MP excited to go into business
Departing Invercargill MP Sarah Dowie plans to start up her own consultancy business when she leaves Parliament.
Dowie, who is not standing for reelection at the September general election, said she was excited about her future after politics.
She had been approached by a couple of businesses and as a result, was ‘‘very likely’’ to start her own consultancy business.
The work would involve regulatory and policy analysis, governmental lobbying, stakeholder engagement and advocacy, she said.
Speaking to The Southland Times at her farewell morning tea, attended by about 150 National Party faithful yesterday, Dowie said a lot of environmental reform was coming and companies, especially those in the primary industries, needed to know what was coming for them in that area.
‘‘A lot of businesses are feeling uncertain and they know policy changes are coming,’’ she said.
‘‘So a lot of companies want to front-foot that . . . and I can connect the south with Wellington because I have those skills.’’
She planned to remain based in Invercargill.
‘‘It’s not to say I am not open to full-time employment, but when these opportunities present it would be silly not to think about them and take them up. It’s exciting.’’
Dowie said she was proud of her achievements in Parliament over the past six years, and she was privileged to have served the people in the Invercargill constituency, which she would continue to do until the election.
When announcing in February she would not be seeking re-election in September, she said she wanted to spend more time with her children, while indicating the fallout from the Jami-Lee Ross saga had contributed to her decision to quit politics.
Dowie was put under intense media scrutiny last year when it was revealed a text message was sent from her phone suggesting that Ross, a National MP at the time and someone with whom she had had an affair, deserved to die.
Police launched an investigation and decided not to pursue charges as the complaints did not reach the threshold of an offence.
At the time, Dowie said the episode had been exhausting.
Yesterday she indicated she felt for her ‘‘colleague up the road’’ David Clark, who has resigned as health minister after being in the spotlight for the wrong reasons in recent months.
‘‘I am gutted for him, but he made some mistakes, and as such he’s made the right call for him and his team,’’ Dowie said.
‘‘But it’s not easy, you know – politicians live through fire, and at the end of the day we are all human.
‘‘You do your best for the country, but sometimes it’s not enough.’’
‘‘When these opportunities present it would be silly not to think about them and take them up.’’ Sarah Dowie Invercargill MP