‘Our opportunity comes with economic success’
Despite the unexpected twists in the plot, Bill English is still expecting a happy ending to the saga that is Election 2017.
Despite the unexpected twists in the plot, Bill English is still expecting a happy ending to the saga that is Election 2017.
If anyone knows what it’s like to feel the political sands shifting, it’s Bill English. In 2002, he led the National Party to its worst-ever election result, with just over 20% of the vote. In recent years, he has seen successive Labour Party leaders go through similar soul- and confidence-sapping times, most recently Andrew Little, during whose tenure the party sank to a 25% poll rating. Now, Jacinda Ardern’s promotion to the party leadership seems to have given Labour a real shot at electoral success.
Where English scores highly is in the authenticity stakes – what you see is what you get. English promotes the “safe pair of hands” message. As much as policy, leadership will sway some critical votes in this election. English’s record of achievement is of an astute Minister of Finance and the driver of social-investment policy, designed to further the welfare of children.
Southland-born and from a family of 10 children, English lives with his wife, Mary, in Wellington. Their six successful adult children are in various parts of the world, but English places a priority on keeping in touch with them. He gained a commerce degree from the University of Otago and an arts honours degree in English literature from Victoria, and he worked at the Treasury before entering politics.
If and when you have time to read these days, what’s on the bedside table?
I’m finishing a book called Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. It’s fiction – set in the American Midwest. I’ve really enjoyed it; it’s beautifully written – that is what matters to me most – and the way it is constructed is also interesting. It uses real letters from the writer’s grandmother and then the writer fictionalises in between. They are great stories. That is enough for me. I don’t get too intellectual about it.
Do you have a favourite political book?
For political junkies, the best books I have ever read are Robert Caro’s about Lyndon Baines Johnson – The Years of Lyndon Johnson. He has dedicated his life to these books, but he’s sick now, so perhaps he won’t finish [the fifth and final volume]. It’s the vivid detail that politicians certainly recognise, and LBJ’s story is pretty amazing. He ended up passing the Civil Rights Act in the US. If you don’t read these books, you can’t understand how that happened.
LBJ was a pretty ruthless politician, wasn’t he?
Yes, ruthless and unpredictable.
And an accidental president …
That’s right, and he used the opportunity pretty well.
Do you identify with any of his story?
It is quite a different world in the US, but what I like about his story is that he developed a sense of purpose and got out and achieved a few things. Our opportunity comes with sustained economic success. We are in one of the longer periods of sustained growth of incomes and jobs that New Zealand has seen for years and a lot of things that people wanted to happen from changing New Zealand are happening. It is a big motivation to campaign for a country where we can make the best of that opportunity.
“We are in one of the longer periods of sustained growth of incomes and jobs that NZ has seen for years.”
Given the path you took at university, am I right to assume you’re a lifelong reader and good literature matters?
Of necessity I read a lot of non-fiction, so I am choosy about the fiction I read. I enjoy good stories, and a lot of those are captured in good books, but they can be captured in other ways. On Saturday night, I went and watched the New Zealand version of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, at Circa Theatre.
And your verdict?
I would rather have watched the traditional version, because the contemporary Kiwi version was a bit disturbing.
In what way?
The Kiwi-bloke avoidance strategies: “Keep it happy, don’t say too much, work hard, hope all goes well.”
Sounds like a good principle, at least for an election campaign …
This was more about relationships than politics.
Isn’t politics all about relationships?
Yes, that’s true, relationships with the people.
And between parties and other leaders?
Yes, but I always feel defensive when people compare politics to House of Cards, because it is not like that … Politics is like a good story – it is important not to get too distracted. I don’t like authors who get too distracted. I like direction in a story.
How do feel about central characters being suddenly killed off – that is very Game of Thrones, isn’t it?
[Laughs.] It is all part of the drama and it is important to stay calm.
So with Winston Peters’ campaign against you regarding your text messages and the Todd Barclay affair, is there more to come? Has he got anything on you you wouldn’t care to see out in public?
I am not worried.
Political science is a popular university subject. Do you think the practice of politics can be translated into words or a subject and learnt?
People can learn the structure of power and many do. They are fascinated by it. But I think each politician approaches politics in a way that is unique to them and it is hard to explain that.
What’s your approach?
I like a clear sense of purpose, whether in government or opposition. By that I mean clear that each day is adding up to achieving something in particular and understanding what the issues or tradeoffs or perceptions are, because when you understand them, you can explain them. When you can explain, you can mount your own argument, and that is persuasive.
Every three years – if I think of Auckland and its transport woes, for example – we’re suddenly awash in politicians trying to be helpful and persuasive …
Well, it has been awash in construction for years now, and come a campaign, everyone does focus. The public encourage the making of plans, because they start to focus on politicians for a brief period before the election. And that is good to know; people want to know what they are buying.
But with MMP, they never can be quite sure of that, can they?
That’s right, but they can make sure.
By voting in a first-past-the-post way?
Just by being clear who they are voting for and why. Generally not trying to be too tricky by trying to vote for one thing to get another.
Jacinda Ardern has come out of the blocks pretty strongly – what’s your impression of how she’s doing?
She’s a competent politician and will need to pass the test of whether the new leadership means any different policies or ideas about New Zealand and what a Labour Party would do if it was in charge. With the resignation of Metiria Turei and elevation of Ardern, how much are you having to adjust National’s campaign? Our focus is on getting our support high enough to form a good government after September 23. So although things have changed on the left, they haven’t changed that much for us. We need to get a few more percentage points, and there will be periods in the campaign where it drops back and you have to lift it up again. We have a particular focus on lifting our support, and the changes on the left are having the effect of galvanising our support base whereas a few weeks ago they may have been a bit complacent. As frontman of this effort to get a fourth term, what pressures are you under? The days have been fairly long since I became Prime Minister. In a campaign, you need to make sure you are fresh and well slept every day, so we will probably shorten them a bit. But I have really enjoyed it. I don’t feel intense pressure. This is a Government that has a team that is used to operating together and has ways of doing things that have been successful. So we have the challenge of focusing on that pretty strongly to win an election. I have done campaigns where things have been much less organised; this is miles better. We’ve got the resources, good decision-making processes and a public who are generally quite positive about the Government, so that reduces a lot of pressures that could be there.
The changes on the left are having the effect of galvanising our support base whereas a few weeks ago they may have been a bit complacent.
Are there people in your ear suggesting you do things differently – saying walk, talk, or dress differently?
[Laughs.] There is always advice – that hasn’t changed since the day I became Prime Minister. But in a campaign, when the scrutiny is strong, you are best to be who you are. You can’t suddenly construct something different. Most of the advice I get from the general public is along the lines of just be yourself. It makes it easier to deal with pressures.
How else do you deal with pressure other than reading?
Exercise – at the gym if I have to, but I prefer to get outside if I can. By the time I do my job and exercise, I spend time with my family either in person or over the phone. I enjoy that.