July 20, 2025 • 18 mins
From humble beginnings to a rising star in the National Party, James Meager’s journey to the Beehive has been rapid to say the least.
In just two years he’s gone from delivering his maiden speech, to becoming a Minister of the Crown, tackling the portfolios of Youth, Hunting and Fishing, and the newly established South Island portfolio.
So, how do we make sure every young person in New Zealand gets the best possible start in life? And what does it actually mean to be the Minister for the South Island?
Today on The Front Page, James Meager joins us to discuss what the trajectory from party staffer to Minister has been like, and what the future holds for the kid from Timaru.
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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Ethan Sills
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Kiyota.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a
daily podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Presented by the New Zealand Herald.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
From humble beginnings to a rising star in the National Party,
James Meagher's journey to the Beehive has been rapid, to
say the least. In just two years, he's gone from
delivering his maiden speech to becoming a Minister of the Crown,
tackling portfolios of youth hunting and Fishing and the newly
established South Island Portfolio.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So how do we make sure every.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Young person in New Zealand gets the best possible start
in life? And what does it actually mean to be
Minister for the South Island Today? On the Front Page,
James Meagher joins us to discuss what the trajectory from
party staffer to minister has been like and what the
future holds.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
For the kid from Timorrout.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
James, A couple of years since your maiden speech.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
From what I remember, you got some pretty good reactions
from it. Were you surprised by that.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
A little bit?
Speaker 4 (01:17):
I think everyone always pays attention to the first maiden
speech because it's you know, it's the opening of Parliament.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
But I didn't quite expect the reaction.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
To my particular speech, so it was it was very
company to know that people out there were watching and
listening and send some really kind feedback.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It's really great.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, this line stood out to me.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Actually, you said, but instead we have a system which
creates broken families and turns good people into lost souls.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Can you explain what you meant by this? Can you
give an example.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I think what I.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Was trying to mean by that was that, you know,
I come from background where we didn't have a lot
of resources growing up, and so one of the challenges
I think we have with government is a government sometimes
makes it too difficult for people from underresource backgrounds to
navigate the system, and they get lost and they get
frustrated and then things don't go so well. So I
was thinking in terms of accessing social support services. But
(02:10):
also if we don't give young people the kinds of
education opportunities they need through public schooling or even private education,
people can get lost as well.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So that's kind of where I was hitting.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And it's been a pretty quick rise to minister for you,
it seems. What's it like going from Paula Bennett's Press
sec to now a Minister of the Crown.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Well, I think what I didn't realize was how busy
Paula would have been and how busy ministers are. They
kind of hide it from the staff a little bit
and you don't get a full picture of everything that
ministers do.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
But it's been really eye opening.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
To just see the amount of reading you need to do,
the travel you do, the challenges that you have to
deal with. I've got a lot of admiration for people
who can do this for six nine years, and even
having done it for six months now, I can see
why it takes its toll on a lot of ministers.
So I'm very impressed for anyone that can stick it
out for a certain length of time.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Do you reckon you're going to stick it out for
six to nine years?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Well, I hope, So.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I hope I can be in this role for as
long as I can make a difference in as long
as I've got the confidence of the PM to be
part of his team. I think, you know, in youth
and in my South Island portfolio and in transport, we're
making some good progress in some key areas. Just a
couple of weeks ago we had the Youth Parliament here,
which was great to see lots of young people bringing
their for wester to Parliament. But also in that transport role,
(03:21):
trying to make a difference for consumers around air fears
and regional connectivity. So as long as I can keep
making positive improvements and differences to government, I'd like.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
To be able to stick around.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, because how much your return flights from Wellington to
Tamaru At the moment.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
They could be upwards of four to five hundred dollars
each way depending on when you.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Book god, And is it your job to try and
get them down.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, I think as much as possible.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Part of it is making sure that the connectivity is reliable,
so we've extended reporting for on time performance to the
regions for the first time, so people know exactly how
reliable their flights are. And then of course it's assisting
the likes of their New Zealand, but also our smaller
regional carriers with workforce make sure they've got enough engineers
and pilots, making sure they've got access to the parts.
All of that goes in to gum up the system,
(04:05):
makes it more difficult for them to operate, which makes
the costs pass on to consumers, So that's all part
of the mix, and airfares for consumers is probably the
biggest focus, especially if you live in the regions.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
It's expensive to travel.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Sometimes you've got to travel by road quite a lot
just to get to the airport and then pay eight
nine hundred bucks to fly north or fly south. So
speak focus for me, particularly for our royal communities.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Mister speaker.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
This is why we are all here to debate freely,
to have an open, robust contest of ideas, to challenge
one another in an environment where disputes are resolved by
the showing of hands and not by the throwing of fists.
But the speaker, we are here to represent the people
who put us here, and some of us are here
(04:52):
to disrupt and to challenge the status quo.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
And I get that, and I really do. But in
doing so we must respect this institution.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I mean, let's have a look at your other portfolios
as well. So we've got Hunting and Fishing, Youth South
Island and of course we've just mentioned Associate Transport.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
First off, why does the South Island need a minister?
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Well, I think the South Island always needs a good
voice in Wellington in Parliament sometimes I think because we're
so distant and because we're off.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Doing our own independent things.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
You know, we're a parochial, independent bunch down South and
often we like to be left alone. But also we
like to make sure that we're playing our role in
things like growing the economy and producing the exports. So
it's a recognition that sometimes maybe we can't get that
cut through into Wellington, into the bureaucracy.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
So hopefully I can.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Be a voice for different projects and different issues around
the South Island, things like you know, raising the possibility
of turning in vo cargo into a data center, or
to look at what the opportunities are in Queenstown for
film tourism and health tourism and bringing those ideas to
the relative ministers and trying to promote them as much
as I can.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Right, So it's not really just all about cake cutting
and baby holding and taking photos and stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
There's actually something tangible that you're doing.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Well, it's far more, far more important than their cake
cutting in the ribbon snipping. Yeah, it's actually about you know,
the South Island's got a big role to play in
terms of growing our tourism sector, growing our agricultural sector.
If we want to double our exports, it's not just
about sending twice as much stuff overseas, it's about doing
it in a cleverer way. So looking at how we
can invest in tech, making sure that the South plays
(06:33):
its role there, and I would like us to have
a disproportionate impact on our country's growth story so that
people can be really proud of what we produce down south.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
It's not a North versus South issue.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
It's really about how do I make sure we get
the best out of the West Coast, out of the
top of the South, out of Canbry, out of a
Tigo and everything in between. And if there are gaps
or if there are projects that need to be focused
on by Wellington, I can bring those to the attention
of the relevant ministers.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
A lot of towns in the South Island flooded in
recent weeks.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
We've covered this a bit of on the podcast already.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
What do we need to do to kind of future
proof towns like say Nelson and Tasman.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
We need to look at what investment we're making into
our flood protection and resiliency projects. So the first round
of regional infrastructure projects we're all around reinforcing floodbanks and
stop banks and making sure we've got those protections in place.
There are particularly vulnerable areas up and down the South Island.
If you think of you on the West coast, you've
(07:29):
got one road in and one road out, and if
there are slips or there are access points cut off,
that makes it very difficult to get around and live
your life. And where I come from in South Canterbury,
between Timor and christ Church, there's six bridges on State
Highway one. If any one of those bridges goes out,
then you've got a long detour and that's cost and
time and good. So making sure we've got good, reliable infrastructure,
(07:50):
making sure that we are planning properly and that we've
got a pipeline of growth through our sort of thirty.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Year infrastructure plans.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
But importantly to be able to pay for that, we
have to have the economy to be able to do that.
So you know, it's sort of a little bit chicken
and egg. You want to invest in the infrastructure, but
you've got to have the money to do that. To
do that, you've got to get the growth. To get
the growth, you've got to have the infrastructure, so you've
got to do everything at once.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
And in terms of down South, I know my producer
said that he knows a lot of people that have
moved down south recently. He's only just heard of Selwyn
in particular, which I've heard is booming for the last decade.
But I mean in terms of these regions and people saying, hey,
you know what, I don't want to spend one thousand
dollars a week rent in Auckland. I want to go
(08:39):
down south. I want to go to Ashburn and Timoru
things like that. Is the South getting enough support from
central government to cope with this boom?
Speaker 4 (08:49):
I think we could always have more Everyone could always
have more support ever in the country, right, Like if
we had an unlimited money tree, we would invest across
the board, but we are limited as to what we
can do. I think down South we get a good
shake of the stick. I think we've got significant investments
in large health projects, like in Dneina Nelson. We've got
some substantial infrastructure projects coming in and around. You know,
(09:12):
we're getting a second ash Burton Bridge finally, and there's
a number of water projects going in and around two
In terms of housing, you saw that Queenstown Lakes.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Are the first ones off the board.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
For the regional deal and a lot of that will
be to do with how do we support the infrastructure
to facilitate more housing growth because, as you mentioned, eighty
thousand people from the North Island moved to the South
Island over the last five years. It's a really attractive
place to come and live. Housing's affordable, lifestyle is great,
the scenery is Amazingourage actually more Northolanders to move down.
I will pick you up from the airport Cholsea and
(09:43):
show you around and show you them open homes if
you're willing to come down.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
God, you think that I have the money to purchase
a property at the moment. That's nice.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Well, speaking of things that I've seen on the internet,
James is the Youth Minister required to participate in TikTok
dances or was that a choice?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
It's not mandatory.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
But I'm always out there to advocate for and represent
my constituents. So when you're out there in Pottydoo and
you're talking with young people and youth organizations and they
ask you to do a trend or a TikTok dance,
you oblige right, and they promised me it wouldn't be difficult.
We practiced a long time for that thirty second video,
(10:25):
and I think, you know, if I came off moderately competent,
I think that's a success.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I could see you counting in your head during that.
But I mean in terms of youth and that portfolio
from your maidens speech, I can see that you have
a passion for young people and to make sure that
they get the best start in life, and your mom
sounds like she was a huge part of that. How
(10:51):
do we make sure the kids, perhaps with who don't
have mothers like yours, get the best start in life.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
I think that's the point one of the key reasons
that I'm in politics. It's because you know, I acknowledge
that I was quite fortunate to have mum who drove
us into education, who got us to school, and I
know that not ever runs in that situation. So that
is where your community, your neighborhood, and you know, even
the state can step up and provide that kind of
support that maybe some kids aren't fortunate enough to have
(11:18):
in their households.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And honestly, I think.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
One of the best ways we can do that is
through the social investment approach, the idea that if we
take the time to look about what actually works, to
invest in the programs for young people early on, you
can get the benefits in the low run, not only
for the taxpayer in terms of money saved through the
welfare system and through the health system and education, but
also just to improve the well being and the outlooks
for those young kids. I think that's really really important.
(11:43):
So that's a key focus for me in my youth portfolio.
We look at twelve to twenty four, so not quite
at that bottom end, which is more of the education
and health space. But I'm trying to refocus the department
so that the funding that we do have can target
those young people, getting them into employment and education. Looking
at young parents as well, because if we don't support them,
it's their children that are going to feel the brunt
(12:04):
of it in the long run.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
How do we get twenty year olds to stay in
New Zealand though, and not go off to Australia.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
The best thing we can do is to give them opportunities.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And at the moment, you know, we've got a neighbor
in Australia that is they're a very wealthy country and
a very attractive place to go and work and to
earn a living.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
It's not perfect over there. I know.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
I've got friends and relatives who have moved there for
work and have buyers remorse.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Sometimes there's nothing like working and living at home.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
But ultimately, we've got to create an economy where there
are jobs and.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Opportunities for young people.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
We've got to create a society where I think people
feel supported and feel like they can raise a family
and live in a safe, secure country. And all of
that takes time. It's not going to be turned around overnight.
And one of the things that Australia does have is
that they've got an enormous amount of resources that they use,
and I think we've got the same opportunity. We can
do it in a sustainable, environmentally appropriate way and it's
(12:58):
important for us for our tourism. But there is more
we could do to encourage our resources sect or our
energy sectors, our construction sectors to be able to keep
those young people here in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Are we doing enough at the moment.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
I think we're on the right track. I think we
can always do more. It's challenging because you've got to
have consensus across political parties and in the public for
these kinds of projects, and if you move too far,
too fast, it can create pushback, say with some sectors.
So if we can't convince the public and take them
with us that this is the right thing to do,
(13:32):
and even convince some of our colleagues across the aisle
that look, actually, we can do particular pieces of mining
and resource extraction and constructing new dams and new hydro
and new solar power in a way which still maintains
extraordinary environmental outcomes. If we can convince them with that
and make sure those projects are long lasting, then we
(13:53):
can move a little bit more quickly. But we've got
to do the groundwork first, and we're very much aware
that not everyone is in the same space as were
the same. Mister Goldsmith did outline very clearly our long
held position on this bill and the reasons why we
will vote for it to go to.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
A Slept Committee hearing, but no further.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
A coalition agreement with Act stipulates we will quote introduce
a treaty principle's bill based on existing Act policy and
support it to a Select committee as soon as practicable
we will honor this commitment and support this bill to
Select Committee.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
So Speaker, we will also.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Honor our pre election commitment and vote against the bill
at second reading.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
And now I was introduced to you through the Justice
Select Committee. In my former life, I was a crime
and Justice reporter, so I watched a couple of seasons
of that and you oversaw the Treaty Principle's Bill chat.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
How was that? From your end?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
It was an interesting process.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
I find it interesting you describe the Justice Committee as
a season like it's almost like a show.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I'm not sure many people actually, he said there watched
them all.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Well, no one just watches them from season to season.
That you did, I'm sure, But I mean the Treaty
Principles Bill process was interesting because it was a real
lesson in how select committees actually to get the work done.
We have to generally work together across political parties. And
if anyone out there is interested, they go back and
read the Select Committee report. It's got an appendix that
(15:23):
lists all the decisions that were made by the Select Committee,
and by and large, they were all done unanimously. And
that's because they all recognize whether or not you agreed
with the bill or not. The number of submissions and
the amount of work that needed to be undertaken meant
that we had to work together to get the job done,
and I think generally we did a pretty good job.
I think we treated submitters with respect, We heard every
(15:44):
kind of argument you could hear, and at the end
of the day we produced a report that the Parliament
went and voted on. So it was an interesting process.
It was a good lesson in diplomacy. I'm sure the
Parliament learned some lessons about how to run submissions, and
I think we need to be looking at what the
select committee process is and should be for in the future,
because we're seeing a lot of submissions coming in that
(16:06):
are one or two lines now, whereas that process, you know,
generally is to try and improve an enhance and amen legislation,
and it's not supposed to be an advocacy piece or
a set piece for political actions. So I wonder whether
or not we need to review what the purpose of
select committees are so that we can maintain the public
access into the legislative process without flooding the system so
(16:28):
much that nothing can happen.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
So what are your future ambitions in Parliament.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Well, I would love to stick around as a minister
as much as possible. Obviously, we've got an electoral cycle,
so very soon we'll probably move to you know, trying
to convince the public to give us another three years
to continue working on.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
This program, and I'd like to be a part of that.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I'd like to continue being part of a government. I'd
obviously take any opportunity in the ministry that the Prime
Minister would present me with, but there are areas that
I'm passionate about. I would love to assist Paul Goldsmith
in the justice space in Erica, Stanford and Nugic. So
part of the South Island portfolio which is really exciting
to me is that I can do that. I can
go out and visit schools on behalf of Erica and
(17:08):
feedback to them what the education needs are in the
South Island. I can meet with corrections and police around
the South Island and see where there are places we
can improve our performance in and around maybe Central Targo
or up in Nelson. So I'm just really enthusiastic about
continuing to try and make a positive difference to the
country and if I can do that as long as possible,
they'd be great.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
A lot of chat after your maiden speech. Actually, what
do you make of that when people say you have
the potential to become a prime minister of this country
one day.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Well, I think that's all very premature and probably designed
to click a few headlines here and there. Ultimately, I'm
really proud to be the MP for Rangatata. I love
where I come from. I come from Timur. I'm very
proud of it. It's the rivi Era of the South.
It's got the country's best hat water. It is a
(17:57):
great place to grow up and live, and I'm really
proud to represent it. I don't think I could ever
represent another part of the country.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
So I'm just.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Really happy to be the MP, really really privileged to
be a minister so quickly in this term, and just
focused on doing that job right.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Thanks for joining us, James.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
No worries. Thanks hearing me.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
That's it for this episode of The Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at enziherld dot co dot MZ.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
The Front Page is produced by.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Ethan Sills and Richard Martin, who is also our editor.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Subscribe to the front page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
And tune in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.
Kiyota.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, a
daily podcast.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Presented by the New Zealand Herald.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
From humble beginnings to a rising star in the National Party,
James Meagher's journey to the Beehive has been rapid, to
say the least. In just two years, he's gone from
delivering his maiden speech to becoming a Minister of the Crown,
tackling portfolios of youth hunting and Fishing and the newly
established South Island Portfolio.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
So how do we make sure every.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Young person in New Zealand gets the best possible start
in life? And what does it actually mean to be
Minister for the South Island Today? On the Front Page,
James Meagher joins us to discuss what the trajectory from
party staffer to minister has been like and what the
future holds.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
For the kid from Timorrout.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
James, A couple of years since your maiden speech.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
From what I remember, you got some pretty good reactions
from it. Were you surprised by that.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
A little bit?
Speaker 4 (01:17):
I think everyone always pays attention to the first maiden
speech because it's you know, it's the opening of Parliament.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
But I didn't quite expect the reaction.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
To my particular speech, so it was it was very
company to know that people out there were watching and
listening and send some really kind feedback.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
It's really great.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, this line stood out to me.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Actually, you said, but instead we have a system which
creates broken families and turns good people into lost souls.
Speaker 1 (01:43):
Can you explain what you meant by this? Can you
give an example.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I think what I.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Was trying to mean by that was that, you know,
I come from background where we didn't have a lot
of resources growing up, and so one of the challenges
I think we have with government is a government sometimes
makes it too difficult for people from underresource backgrounds to
navigate the system, and they get lost and they get
frustrated and then things don't go so well. So I
was thinking in terms of accessing social support services. But
(02:10):
also if we don't give young people the kinds of
education opportunities they need through public schooling or even private education,
people can get lost as well.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
So that's kind of where I was hitting.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And it's been a pretty quick rise to minister for you,
it seems. What's it like going from Paula Bennett's Press
sec to now a Minister of the Crown.
Speaker 4 (02:28):
Well, I think what I didn't realize was how busy
Paula would have been and how busy ministers are. They
kind of hide it from the staff a little bit
and you don't get a full picture of everything that
ministers do.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
But it's been really eye opening.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
To just see the amount of reading you need to do,
the travel you do, the challenges that you have to
deal with. I've got a lot of admiration for people
who can do this for six nine years, and even
having done it for six months now, I can see
why it takes its toll on a lot of ministers.
So I'm very impressed for anyone that can stick it
out for a certain length of time.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Do you reckon you're going to stick it out for
six to nine years?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Well, I hope, So.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I hope I can be in this role for as
long as I can make a difference in as long
as I've got the confidence of the PM to be
part of his team. I think, you know, in youth
and in my South Island portfolio and in transport, we're
making some good progress in some key areas. Just a
couple of weeks ago we had the Youth Parliament here,
which was great to see lots of young people bringing
their for wester to Parliament. But also in that transport role,
(03:21):
trying to make a difference for consumers around air fears
and regional connectivity. So as long as I can keep
making positive improvements and differences to government, I'd like.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
To be able to stick around.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Yeah, because how much your return flights from Wellington to
Tamaru At the moment.
Speaker 4 (03:34):
They could be upwards of four to five hundred dollars
each way depending on when you.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Book god, And is it your job to try and
get them down.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, I think as much as possible.
Speaker 4 (03:43):
Part of it is making sure that the connectivity is reliable,
so we've extended reporting for on time performance to the
regions for the first time, so people know exactly how
reliable their flights are. And then of course it's assisting
the likes of their New Zealand, but also our smaller
regional carriers with workforce make sure they've got enough engineers
and pilots, making sure they've got access to the parts.
All of that goes in to gum up the system,
(04:05):
makes it more difficult for them to operate, which makes
the costs pass on to consumers, So that's all part
of the mix, and airfares for consumers is probably the
biggest focus, especially if you live in the regions.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
It's expensive to travel.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Sometimes you've got to travel by road quite a lot
just to get to the airport and then pay eight
nine hundred bucks to fly north or fly south. So
speak focus for me, particularly for our royal communities.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Mister speaker.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
This is why we are all here to debate freely,
to have an open, robust contest of ideas, to challenge
one another in an environment where disputes are resolved by
the showing of hands and not by the throwing of fists.
But the speaker, we are here to represent the people
who put us here, and some of us are here
(04:52):
to disrupt and to challenge the status quo.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
And I get that, and I really do. But in
doing so we must respect this institution.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
I mean, let's have a look at your other portfolios
as well. So we've got Hunting and Fishing, Youth South
Island and of course we've just mentioned Associate Transport.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
First off, why does the South Island need a minister?
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Well, I think the South Island always needs a good
voice in Wellington in Parliament sometimes I think because we're
so distant and because we're off.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Doing our own independent things.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
You know, we're a parochial, independent bunch down South and
often we like to be left alone. But also we
like to make sure that we're playing our role in
things like growing the economy and producing the exports. So
it's a recognition that sometimes maybe we can't get that
cut through into Wellington, into the bureaucracy.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
So hopefully I can.
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Be a voice for different projects and different issues around
the South Island, things like you know, raising the possibility
of turning in vo cargo into a data center, or
to look at what the opportunities are in Queenstown for
film tourism and health tourism and bringing those ideas to
the relative ministers and trying to promote them as much
as I can.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Right, So it's not really just all about cake cutting
and baby holding and taking photos and stuff.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
There's actually something tangible that you're doing.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
Well, it's far more, far more important than their cake
cutting in the ribbon snipping. Yeah, it's actually about you know,
the South Island's got a big role to play in
terms of growing our tourism sector, growing our agricultural sector.
If we want to double our exports, it's not just
about sending twice as much stuff overseas, it's about doing
it in a cleverer way. So looking at how we
can invest in tech, making sure that the South plays
(06:33):
its role there, and I would like us to have
a disproportionate impact on our country's growth story so that
people can be really proud of what we produce down south.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
It's not a North versus South issue.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
It's really about how do I make sure we get
the best out of the West Coast, out of the
top of the South, out of Canbry, out of a
Tigo and everything in between. And if there are gaps
or if there are projects that need to be focused
on by Wellington, I can bring those to the attention
of the relevant ministers.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
A lot of towns in the South Island flooded in
recent weeks.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
We've covered this a bit of on the podcast already.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
What do we need to do to kind of future
proof towns like say Nelson and Tasman.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
We need to look at what investment we're making into
our flood protection and resiliency projects. So the first round
of regional infrastructure projects we're all around reinforcing floodbanks and
stop banks and making sure we've got those protections in place.
There are particularly vulnerable areas up and down the South Island.
If you think of you on the West coast, you've
(07:29):
got one road in and one road out, and if
there are slips or there are access points cut off,
that makes it very difficult to get around and live
your life. And where I come from in South Canterbury,
between Timor and christ Church, there's six bridges on State
Highway one. If any one of those bridges goes out,
then you've got a long detour and that's cost and
time and good. So making sure we've got good, reliable infrastructure,
(07:50):
making sure that we are planning properly and that we've
got a pipeline of growth through our sort of thirty.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Year infrastructure plans.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
But importantly to be able to pay for that, we
have to have the economy to be able to do that.
So you know, it's sort of a little bit chicken
and egg. You want to invest in the infrastructure, but
you've got to have the money to do that. To
do that, you've got to get the growth. To get
the growth, you've got to have the infrastructure, so you've
got to do everything at once.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
And in terms of down South, I know my producer
said that he knows a lot of people that have
moved down south recently. He's only just heard of Selwyn
in particular, which I've heard is booming for the last decade.
But I mean in terms of these regions and people saying, hey,
you know what, I don't want to spend one thousand
dollars a week rent in Auckland. I want to go
(08:39):
down south. I want to go to Ashburn and Timoru
things like that. Is the South getting enough support from
central government to cope with this boom?
Speaker 4 (08:49):
I think we could always have more Everyone could always
have more support ever in the country, right, Like if
we had an unlimited money tree, we would invest across
the board, but we are limited as to what we
can do. I think down South we get a good
shake of the stick. I think we've got significant investments
in large health projects, like in Dneina Nelson. We've got
some substantial infrastructure projects coming in and around. You know,
(09:12):
we're getting a second ash Burton Bridge finally, and there's
a number of water projects going in and around two
In terms of housing, you saw that Queenstown Lakes.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Are the first ones off the board.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
For the regional deal and a lot of that will
be to do with how do we support the infrastructure
to facilitate more housing growth because, as you mentioned, eighty
thousand people from the North Island moved to the South
Island over the last five years. It's a really attractive
place to come and live. Housing's affordable, lifestyle is great,
the scenery is Amazingourage actually more Northolanders to move down.
I will pick you up from the airport Cholsea and
(09:43):
show you around and show you them open homes if
you're willing to come down.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
God, you think that I have the money to purchase
a property at the moment. That's nice.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
Well, speaking of things that I've seen on the internet,
James is the Youth Minister required to participate in TikTok
dances or was that a choice?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
It's not mandatory.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
But I'm always out there to advocate for and represent
my constituents. So when you're out there in Pottydoo and
you're talking with young people and youth organizations and they
ask you to do a trend or a TikTok dance,
you oblige right, and they promised me it wouldn't be difficult.
We practiced a long time for that thirty second video,
(10:25):
and I think, you know, if I came off moderately competent,
I think that's a success.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I could see you counting in your head during that.
But I mean in terms of youth and that portfolio
from your maidens speech, I can see that you have
a passion for young people and to make sure that
they get the best start in life, and your mom
sounds like she was a huge part of that. How
(10:51):
do we make sure the kids, perhaps with who don't
have mothers like yours, get the best start in life.
Speaker 4 (10:57):
I think that's the point one of the key reasons
that I'm in politics. It's because you know, I acknowledge
that I was quite fortunate to have mum who drove
us into education, who got us to school, and I
know that not ever runs in that situation. So that
is where your community, your neighborhood, and you know, even
the state can step up and provide that kind of
support that maybe some kids aren't fortunate enough to have
(11:18):
in their households.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
And honestly, I think.
Speaker 4 (11:21):
One of the best ways we can do that is
through the social investment approach, the idea that if we
take the time to look about what actually works, to
invest in the programs for young people early on, you
can get the benefits in the low run, not only
for the taxpayer in terms of money saved through the
welfare system and through the health system and education, but
also just to improve the well being and the outlooks
for those young kids. I think that's really really important.
(11:43):
So that's a key focus for me in my youth portfolio.
We look at twelve to twenty four, so not quite
at that bottom end, which is more of the education
and health space. But I'm trying to refocus the department
so that the funding that we do have can target
those young people, getting them into employment and education. Looking
at young parents as well, because if we don't support them,
it's their children that are going to feel the brunt
(12:04):
of it in the long run.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
How do we get twenty year olds to stay in
New Zealand though, and not go off to Australia.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
The best thing we can do is to give them opportunities.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And at the moment, you know, we've got a neighbor
in Australia that is they're a very wealthy country and
a very attractive place to go and work and to
earn a living.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
It's not perfect over there. I know.
Speaker 4 (12:24):
I've got friends and relatives who have moved there for
work and have buyers remorse.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Sometimes there's nothing like working and living at home.
Speaker 4 (12:31):
But ultimately, we've got to create an economy where there
are jobs and.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Opportunities for young people.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
We've got to create a society where I think people
feel supported and feel like they can raise a family
and live in a safe, secure country. And all of
that takes time. It's not going to be turned around overnight.
And one of the things that Australia does have is
that they've got an enormous amount of resources that they use,
and I think we've got the same opportunity. We can
do it in a sustainable, environmentally appropriate way and it's
(12:58):
important for us for our tourism. But there is more
we could do to encourage our resources sect or our
energy sectors, our construction sectors to be able to keep
those young people here in New Zealand.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Are we doing enough at the moment.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
I think we're on the right track. I think we
can always do more. It's challenging because you've got to
have consensus across political parties and in the public for
these kinds of projects, and if you move too far,
too fast, it can create pushback, say with some sectors.
So if we can't convince the public and take them
with us that this is the right thing to do,
(13:32):
and even convince some of our colleagues across the aisle
that look, actually, we can do particular pieces of mining
and resource extraction and constructing new dams and new hydro
and new solar power in a way which still maintains
extraordinary environmental outcomes. If we can convince them with that
and make sure those projects are long lasting, then we
(13:53):
can move a little bit more quickly. But we've got
to do the groundwork first, and we're very much aware
that not everyone is in the same space as were
the same. Mister Goldsmith did outline very clearly our long
held position on this bill and the reasons why we
will vote for it to go to.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
A Slept Committee hearing, but no further.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
A coalition agreement with Act stipulates we will quote introduce
a treaty principle's bill based on existing Act policy and
support it to a Select committee as soon as practicable
we will honor this commitment and support this bill to
Select Committee.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
So Speaker, we will also.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Honor our pre election commitment and vote against the bill
at second reading.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
And now I was introduced to you through the Justice
Select Committee. In my former life, I was a crime
and Justice reporter, so I watched a couple of seasons
of that and you oversaw the Treaty Principle's Bill chat.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
How was that? From your end?
Speaker 3 (14:52):
It was an interesting process.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
I find it interesting you describe the Justice Committee as
a season like it's almost like a show.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
I'm not sure many people actually, he said there watched
them all.
Speaker 4 (15:02):
Well, no one just watches them from season to season.
That you did, I'm sure, But I mean the Treaty
Principles Bill process was interesting because it was a real
lesson in how select committees actually to get the work done.
We have to generally work together across political parties. And
if anyone out there is interested, they go back and
read the Select Committee report. It's got an appendix that
(15:23):
lists all the decisions that were made by the Select Committee,
and by and large, they were all done unanimously. And
that's because they all recognize whether or not you agreed
with the bill or not. The number of submissions and
the amount of work that needed to be undertaken meant
that we had to work together to get the job done,
and I think generally we did a pretty good job.
I think we treated submitters with respect, We heard every
(15:44):
kind of argument you could hear, and at the end
of the day we produced a report that the Parliament
went and voted on. So it was an interesting process.
It was a good lesson in diplomacy. I'm sure the
Parliament learned some lessons about how to run submissions, and
I think we need to be looking at what the
select committee process is and should be for in the future,
because we're seeing a lot of submissions coming in that
(16:06):
are one or two lines now, whereas that process, you know,
generally is to try and improve an enhance and amen legislation,
and it's not supposed to be an advocacy piece or
a set piece for political actions. So I wonder whether
or not we need to review what the purpose of
select committees are so that we can maintain the public
access into the legislative process without flooding the system so
(16:28):
much that nothing can happen.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
So what are your future ambitions in Parliament.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Well, I would love to stick around as a minister
as much as possible. Obviously, we've got an electoral cycle,
so very soon we'll probably move to you know, trying
to convince the public to give us another three years
to continue working on.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
This program, and I'd like to be a part of that.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
I'd like to continue being part of a government. I'd
obviously take any opportunity in the ministry that the Prime
Minister would present me with, but there are areas that
I'm passionate about. I would love to assist Paul Goldsmith
in the justice space in Erica, Stanford and Nugic. So
part of the South Island portfolio which is really exciting
to me is that I can do that. I can
go out and visit schools on behalf of Erica and
(17:08):
feedback to them what the education needs are in the
South Island. I can meet with corrections and police around
the South Island and see where there are places we
can improve our performance in and around maybe Central Targo
or up in Nelson. So I'm just really enthusiastic about
continuing to try and make a positive difference to the
country and if I can do that as long as possible,
they'd be great.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
A lot of chat after your maiden speech. Actually, what
do you make of that when people say you have
the potential to become a prime minister of this country
one day.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Well, I think that's all very premature and probably designed
to click a few headlines here and there. Ultimately, I'm
really proud to be the MP for Rangatata. I love
where I come from. I come from Timur. I'm very
proud of it. It's the rivi Era of the South.
It's got the country's best hat water. It is a
(17:57):
great place to grow up and live, and I'm really
proud to represent it. I don't think I could ever
represent another part of the country.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
So I'm just.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Really happy to be the MP, really really privileged to
be a minister so quickly in this term, and just
focused on doing that job right.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
Thanks for joining us, James.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
No worries. Thanks hearing me.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
That's it for this episode of The Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at enziherld dot co dot MZ.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
The Front Page is produced by.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Ethan Sills and Richard Martin, who is also our editor.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
I'm Chelsea Daniels.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Subscribe to the front page on iHeartRadio or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (18:39):
And tune in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.
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