Your Shiny New MP
Last month Labour candidate David Shearer was named MP of Mt Albert in a hotly contested by-election that was replete with all sorts of political drama. He succeeds former Prime Minister Helen Clark who was the electorate’s MP for almost three decades. Megha Kehar chats with David Shearer.
What are your priorities for your first term in Parliament?
I want to go back to the community and the people I met during my campaign. I want to have meetings with them so I can understand their needs better. Other things that I want to do is follow up on the Mt Albert shopping area issue. Third thing; Labour MPs and I want to make sure we put pressure on the Government with regards to the super city. What is your stand on the proposed multi-million dollar expansion of Westfield St Luke’s shopping mall? The residents are reasonable and not anti-development. The city council’s private plan change will enable any development in that area to be done without any consultation with the residents. The residents have been put in a position where they are forced to object (to the expansion of the mall) because if they don’t they won’t have any say in the future.
What plans do you have for Unitec?
One of the other things that I would like to do is involve Unitec’s faculty of urban design and landscape in our planning. I think there is a lot of imagination and we are not using it. There is an enormous pool of brain power out there.
And what do you have in mind for the students?
Students at Unitec come from all over Auckland. The thing I can directly look at it is how we can have a much better relationship between the MP and the Government and Unitec, for the benefit of the wider community. Also during the campaign, something that kept coming up was students demanding better public transport. Then there are general issues about support for students -improving the student allowance is what Labour is moving towards. We don’t like the capping of funds to the tertiary education sector.
What do you think your constituents expect of you?
What they expect is the sort of service we have had from some of the past MPs. Helen Clark, who was one of them, was considered a very strong local MP. I want to continue the tradition and get behind the communities.
You were in Iraq for many years. What was your experience?
I was the head of UN reconstruction and rehabilitation program and deputy head of UN mission in Iraq. We built hospitals, schools, irrigation pumps, etc. We were trying to restore services for the people of Iraq.
Iraq and New Zealand are completely different places in every aspect, how do you think your experience in Iraq be applied here?
The skills such as planning, management, conflict resolution and negotiations that I learnt there are immediately applicable in a different context. I found that people value politicians who come from working in a different environment. I am a passionate New Zealander and have worked overseas for 20 years. Now I want to work for New Zealand and serve its people.