and pinch myself
that I've got the privilege to serve my local community.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
So how old were you when you were elected?

Speaker 3 (04:14):
So I was twenty six and twenty three election, so
twenty eight. Now I feel like I might have aged
twenty odd years and some people would say that would
be about right. I've got a bit of a bit
of facial here to try and make me look a
little bit older than I am, and I.

Speaker 2 (04:27):
Can't see any flex a gray yet. No, that'll be.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
That'll be coming, depending on how long I stay on
this job.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
But it's not your first time at parliament. You were
chosen to go there age seventeen.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
That you have done your research, this is brilliant. I
was a youth MP. We've just had Youth Parliament this
last week. Actually it happens once every three years and
every member of Parliament gets to pick a member of
their community to be their youth MP. And back in
twenty thirteen, I was a youth MP for a gentleman
called Brendan Horn.

Speaker 2 (04:57):
He was a one dependant, wasn't he?

Speaker 3 (04:59):
He was a one term New Zealand first and at
the time an independent MP, and I was lucky enough
to be his youth MP, which was an incredible experience.
And the full circle moment is the seat I sit
in today in Parliament was the seat I sat and
when I was a youth MP for Brendan Horn some
twelve years ago.

Speaker 2 (05:17):
Some of your chewing gum could still be on the
bottom of the seat.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
Well could have been, but I wouldn't dare to try
and even try it out, but yes, it could have been.

Speaker 2 (05:24):
So that must have meant that you had some political
aspirations and interests way back. I mean back in you know,
back when most teenagers are just interested in cars and
whatever else teenagers interreased and you had eyes on Wellington.

Speaker 3 (05:38):
I think if you asked my parents, they said I
did love to argue a point when I was a child,
So yeah, I'm sure that was where some of my
political interests stemmed from. But I just had an interest
in politics. When I was at school, I took up
debating and I just loved, i don't know, just watching
the news, staying up to date with things that were
happening all the time and being informed. And yeah, that

(06:01):
opportunity came up. And then this opportunity in twenty twenty
three came up to run to be the local MP
for the Bay plenty after Tom Muller said he was retiring,
and I thought, oh, I'm twenty six years old, but
I'm going to give this a crack. This is my home.
Not had been the MP for nine years prior to him,
Tony Ryle had been the MP for twenty four years.
And I said to myself, I wasn't prepared to wait

(06:22):
another nine or twenty four years for the opportunity to
come up, and I put my name forward and I
was lucky enough to get selected and quit my job.
And then six months later had worked really hard during
the campaign and was fortunate enough to be elected as
the local MP. And it's been a privilege ever since.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Okay, so what things do you think inclined the selectors
and the voters to select such a young MP? I mean,
you were selected from a group of other contenders and
they picked you. Why did they know, apart from all
the other qualities, what aspect of youth do you think

(07:00):
they wanted? Why do you think they picked someone who
is young?

Speaker 3 (07:03):
I think I've got energy and drive and enthusiasm. I'll
show up here every day, I'll give it my absolute best.
I'm prepared to listen. I'm prepared to give myself to people.
So when people approach me with difficult subjects, I hope
they know that I'm going to be there listening and
doing my best to help, and if I can't help them,
putting them in touch with the people who can help.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
Okay, do you think young people have got a slightly
different perspective on things that they might have taken to Parliament.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
Without a doubt, without a doubt. And I think our
parliament needs to be a broad church. It needs to
be a place that is representative of our communities across
the country. And yeah, as you said, I'm lucky enough
to be the youngest MP both in the National Party
and in the government. And I don't take that responsibility
responsibility lightly. I take it and do my best to

(07:53):
represent my generation.

Speaker 2 (07:54):
This might be a tough question. Then can you give
an example where your young perspective might be different from
a typical older person.

Speaker 3 (08:02):
That is a fantastic question.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
That's what people say when they're scrabbling to think of something.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
Well, the one thing I can talk about is I
was fortunate enough to recently buy my first home, and
I know exactly what it's like to scrounge together your
money for a deposit, be looking to go, and that
feeling of oh, my goodness, this is going to be
the biggest financial commitment I'm probably going to make in
my life, right, And I feel like that's a different

(08:32):
perspective for someone my age versus other MPs who.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
May be sitting on six houses.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
Well, I would hate to guess what others others are enjoying.
But having just gone through that experience of Wow, I'm
going to make this massive commitment and you know all
the risks that are associated with it and all of
that sort of thing. But it's also you know, to
be able to own your own home as an incredible
privilege as well.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
Right, coming back to the Youth Parliament that you were
sitting in, Yes, I read a news report about how
you were quoted as saying, I'm coming in here with
a open mind. I'm going to weigh things up, befo
I decide which way I'm going to vote.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
Was that Youth Parliament or Youth Parliament?

Speaker 2 (09:12):
Youth Parliament And I'm just wondering whether that's a luxury
that is denied to back benches when you have to
vote in a block with your colleagues. I mean, do
you actually have the opportunity to debate and dissent and
to think about things before you do it, or do
they just basically just collect your voting slip and vote

(09:33):
for you.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
No.

Speaker 3 (09:34):
I think that's a fantastic question, and you're not the
first person who's ever asked me that. That's quite a
regular question, without a doubt, And I can't speak for
other political parties, but I know without a doubt we
have our caucus every Tuesday, and that is the opportunity
to have out your view on things when we've got
different things that are being discussed, saying I feel strongly
about this, or my local community has really told me

(09:57):
this is an issue or that sort of thing. And
I talk on that caucus with forty eight of my
other National Party colleagues. We have a discussion on things,
then we form a collective view and we walk out
of that door together united as party. I'm not silly,
and I understand that I'm elected as the local MP
for the Bay of Plenty, but I'm also a Member
of Parliament for the National Party and I play those roles,

(10:17):
both of them equally and do my best to represent
my local constituency and the National Party at the same
time as well.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
You've just joined us. Tom Rutherford, MP, my guest tonight.
He's from the Bay of Plenty with the National Party.
I'll be asking more questions about his life as an
MP and finding out what made Tom Rutherford. Tom Rutherford.
This is Real Life on News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
Back with you in a minute, mister, week of Real
life with John cow and follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
or listen back at real life dot inzed Intelligent Interviews
with interesting People. It's real life on News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (11:15):
Welcome back to real life. I'm John Cown. My guess tonight,
Tom Rutherford. Who's chosen that lovely song? What are we
listening to?

Speaker 3 (11:21):
That's kissed Me by sixpence? None the richer right?

Speaker 2 (11:24):
Why did you pick that one?

Speaker 3 (11:26):
A couple of reasons. Firstly, that song was released in
the year that I was born, in nineteen ninety seven,
and so got some links there. And secondly, that was,
as a child, my favorite song of all time. When
I was young. My parents would still tell me today
that I would always ask for kiss me in the car?
That was what I called it. Can we have kissed

(11:47):
me in the car? And so yeah, that song's really
always stayed with me.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
And just one of those ones that was lurking around
at the back back of your skull somewhere.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah, and whenever it comes on, and if I'm with
a member of my family, they'll always divert their eyes
to me and know that's that's my song or whatever
it might be. So yeah, to really witch the family
did you grow up in? So I'm the youngest. I've
got an older sister, Jade, and an older brother Ben's
about a nine and seven year gap from them to me.
And then I've got my parents, and then they separated

(12:18):
when I was about twelve years old and both of
my siblings had left home, and so that was a
big learning curve for me and going through what a
lot of other people that nowadays experience. But I'm grateful
for what I learned from having gone through that, and
I'm really grateful for both of my parents, and both
of my parents have remarried, so I've got wonderful step

(12:38):
parents as well, and I hope it's all shaped me
into the man I am today.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
Right, that aspect of shaping and how you end up
being an ardent member of the National Party. I'm always
interested to know what makes people like that. I know
that you're into Bethlehem College now. I just by chance
got shown around the campus of Bethleyn College last weekend. Yes,
and by someone who works there. And it's a beautiful

(13:05):
campus and you've got sports fields, so I wasn't surprised
to see that. Absolutely nuts on sport and everything like that.
But it's a non denominational Christian school and they obviously
build it to build schools like that to shape and
influence the young people that pass through it. Is that
an aspect of your shaping. Can you point to bits

(13:27):
of Tom Rutherford that were shaped by going to a
Christian school like Bethlehem.

Speaker 3 (13:33):
I'd say yes and no. I'd say on the yes front,
it has shaped me to be, I like to think,
a really caring, thoughtful and empathetic person. I think that's
the most important component for a member of Parliament to have,
to be empathetic. When people come and see you, they're
at their lowest step and they need you to listen.

(13:54):
Take it on board and do something about it and
help them. So I think it's definitely shaped me in.

Speaker 2 (13:58):
That it was part of the school culture of things.

Speaker 3 (13:59):
Yes, I definitely think so, and the culture I was
raised in at home as well, without a doubt. And
then on the other side, I'd say, no, I've got
some differing views to what the school would have in
their what are their sort of traditional views as well. So,
just like anything else, I've taken some parts of it,
not taken other parts of it. Yeah, and it shapes
me into who I am today.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
Okay, I'm sometimes intrigued to know what it is that
means people that fall on one side of the political
spectrum or the other. I mean, I've spoken to people
from all different political parties, and I've had all sorts
of different backgrounds, including different faith backgrounds, and I haven't
worked out why some people are inclined towards a socialist

(14:41):
mindset and others have more conservative moras. Have you thought
about this? Do you know why you have opted for,
you know, a blue mindset? Shall we say?

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Yeah? I wish I could tell you what the correct
answer for that was, John, I don't think I'm going
to be the one today to provide you the exact
answer that are satisfied.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
I do not have an answer to this question that's
been bothering.

Speaker 3 (15:03):
Me with it. Oh well, but I'll give you my
best shot and say the reason I've alway aligned with
the National Party is the individual freedom and choice. I
am responsible and personal responsibility. I am responsible for my actions.
I think I know what's best for me in my
life and make the decisions that are best suited to me.

(15:23):
But I'm also accountable for them, and so if I
do something wrong or make a mistake, then I need
to put my hand up and be accountable for it.
And caring families, well, that's really important to my fiance
Hannah and I and what our future may look like
as well. And so yeah, I'm just really really proud
to be a part of the National Party and be
a member of the team.

Speaker 2 (15:43):
Right now, you've mentioned Hannah twice and she's sitting through
the glass steering us from the control room.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, she's the boss.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
And I see that you're coming up to the anniversary
of your proposing to her. Yes, so fourteenth of July
you propose to her last year. I'm just wondering, is
being an MP a great environment for cultivating a romance.
I mean, you know, or I should imagine it can
make some people run.

Speaker 3 (16:09):
Yeah, well I'm wondering if Hannah's got a microphone, but.

Speaker 2 (16:13):
The sam you could push your mic across the and
if we want a comed but she's shaking your head vigorously.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
Hannah knew me before I was an MP or ran
for parliament, and hopefully going through this career change hasn't
changed too. I am as a person. Is the role
a challenge for your personal life, without a doubt, your
personal life becomes your public life. Could I do this
job without Hannah? Absolutely not. We are a foundation. We

(16:41):
are a really strong team. I'm incredibly grateful for her,
the personal sacrifices she makes. I go to parliament and
she has to stay at home. We don't have any
kids or anything, and so you know, she comes home
from her day job to an empty house and I'm
really understanding and appreciative of that sacrifice that she makes.
We're both in our twenties and many of our friends

(17:03):
are doing the overseas experience or you know, living life
a little bit freer than we might be. But I'm
incredibly grateful for her and yep, we're coming up to
one year engaged and I'm getting married in January, so
I'm looking forward.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
To situlations now. I believe on your first date you
told her you're going to be an MP.

Speaker 3 (17:22):
Yes, she let that slip in advance to you. I said,
I had aspirations one day to be a member of Parliament,
and I thought that would have happened maybe in my
fifties or in my sixties. I didn't think it would
happen at twenty six years old.

Speaker 2 (17:35):
She didn't either.

Speaker 3 (17:36):
I don't think she thought that would happen either. But
when the opportunity came up, we grabbed it and we
ran with it, and she's stuck by me. And the
thing I find most heartwarming as well, John, is we
go out into our local community and so many people
come up and want to talk about different things and
whatever else. But there's so many people that come up
and go to Hannah first and say, how are you doing,

(17:58):
how are you finding this? What's Tom really like? And
those sorts of things, But people also genuinely care. And
for me, that's.

Speaker 2 (18:06):
Next week in real life, we'll be interviewing and getting
her insights done it.

Speaker 3 (18:10):
But she did that for a woman's day.

Speaker 2 (18:14):
Now, So your life is pretty full. If you've got
your politics, you've got a relationship that's building, you've just
bought your new home, You've you still got time for
your sport. Because going through old clippings, it was just sports, sports, sports, sport. Yeah,
what sports have you been playing? Yep?

Speaker 3 (18:33):
So during my school days I played cricket, football and hockey,
and now I still play cricket. I'm a New Zealand
hockey umpire, so I still officiate hockey and I referee
rugby okay, and so those are my three big passions refereeing.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
I'm just wondering whether.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
Or not you can either get more abuse and being
a politician or being a rugby referee. Well, the jury's
out on that one, yeah, say sideline critics.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
Yeah yeah, I'm just wondering. I don't whether you can
draw many analogies between sports field in parliament, because I've
watched videos you in parliament. Yes, and I would say
you're adversarial, okay, I would say that you take it
to them. Yeah, And so do you see analogies between say,
sport and politics.

Speaker 3 (19:19):
Absolutely, I'm not backwards and coming forward and parliament I
talked about it in my maiden speech, actually describing it
as a sports field and I called the speaker the referee.
And it can be like that some days, not all
the time, depends on the circumstances. But I find that
my officiating experience as a hockey empire and a rugby

(19:40):
referee has prepared me really well to be a member
of Parliament. And I still love going and doing both
of those sports as well. And some saturdays you'll find
me doing a game of hockey at one o'clock and
then you'll see me down the road doing a game
of rugby later on in the afternoon. I absolutely love it.
It's how I let my stress out, how I love
exercising and keeping fit, and it's a great way to

(20:04):
stay connected with the local community as well.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
Oh imagine it would plug you right into the out
of a lot of communities.

Speaker 3 (20:09):
People definitely tell me what they think, whether it's about
my rugby referee or whether it's about what's happening in
the local community. They give it either way.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
Is there a streak of massacas?

Speaker 3 (20:18):
It potentially is.

Speaker 2 (20:20):
The political life. I'm just wondering whether anyone in Parliament
or outside of Parliament really has taken you under their wig,
because you know, you're a fairly young fella. I'm just
wondering whether people meant to you and meant to you
mentor you.

Speaker 3 (20:34):
Yeah, I often talk about who my political mentor is.
He doesn't particularly like being mentioned. But he's done a
great job of looking out for me and providing sound advice.
And that's been Tony Ryle okay.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
And you know he only spent what eight seasons.

Speaker 3 (20:51):
Only twenty four years? Only twenty four But for a
couple of reasons why Tony and I got on. He
got elected to parliament in nineteen ninety for his first term,
and he was twenty six years old, the exact same
age I was, and so we had that in common.
And then he's just got a passion for our community
and he wants to make sure the local MP's representing

(21:12):
the community well and has looked out for me. And
he'll ring me up some days and say, Tom, I
think you're doing that really well and I think you
could work on something in that space. And I had
a coffee with Tony at the start of this year
and one of the things he said to me, and
it's stuck with me is he said, Tom, in your
first term, this is a really good opportunity for you
to learn about something where you think you've got a
particular knowledge gap. Each year should be your year of

(21:36):
x YZ. What is it for you this year?

Speaker 2 (21:39):
What is it for you this Well?

Speaker 3 (21:40):
I went away and I thought about it, and I thought,
there is something I don't feel like I've got a
great depth of knowledge. And at that time, and it
was around three waters we talk about and it's not
a particularly sexy topic, but we talk about wastewater and
storm water and what we're doing in that space, and
it's a big hot topic at the moment across the
country and drinking water. Sorry, but nobody ever talks about

(22:05):
how it actually happens. And so just before Easter, I
went in three spent three days with a company called Violia,
traveled up the North Island and checked out a lot
of different treatment plants and actually saw the process and
everything else. Andrew just grew my knowledge. And that came
back from Tony saying to me at the start of
the year, Tom, was the thing you were learning about
this yet And it was incredible.

Speaker 2 (22:24):
It's great, Hey, it's fascinating talking with your Tom and
we're going out on another song you've picked playing already?
What are we listening to?

Speaker 3 (22:32):
This is all Rise by Blue. This is from the
early two thousands, Okay. And if I'm ever out socializing
with my friends, we're just having a good time. This
is the one song I can have a good time too.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
That's great. Well, I hope you have lots of those
good times. And I've had a good time chatting with you.

Speaker 3 (22:49):
Thank you very mu much, John coming again, Thank you
for having me.

Speaker 2 (22:51):
I'm John Cown, looking forward to being back with you
again next Sunday Night on Real Life.

Speaker 4 (23:08):
That's one for the money and the three vises true
for the luggage as nice.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
Three for the positive.

Speaker 4 (23:22):
Makes all tantic, freaking us love guys. One by three
vises to let you done buy three by making you

(23:46):
do Then you're talking for the money and the free
bises true for the langage. Three for the positific mass
all on the times it I said of the size.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
Say no to windows, crying condensation, saying.

Speaker 3 (24:14):
Yes to dbs.

Speaker 1 (24:16):
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