Scoop's Meet The MPs Project: Louise Upston

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• Scoop’s “Meet The MPs” Project:

Louise Upston may be a recent addition to National's back benches, but the MP for Taupo represents one of National's everywoman success stories. She has been by turns a solo mum, a company director, a civil servant, a community radio broadcaster and a coordinator for the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation's Pink Ribbon appeal, and achieved one of the truly underdog victories in last year’s election. Her maiden speech to Parliament in December raised eyebrows with its curt maxims on law and order - "the police are good. The criminals are bad. It's that simple” – but nonetheless established her as a woman of zeal and determination. After ten months in office, does she still have the spark?

Scoop’s Rory MacKinnon sat down with Louise Upston to speak candidly about voting, showboating, Section 59 and which Honourable Members actually live up to their name.

Q and A

What is your view on the decision taken by the Government in relation to the smacking referendum in terms of what it says about NZ democracy?

I did find a lack of understanding around the question. For example, I've got two sisters; raised in the same family, you'd think we'd have similar views on an issue like this. I asked one sister, she said yes; I asked the other sister, she said no. I said to both of them what was their expectation; they both said the law would be changed. That was one of my simple tests to see if the question was a good question or not. I think there was far too much variation in it: when you talk about a 'smack', how do you define it? When you talk about 'good', how do you define it? There's a value judgement in that.... when we move into our referendum on MMP, the question will have to be black-and-white so that there can be no confusion, otherwise it can colour the outcome.

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Should there be another referendum on MMP?

Absolutely. One of the comments people made on a frequent basis on the campaign was their frustration with MMP. They don't like the fact that there's so many MPs. They don't like the fact that somebody could stand as an electorate MP and in effect lose and turn up on the list. They didn't like some of what occured in the last Parliament, with a political party or individual having what they perceived as a huge amount of influence.

So would you want to return to FPP?

Personally, no... I actually voted for MMP. Do I like the way it operates now? No, I think there's some room for improvement and that's where the issue of the referendum will have to be one that's carefully managed.

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Who would you pick for your dream team of MPs? Seven candidates, no more than three from your own party.

I'd have to say John Key: you know where you stand, he's upfront about it. Judith Collins is another: she's not timid, she's courageous, she's supportive of her departments, she won't slam them - which I think is important, given that she's got some pretty big portfolios - she doesn't buckle to bullying from the other side and I admire her for that. Probably Chris Finlayson: he's got an intellect like you wouldn't believe and a lovely way with words. From the other side Shane Jones is one of the ones that spring to mind, probably because I've worked with him closely in select committee: he's very clever and [we] had the same end in mind when it came to the Resource Management Act. He's not stuck on ideology, he's more interested in how we get practical solutions and I respect that. Heather Roy: she quietly goes about doing what needs to be done and doesn't feel the need to be a show-pony. I haven't spent a lot of time with Te Ururoa Flavell but in the time I have spent with him I've been really impressed; again, it's the focus on the issues, not personalities. Steve Chadwick? There's not many [Labour MPs] I've had a lot to do - and some I've had a lot to do with I clearly don't like. Steve Chadwick probably would be it: again because she's experienced and constructive as opposed to just poking the borax.

Rory MacKinnon is a journalism student at Massey University

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