After running into our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at an event in the mighty Waikato recently we thought it’d be good to do a Q&A with the Waikato raised woman. She speaks about her childhood, why she loves it here and the amazing economic and storytelling opportunities there are in our region.
Tell us a little bit about growing up in the Waikato, what was school like? What was home like?
I have wonderful memories of growing up in Morrinsville and especially of attending Morrinsville College. That’s where I had my first taste of politics, campaigning for girls to be allowed to wear trousers as part of the uniform! At home, I spent a lot of time outdoors when our property was an orchard, and later trying to ready my pet lamb Reggie for Calf Club Day. I really appreciate the practical outlook and values that growing up in a small, rural town gave me.
What did your parents do here? Did their jobs influence you? Or did they influence you in other ways?
Dad worked as a police officer, and Mum had a career at the post office before my sister Louise and I came along. My parents were both great role models for us, and taught me kindness and compassion from a young age. Those are the qualities which made me want to get into politics, and have led me to where I am today. I’m extremely grateful for everything they’ve done for me, and I’ve been very lucky to have them close by in recent months.
Were you and your sister Louise close? What kind of things did you get up to in Te Aroha and around the Waikato when you were growing up?
We are close. As girls I remember playing at Te Aroha Domain a lot when we visited Nana and Grandad. We would visit the hot springs, hike up in the bush, and at home there was a lot of time spent on our orchard when we had it. I had a great childhood.
Do you have a favourite childhood place in Te Aroha or the Waikato? Can you tell us about it?
The Domain. No matter where we have lived in New Zealand, Te Aroha and the Domain was always a place we went back to.
As a young woman, growing up among farmers and the likes of, did this impact your view of women’s rights? How?
Growing up, there were always strong and smart women around me that I could look to as role models, and as a girl, I never ever believed that my gender would stand in the way of me achieving whatever I wanted to in life. I’ve always been really proud to live in a country that has such a strong history of leading the way on women’s rights – from being the first place in the world where women won the right to vote, to our work today to make Parliament more baby-friendly. I’m working to continue this legacy during my time as Prime Minister through things like pay equity and extending paid parental leave.
Having achieved what you have, what would you say to young women who are growing up in the same area now?
My advice to other young women, and young people in general, would be to have confidence in whatever you want to do – whether it’s making a difference through politics, achieving in the arts or sport, or starting your own business. Don’t let your doubts stop you from going after your goals and fulfilling your potential.
Do you still go back to Te Aroha to visit? Have you taken Neve there yet?
As many people will know, Te Aroha is my parents’ hometown and it’s a place that’s really close to my heart. We haven’t yet managed to take Neve for a visit, but it’s definitely on the list – I suspect we might get there over Christmas.
What is it about the Waikato that you think makes it special?
It’s a beautiful place with wonderful people.
What are the challenges that you see the Waikato facing?
The Waikato has a thriving dairy industry and a strong economy, but sadly, poverty and inequality still exist in the region and it is home to some of the most deprived districts in New Zealand. This is why it’s so important that we, as a Government, continue to invest in infrastructure, to encourage economic growth and create jobs in our regions. We’ve already started this through the Provincial Growth Fund, recently announcing a $1.7 million investment to create opportunities in Waikato. We’ll continue working to support Waikato and our regions because we know that New Zealand does well only when our regions are doing well.
And what are our opportunities here?
The Waikato has a lot going for it – a lot of economic opportunities, amazing scenery, and great people! However, I think one of the biggest areas of untapped potential is tourism. Waikato is a beautiful region, not too far from Auckland where many of our international tourists arrive, so there’s huge scope to develop sustainable tourist opportunities. Hobbiton and the Wallace Art Gallery, and Te Aroha’s history, are a great start, but there’s so much more potential!
Many of the people we interview for the Waikato Story are inherently humble and certainly don’t strive to be in the spotlight. They just get on with doing the mahi. Is that holding us back? Do you think we need to be more willing to tellour story and be bold in celebrating our achievements at a local, national and global level?
I know there’s a lot of great stuff happening in the Waikato, but here in New Zealand, we do have a bit of a tendency to get on with the job and not to shout about ourselves too much. I would love for the Waikato to share its stories and successes more – there is so much to celebrate!