Steve Baron: Independent MP would stop us being taken for granted

IN 1987, Wanganui came within 248 votes of never being taken for granted again by the Labour and National parties.

Terry Heffernan, candidate for the Social Credit Party, almost defeated sitting Labour MP Russell Marshall and, on the night, there were not many votes in it.

Labour supporters had argued at the time that Marshall's position as a Cabinet minister would elevate Wanganui up the pecking order to ensure a more prosperous region.

Chester Borrows, Minister for Courts and now deputy Speaker, has unfortunately had little effect in elevating the importance of Wanganui, with numerous government department lay-offs.

If cuts in government spending are deemed necessary, there is no second thought in doing so regardless of who our local representative might be - Wanganui is just not important in the scheme of things when it comes to Wellington politics.

Regrettably, we have been taken for granted by the major parties for far too long. That is because Wanganui is not strategically politically important like some of the swing seats, such as Peter Dunne's Ohariu electorate with a majority of 710, or Trevor Mallard's Hutt South with a majority of 709.

Look at the recent Northland byelection and all the promises the Government made for new bridges and better internet, just to save them the humiliation of losing such a safe National Party stronghold to Winston Peters.

Time after time, Wanganui has lost government jobs to larger centres.

New Zealand Rail employees were obliterated even though Labour minister Richard Prebble pounded the pavement with his call to "save rail".

We have lost the IRD, Housing Corp and the New Zealand Transport Agency went to Palmerston North a few years ago. The Maori Trustees office went from 11 staff to 2.5; the Government decimated the Department of Conservation and Te Puni Kokiri staff numbers have been cut.

All of this while government employee numbers have increased over the past five years. These cuts take millions out of the local economy, an economy that needs government help not government hindrance.

What Wanganui needs is independent representation in Parliament - an autonomous Member of Parliament, not a political lapdog who is beholden to their political party.

We need a representative who will truly represent the Whanganui electorate; someone who will offer their vote to get what is best for Wanganui.

An independent MP would put us at the forefront of the minds of those who wield power in Parliament. They would think twice before they axed any more jobs and grants in Wanganui.

If it were a close election, the Government might even feel the need to bribe our electorate with economic support as they did in Whangarei.

If a Whanganui electorate MP held the balance of power in Parliament, another benefit for the whole of New Zealand would be that the Government would not be able to push through their policies in the middle of the night under parliamentary urgency, which removes public debate and scrutiny.

Perhaps a group of loyalists could start up the "Wanganui Party" and get the extra benefits a political party receives in Parliament.

Most independent candidates would not have a dog's show of being elected in any electorate (I know that from personal experience), so we would certainly need someone with a high profile.

Perhaps Mayor Annette Main might take up the challenge ...

-Steve Baron is a Wanganui-based political commentator, author and founder of Better Democracy NZ. He holds a degree in economics and honours degree in political science.