To call Todd Barclay’s life unusual would be an understatement. At just twenty four years old, not only did he put himself forward as a parliamentary candidate in Clutha-Southland, he won by a landslide and stepped into the gigantic shoes of the outgoing MP, Bill English.
I sat down with Todd to discuss the life, experiences, and perceptions of New Zealand’s youngest Member of Parliament.
What was that first issue or event that sparked your interest in politics?
I literally just walked into parliament one day and watched a bit of Question Time. I saw my local MP sitting down there, Bill English, who I knew from Dipton, so I sort of emailed him and told him I was interested in politics generally, and he invited me in to spend the day with him. I loved what I was seeing, so I ended up working for him about 3 days a week while I was studying, and it was that which really got me interested in working on issues for the electorate.
What sparked your decision to actually run for parliament?
I knew I always wanted to, but timing was the most important thing, it’s the one thing outside of your control. When Bill [English] announced he was going onto the list I decided to put my name forward. Ideally I would have wanted to wait for a few more years, but I didn’t really get that opportunity.
I heard you had to move back in with your parents for the campaign?
[Laughs] Yeah, I was living in Auckland, so I had to move down back to Gore with them to campaign full-time for 6 months leading up to the election.
What is something about your job that people may not be aware of?
Probably just that it really is a 24/7 job. Anyone can call you at any time, and normally when they call you it’s because it’s a last resort and they’ve extended all other avenues with the department or whatever it is. So it’s really long days, and your weekends don’t really exist, but I’m really lucky I’ve got a really supportive girlfriend. If you’re enjoying it, it doesn’t feel like work.
How much pressure is there to make sure you’re acting professionally at all times, just in case you’re recognised?
Yeah, there is definitely some. I mean, it doesn’t stop me from going out for a few drinks with friends or workmates, but as long as you’re not doing anything stupid that you’d be embarrassed by, it doesn’t really affect it.
You’re probably one of the only MP’s that is really of the Facebook generation. Did you have to do a big sweep deleting all those old embarrassing photos and statuses?
Um, well, I don’t know… Maybe I should! [Laughs] I keep my work Facebook page separate to my personal account. I suppose there might be some stuff on there, but I’ve never really been a prolific poster.
On the point of your youth, have you ever experienced anything you felt was ageist or that an older MP would not have experienced?
I think one of the biggest challenges is around managing expectations. Taking over from Bill, who is highly respected, I guess some people kind of forget that I’m only 16 months into it. Nothing major, but I suppose I get a bit of flack from the opposition on my youth and inexperience.
What would you say was your proudest achievement of the last 16 months?
Well it’s a huge electorate, 38000 square kilometers, it’s the size of Switzerland, it’s the largest general electorate, and so just getting around to all my constituents has been quite intensive. I’m on a couple of committees, I’m Deputy Chair of the Law & Order Committee, so pretty proud of that. Law and Order is a big pillar for National, and Primary Production is important for my district.
Who is your favorite Non-National Party MP?
Every interaction with people on any side of the house has been really positive, it’s not like what you see on TV. You might get a bit of that in Question Time, but outside of that we’re really productive. If I were to name one, I really enjoy working with Damien O’Connor (Labour – West Coast/Tasman). I find him really reasonable. David Clendon from the Greens as well.
If you were in a street brawl, and could pick one other MP to be on your side, who would it be?
Mark Mitchell, former Cop, you wouldn’t want to mess with him.