Shanan Halbert maiden statement

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.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Shanan Halbert

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