Jim Peters
Member of the NZ Order of Merit
KEY POINTS:
Jim Peters sure can talk, like any politician.
Ask him a half-question and he's off, speed-talking down the phone from his bach at Whananaki in Northland, where he was raised.
Mr Peters, 70, speaks in the same punchy style as his younger brother Winston, and shows some of the same dry humour.
In the New Year Honours he has been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in recognition for his services to local body affairs, education and the community.
A long-serving school principal, in 1989 Mr Peters was elected to the Northland Regional Council, was chairman from 1995-2001 and entered Parliament as a New Zealand First list MP for a term in 2002.
While he had had a long career, the regard politicians were held in had never really sat quite right with him, he said. "There's a perception we're all greedy, it's so negative.
"From my experience that is just not true. A lot of the criticism, you know - it's all envy anyway," he joked. He's proud of the family's contribution to political life. His time in Parliament with Winston was enjoyable and another brother, Ian, was a National MP.
Winston, he said, was one of the most "outstanding politicians we've ever had", and Maori should take pride in his achievements.
"Pulpits aside, we should be proud of anyone who rises to that level, whoever it is."
Although he had a taste of Wellington, it is local politics which Mr Peters really likes.
"It's direct, it's productive. It's close to your community and if you don't do well you get a very, very urgent shock every three years."
With Ngati Wai, Ngati Hine and Ngapuhi whakapapa Mr Peters' roots run deep in the north.
From 1987 until he retired in 2002 he was the principal at Northland College in Kaikohe. During his tenure the roll built to 80 per cent Maori, making it one of the largest mainstream schools to cater to Maori students.
Teaching in the economically deprived area during the 1980s and 1990s had its challenges, he said.
"We had two double whammies. First the stock market crash and following that we had a mass pullout of Government services in the area.
"It hit hard and we suffered - we had a withdrawal of income and people."
The school was bagged for academic non-performance by the Education Review Office but students did perform, he said.
The Far North has been good to him and Kaikohe is still home. "Not many people from Kaikohe receive these awards. This is as much about the wonderful people we have here as it is me."
