This text file contains detailed information about an audio recording on PrideNZ.com. It includes the following sections: DESCRIPTION, SPEAKERS, SUMMARY, KEY CONTENT TIMESTAMPS [HH:MM:SS], TRANSCRIPT WITH TIMESTAMPS [HH:MM:SS], HUMAN VERIFIED TRANSCRIPT, KEYWORDS, REFERENCES, RELATED CONTENT AND FOOTNOTE. 

## START DESCRIPTION
The title of this recording is "Shanan Halbert maiden statement in Parliament". It is described as: The maiden statement of MP Shanan Halbert in Parliament, 1 December 2020. It was recorded in Parliament buildings, 1 Molesworth Street, Wellington on the 1st December 2020. The duration of the recording is 15 minutes, but this may not reflect the actual length of the proceedings. The content in the recording covers the decades 1890s through to the 2020s.
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## START SPEAKERS
Shanan Halbert is speaking in this recording.  Their name is spelt correctly but may appear incorrectly spelt later in the document.
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## START SUMMARY
Shanan Halbert’s maiden statement in Parliament, delivered on 1 December 2020, marks the beginning of his journey as the Labour MP for Northcote. In this fifteen-minute speech, recorded at Parliament Buildings in Wellington, Halbert reflects on his upbringing, heritage, and community, weaving together themes of family, education, service, and identity. He presents himself as a representative shaped by modern Aotearoa New Zealand - Māori and Pākehā, urban and regional, grounded in hard work and guided by compassion. His address combines gratitude for those who supported him with a clear vision for an inclusive, fair, and connected Northcote. Halbert begins by honouring his parents. His mother worked multiple jobs in Napier - from a fish and chip shop to fruit picking, from St Joseph’s Māori Girls’ College to two decades as a checkout operator - modelling dignity, resilience, and service. His father, a New Zealand Defence Force veteran who later became a teacher, exemplified generosity, faith, and a love of learning. Halbert recounts his father’s death from asbestos-related cancer just before election day, acknowledging grief, the humanity of representatives, and the quiet strength of supportive fathers. He thanks his partner Anthony, a frontline doctor at Auckland Hospital, underscoring the role of whānau in public life. He then places his journey within a wider whakapapa. He recognises ancestors active in the Māori parliamentary movement of the 1890s, and he acknowledges the late Rudy Taylor, former chair of Labour’s Māori Council, for championing relationships and unity. These foundations inform Halbert’s commitment to Crown–Māori partnership. Drawing on Kelvin Davis’s “bridge” metaphor, he argues that government must meet Māori in the middle - an approach he intends to apply as a local representative determined to bring people together. Turning to Northcote, Halbert calls the electorate a preview of New Zealand’s future: diverse, multicultural, urban yet green, with a local economy tied to a larger market. His vision is for a community where people can live, learn, and earn locally - by choice rather than necessity - without crossing the Harbour Bridge. He outlines five priorities. First, transport: a mix of affordable buses, ferries, rail, a toll-free SkyPath, and planning for an additional harbour crossing to improve connectivity and reduce congestion. Second, healthcare and mental health: better access to primary care in schools and lower-income areas, stronger whānau-centred services, and a frank focus on meth addiction and youth suicide, which he notes remains tragically high. Third, housing and inequality: preserving social and affordable housing and building strong, mixed neighbourhoods where newcomers are welcomed and opportunities are shared. Fourth, education: expanding tertiary and trades options on the Shore - polytechnics, universities, and apprenticeships - so learners can advance close to home. Fifth, jobs and small business: backing local retail and SMEs to train apprentices, create well-paid work, and accelerate recovery from COVID-19. Halbert situates this agenda within Labour’s wider commitment to tackling generational challenges, from inequality to climate change, while pledging to be an MP for every constituent. His leadership style emphasises urgency, cooperation, and practical delivery, building on recent investments - such as upgrades at Northcote College and local primary schools - that he intends to see through. Importantly, Halbert spotlights local role models, grounding his mandate in community service. He acknowledges former Labour Northcote MP Ann Hartley for her electorate leadership; former MP Marilyn Waring as an icon of the rainbow community and principled policymaking; John Marsden, honoured for services to the community; B. Powell, advocating for life-saving cystic fibrosis medicines; and Anil Nhu, whose three-generation family business exemplifies ongoing, grassroots support. These figures, he says, lift him up and shape the causes he will champion. Across the speech, recurring themes - Māori identity, kinship, kindness, education, public health, housing, transport, small business - coalesce into a clear Northcote plan anchored in Labour values and lived experience. Halbert’s address is at once a personal tribute, a policy sketch, and a promise of partnership: to meet people on the bridge, to listen, and to act. It is an introduction to an MP who locates leadership in community, service, and hope.
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## START KEY CONTENT TIMESTAMPS [HH:MM:SS]
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## START TRANSCRIPT WITH TIMESTAMPS [HH:MM:SS]
Mr. Speaker. I am proud to stand here as the new member of Parliament for North Coast,[00:01:30] and I'm here to be a strong local voice for my community. I want to share my future vision for North Coat, but I want to start with my personal story. It's one of modern Aotearoa. While Auckland is my home now, I grew up in Napier. My family didn't have much money, but what they did have was a whole lot of love. My mum was the main breadwinner. She [00:02:00] worked at the local fish and chip shop. She picked fruit. She worked at St. Joseph's Maori Girls College and for the past 20 years as a checkout operator at Napier Pack and save. She worked tirelessly for her employers despite the long hours and the demands of raising a family. She is my example of why we should all support our essential workers. She's here today. Thank you, mom[00:02:30] and my dad, Mr. Speaker. He served with the New Zealand Defense Force in Malaya and then worked in seasonal jobs, including in the freezing works in tu. He learned Te Maori at the age of 35 and later trained as a teacher teaching at Tonga. This is where I found my love [00:03:00] of education, a devout Catholic. He brought me up to love unconditionally. He was generous. In October last year, dad was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. We were told it was the, it was most likely caused by an exposure to asbestos back in his freezing works stays. Dad was my biggest supporter and I dedicated my 2020 campaign to him, and in return, [00:03:30] he promised he'd fight the cancer to be with me until election day. Mr. Speaker. I last spoke to Dad the night before the election and I was able to tell him again, I love you dad. Mom called me the next morning with the sad news that he had passed away in the night, but he had kept that promise and what I am reminded of Mr. Speaker in this month [00:04:00] is that even though with the honor of being elected as a member of Parliament. One is still human. I am still a son, and grief impacts us all. My dad played a positive role in my life, and supportive fathers don't always get the recognition that they deserve today. I also acknowledge all of the dads and parents in the room as well as those that are [00:04:30] looking down up upon us. Dad was laid to rest in the mo fungal valley, amongst our Una, amongst Na, who are here today. And I honor them. I honor those that have carved this space before me. I stand on their shoulders cloaked with their struggles, and I will continue their work today. I especially [00:05:00] mention one of my Tu. A gifted leader who was part of the tega movement to establish the first Maori parliament in the 1890s. My iwi are proud that 115 years later that we are represented here too. I'd also like to honor Rudy Taylor, who recently passed. Rudy was the [00:05:30] chair of our Labor Maori council. He believed in building relationships and bringing people together. Even in the most challenging of times, my parents taught me to work hard. Mum lined me up with a paper run at the age of 10 with the Daily Telegraph at the age of 12 at the Continental Fish Supply in Napier. I joined the Labor Party because of the social values that my parents [00:06:00] taught me. That everyone, not just those at the top, deserve a good education and a job afterwards, that everyone has a warm, dry place to live and access to good healthcare when they need it. And I, Mr. Speaker, am a beneficiary of growing up in Maori housing. In the 1980s with my parents and our family home, and years later buying my own home because of the KiwiSaver Fund, that [00:06:30] enabled me to establish a deposit with a Maori father and a Paia mum. Being Maori is an intrinsic part of who I am. I bring those values to this house. Unity, kinship and kindness. These are also labor party values, and they are values that I believe will form strong, vibrant [00:07:00] communities in North Coat and in ua. In 2018, the Honorable Calvin Davis delivered this labor government's commitment to crown Maori relations using the concept of a bridge. For the longest time, Maori had to cross over that bridge just to talk to our counterparts on the other side, just to justify their place and aspirations in modern New Zealand. But under this [00:07:30] government, the crown is required to meet us on that bridge that we make steps to come together, and that's the leadership that I bring to my community. And I invite all of my constituents in North Coast. To join me along that bridge to build an even richer culture and identity and an even more inclusive north coat. But my election was never my journey alone. It was also testament [00:08:00] to the relentless positive energy of our local labor team led by our electorate chair, Hillary Chilo, to all of our supporters, our donors, and our volunteers. All of my aha to you and thank you. I want to acknowledge my partner Anthony, who is a frontline doctor at Auckland Hospital. I thank him for his support and [00:08:30] I thank him for the relentless drive and faith that he has had in me. Thank you also to other family that are here, and friends and colleagues from a UT and ua. Many of whom are here today. I also acknowledge a few of our local heroes, a North Coat who lift me up and whose causes I'll take forward. Former Labor, north Coat mp, and Hartley. Who is with us today? [00:09:00] Former MP Marilyn Waring, an icon of our rainbow community. John Marsden, honored this year for services to community. B Powell, who is fighting for life-saving drugs for herself and others living with cystic fibrosis. A Neil Nhu who runs a three generational family business and is still active in supporting our grassroots community and like these local heroes. I hope to [00:09:30] be a strong and brave local voice, and I will never take my seat in this house for granted. Yes, I ran for Parliament to lead our community, to lead our causes, and strengthen the role that central government plays in our daily lives. Mr. Speaker, North Dakota is the perfect example of what New Zealand's future looks like. Diverse and multicultural, urban and [00:10:00] green. A local economy tied to a larger market. And my vision for North Code is based on living on learning, and on earning a strong local community where we can live, learn, and earn without crossing the Harbor Bridge unless we choose to. There are five things that we need to make this vision real. Mr. Speaker First, everyone living in North Coat needs better transport solutions. Each [00:10:30] family and each day presents unique transport requirements. So what we really need are multiple options. I am committed to progressing affordable and accessible buses, ferries, and rail. And for some groups there is a need for free transport. We need a toll-free sky path, and additional harbor crossing is a long term yet urgently. Urgently needed project two. These are needed [00:11:00] for North Coat residents to get to the rest of Auckland, but also for the rest of Auckland to visit our incredible hospitality, our retail, and our green spaces. Second, healthcare, including mental health support. I know the issues in sometimes tragic stakes in this area all too well. We recently lost one of our talented young men at our local North Coat Rugby Club. And New Zealand still has one of the highest used suicide rates in the world. [00:11:30] As an electorate MP, I will champion better access to primary healthcare in our community, in our schools, and in our poorer areas, including mental health services and whanau water. I will also respond to something that is very personal to me, meth addiction that has had an impact on both my family. And North Coats community. Third, as North coats wealth and [00:12:00] population grow, we need to fight growing inequality. To achieve this, we need to build strong neighborhoods, welcome people with diverse ethnicities and incomes, and maintain our proud history of social and affordable housing. I will champion for North Shore communities who need government support and services. And I will build on my work as the chair of the Beach Haven Birkdale Community Project. Fourth, learning on the North [00:12:30] Shore should be attractive and accessible. I've spent over 15 years working in the business of education, supporting others into higher learning, and ensuring that everyone has the same educational opportunities that I did. I'm passionate about extending beyond our university provision on the shore. Bringing more tertiary education options to North Coat, including polytechnics, waa, and trades training. Finally, earning a North Coat [00:13:00] is essential. I'm a huge supporter of our local retail and and small businesses, which are a big employer locally. As we build back from COVID-19, I want our businesses to prosper to train apprentices. Create well paying jobs across our electorate and build our local economy. Supporting local retail and and small businesses is going to be a central focus of my time in [00:13:30] Parliament. The last government made huge progress to make North Dakota a better place to live, learn, and earn rebuilding on to primary school. Our only decile, one primary school in North Coast. A $60 million investment to improve facilities at North Coat College Sky Path. There are too many examples to list Mr. Speaker. The last government launched this work and it's now my job as the new local MP to see it through. Mr. [00:14:00] Speaker. The class of 2020 are proud to be a part of this progressive inclusive labor government led by Jacinda Ardern, Calvin Davis and Grant Robertson. We will continue to take action on the big generational challenges from inequality to climate change. We will be a government for everyone, and I, Mr. Speaker, will be a local MP for every constituent. My [00:14:30] personal leadership style is about bringing everyone together, and I have always felt a sense of urgency to seek new pathways. New opportunities and to get things done in my time in Parliament will be no different.
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## START HUMAN VERIFIED TRANSCRIPT
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## START KEYWORDS
1890s, 1980s, 2020s, Aotearoa New Zealand, Auckland, Auckland Hospital, COVID-19 (coronavirus), Catholicism, Grant Robertson, Jacinda Ardern, Job, Kiwisaver, Marilyn Waring, Member of Parliament, Māori, Napier, New Zealand Labour Party, North Shore, Northcote (Auckland), Parliament buildings, People, Shanan Halbert, Space, Tonga, access, addiction, building, cancer, change, class, climate change, code, community, council, crown, culture, drugs, economy, education, election, energy, faith, family, fish, friends, fruit, future, government, grief, growing up, health, history, hope, hospital, hospitality, housing, identity, inequality, iwi, journey, kindness, kinship, leadership, love, maiden speech, mental health, movement, news, other, parents, primary school, promise, rainbow, recognition, relationships, rugby, sad, school, seat, social, spaces, suicide, support, teacher, teaching, tertiary education, the other side, time, top, training, transport, university, urban, values, voice, water, work.
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## START REFERENCES
The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/shanan_halbert_maiden_statement_in_parliament.html.
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## START RELATED CONTENT
Shanan Halbert - Rainbow Politicians: https://www.pridenz.com/plaintext/rainbow_politicians_shanan_halbert.txt
Parliament: first reading of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill: https://www.pridenz.com/plaintext/conversion_practices_prohibition_parliamentary_proceedings_5_august_2021.txt
Announcement of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill: https://www.pridenz.com/plaintext/conversion_practices_prohibition_legislation_annoucement.txt
Grant Robertson and co: https://www.pridenz.com/plaintext/grant_robertson_and_co.txt
Pride Hīkoi speeches (2024): https://www.pridenz.com/plaintext/pride_hikoi_speeches_2024.txt
40 Years Since Homosexual Law Reform: https://www.pridenz.com/plaintext/40_years_since_homosexual_law_reform.txt
Wellington Pride Parade 2025: https://www.pridenz.com/plaintext/wellington_pride_parade_2025.txt
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## START FOOTNOTE
Generated 2025-10-28T21:01:05+13:00.
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