Wants to 'make Gisborne awesome again'

Kiri Allan

LABOUR candidate for East Coast Kiri Allan says she wants to present voters with another option to long-serving MP Anne Tolley.

“I will be here for the long-term," said Ms Allan who, like the Minister of Social Development, lives in the Bay of Plenty part of the electorate with most East Coast voters. Ms Allan describes Mrs Tolley, in Parliament since 1999, as a well-loved MP but is determined to represent East Coast herself — “whenever that may be” — as an elecorate MP. She has no plans to be a list MP.

“That’s not me.’’

The commercial lawyer and business consultant, with a strong interest in the kiwifruit industry, was raised in Paengaroa and spent part of her childhood at Te Karaka. Ms Allan worked for a time in Wellington in constitutional law. That legal background taught her much about politics, she said.

“But I decided to return home a few years ago.”

'I will fight for this region'She wanted to return to the land where she was born and “is proud’’.

“I will advocate for this region. I was born in this region. I will fight and advocate for this region."

Ms Allan described rural New Zealand as a bastion of common sense and pragmatism. She was glad to return to a hands-on business world where water, soil and sun was “turned into jobs”.

There was much “low-hanging fruit” in the East Coast electorate, she said. This week she was with a group of Gisborne and outside investors ‘‘crunching the numbers” for possible investment in horticulture, which she says could provide up to 90 jobs.

Gisborne's industry and employmentHorticulture was a practical, hands-on industry, which could be “a solid employer”, she said. Gisborne’s advantages of high-quality soil, water, and many hours of sunshine was backed by a fine port. Tourism was another industry that could provide more jobs, but few people outside of the district were aware of the region.

Significant capital expenditure would be required if Gisborne was to follow Taranaki into the oil industry. Like much of the world, New Zealand would be better off investing in renewable industry. Labour would invest in regional development.

Ms Allan said she fondly recalled her youth in the district but believed the youth of today were not as prepared “to give back to the community”. She would like to see civics taught in New Zealand schools and youth develop a sense of national pride.

Cause of optimism for electionThere was cause for optimism among Labour supporters about election day on September 23, she said. National had been in power for three terms, when voter fatigue or internal issues in the governing party often developed. Four-term governments were rare and there has not been one in New Zealand since Keith Holyoake’s National Government was re-elected in 1969, she said. Labour will also be encouraged by the retirement of John Key.

Ms Allan said Labour had been hurt in 2014 by a low voter turn out. About a million eligible New Zealanders did not cast a vote in the second-lowest voter turnout (percentage wise) since 1887. (The lowest was in 2011). Labour recorded its worse share of the votes (25.1 percent) since 1922, six years after its foundation, when the party finished in third place.

'I want to make Gisborne awesome again'Ms Allan said Donald Trump had stimulated interest in politics.

“He has got people talking politics again."

Ms Allan has done much door-knocking in the electorate and will campaign full- time from June.

“I want to make Gisborne awesome again.”