OPINION: In the latest in our State of the Nation series, a 30-something parent and operations manager shares her views about the current direction of Aotearoa.
How old are you and where were you born? I'm 35 and I was born in Auckland.
What do you do for work? I’ve got two jobs, both of them involve operations support in not-for-profit organisations.
How many people live in your household? Five. I live with two friends, my partner and our five-year-old kid.
How much is the combined income between you and your partner, before tax? About $130,000.
Do you have any plans to leave New Zealand? We did. We wanted to move to Australia – and we’re kind of open to it, but we’re staying around for now, just due to family and friends and community.
Have you felt impacted by the fuel crisis? A little bit, but we predominantly cycle everywhere and catch public transport. But we did sell a vehicle and buy a smaller one because of petrol costs. And we're also contemplating selling that vehicle and replacing it with an electric one.
Have you decided who you're going to vote for this year? Yeah, I always vote for the Greens.
Why is that? They align most with my values. I like their policies for environmental reasons, and also for people and community reasons. I think we need to tax the the rich, and we need to protect the environment as well.
What's your view of the Green Party’s leadership team of Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick? They’re great, both of them. I’ve met them both as I’ve done a lot of volunteer and campaign work, and they're just lovely people, but they're also very switched on, and they give a sh**. They're at a lot of protests that I'm at, so they really actually show up for issues. I think they're doing an awesome job, and they take a lot of flak from the public and other politicians – the old guys. And I think it's really cool that they're setting an example for other women.
What is your view of our current government? I'm waiting for them to leave. It feels like they've turned the country into a business, and they don't actually care about its people or the environment. They're just they're very uncaring and out of touch.
Is there any specific policy that has rubbed you the wrong way? I've lost track of how many bill submissions I've made: the Conservation Amendment Bill; the Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill; the stuff around electric cars. I feel like they just came in and scrapped a lot of stuff, and writing submissions is starting to feel like a second job.
What do you think about the AI data centres being planned and proposed for various locations around New Zealand – an opportunity or something to avoid? We should avoid it. I've seen the impacts of the centres in the US, and they don't seem to be managed very well. And I think we need to have some better understanding of the impacts of AI.
What areas do you think that New Zealand should be looking to for economic growth? I don't think everything should be about economic growth. People and the planet are more important. I'm a fan of the wellbeing economy.
But isn’t it the case that if we want to take care of people, the country needs an influx of capital? We have such an awesome opportunity to tap into tourism here, if done right, because people are coming to New Zealand because of the amazing environment that we have. So I feel like that's a real opportunity, but it needs to be done in a way that protects the environment – and selling off those places for business or mining or whatever is just not going to cut it. You might get a short-term economic boost, but long-term you're pretty screwed because of all of the benefits that the ecosystem brings. It’s just not worth it.
What do you think of the Government’s proposed move-on orders, enabling police to move rough sleepers and beggars out of public places? I want to know how the government's planning to house and look after the people that they're moving on. There's a reason that they're sleeping rough. How can we help them?
Do you think that we should, as National has proposed, raise the superannuation eligibility rate to 67? No, I was just talking to my dad about this. He's just turned 64 and he lives in Australia [where eligibility for the age pension is 67]. He feels like he's never going to retire. You just want to chill, especially if you've got quite a physical job, which my dad does.
Do you think that schools should provide lunch for students? Yes. Ideally, done right. Stuff that they will eat.
Should all New Zealand kids learn te reo Māori at school? Yes.
What's your level of te reo – out of 10? I'm a learner, but I've done night classes, so I'm not going to give myself a one out of 10. I'm the person in the office that people look to lead things [in te reo].
Do you have any Māori ancestry yourself? None.
Do you think we need to allow more immigrants into New Zealand or fewer? I don’t have a strong opinion [about the numbers] but I’m pro-immigration. A lot of my friends are immigrants. And a lot of my New Zealand friends have left.
Do you have any further feelings about New Zealand you'd like to add? I feel like, since Covid, or since all the lockdowns, there’s been a huge shift. During lockdown, the country kind of came together and people cared. And now it just feels like a different place, and it's really hard to live here, especially in Auckland. I can definitely see the appeal of leaving.
The cost-of-living is hard, and then there's climate change. We experienced a massive slip and flooding on our previous property in the Auckland weather events of 2023. Every time it rains now I stay awake all night, just stressed. And at the back of my mind I think, well, it's only going to get worse.
It feels like sometimes you're labelled as some woke lefty, because you care about things and don't want to just accept things as they are.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The views expressed do not represent those of TVNZ.
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