Marlborough councillor-turned-MP Jamie Arbuckle on salary donations and hate mail

Councillor-turned-MP Jamie Arbuckle said he received “a lot of phone calls from a lot of charities” when he announced he would donate his council salary.

The NZ First MP has reflected on what was “probably the most uncomfortable week” of his political life when his decision to keep his salary from both jobs triggered a political brouhaha in May and led to him receiving hate mail from people around the country.

That same week – after Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and leader of the opposition Chris Hipkins weighed in – Arbuckle announced he would donate his council salary and confirmed he would step down from the council in October.

Arbuckle, who has been doing both jobs since he was elected to Government last year, has now confirmed his last day with the Marlborough District Council will be on the same day as a full council meeting on October 31.

“I’ve got to say that was probably the most uncomfortable week of my political life,” Arbuckle said.

“I didn’t expect the reaction, but I probably should have.

“Sometimes you don’t necessarily read the room. I was trying to indicate that I was doing the roles that were required.

“Anyway, we got to a resolution where most people seem to be reasonably happy.”

He said the hate mail he received was the thing he would “probably always remember”.

“People just attack you personally,” he said.

“Most of these people I didn’t even know, they’re from all around the country, and it’s kind of like, I still feel like I’m doing my job in Marlborough and these people weren’t even Marlborough ratepayers.

“It was a bit of an eye-opener of where I am these days, it’s a bit more cut-throat.”

NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle will end his time as a Marlborough district councillor on October 31.

The party had always been supportive of his decision, he said. Other NZ First MPs had, in the past, been on community boards, for example, which were also paid roles.

“So that side of it isn’t necessarily new, but the payment side of it was definitely highlighted.

“I take that on the chin and move forward.”

Despite this, he said he felt he had support from Marlborough constituents.

“They know I’ve been here for 14 years and they acknowledge that.

“But in Wellington no-one acknowledges the Marlborough District Council is important.

“They think you’re sitting in a city council. If you are in the Wellington council or in Auckland, it is a full-time job – those councillors get paid $150,000 and it’s a totally different kettle of fish.

“But people aren’t going to sit there and analyse and come out in your favour on that, so you have just got to take it on the chin and move forward.”

A Marlborough councillor with no added responsibilities had a base salary of $40,250 in 2023-24.

“The interesting thing that came out of that, was a lot of phone calls from a lot of charities.

“So I’ve set up a couple of people to make sure that’s getting administered in the right way.

“Basically, we’re just splitting payments.”

He hoped to put out a media statement after the last payment in October to let people know where the salary had been donated.

Arbuckle was deputy chairperson of the justice select committee and sat on the finance and expenditure select committee. He was also the New Zealand First party whip.

He admitted doing both jobs was getting harder.

“I wouldn’t want to do it for the whole three years.

“It’s got busy, there’s no doubt about it. It has definitely got very busy with select committee work and I’m probably looking forward to that date as we approach that now.

“It was really good to get the long-term plan stuff out of the way, the Marlborough Sounds [roading] work as well, but I’m looking forward to that date [October 31].”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.