Chester Borrows: Keeping it local best way to go

Chester Borrows , National MP for Whanganui. Photo / Supplied

Today is a bit of a red letter day for me as I write my last column as the Member of Parliament for Whanganui.

One per week for 12 years adds up to quite few column inches, and I consider myself very fortunate, given many of my colleagues would die for the chance to have a regular column in their local paper.

My reflections are that "the least said about party politics, the more popular the column".

Keeping it local was best for readership, and being a little edgy in terms of toeing the party line generated interest and, on occasions, got the article picked up in national newspapers and the wider media.

This was not always to the liking of my party's leadership or officials, but I guess I got stuff off my chest, and it generated a few votes that would not have come our way otherwise.

On one occasion I reflected on a trip to Singapore and their legislation, which is quite harsh in comparison to New Zealand law. This prompted a letter from the ambassador and was raised with a senior minister on her visit to that country a couple of weeks later. The readership of newspapers in the electorate spreads far further than Whanganui and Taranaki -- even to southeast Asia.

But politics and representation is far wider than the media. The various aspects of being a MP is broad -- ministerial work, parliamentary committee work and in the debating chamber through to electorate work such as clinics, school and business visits or just showing the flag at public events -- but each has its rewards and satisfaction.

Big wins like saving Collegiate School by allowing it to integrate was cool, as was the challenge of funding the Sarjeant Gallery and hopefully -- fingers crossed -- roofing the velodrome.

Getting an ex-gratia payment from government to settle the messy Berryman case brought me satisfaction, as did the work on immigration matters, sorting out red tape that prevented businesses from operating efficiently and employing more staff.

Getting astro-turf for a country school or more special education hours for a disabled student went on behind the scenes but made a huge difference to the people benefiting from my intervention as an MP.

Viv Chapman in my Whanganui office has been in that role since 1992 and has gathered a wealth of institutional knowledge about Whanganui people and organisations. She has also gained detailed understanding of the ways government agencies such as Immigration, ACC, Work and Income, and Ministry of Health and DHBs work.

When I door-knocked at election times I was constantly reminded of her work by the thanks people from right across the community offered for sorting out some issue that was a big deal for them.

My long time agent in Hawera, Sue Turahui, has similarly been the front face of the office in South Taranaki handling all manner of requests for assistance.

Kath Weir started in Stratford when that area came in to the electorate in 2014 and has made her presence felt.

I am so grateful for the support of these excellent women who do most of the heavy-lifting in the electorate.

And so I want to say thank you to people across the electorate for the privilege of being your MP, regardless of whether or not you cast a vote for me or the party I represent. Like it or not, I was elected and my job was to represent a unique part of New Zealand.

I now know far more about the region I have called home for more than 30 years and not just the nature of the people and the geography, the business and enterprise, the history and the potential, but the mana of the people and the wairua of the ancestry, that makes Whan-ganui and South Taranaki special.

Ella and I will be staying in the electorate because we love the place, the people and all it has to offer those privileged enough to call the place home.

Nga mihi nui a kotou, tena tatou katoa.

Editor's note: As we now enter the election campaign period, Chester Borrows -- as a National Party MP -- has had to lay down his pen in recognition of the Chronicle's non-partisan coverage. We hope he may pick it up again at some point.