Nā Hora Kairangi Nicholas tēnei atikara
James Meager’s political career brought him home to the place that shaped him, now he hopes to do the same for other people from South Canterbury. The Ngāi Tahu descendant and National MP for Rangitata is seeking re-election this year while serving as Minister for the South Island, Minister for Youth, Minister for Hunting and Fishing, and Associate Minister for Transport.
Raised in Timaru, Meager says his connection to the region is central to how he approaches politics and public service.
"I'm a local boy .. That's my marae that you would've went to ... you would've seen pictures of my Taua and Poua on the wall" Meager says, speaking of his whare tupuna in Temuka, Te Hapa o Niu Tireni.
He says entering politics gave him the opportunity to return home after working as a lawyer in larger cities like Wellington and Christchurch, and he wants to create the conditions for more people to do the same. For Meager, a large part of this is ensuring the region has ample opportunities so that locals who leave the town for greener pastures have something to come back to.
“That's why I want to grow the town and make sure there are jobs and opportunities for kids to go out, travel the world, but come back and raise a family here” he said.
Representing Rangitata means being the voice for a largely rural electorate that stretches across South Canterbury, including Timaru, Temuka and Ashburton. As Minister for the South Island, however, Meager says his responsibilities extend beyond electorate boundaries.
“It's an advocacy role, saying to decision makers in Wellington that what happens there affects South Islanders differently." Meager added that there are similarities to the Māori Roll’s Te Tai Tonga electorate. "So there's a lot of overlapping and there can be some confusion sometimes,"
He says the South Island’s geography, industries and communities require policies that recognise regional differences.
"We've got to make sure we've got good roading connections, good connections to the port so goods can get to market," The Associate Minister for Transport said.
Much of Meager's focus is on strengthening the South Island economy through infrastructure, agriculture and manufacturing. He describes South Canterbury as an agricultural region supported by food processing and manufacturing, industries he believes require government policies that encourage growth rather than discourage production.
South Canterbury has faced economic challenges, such as significant employment losses from recent closures. The impact of the closure of Alliance Group’s Smithfield plant caused hundreds of job losses for the region.
"It's really hard for a small community to handle," said Meager. "If we're too harsh on our farming sector and if we're too harsh on other sectors, it does have flow-on effects to actual, real working people."
As Minister for Hunting and Fishing, Meager has also overseen legislation affecting Conservation Policy. In June, Parliament passed the Herd of Special Interest Bill, allowing designated populations of introduced game animals, including deer and tahr, to be managed within national parks rather than automatically removed.
He says conservation and recreation can coexist, particularly when it comes to waterways.
"If I put my hunting and fishing hat on, we want good healthy rivers because it's about food and fishing as well," Meager said. “We don't want waterways to be unsafe, but at the same time they are pretty good by international standards … We've got to make sure we're not degrading them and we've got strong standards in place."
Looking ahead to the election, Meager says he understands not every voter will agree with every decision himself or the National Party makes. “We get the balance right. Not everyone will agree, but our focus is on people's economic wellbeing.”
"I will do my best. I won't always get it right, but I'll certainly do my best." For Meager, that commitment begins and ends with the place he still calls home.
"South Canterbury is the best part of the world," he said. "Everyone should come here."
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Nā te ara tōrangapū i hoki ai a James Meager ki te wāhi i poipoi i a ia, ki tōna kāinga tupu. Nōnāianei, e hiahia ana ia kia taea hoki e ētahi atu tāngata nō te tonga o Waitaha, te whai i taua ara, kia hoki mai ki te kāinga. He uri nō Ngāi Tahu, he Mema Pāremata o te Pāti Nāhinara mō Rangitata, e whai ana ia kia tū anō i tēnei tau, i a ia e noho ana hei Minita mō Te Waipounamu, hei Minita mō te Taiohi, hei Minita mō te Whakangau me te Hī Ika, me te Minita Tuarua mō ngā Take Waka.
E ai ki a ia Meager, ko tōna hokinga mai ki tēnei rohe te pūtake matua o tana titiro ki te ao tōrangapū me tana mahi.
"I'm a local boy .. That's my marae that you would've went to ... you would've seen pictures of my Taua and Poua on the wall" E kōrero ana a Meager mō tōna whare tupuna i Temuka, ko Te Hapa o Niu Tireni, he wāhi e mau ai tōna whakapapa me tōna hononga ki tōna kāinga.
E ai ki a ia, nā tana kuhu ki te ao tōrangapū i whai wāhi ai ia ki te hoki ki tōna ake rohe i muri i tana mahi hei rōia i ngā tāone nunui pērā i Te Whanganui-a-Tara me Ōtautahi. Ko tana hiahia, kia waihangatia ngā āhuatanga e taea ai e ētahi atu tāngata te hoki mai anō ki ō rātou kāinga.
Ki a Meager, ko tētahi wāhanga nui o tēnei ko te whakarite kia nui tonu ngā āheinga ki te rohe, kia whai take ai ngā tāngata kua wehe atu ki te whai i ngā āheinga ki wāhi kē, engari kia hoki mai anō ki te pā kāinga.
“That's why I want to grow the town and make sure there are jobs and opportunities for kids to go out, travel the world, but come back and raise a family here”
Ko te tū hei māngai mō Rangitata, he tū hei reo mō tētahi rohe pōti tuawhenua nui e toro atu ana puta noa i Te Waipounamu ki te Tonga, tae atu ki Timaru, Temuka me Ashburton. Heoi, hei Minita mō Te Waipounamu, e ai ki a Meager, he whānui ake āna kawenga i ngā rohe pōti anake.
“It's an advocacy role, saying to decision makers in Wellington that what happens there affects South Islanders differently." I kī anō a Meager he ōritenga tō tēnei mahi ki te rohe pōti Māori o Te Tai Tonga.
"So there's a lot of overlapping and there can be some confusion sometimes,"
E ai ki a ia, me whai whakaaro ngā kaupapa here ki te āhua motuhake o Te Waipounamu — ki tōna whānuitanga whenua, ōna ahumahi me ōna hapori, nā te mea he rerekē ngā hiahia o ia rohe.
"We've got to make sure we've got good roading connections, good connections to the port so goods can get to market," ko tā te Minita Tuarua mō ngā Take Waka.
Ko tētahi aronga nui a Meager ko te whakapakari i te ōhanga o Te Waipounamu mā roto i ngā hanganga, te ahuwhenua me te whakangao. E kī ana ia, he rohe ahuwhenua a Te Waipounamu ki te Tonga e tautokohia ana e ngā mahi tukatuka kai me te whakangao, ā, ki tana whakaaro me whai kaupapa here a te kāwanatanga e akiaki ana i te tipu me te whanaketanga o ēnei rāngai, kaua e aukati i a rātou.
Kua pāngia a Te Waipounamu ki te Tonga e ngā taumahatanga ōhanga, tae atu ki ngā ngaronga mahi nui nā ngā katinga o ētahi wāhi mahi. Ko te katinga o te whare a Alliance Group i Smithfield tētahi tauira nui, i hua ai te ngaronga o ngā tūranga mahi e ono rau mō te rohe.
"It's really hard for a small community to handle," te kōrero a Meager.
"If we're too harsh on our farming sector and if we're too harsh on other sectors, it does have flow-on effects to actual, real working people."
Hei Minita mō te Whakangau me te Hī Ika, kua whai wāhi hoki a Meager ki te tirotiro i ngā ture e pā ana ki ngā kaupapa here tiaki taiao. I te marama o Pipiri, i whakaaetia e te Pāremata te Herd of Special Interest Bill, arā, he ture e āhei ai te whakahaere i ētahi taupori kararehe kua whakaurua mai, pērā i te tia me te tahr, ki roto i ngā pāka ā-motu, kaua ko te tango aunoa i aua kararehe.
E ai ki a ia, ka taea tonu te noho tahi te tiaki taiao me ngā mahi whakangahau, otirā i ngā take e pā ana ki ngā awa me ngā wai.
"If I put my hunting and fishing hat on, we want good healthy rivers because it's about food and fishing as well," te kōrero a Meager.
“We don't want waterways to be unsafe, but at the same time they are pretty good by international standards … We've got to make sure we're not degrading them and we've got strong standards in place." I a ia e anga atu ana ki te pōtitanga, e kī ana a Meager e mārama ana ia kāore e whakaae katoa ngā kaipōti ki ngā whakatau katoa a ia, a te Pāti Nāhinara rānei.
“We get the balance right. Not everyone will agree, but our focus is on people's economic wellbeing.”
"I will do my best. I won't always get it right, but I'll certainly do my best." Ki a Meager, ka tīmata, ka mutu hoki taua whakapūmau ki te wāhi e kī tonu nei ia ko tōna kāinga.
"South Canterbury is the best part of the world," I kī ia "Everyone should come here."