My Values

I strongly believe that politics needs to be about more than making technical decisions or just doing what the latest polling tells you. The very best leaders listen to the people around them, but are also driven by a strong set of values and ideas.

For me, politics weren’t a big factor growing up, but it’s in the blood. On my Mother’s side, my great-grandfather Alex Jennings, a miner in Thames, was a Labour activist in the very earliest days of the party, while on the other side of the family, my grandma can still tell me about the staunch working-class loyalty of her parents to Michael Joseph Savage and the First Labour government.

For my own part, my Labour involvement is an external expression of what I most deeply believe in. My Christian faith (I’m an Anglican) gives me with a profound belief that every human life has an essential dignity, that we flourish when we are connected to one another in community, and that the world we live in is a gift to be cared for, not abused.

I like the fact that time and again through its history, Labour has put its values into practice, and made practical, real world changes to make people’s lives better.

I believe in progressive government that is always looking forward and making long-term decisions in the interests of the many. Change is constant, but we are not helpless in its face. We can adapt and re-orient ourselves to new ways of doing things, but at the same time we must ensure that there is a place for everyone at the table. A society that harnesses the talents and contributions of everyone will always be stronger and more prosperous.

As your Labour member of Parliament in Mt Roskill I will work tirelessly to serve you and to build a stronger and fairer New Zealand.