Michael Woodhouse
Michael Woodhouse is a Dunedin North-based National MP.
So it has been about a year since you last chatted to Critic and I understand you’ve undergone some professional changes. You’re now a minister, congratulations.
Thank you. So when I spoke to Critic a year ago I was relatively new in the role of senior government and in the reshuffle the Prime Minister announced two weeks ago, I was promoted to a minister outside cabinet with responsibilities for Immigration, Veterans’ Affairs, and Associate Minister of Transport.
Is it really important to you to have a visible presence on the campus?
Yeah, very much so. It’s such a big part of the Dunedin North electorate, which is the one that I stood in at the last two elections. But what was also more important to me was the issue of the political engagement of our young. I’ve been working really hard to boost the numbers and profile of the Young Nats on campus in the South and in Otago in particular.
Do you think the media coverage of students is generally fair or do you think we get an unnecessarily rough deal?
I think you get a slightly rough deal but I think there are things that students can do for themselves that could bring some balance to that.
You voted to keep the drinking age at 18, from what I understand?
I did yes! That was a great change of mind, by the way, I was going to go for split age …
What was the reason for the change of heart?
We were getting lobbied like crazy and you know lobbying works if it’s done well, and in the end it was really, where is the problem, what are the things that make this a problem, and will raising the off-licence age to 20 be the solution? And the simple answer at the end of the day was “no.”
What worries me at the moment is the pendulum is swinging too far the other way! There’s too many people out there who are saying alcohol is a drug and we shouldn’t be doing it, they’re saying “oh, I like a glass of wine” but actually they’re prohibitionists in my view. We’re denormalising alcohol and I think that’s a mistake.
Is it weird driving around in a car with your face on it?
During the campaign it had my face on it, now it only has my name on it. But it’s blue and it has got the National logos on it … yeah it is a bit weird, actually.
Who do you think would win in a mud wrestling competition between David Clark and Metiria Turei?
I think Dave would be quite nimble but Metiria would be quite clever – she would corner him if he wasn’t careful – so I’ll call it a draw.
That’s very diplomatic of you. Do you plan on voting for or against legalising gay marriage?
Well I voted against it at first reading. And it had nothing to do with the moral argument. In fact it was quite the opposite – I’m a libertarian at heart.
The reason I voted against it is because I’m very concerned about unintended consequences in the passing of this bill for the freedoms of other people to hold a different belief and to act on that belief, and I don’t think those issues have been explored enough.
The difficulty I have is that you get lumped in with the crazies and the haters, and I can tell you I’ve had some very spiteful emails in favour of the bill, calling me a homophobe and a bigot. And I’ve had about 2,000 emails from people saying good on you for sticking up for the sanctity of marriage. Well, I don’t want to be either of those two things.
If you were on a desert island with Rodney Hide, Helen Clark and David Lange, and you had to shoot one of them, shag one of them, and marry one of them, which would you pick and why?
Oh my God.
It’s hard. It’s a hard question.
I would marry Rodney but it would be platonic. ’Cause he’s actually the best conversationalist. I would … shoot Helen Clark and then shoot myself before the shag.
I feel it takes a certain type of person who’s comfortable with answering that question so I really appreciate that.
That’s quite all right. I hate the question though, Brittany.
Metiria Turei
Metiria Turei is a Dunedin North-based Green MP and co-leader of the Green Party.
With regard to your portfolios, what are your plans for the year ahead?
We will continue to take a strong position, and that was a major priority for us last year: holding the government to account. I’m particularly focused at the moment on Hekia Parata and the issues around education as well in that respect, because she’s been such a terrible minister.
What issues do you consider to be the biggest ones facing students and what would the Greens aim to do about this?
Well there’s two things, really. One is the threat to the education system and its quality and the second is the threat to students’ ability to engage. We’ve seen a persistent dumbing-down of the education system and a constant taking of resources from students in the last few years.
At the same time, students are increasingly having to put up with higher costs – higher rent costs, higher food costs. In Dunedin, there can be quite a negative meme about students as well, which I think is really unfortunate given the importance of the University, the Polytech, and students to the local economy and to the vibrancy of the city.
Since elections take place at the end of the year when students have generally gone home, does that impact of any sense of responsibility you might or might not feel towards the perennial residents of Dunedin?
It’s a bit different perhaps with the Greens because we know so much of our vote comes from those who are aged 18 to 25. So for us when we’re targeting our election resources, we have to target the universities and places where that age group gathers.
And I think that one the reason why under a National government we have elections late is precisely because the Left does tend to do better out of younger voters, so by shifting the election date to around exam time or after universities have closed down, it is actually really tricky to campaign.
Last year the House voted to keep the drinking age at 18. Thoughts?
I was completely for keeping it at 18. I understand that there is a scientific argument and a public health argument, but the other argument was the human rights one, which is, should people who we class as adults be constrained in this particular way? Is it justified? And alongside that, what else could be done to reduce the harms?
Taking away the human rights of those eighteen year olds shouldn’t be our first step. It should be our first step to constrain the industry, managing advertising and dealing with adult drinking culture which has an impact on young people.
Who would you bet on in a mud wrestling competition between David Clark and Michael Woodhouse?
I’m thinking that maybe Michael Woodhouse would probably play dirtier, ’cause David Clark is a really nice guy …
And he has the Presbyterian minister background. He’s probably an advocate of nonviolence.
Michael’s a little guy, but he’s quite, you know, boofy. He’s quite stocky. He might just have it over David.
Would you like to see the young anarchist movement become more prominent in New Zealand or do you think it’s had its day?
I would, I think that analysis is still legit, what interested me when I was involved with it when I was younger was that it was a pākehā analysis of pākehā power. Having an anarchist analysis is really important because what that analysis often does is shift the focus away from the power of the state and the state machinery to the power of community.
If you were stuck on a desert island with Rodney Hide, David Lange and Helen Clark, and you had to shoot one, shag one and marry one, who would it be and why?
That means I don’t have to marry the one I shag, that’s interesting.
No, it could be a platonic marriage. Michael Woodhouse said he would “platonically marry” Rodney Hide. Which I suppose shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did.
Did he? He would marry Rodney Hide?
I hope that doesn’t colour your answer.
Ah. I’d shag Helen. And I would shoot Rodney. But he’s alive, I can’t say that. I would put Rodney down humanely, humanely! And yeah nah I could hang out with David Lange. I probably would quite enjoy hanging out with him.
David Clark
David Clark is the Labour MP for Dunedin North.
You’re a keen cyclist and a proponent of road safety. Would you like to see more students on bikes, and how would you propose to encourage this?
I certainly would. One of the best ways to achieve that is through having cycle lanes and commuter options that are safer and promote healthy and cheap transport. I’d also like to see the continuing development of recreation opportunities for cyclists.
David Shearer was recently endorsed as leader of the Labour Party. What has he got that previous leaders lacked that you think will see him become New Zealand’s next Prime Minister?
I think that David is a strong leader, and that’s important. He’s got a pretty impressive history behind him leading the UN rebuild efforts in Iraq that has seen him in some very difficult conflict situations. He has a vision for a hands-on approach to managing the economy that resonates with New Zealanders who at present are very concerned about job losses and the failure of the government to grow the economy.
What are you planning to work on in Parliament in 2013?
My Holidays Bill comes up for its second reading next month most likely, I’m keen to see that through and into law because it will give Waitangi Day and Anzac Day the full recognition that other holidays have, and they’re of growing importance to the identity and history of
New Zealanders.
In my current portfolio of tax, I want to continue to encourage a tax crackdown on multinationals who are avoiding paying their fair share. I propose to keep the pressure on Peter Dunne; last year he said there was no problem and talked about legitimate tax avoidance. He said New Zealand’s transfer pricing rules were up to date. This year he’s already saying there’s a problem and has a report from the OECD which says that all Western countries need to update their transfer pricing rules.
What was the funniest student prank you saw while you were the Warden of Selwyn?
I particularly enjoyed waking up one April Fool’s day to discover my vehicle wrapped in a large bow in the middle of the student quadrangle as I looked out the window making my muesli. It had magically appeared some distance from where I parked it and was arranged ready for my reception.
What are the biggest issues facing students right now and what would Labour aim to do about it?
One of the biggest issues facing students right now is debt and access to education. Labour has said that all young New Zealanders should be earning or learning, and that means things like paying the dole to employers to take on unemployed people, and making sure that student loans and allowances are adequate, as well as reviewing the restrictions that have been placed on access by National.
What are your thoughts on the Alcohol Reform Bill? Last year the House voted to keep the drinking age at 18.
I voted for split age. I think that in Dunedin, the laws and expectations on publicans are a lot stricter than they used to be and the problem with access to cheap alcohol is at the wholesaler level where unscrupulous merchants take money and wave the problems goodbye at the door. The Captain Cook did a survey and found that the majority of patrons no longer buy drinks, so effectively they’re supervising someone else’s problem.
The problem of alcohol is wider than simply a student problem, so I don’t buy the argument that students shouldn’t be able to drink from age 18. But drinking ought to be done responsibly in the home or in a supervised environment. Also, the science around alcohol and brain development tells us it’s an issue we need to address.
Who would you bet on in a mud wrestling competition between Metiria Turei and Michael Woodhouse?
That question requires a witty response which is not forthcoming, I think that’s my answer.
Is it important to you to be a really visible presence around Dunedin, particularly regarding students?
Yes. My office is deliberately on the way from the campuses at Polytech and the Uni on the way that students walk into town.
Shoot, shag or marry – Rodney Hide, David Lange, Helen Clark?
This is a painful exercise. I think I’ll just stick with no. In fact “No. Please no.”
