Veteran Labour MP in town

Annette King and Tauranga Labour candidate Jan Tinetti. Photos: Ryan Wood.

Residents at Bob Owens Retirement Village received a little insight into a politician's life this morning when outgoing Labour MP Annette King came to talk.

She's ‘outgoing' in both senses of the word, as not only is she leaving parliament this year, but she also happens to be very personable and confident.

She brushes it off as a trait acquired over 30 years in politics, but it's always refreshing to meet someone so articulate. It means she can speak off the cuff to the crowd of retirees at Bob Owens, who listen enthralled as she shares a little of her political experiences.

'It's been an absolute privilege to be an MP,” she says, 'and there's no greater honour than to be a minister.”

She goes on to talk about how she became an ‘accidental member of parliament' in 1984, never expecting to win a seat in the snap election. Her first question from a constituent was: 'I need a house. Can you get me a house?”

So the former dental nurse was in the deep end from the get-go.

She was also on a select committee with deposed Prime Minister Rob Muldoon, dealing with financial matters. She says she didn't speak for six weeks during the meetings.

She explains her shyness was a product of being in a room with ‘these powerful men who knew so much about the economy' – a remark that sends the audience into fits of laughter (many of them old enough to remember Muldoon's wage and price freeze).

When she did finally muster the courage to speak, she recalls Muldoon peering down the table and grunting: 'Who's she?”

Naturally, it's health that's always been at the forefront of her policy interests.

'You can make a real difference in the health portfolio. But you can only have a healthy society with affordable, dry housing, good employment, and a strong economy.”

The 69-year-old also thinks a range of backgrounds is important for our House of Representatives to live up to its name.

'We need a balance of youth and enthusiasm with age,” she says – perhaps a sly dig at the fact young up-and-comer Jacinda Ardern now occupies the deputy leader spot once held by Annette.

But she bears no animosity to anyone in parliament. Her plans now are to see more of the grandkids, but hasn't ruled out contributing to the health sector in some other way.

Some people have already suggested ‘governor-general' as a possible job, which she thinks could work.

'I've got the hats.”

You may also like....

0 comments

Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.