As a new Member of Parliament was sworn in, Parliament heard a national wake-up call about underperformance and settling for second best.
Sam Uffindell recently won the Tauranga by-election for the opposition National Party. Yesterday, his maiden statement in the House was adorned with motivational catch-cries like growth, success, and potential, because - as he explained - that’s central to who he is and why he is here at Parliament.
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Sam Uffindell Photo: Supplied / Hagen Hopkins
“I didn't come to Wellington to be a career parliamentarian. I came here to fight for the people of Tauranga and to ensure my children grow up in a New Zealand better than the one we returned to in 2020,” he said.
“The door is fast closing on our ability to keep pace with the rest of the developed world, and one of my greatest fears is that my children will one day grow up in a New Zealand that has receded from that club, and that is why I'm here.”
Maiden speeches by MPs are often informed by the hardships and struggles of their formative years, the school of hard knocks they cut their teeth in. Uffindell came through the investment banking sector.
“I spent the first 12 years of my career in Sydney and Singapore - modern, forward-thinking, successful, advanced economies and societies. I led high-performing teams and high-performing cultures. I worked to reduce inefficiencies, to innovate, to problem-solve. We committed ourselves to utilising our resources to the best of our ability and to achieving set, measurable outcomes.”
This may read a little like a CV, but Uffindell explained that he was seeking to open minds to the possibilities that emerge when countries and organisations foster cultures of competition and success.
“Unfortunately, this mind-set is a distant reality to that promoted by this Government,” he said, admitting that since returning to New Zealand two years ago he has been astonished at the general malaise he found.
“This Government's complacency, the acceptance of mediocrity, the fear of the outside world, the rejection of personal responsibility, the dumbing down of expectations, the closed-minded absolutism.”
Changing mind-sets
With a focus on performance and outcomes, Uffindell encourages self-sufficiency and less reliance on government.
“When I was young I played a lot of sport, and every time I played my dad taught me to play to win—and I did. And I loved it. Now we don't even keep the score.
“If we're going to fulfil our obligation to future generations to leave this country in a better position than we inherited it, if we are going to keep happily spouting the mantra that New Zealand punches above its weight on the world stage, if we as individuals—and a country—are going to reach our potential, we need to take a good, hard look at ourselves.”
Uffindell’s maiden statement began by thanking the people of Tauranga, a major hub in the country and a city he loves but is worried for in the face of some major challenges, including the need to invest more in transport and housing infrastructure.
“Our region is beset by gang issues and, unfortunately, like the rest of New Zealand, a growing culture of lawlessness, lack of accountability, a sense of impunity, and significant underlying generational social problems. We need friends, family, and, in particular, parents, to step up and show what is right.”
As well as his message to parents to lift their game, Uffindell called for changes in mind-set in order to begin tackling the country’s problems.
“We need to lift our horizons. We need to set clear targets and strategies to get there, and we need to get busy winning. We need mind-sets and policies that are focused on performance and outcomes," he said in a 15-minute statement that included the word 'potential' six times.
Photo: 123rf
There was plenty of "need", a word which also featured heavily in Uffindell's speech.
“We need an education system that is focused on keeping our children in school, ensuring they have a fundamental understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects, setting them up to compete on the world stage in the 21st century. We need a health system that's able to cope with public demands, that has the staff it needs, that allows someone to go to an emergency department any time of day with confidence they will quickly receive the treatment they need. We need an immigration and workplace system that embraces talent. We need a social welfare system that directly intervenes in the lives that need help, working with them to get them back on their feet and sets them up to lead lives of self-sufficiency and self-worth.”
After being sworn in, Uffindell wasted no time in targetting some new outcomes, promptly introducing his first Member's Bill which aims to stop gang convoys in Tauranga by allowing the police to issue spot fines to gang members travelling in convoys and instantly impound their vehicles for 28 days. If the Bill is selected from the biscuit tin, it will be a win for Uffindell, but one that relies entirely on luck.