Twelve months a minister
Iain Lees-galloway
It’s becoming a tradition to interview the Palmerston North MP over a beer.
As we sit on a leaner and talk politics, Iain Lees-galloway reflects on one heck of a year for the fourterm MP.
Thanks to Jacinda Ardern, with a nod to voters, a wink to MMP and a dramatic evening announcement from Winston Peters, Leesgalloway has gone from Opposition member to political heavyweight.
Minister of workplace relations and safety, ACC and immigration, he’s also deputy leader of the House.
In early 2017, when beers with the Manawatu¯ Standard began, Labour was in the doldrums under Andrew Little. At Palmerston North pub the Celtic Inn, he said: ‘‘I think all of us deep down want to be a minister, because that’s where you can make stuff happen.’’
But that must have seemed a long way off and more Opposition agitation was the more likely road to 2020.
By September last year, Ardern replaced Little and Jacindamania swept New Zealand as the general election approached.
At Brew Union a few weeks before the vote, Lees-galloway was grinning. ‘‘It has been an incredible turnaround, beyond what any of us dared to hope for,’’ he said.
Labour fell short of National on election night, but with the Greens and NZ First had the numbers to form a Government, which Peters announced a year ago yesterday. This brings us again to Brew Union.
This time, Lees-galloway, 40, just seems plain busy. Parliament was in recess when we spoke, but after our interview he’s off to speak with local radio. Then he’s away on Government business.
That business includes industrial reforms and the recent – eventual – lifting of New Zealand’s refugee quota.
As for Peters himself, Leesgalloway says he gets on with the NZ First leader ‘‘really well’’.
‘‘Winston and I have spoken directly to each other on several matters from my portfolios and I always know exactly where he’s coming from and what his perspective is. He’s really clear at articulating that.
‘‘We’ve always been able to reach a solution we’re both on board with. It just requires taking a bit of time, having those conversations and maintaining a strong relationship.’’
That relationship may never have developed had Ardern not taken over Labour’s leadership. Following her elevation, Leesgalloway says that during the eight weeks before the election it was ‘‘clear there was an even chance’’ of a change in Government.
That wasn’t always the case. ‘‘There’s no doubt the likelihood of change improved as we got closer to the election.’’
Almost four weeks after election night, Peters anointed Ardern prime minister.
For months we knew it as the Labour-led Government until, the beltway watchers told us, Peters objected, and the name changed to the Coalition Government.
Lees-galloway puts on his diplomatic hat with his take on this. ‘‘It’s a coalition Government led by the leader of the Labour Party.’’
Such verbal gymnastics matter not a jot to Palmerston North people anyway, but the city electorate that returned Leesgalloway with a comfortable majority of more than 5000 now competes for his attention as matters of state mix with his responsibilities as local MP.
Upon his elevation to Cabinet, he told the Standard the Manawatu¯ Gorge replacement road and social housing were two important issues in the city.
On the gorge, he points out a new route will be built. ‘‘The sooner we actually see people in the ranges building that road the better as far as I’m concerned.’’
On housing: ‘‘We’ve had the first new purpose-built state houses built in Palmerston North for 25 years this year.
‘‘There’s a really large programme of replacing old social housing stock and increasing the number of social houses in Palmerston North. I’m incredibly proud of the progress that’s being made in the first year of this Government.
‘‘It’s a 180-degree turnaround on what was happening under the previous Government.’’
Yes, but social housing waiting lists are increasing, not falling. Lees-galloway puts this down to the ‘‘standing start’’ the Government inherited, and a lack of ‘‘momentum on the developing of state housing’’.
‘‘We inherited a diabolical situation from the previous Government.’’
Mondays to Thursdays are spent in Wellington in a whirr of paperwork, Parliament and meetings with other politicians, public servants and other folk capital-types refer to as ‘‘stakeholders’’.
Fridays are ‘‘precious’’ and are reserved for electorate business. And once a month, Lees-galloway makes the early morning trek to the Albert St market to press the flesh.
He says the biggest issues facing Palmerston North now relate to growth, as more people settle in Manawatu¯ . He says that’s a positive thing, but with it comes challenges for housing, skills shortages and pressure on infrastructure.
‘‘These are the things that people are raising with me and they are good problems to have, but there are challenges that we have to respond to.
‘‘I’ve got a particular focus on our transport and housing infrastructure, but also health and education. There are huge opportunities for our region.’’ Infrastructure, like rail.
As an Opposition MP, Leesgalloway was hot on keeping the Capital Connection commuter rail service between Palmerston North and Wellington after passenger numbers fell when Wellington metro services extended to Waikanae.
The subsidised service is seemingly on a permanent stay of execution.
Lees-galloway says he hasn’t caught the train for a while, something he vows to rectify.
Usually on Monday mornings, he’s driven in his ministerial car to Wellington and he’s busy with his head in official papers.
These days he spends more time on the road than in the past. As an Opposition MP he didn’t have to be in Wellington until Tuesday and, of course, there were no trips around New Zealand on ministerial business.
Now, one day a week is set aside to spend time with his wife, Clare, and their three children.
‘‘Just like I’ve become very protective of Fridays for the electorate, I’ve also become very protective of that one day for my family.’’
Leaders have families too. As we’ve seen with Ardern’s trip to New York recently, holding the top office doesn’t mean you can’t take your partner and children with you on the world stage.
It wouldn’t be a political interview without asking the leadership ambition question, so here we go: ‘‘God no,’’ Leesgalloway says, eyes rolling as he sips his pint, ‘‘I really don’t.’’
‘‘I’m really enjoying the work I’m doing. I’m enjoying the portfolios and, for the time being, there’s a lot of work still to do in my portfolios. My work programme is ramping up through this term until the election and it’s absolutely chockerblock.’’
He adroitly steers the conversation towards his ministerial work. Well played, sir. ‘‘I think the work that I’m doing has the potential to really improve living standards for everyone in New Zealand. I’m very keen to see it through.’’
Time for another favourite question, the how-do-you-rateyourself-as-a-minister one. Answer: Eight out of 10.
He says he’s working his way through the Government’s ‘‘ambitious agenda’’ and there’s always a lot more to do.
The most surprising aspect of his year is the time it takes to work through the process of making laws and governing.
Others in the Government haven’t been so squeaky clean. Like Meka Whaitiri, for instance. And Clare Curran.
Lees-galloway says such controversies are distractions he and the Government could do without.
‘‘There’s no Government in history that hasn’t made mistakes and the measure of our prime minister and the measure of our Government is how we deal with those mistakes.’’
The events of this week on the other side of Parliament perhaps shade these, anyway.
What of Lees-galloway’s mistakes? He admits to some ‘‘little’’ ones, but nothing major.
‘‘I can think of things I’m not going to share where I would have done it differently, but I think that’s a good part of being human and a good part of doing business and doing Government is that you’re constantly assessing every action that you take.’’
His proudest moment is the Government’s extension of paid parental leave to 26 weeks, for which he was the minister responsible.
There’s still plenty of governing to do. For the next interview, we might need a whisky.
‘‘I think the work that I’m doing has the potential to really improve living standards for everyone in New Zealand. I’m very keen to see it through.’’