PRESS RELEASE
4 Sept 2017
Does New Zealand Need More Tradespeople in Parliament?
Parliament is an odd mix of individuals from varied backgrounds, who have been chosen to represent their neighbours in
the governing body of the country, the big question is, “Can such opposing views work constructively for the good of the
country after the election?”
This is where the skills of the leaders become apparent as it is their job to unite, as best as possible, the passion of
different forces for the collective good of the nation, and this is where the differing styles of communication become
obvious.
Many of those in our parliament are from legal backgrounds and the adversarial skills they have learnt in presenting
their case, whether good or bad, is exposed in the means in which they debate causes within the representative
parliamentary chambers.
Herein lies the difference. Tradespeople are trained to work WITH people of all different backgrounds and skills, to
achieve the best result for the client. Their communication style is co-operative as they look at all the needs of all
the trades and work out, not just the best outcome, but the best way of getting there……together.
There is a place for practical, solution based policies in our political landscape and there is definitely room for
people who are willing to appreciate the skillsets and ideas that others bring to the table.
As a nation, we are facing challenges that require long term planning and consistency as we deal with a changing
employment landscape, health, housing and safety issues as well as a rapidly expanding population.
“If we want practical solutions to the problems we face in New Zealand, then we need practical people in parliament who
can work with others to achieve this,” says Leighton Baker, Leader of the Conservative Party.
We need more tradespeople in parliament.
ends