OPINION: In the latest in our State of the Nation series, a 64-year-old financial advisor shares his views on Aotearoa and who he plans to vote for in November.
How old are you and what do you do? I’m 64 and I'm a financial advisor.
How many people live in your household? There’s two of us, me and my wife.
What’s your combined annual income, before tax? Approximately $100,000.
Have you decided who you’ll vote for in the November election? Yes, I'm probably going to split my vote – I’ll probably vote National in my electorate and give my party vote to NZ First.
What’s your thinking behind that? I guess wanting to keep the current government in. But NZ First – traditionally, historically – their values match our values.
Which specific policies of theirs align with your values? I don't know that I could give you any specific policies, but it’s their more traditional family-focused values. Their [stance on] moral kinds of issues.
Do you mean, for example, their conservative stance on the transgender issues? Yeah, definitely.
Did you vote for NZ First in 2023? Yes.
Is that a consistent vote for you? Or do you swing around a bit? Oh yeah, I’ve voted for Te Pāti Māori previously. That was back in Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples' day. They were a different party back then.
Do you identify as Māori yourself? No, I wasn’t even born in New Zealand. I was born in the UK.
What’s your stance on the current Coalition Government? I mean, they have their challenges, but I think they have tended to work through them. The relationship [between the parties] has developed in a way that was quite predictable. It was pretty clear that Winston, after being deputy PM in the first half of the term, was going to use the second half of the term to differentiate himself. And he's certainly done that.
I think they're still holding together though, they're working through their differences and they're getting there. Interesting: I just saw National starting to put out their electioneering posters and placards around the place. And I looked I looked at their slogan (Fixing the Basics, Building the Future) and I thought, you know, actually I kind of feel that they are.
Some of the policies around education, it's like yeah, they're doing stuff, and they seem to be getting good results.
What’s your impression of Luxon as leader? He’s had his challenges this week...
I mean it is interesting that even when there's these party revolts, they don't come to anything.
Politicians are human, sometimes they make their move, they interpret things and think they've read the mood of the room when in actual fact they haven't.
What's your view of ACT leader David Seymour? I think he's an extremely capable, articulate person. I totally disagree with some of ACT’s libertarian policies and views on things. But some of the stuff that he's done I really support.
Do you agree with ACT's election policy of giving teachers powers to use “reasonable force” to remove disruptive students from classrooms, and to fine the parents of those kids up to $3000 if they don’t engage with schools over their child’s behaviour?
All of those kind of policies are dealing with symptoms of a much, much deeper problem.
I think the breakdown of our family units is the problem we are paying the price for, throughout many sectors of society, and often they’re sectors that government departments and taxpayers end up footing the bill for, whether it’s alcohol-related incidents in emergency rooms adding to the healthcare problems, or kids misbehaving in school.
What’s your view of the Labour Party?
Not particularly high. From a moral perspective, I think they're just way off where I would stand on many many things. I've certainly voted Labour in the past I'm old enough to have voted for David Lange’s party. So there are certainly some aspects of [their philosophy] like wealth redistribution that I would identify with. But, generally speaking, I don't think that they put a great emphasis on personal responsibility.
Do you feel secure in your job? In your industry?
That's a really good question. No, I don't. That's probably not anything to do with government policies, rather it’s around the rise of AI.
In my industry, we are advisors, and as with lawyers and lots of people who give professional advice, I think people are turning to AI and starting to trust it a lot more. It's probably going to be able to do a lot of things that professional advisors do now.
It's a great threat to this kind of industry. But then it's a great threat to lots and lots of industries.
Do you use it?
I try not to, but when I do use it, I'm pretty startled by how good it can be.
What's your view on the large AI data centres that are being proposed or planned around New Zealand – an opportunity or something to be avoided?
I think we need to be extremely cautious.
So, would you agree with the Green Party policy that we should press pause for one year before we agree to any AI data centres?
That would probably be the one Green Party policy that I might actually agree with.
Are climate change and environmental issues high up in your list of concerns?
Yeah, they are actually. But the Green Party have taken a position on stuff that I don't think they really should be taking a position on.
Are the issues you’ve mentioned around morals and family values connected to religious beliefs?
Yes, yes they are.
What do you think of the National Party's proposal to raise the superannuation age to 67? I don't have a problem with that at all. Should’ve been done ages ago.
But these kinds of changes, though I think they’re overdue, will need to have a long lead-in time, because people make long-term financial decisions. [The National Party is proposing raising the age in 2044.]
What's your view on immigration? Should we allow more or fewer people into New Zealand?
I mean, I'm an immigrant myself, so I'm all for it. Although, I don't know if we have fully thought through some of the issues that may come with that.
What’s your view on Winston Peters’ recent comments to Chinese-born Green Party MP Lawrence Xu-Nan – were they an issue for you?
Yeah, they were. I think sometimes he does shoot with his mouth. And he seems to have a tendency not to want to back down or apologise, so he keeps digging.
Do you believe te reo Māori should be taught to all New Zealand children in primary school?
Actually I do. It's uniquely New Zealand. If we hear it when we’re overseas we get stirred up by it. It’s who we are.
What do you think of the government's proposed move on orders which would enable police to move on people who are rough sleeping or begging on our streets?
It’s another one of those tough things, eh? It's the breakdown of family and some basic core values that have led to that, and this is another symptom that we're having to deal with. I probably support the policy, but it's like, where are they moving on to?
My mother lives in (a small North Island town), and it seems that there are a lot of homeless people who have moved on to there now.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. The views expressed do not represent those of TVNZ.
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