Nā Hora Kairangi Nicholas tēnei atikara.
Green Party MP Mike Davidson says Ōtautahi needs visible MPs who will stand up for the city and the wider South Island as voters prepare to head to the polls.
Less than a year after entering Parliament, Davidson is back on the campaign trail, saying that the General Election is an opportunity to show Aotearoa what the Green Party can offer. While still finding his feet as a first-term MP, Davidson said working in opposition had reinforced the importance of building support for issues affecting communities.
“I need 61 MPs that are not ministers to support it, to get it introduced to the House. And currently we have 15 Green MP’s. And Tākuta Ferris has just said he'll support it.” Davidson says speaking about his first member’s bill.
Just last month Davidson announced a bill which seeks presumptive ACC cancer cover for firefighters, who are currently required to prove their cancer was caused by their work before receiving compensation. He says the bill demonstrates that even in opposition, MPs can elevate issues affecting communities and build support for change.
Before entering Parliament, Davidson spent time connecting with his Ngāi Tahu hapū through his work. He also served six years on Christchurch City Council as Councillor for the Papanui Ward, where he built a reputation around local government, sustainable transport and community-led projects. Among the achievements he is most proud of is helping restore Papanui Bush, now Bridgestone Reserve, recreating part of the native forest that once stood in the area before it was cleared following European settlement.
“Although I was able to give this a bit of a kick-start, it's really the power of community and partnership that's made this happen.”
Standing beneath the first tōtara planted in 2018, Davidson says the project showed what could be achieved when communities, local government and volunteers worked together. For him, those experiences continue to shape the priorities he takes into Parliament.
"I feel that the local MP has been very invisible over the last three years," he said. "I want to make sure we change that."
Davidson hopes to continue working in areas including sustainable transport and local government, while advocating for greater investment in Ōtautahi and the greater Te Waipounamu.
"We have seen over the last three years a government that has really punched down on so many different aspects of everyday life," he said. "Māori have been hit hard”.
Davidson said he also wanted to see stronger recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and meaningful partnerships with mana whenua stating that The Green Party exemplify that.
While he remains critical of Government policies affecting Māori, including the repeal of Te Aka Whai Ora and legislation such as the Treaty Principles Bill, Davidson said his priority is to give voters a clear alternative while encouraging them to support the Greens.
"My main focus is for the party vote. It gives the Greens the biggest number of MPs that we can hope for in Parliament".
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E ai ki te mema Pāremata o Te Rōpū Kākāriki, a Mike Davidson, me kitea nuitia ngā mema Pāremata e tū ana hei māngai mō Ōtautahi me Te Waipounamu whānui i a Aotearoa e anga atu ana ki te pōtitanga whānui.
Kāore anō kia kotahi tau nō tana urunga ki te Whare Pāremata, engari kua hoki kē a Davidson ki te ara whakahau pōti. Hei tāna, he wā tēnei e taea ai e Te Rōpū Kākāriki te whakaatu ki Aotearoa whānui i tā rātou e kawe mai ai.
Ahakoa he mema hou tonu ia, e mea ana a Davidson nā tana noho ki te tūru whakahē i mārama ake ai ki a ia te hirahiratanga o te tautoko i ngā kaupapa e whai pānga ana ki ngā hapori.
“I need 61 MPs that are not ministers to support it, to get it introduced to the House. And currently we have 15 Green MP’s. And Tākuta Ferris has just said he'll support it.”
Nō tērā marama i puta ai a Davidson i tana pire hei whakarite kia whai mana ngā kaipatuahi ki te whiwhi i te tautoko ACC mō te mate pukupuku, kaua e herea kia whakamātau rātou nā ā rātou mahi taua mate i pā mai ai.
Hei tā Davidson, e whakaatu ana taua pire ahakoa kei te pae whakahē tonu te tangata, ka taea tonu te hiki ake i ngā take e pā ana ki te hapori me te whakapiki tautoko kia puta ai he panonitanga.
I mua i tana urunga ki te Whare Pāremata, i whakapau wā a Davidson ki te mahi tahi me tōna hapū o Ngāi Tahu. E ono tau hoki ia i noho hei kaikaunihera mō te rohe o Papanui ki Te Kaunihera o Ōtautahi.
Ko tētahi o ngā kaupapa e tino whakahīhī nei ia, ko tana whai wāhi ki te whakaora anō i a Papanui Bush, arā ko Bridgestone Reserve ināianei, mā te whakahoki mai i tētahi wāhanga o te ngahere taketake i tū ki reira i mua i te wā i turakina ai whai muri i te taenga mai o te Pākehā.
“Although I was able to give this a bit of a kick-start, it's really the power of community and partnership that's made this happen.”
I a ia e tū ana i raro i te tōtara tuatahi i whakatōkia i te tau 2018, i kī a Davidson nā taua kaupapa i whakaatu i te kaha o te mahi ngātahi a te hapori, te kāwanatanga ā-rohe me ngā kaitūao. Hei tāna, ko aua wheako tonu e ārahi ana i ngā kaupapa ka kawea e ia ki te Whare Pāremata.
"I feel that the local MP has been very invisible over the last three years." I kī ia. "I want to make sure we change that."
E hiahia ana a Davidson kia haere tonu āna mahi ki ngā kaupapa pērā i te waka toitū me te kāwanatanga ā-rohe, me tana tohe kia nui ake ngā haumitanga ki Ōtautahi me Te Waipounamu whānui.
"We have seen over the last three years a government that has really punched down on so many different aspects of everyday life." I kī ia, "Māori have been hit hard”.
Hei tā Davidson, me kaha ake te whakamana i Te Tiriti o Waitangi me ngā hononga whai tikanga ki ngā mana whenua, ā, e whakapono ana ia e whakaata ana Te Rōpū Kākāriki i aua mātāpono.
Ahakoa tonu tana whakahē i ngā kaupapa here a te Kāwanatanga e pā ana ki te iwi Māori, tae atu ki te whakakorenga o Te Aka Whai Ora me ngā ture pērā i te Treaty Principles Bill, e mea ana a Davidson ko tāna aronga he tuku māramatanga ki ngā kaipōti me te akiaki i a rātou ki te tautoko i Te Rōpū Kākāriki.
"My main focus is for the party vote. It gives the Greens the biggest number of MPs that we can hope for in Parliament."