I want a region where all of our children can grow up get educated, have a career and raise a family in Northland. I want a region where all of our children are raised in the strong, stable and loving environment that I enjoyed. That we can stem the flow of our young people out of Northland.
I come from the mighty Northland a truly beautiful place steeped in history. I live a short distance from the harbour where Kupe first landed on our shores.
A short distance from the site of our first Maori settlement and the region with the largest iwi Ngapuhi.
Our electorate's largest town is Kerikeri and it's also the site of our first permanent European settlement and NZ's oldest surviving building the Stone Store. In the beautiful coastal town of Russell we have NZ's first capital and across the water at Waitangi the grounds where the Treaty was signed. These factors taken together make us the birthplace of our nation.
We enjoy the country's highest average temperature, we have 3.6 per cent of the population and just over 5 per cent of the land area. We are a region with many challenges but I am incredibly positive and optimistic about our future.
It's a true honour to be voted in by the people of Northland to represent them and it's a real privilege to be one of 120 people tasked with the responsibility of ensuring this country is governed well.
I would like to mention and acknowledge my two main opponents in Northland Labour's Willow Jean Prime for showing the same determination and perseverance as I have to make it here. And NZ First Winston Peters for being unrivalled in his longevity as New Zealand's longest-serving and possibly best known politician.
It's important to me that as one of the frontmen we never forget the team behind us working away to ensure our success. To my superb Northland electorate team, a huge thank you to you all.
Mr Speaker I want to offer my thanks to all Northlanders who supported me through the campaign and put their faith in me to be their representative.
My political career began in 2010 when I entered the rather prolonged race to be the Northland candidate for the 2011 election. I made the short list on that occasion but didn't make the podium.
Having no desire to be an MP anywhere but Northland I essentially shelved my political dreams and got on with what was a pretty good life.
Then rather unexpectedly along came round two in 2015. This time I made the podium but didn't get the gold. Finally in late 2016 in round three I made it across the line and was selected as the National Party candidate for Northland.
On that day my campaign began and did not stop until late on 22 September with my electorate chair Rose Ellis balancing on my shoulders pulling out the last nail of our last hoarding.
I credit this long and onerous campaign and my team for our ultimate success in winning back Northland.
I want to thank my family, starting with my wonderful parents who gave me the best start in life anyone could wish for. If everyone experienced the upbringing I had there would be no need for policeman or judges, lawyers or prisons, you wouldn't even need locks on your doors.
I am the eldest son of Joe and Jenny King who this year celebrated 52 years of marriage.
I was born 50 years ago in Auckland and moved north at age 9. We grew up on a picturesque hill country farm in the mid-North which we now own.
We have an amazing life on that farm, swimming in and drinking water from the two rivers that flow through it.
Riding our horses and dirt bikes across the hills, hiking through the bush, eeling in the creeks, scaling the cliffs and climbing deep into the glow worm caves … our farm has it all.
After leaving school and scraping together some cash I left on my big OE.
I bought an old American Ford station wagon in San Francisco and for a year it was my home whilst I travelled the length and breadth of North America clocking up over 20,000 miles covering many parts of Mexico, the US and Canada. This was a huge adventure filled with incredible memories and recommend it to all.
On returning I completed three years of study graduating from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Science. After graduating I followed in my grandfather's footsteps and joined the police.
During my 14-year career I got to experience the human race in all its glory. I dealt with the sad, the mad and the bad. I saw and experienced things that cannot be unseen and came out of it at the other end with a heightened level of compassion for people that has never left me.
I learnt many of my most valuable life lessons during this period of my life.
By far the biggest and proudest achievement of my university days was the discovery of my soul mate and love of my life my wife Sarah. Sarah has been by my side for the past 27 years and is one out of the box.
Mr Speaker I want to close with my dream for Northland.
I want a region where all of our children can grow up get educated, have a career and raise a family in Northland. I want a region where all of our children are raised in the strong, stable and loving environment that I enjoyed. That we can stem the flow of our young people out of Northland.
It's especially personal to me as my son Jake is chasing his dream and training to be an airline pilot in Hamilton. I would dearly love it if we grew to the stage where he could complete his training in Northland so I could get to enjoy having him around more often.
How do we do grow and prosper? Well, it starts with investing in our infrastructure, our roads, our bridges, our digital and energy network, our schools our hospitals and our people, especially our people.
I want to encourage our many talented people to step up, take leadership roles in our communities, become mentors and lead by example. I want us to stop talking about the potential that Northland has, I want to realise it.
I am committed to keeping Northland on the map to keeping us front and centre.
To Northlanders I give you this promise I will work the hardest and the smartest that I can to achieve our dreams and our aspirations. I'm proud to be a Northlander. I'm proud to be your MP.
