It has been a nail-biting few weeks as we first received the outcome of preliminary count, then the official count and finally a judicial recount.
As a result, I have the absolute privilege of being the MP for Mount Albert.
First off all, thank you to everyone in the Mount Albert electorate for entrusting me with the job of advocating for you and representing you in Parliament. Over the next three years I will work hard for you and for our community.
I have lived here for most of my life after growing up in Freemans Bay. I moved to Mount Albert to rent and have always enjoyed how inclusive and vibrant the area is. I would love to keep it that way.
My team and I are working on setting up our office (including finding a location), and making plans to try and support and connect with as many people as I can in the many different communities which make up Mount Albert. I’d love to hear from you if you have any ideas for how you’d like to see your area supported. I’m also available if you need support with any local issues.
It has been an amazing few weeks, being welcomed into the role by many in our community. Congratulations to the students at Mount Albert Grammar, Western Springs College and Auckland Girls’ Grammar, and thank you for inviting me to prizegivings at your schools. Congratulations to award winners for your hard work.
I know how proud I was when my kids were going through their schools, Balmoral School and Mount Albert Grammar. Getting through school is quite an achievement, especially after the disruptions of Covid. Well done and good luck.
I have been thinking a lot about the trauma of Covid and lockdowns. I recently attended a launch for a little book which sprung from research done by the Helen Clark Foundation into loneliness. The issue was highlighted by Covid but it is also one that has been growing as our society changes.
We are going to have to make a conscious effort to create opportunity for connection and community and I believe central government and local government have a role in making sure this is nurtured. There are really practical ways to foster this, like libraries, community centres, sports fields and community events.
There are also things that businesses can do to help. For example, I believe that as banks scale back branches and go online, we are going to need all of them to provide banking hubs. Otherwise people with disabilities like hearing loss, and older people get disconnected and this is very disempowering. With record profits it isn’t a very big ask.
I was very sad to go visit Marist Rugby Club after their facilities recently burnt down. I will do what I can to support the rebuild of this wonderful community building. I was told that, sadly, Sonny Bill Williams’ All Blacks jersey and a lot of other important memorabilia was lost.
Finally, I just wanted to do a shout out for the Auckland Zoo. I was lucky enough to recently visit. I used to have a year pass when my kids were little, so I used it as a park. I thought I was past that stage, but what I saw blew me away. I went through a rain forest, which rained. I saw takehe. I saw valuable work rebuilding the population of tree frogs native to NZ.
We are so lucky to have this hub of conservation in our electorate. The work of the zoologists is influenced by the work of Gerald Durrell, whose books I read to my kids. The work done at our zoo is absolutely state-of-the-art. For anyone concerned about the politics of zoos, I am impressed by how they preserve our endangered species and connect people in a city to nature. I look forward to seeing it evolve and supporting it to do so. (HELEN WHITE) χPN
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Published: November 2023