Political apathy alive in Taihape

What’s bothering the people of Taihape about the state of New Zealand? And Taihape?

Once a railway town that voted Labour, even as it was surrounded by National Party blue, nowadays it’s like most of the rest of Rangitikei in living comfortably with Bill English’s team, of which incumbent MP Ian Mckelvie is a solid member.

Mckelvie’s election hoardings dot the landscape throughout the region’s rolling beef and sheep country hills. But Taihape is not another planet, which means the rise and rise of young new Labour leader Jacinda Ardern has not gone unnoticed.

In fact, they don’t talk much about politics, period, not publicly anyway, and it showed at Taihape’s only candidates’ meeting, where in stark contrast to the 100-plus who turned up to listen to the candidates the night before in Marton, a meagre 20 or so got along to the Women’s Club in Taihape on Friday.

They saw Mckelvie, Labour’s Heather Warren, Greens candidate Robin Mccandless and NZ First’s Rob Stevenson take to the podium.

Rotary Club president Michael Andrews, who chaired the meeting, declared himself disappointed with the small number, but said those who did turn up were ‘‘constructive’’ and ‘‘engaged’’. Housing, roading and attracting sustainable businesses to Taihape were leading issues.

Community board chairwoman Michelle Fannin has talked of Auckland leaking people because of its monstrous house prices, and looking as far south as Taihape for somewhere else to settle. The condition of the roads is also an issue. State Highway 1 cuts through the town, bringing with it a steady procession of heavy trucks. So maintenance matters.

Less talk of regions, more about small towns, would be a good thing also, Fannin said. It was a theme that ran through some of the questions raised at the meeting.