National MP Andrew Falloon at the Backbencher pub, sporting a "dirty mo". Photo / Jason Walls
National MP Andrew Falloon at the Backbencher pub, sporting a "dirty mo". Photo / Jason Walls
This born and bred Ashburton man has been around the political traps before and is now making headlines for ... unique reasons. Political reporter Jason Walls sits down for lunch with National's Andrew Falloon.
National MP Andrew Falloon has already made his mark on New Zealand politics – albeit ina way he was probably not expecting.
Earlier this year, the first-term MP made history with the most liked and retweeted tweet to ever come out of New Zealand.
Then came the media requests. Not just from the Herald, Stuff and MediaWorks – but from all over the world.
"All sorts of media I had never heard of, like the Dodo – which is apparently read by tens of thousands of people."
The story was a hit for the Dodo.
"My dad wasn't the biggest cat person so I think he was as surprised as anyone when Mum woke him up," Falloon told the publication.
In fact, a quick Google search of Falloon's name reveals pages of results relating to the tweet.
"I sincerely hope that is not the only thing I make history for in my political career."
In recent weeks, Falloon has been called upon to exercise his duties as a local MP.
He has been involved in the disaster response to the flooding in Timaru and Ashburton.
Torrential rains led to widespread flooding in the area over the weekend, putting large areas of road underwater.
Another thing Falloon became well known for was his Movember efforts.
Our lunch was deep into November, when his moustache was filling out.
"My wife told me that I graduated from pubescent traffic cop, to detective."
His wife, Rose – whom he met at university arguing about politics – said he could keep it until the end of the month. Any longer and she would kick him out of the bedroom.
I put it to him frankly; one of his colleagues had said he had the "dirtiest mo" in Parliament.
National MP Andrew Falloon. Photo / Jason Walls
In between bites of his duck croquettes, the Rangitata MP didn't miss a beat.
"That would be right," he says.
He admits it's not a great look, but it's for a good cause.
But for Falloon, the cause is one that is deeply personal to him – he's raising money for suicide prevention.
"In the last year more than 600 New Zealanders took their own lives," he said in his 2017 maiden speech in Parliament.
He points out that that number has only got higher since then.
"When 600 of our fellow Kiwis are dying at their own hands we have to say this is unacceptable," he said.
National MP Andrew Falloon deep into his Movember push. Photo / Jason Walls
Back at the pub, he reveals that in his final year of high school, a close friend of his took his own life.
This was an emotional time for Falloon.
"I just stopped going to school for a while – I probably didn't go to class for a couple of months.
"I went from being a pretty solid B+ student to getting three Ds and two Es in my mock exams."
He did end up passing his exams in the end, but he was so burned out he decided to go to London for a year to pull pints in a classic English pub.
While overseas, another friend of his took his life own too.
"It's unfortunately been a reoccurring event in my life – I've had four people reasonably close to me commit suicide."
The latest was this year, he says.
"It's something that never really goes away – you never get over it," he says.
"You think of it less as time goes on, but you do catch yourself from time to time thinking back to the people you have lost and the opportunities they could have had and the things they could have done."
This is one of the main reasons Falloon got into politics and one of the areas he says he will continue to work with other MPs, and ministers, on.
Although Falloon is still a relatively new MP, he is not inexperienced when it comes to politics.
After graduating with a BA – majoring in political science – he went to work for then Act Leader Rodney Hide in 2007.
After a few years, he jumped ship to National and became a political adviser to former cabinet minister Phil Heatley, then to Steven Joyce when he was Economic Development Minister.
Former National MP Steven Joyce. Photo / Mark Mitchell
"He was a great guy to learn from," Falloon says of his old boss.
But before too long, the man from Ashburton got itchy feet. After a brief stint at the Bankers' Association, Falloon thought "why not" and ran in the Rangitata seat, after National MP Jo Goodhew retired.
"I certainly knew where the bathrooms were when I turned up," he says when asked what it was like coming back to Parliament.
Time for some quick-fire questions:
What are you watching on Netflix? Teachers (Highly recommended from Falloon) What book are you reading? No books on the go Who was New Zealand's best-ever Prime Minister? Bill English If you could change one thing about New Zealand, what would it be? Our suicide rate. Will you ever be Prime Minister? No, and nor would I want to be. If you could have one meal named after you, what would it be? A long, slow-cooked pork shoulder.
Andrew Falloon: Entered Parliament: 2017 Age: 36 Electorate: Rangitata Party: National Born in: Ashburton Married to: Rose Fun fact: Holds the record for the most number of 'likes' on any tweet in New Zealand's history
