Just like that, the political media machine ticked into gear – then overdrive – on Thursday 19 January, as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced not only the election date (14 October), but her resignation.
Politics is not the game that it’s often painted as (to all our detriment), but the process of problem solving, making decisions and delivering, hopefully, the betterment of as many New Zealanders as possible.
While the Greens and I have consistently been constructive and clear about where we have disagreed – one example being the levers pulled for the Covid Economic Response that widened and entrenched wealth inequalities, as reports illustrate – there has been many instances where we have collaborated with Labour to achieve crucial policy change.
These areas have been as huge as the Zero Carbon Act (the country’s debut infrastructure to tackle climate changing emissions) and as seemingly small as drug checking law (which means we haven’t seen young people dying taking dodgy drugs through festival season, the likes of Australia’s experience).
It’ll be around 250 days to the country’s next election when this issue of Ponsonby News goes to print. It’ll also be just over 100 days since our last local body election. Settling into 2023, it’s worth remembering how our voices, decisions and collaboration can impact a better world, whether that be at home on Ponsonby Road, across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, for the country, or even the planet.
While just 35% of Aucklanders voted in local body elections, the decisions of our new council will impact all of us. The mayoral proposal outlined at the end of last year – due to be finalised and go out to public consultation in February through March this year – put forward ideas to sell assets (which have been crucial over the past decade for diversifying council’s income and reducing pressure on rates), cut operational expenditure by local boards and retain immensely reduced public transport schedules.
I’ve been clear about my deep concerns with these proposals, especially when they pose just a short-term fix in-line with ‘keeping rates low’ rhetoric. After all, who doesn’t want a functional and revived Leys Institute, well maintained greenspace and guaranteed clean water to swim in at Herne Bay, Sentinel Road and Hamilton Road beaches?
As always, the questions with this budget proposal should be what the real cost and benefit is and for whom. I look forward to robust ongoing engagement with our mayor, whom I’ve already put these matters to, our councillors and all of you as we focus on practical investment, policies and programmes for our growing city.
Some key, nation-impacting legislation will enter the House and select committees when parliament resumes after Waitangi Day. We’ll work on bills overhauling the much-dogged Resource Management Act and the government’s response to my Alcohol Harm Minimisation Bill, both of which may have substantive impact on our local communities and environment; whether it’s baking in protections for our trees and planning for climate adaptation, or sensibly reducing the harm of our nation’s most widely-consumed drug, I will be advocating for Auckland Central. As always, if you’re interested in these laws or anything else happening in Parliament or the electorate, don’t hesitate to drop my office a line.
Thinking globally and acting locally, I’ve also been honoured to spend the summer break working with the Iranian community and supporting allies on sponsoring rapper Toomaj Salehi, one of the 18,000 political prisoners held on baseless charges by the Islamic Republic of Iran. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere – if you would like to help, our local Iranian community would welcome any support in keeping the spotlight on the violence and abuses of human rights they face in their fight for freedom and democracy.
Here's to another big year of progress, community-building and making great things happen together. We’d love to hear from you in our office along Karangahape Road if you would like to muck in! (Chlöe Swarbrick)
Chlöe Swarbrick, T: 09 378 4810, E: chloe.swarbrick@parliament.govt.nz