Fran O'Sullivan: Sharp thinker Tracey Martin boosts NZ First's success

Some people underrate Tracey Martin because NZ First leader Winston Peters is so obviously dominant. Photo / Mark Mitchell

COMMENT:

New Zealand First's Tracey Martin may come over as a provincial parliamentarian.

But underneath that soft veneer is one of the sharpest MPs from New Zealand First, and one who long ago worked out how to drive her party's agenda to become an influential partner in a Coalition Government.

Most political observers who are in the know rate Martin. But many others underrate her, to their own, and their party's, cost.

At this stage it is unclear whether she may have been a tad unwise in recently disclosing her negotiating agenda on a television current affairs show.

It basically boiled down to this: "If you want NZ First's support for your party's [Labour or National] policies in government, you better nail that down as part of the Coalition agreement".

It is not a stretch to say this runs counter to the accepted norm. That is where the dominant player throws a smaller party a few policy bones to get over the line and form a Government.

But looking back over Labour's term as the senior Coalition partner, it failed to nail NZ First's "in Government" support for policies like a capital gains tax regime (outside of a working party) and similarly for light rail.

NZ First has turned this supposed certainty on its head.

Martin is a New Zealand First Cabinet Minister. She not only backstops Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in her own prime portfolio interests like child poverty and children, but is also rated by the PM.

As well, she remains a sound — and quite subtle — promoter of New Zealand First's own interests. That is before it comes to the white knuckle nature of Coalition Government negotiations.

Some politicians tend to underrate Martin. Possibly because it is NZ First leader Winston Peters who is the obvious dominant player in the party. Or maybe because those who question her street cred are predominantly male.

But it is Martin who was the prime NZ First negotiator at the 2017 post-election negotiations when her party decided to ordain either National or Labour as "their" partner in Government.

Unlike her more bombastic colleagues — Shane Jones and Ron Mark come to mind — Martin has continued to be a smart and organised player within NZ First's caucus.

Her influence also extends far beyond her colleagues.

A former deputy leader of NZ First, she lost that placing to Mark.

But it is notable that it was Martin who was in the thick of Coalition negotiations, as a prime NZ First negotiator, and who has delivered in recent TV appearances a message which appeared to open the door to discussions with National's Todd Muller, not just with Labour's Ardern.

This is obviously predicated on both major party politicians being in a position to talk after the election. And it also depends on NZ First scraping back in with more than 5 per cent of the vote.