Palmerston North: In the lead-up to Christmas
A typical workday of any electorate MP is busy – with staff meetings, public interactions, official visits, inspections and what-not. This becomes doubly true, when in addition to the constituency dailies, the MP is committed to actualising Jacinda Arden’s call to kindness.
Whether discussing projects with other city leaders, visiting a school to oversee the use of public funds, bringing flowers to farewell a colleague or accepting a hug from a fellow Pasifika citizen, Tangi Utikere sees a sense of responsibility, compassion and collectivism in his community.
“The PM talks about kindness all the time and what I see in my city is that the communities have always focussed on helping each other and, thus, the common thread of kindness binds us…
Labour MP for Palmerston North Tangi Utikere Photo: Tushar Gaikwad
“I think some organisations in Palmy are working to actualise the call to kindness. This amplifies the PM’s vision to pursue simple acts of kindness,” says Utikere, while attending a meeting with local non-profit organisation Kind Hearts, who he was visiting to learn about its work in the city.
Tangi Utikere knows that there are important municipal and civic reasons to be kind. He also believes stoutly that close-knit societies often grow fast and fare better in response to crises.
“We have been humble, genuine and diverse. It makes us strong socially and economically. The region is the logistics and distribution hub of the [surrounding] country. We have more PhDs per capita than any other city in the country. Also, with the strong sense of community, the city witnessed high vaccination rates and fewer hospitalisations and casualties due to COVID,” he says.
When he is home in the city, Tangi Utikere starts his day with a staff round-up; his office updating him on current issues raised by local media.
“We do it weekly, as we don’t get local papers, when I am attending Parliament in Wellington. That said, my team alerts me instantly on anything urgent. Even if my team efficiently deals with 99 per cent of the issues, I have to be aware of the local community issues.”
Tangi Utikere and his non-dairy coffee Photo: Tushar Gaikwad
He sips on a dairy-free coffee. “It’s a medical choice rather than ethical; something which really complicates matters when your constituency has some of the world’s biggest and best dairy companies,” he laughs. “Whenever they invite me for events, they take care to give me daily-free items.”
After the catch-up with his staff, Tangi Utikere headed to the City Council for a talk with his former colleague and friend Mayor Grant Smith to discuss ongoing and upcoming projects. (Prior to being the local MP he was Palmerston North’s Deputy Mayor)
Talking about his regular catch-ups with the mayor and city leadership, he says, “it is vital that I know the status and progress of the city’s various developmental projects.”
Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith meets the local MP Tangi Utikere, who was his former Deputy. Photo: Tushar Gaikwad
Visiting the Palmerston North City Council (PNCC) also provides an opportunity to meet ex-colleagues and friends.
“I have spent decades in this office. Most of my ex-colleagues here have become my friends. One of them here used to un-stitch the buttonholes of my blazers. Isn’t it amazing?”
The mayor-MP duo discuss crucial projects ranging from the city’s social housing projects, anti-vax protests and the much-awaited opening of PNCC’s chambers. Afterwards, Smith tells me, “even the opposition leaders acknowledge Tangi’s body of work in Palmy.”
Moving out from the Council, there is not a moment wasted. As he strides along, he greets most of the people by name. “That’s the benefit of working in the city you’re born in – I know Palmy and its people really, really well,” he laughs out.
The afternoon is packed with even more meetings and the oversight of government funding dominates the thread. Utikere drives to Freyberg High School to inspect improvements to the school’s new building and its healthy lunches programme.
Tangi Utikere visits the Healthy Lunches project at Freyberg High School Photo: Tushar Gaikwad
Interestingly, he studied here, has taught here and is now a part of the school board. The MP takes a keen interest in how students are served lunch; how the school caters to students’ special dietary needs, and how leftovers are used sustainably.
“MPs have to step out and see the impact of their government’s initiatives. Since leftovers are kept in a refrigerator, students have something to eat even when leaving school for the day. They don’t have to think about, “What I am going to eat?” after school. This little thing is a small part of the host of decisions taken by the government in Wellington and when I see its impact in real life – that’s my ‘wow’ moment.”
Tangi Utikere addresses the staffroom at Palmerston North's Freyberg High School Photo: Tushar Gaikwad
Since the MP’s day starts as early as 7am, Utikere’s team slots him enough time for lunch. Today, he heads to a café on Broadway Avenue for a farewell luncheon. Sonia, who has been handling his social media campaigns for the last year and a half, is moving on.
He walks down Palmy’s graffiti-laden lanes with a bouquet of daisies in his hand. Flowers remind him of the Cook Islands and so does food. “Flowers in Cook Islands are very fragrant. We often give flowers and food as gifts. If I could bring something from the island here, it would be the amazing range of seafood. Especially a few delicacies like banana pookie that my grandmother used to make ever so often. I miss the island food, music and relaxed environment,” he says.
It is not every day that dessert awaits Utikere after lunch. But today, “I am now going to meet another friend and ex-colleague who has come all the way from Dannevirke to share a cake with me,” he smiles. One can’t be an MP and meet so many people without being involved in some lives. One ends up forming real, personal relationships, Utikere muses.
While he prefers physical, in-person meetings, he agrees that COVID has changed the way his office works. There are new requirements and rules to the places he visits.
“Though my office is open for the unvaccinated too, we have to comply with all the new requirements and good practices. The idea is to connect with communities while complying with the new guidelines”.
Also, online catch-ups are an amazing way to stay connected. “For instance, I hold frequent meetings with the local DHB during these crucial times. I am sure we will get used to the new normal,” he says.
On a short post-dessert walk to a vaccination pop-up at The Plaza Shopping Center, Utikere gives way to pedestrians and cyclists in the bustling CBD almost by instinct. He talks about the city’s fast-paced growth in recent years, attributing it to his party’s policies. “For the first time in 20 years, the city saw social housing being built. Rail and road infrastructure are growing. We have got the Manawatu Gorge highway project that will connect us to east and west. Come July, we will see crucial changes in community healthcare system,” he says.
When asked about the city’s ailing public transport, Utikere says, “I give them (Horizon Regional Transport) credit that they went and asked the public about their needs. Now they have the information from the public consultation process, we’ll see what solutions does the regional council come up with. Transport is the regional council’s bailiwick and I’m sure they will come up with something effective.”
When it comes to UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Utikere’s expresses concerns. “The river (Manawatū River) is one of our region’s biggest natural assets. What we put into the river and how we manage the public space around it – these things come with their own set of challenges and expectations. Personally, I think we are doing great with the waste management aspect.”
But that being said, communities can still do more to be sustainable, he says. “Sustainability issues in rural cities are significantly different from those marked for urban agglomerations. I believe that the government and communities can provide better options to individuals.”
Labour MP Tangi Utikere heads to an appointment in his electorate Photo: Tushar Gaikwad
Weekends offer time to relax with the family, his partner and their papillion Reichen. Not only does Utikere take out time for a dog cuddle, but makes sure his furry baby gets good company.
“Last Christmas, Mayor Smith’s dog came to stay with us for a few days. Turns out, our dogs bonded and made good friends. My pupper’s new friend didn’t want to go home,” he chuckles.
Walking from his office to the building of the local non-profit organisation, he holds the door open for the elderly pedestrians behind him. Those little acts of kindness often have people walking up to him, sometimes for a handshake and mostly for a COVID-appropriate hug and a ‘hi!’.
“He is our boy. His focus on equal access and opportunities made Palmy a city for everyone,” remarks a local Pasifika constituent.
Equal access and opportunity, which have been at the centre of Tangi Utikere’s agenda during elections, mix well with the kindness agenda.
“My father was born in Cook Island. My mother was a Kiwi. I experienced communities where access was an issue so equal access and opportunities has a purpose to ensure everyone in the city feels connected and included,” he says.
MP wraps up his long workday with a constituent meeting at his electorate office, something better done without a journalist hovering in the background.
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Shilpy Arora is a Palmerston North based journalist, profiling the local MPs for The House.