James Meager, a National Party MP of Ngāi Tahu descent, has rocked the political landscape. Just a year into his first term in Parliament, he’s picked up his first three ministerial portfolios - Youth, Hunting and Fishing, and surprisingly, the South Island Minister (surprising because it is a portfolio that did not exist until Meager was assigned it on Sunday.
Already a busy man, as chair of perhaps the most consequential committee of this term of government, which oversees the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill, Meager managed to carve out time to speak with Te Ao Māori News’ Isaac Gunson this week.
Until today, James Meager’s biggest political responsibility (outside of representing the constituents of Rangitata) has been chairing the Justice Select Committee, which on Monday will begin hearing 80 hours of oral submissions on the controversial Treaty Principles Bill.
He’s already been touted as future prime minister material in the hushed whispers of the press gallery.
But before he considers a portfolio of that heft, he first needs to make it through the three he’s just been sworn into – Youth, Hunting and Fishing, and South Island, the latter of which has just been created.
MP for Rangitata, an electorate only secured by a party other than National once in the last six elections, Meager is now the minister for the whole of Te Waipounamu (the South Island) – but what exactly does that mean?
“I think, for me, it’s two key things. One is making sure that I’m a voice for the South in Wellington and in government when decisions are being made that affect us or disproportionately affect us,” Meager explains.
“And the second thing is helping [Nicola] Willis with her economic growth plan and economic growth agenda. We know that the South Island is a powerhouse of economic growth.”
At the same time Meager earned his promotion to a ministerial posting, Finance Minister Nicola Willis was also appointed to a new role as minister responsible for economic growth.
Meager’s role will see him working with mana whenua across Te Waipounamu, including his own iwi, Ngāi Tahu – a particularly important iwi in terms of economic growth, with a $2.21b asset base as of early 2024.
He navigates this carefully in our interview, acknowledging he’s “inherently conflicted” with cousins who have “a good role in that” for Ngāi Tahu.
“Iwi and rūnanga are going to play a huge part in this. We know the power that sits in behind, the investments that are there, but also, the ability for iwi and rūnanga to make a real difference in the social space, and in the education and health space, too.”
Meager is very clear, though; he is now minister for the whole island, not just Ngāi Tahu; and that he must engage with “the hapū and rūnanga all around the South Island, on the West coast, all the way down to Bluff, and Rakiura”.
Pressed specifically on the relationships he’s already established, Meager says he has a few – but as a first-term MP, he told Chris Lynch Media the day after Luxon’s reshuffle that he hadn’t anticipated a ministerial appointment for himself so soon.
“The challenge for me has been that in the past sort of 18 months, nothing has existed north of the Rakaia River or south of Timaru, because I’ve been focused on my electorate and my role on the Justice Committee. But I guess from there, it’s going to be my job to try and represent everyone in the South Island.”
One relationship that gets a namecheck is Justin Tipa, chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Tipa spoke with Te Ao Māori News’ Michael Cugley shortly after our interview with Meager.
Kei te tautoko a Ngāi Tahu i a Meager
“He tangata koi ia, he nui ōna herenga whakapapa ki ngā marae o Ngāi Tahu. Ki a au nei ko te mea tuatahi kia whai wāhi ia ki ngā rūnanga, ki ngā marae, ki ngā iwi o Te Waipounamu mai i Te Taurapa ki Te Tauihu.”
He is a smart man, he has many ancestral connections to marae within Ngāi Tahu. I believe the first thing he needs to do is connect with rūnanga, marae and the tribes of the South Island from the top to the bottom.
Hāunga a Ngāi Tahu, e 18 katoa ngā iwi o Te Waipounamu, arā ko Rangitāne ki Wairau, ko Ngāti Tama, ko Ngāti Kuia, aha atu, aha atu.
Ā, ko te āki a Tipa, me takahi a Meager i te nukuroa o Te Waipounamu, kia rangona ai e ia ngā tūmanako o tēnā iwi, o tēnā iwi,pērā i ngā take whenua ki Whakatū, me ngā take whakarauora reo ki Ngāi Tahu.
“Ko te mahi tuatahi pea he āmio haere i Te Waipounamu kia tūtakitaki i ngā iwi, i ngā tāngata e tika ana kia mōhio ai ia.”
Perhaps the first thing he should consider is travelling around the South Island and meeting with the tribes, the right people he should be in contact with.
He tūranga motuhake tēnei ki te whare pāremata, he āpitihanga hoki ki te tūru Māori mō Te Tai Tonga.
Hai tā Tipa, he māngai anō ka uru atu ki te whare pāremata hai waha i ngā take o Te Waipounamu ake.
“Ehara i te mea he nui ngā reo o Te Waipounamu e whai wāhi ana ki roto i te whare pāremata ki te ‘cabinet’ me kī. Nō reira, mōhio ana au kei waho tonu a James i te ‘cabinet’ i tēnei wā, he minita i waho, heoi anō, kia whai reo anō Te Waipounamu, he āhuatanga pai tērā.”
It’s not like there is a bunch of South Island advocating voices in parliament in Cabinet. I know that James is not actually in the cabinet at the moment, he is only a minister, however, for the South Island to have another voice it’s a good thing.
Ko te kī a Tipa kai te hīkaka ia kia kite i ngā mahi kai mua hoki i te aroaro o Meager.
“He tangata koi a James, mōhio ki tōna whakapapa. Nō reira, taihoa ka kitea. Taihoa ka kitea mēnā rānei ka whai hua āna mahi, engari tāku e whakapono nei he pūkenga ōna, he ringa raupā. Nō reira, e hiahia ana a au kia kitea ngā mahi ka oti i a is.”
James is a clever person, he knows his genealogy. So, we’ll wait and see. Wait and see if anything comes from what he does, but I believe he has the skills, he’s a hard worker. So, I want to see what he achieves.
“He kokenga whakamua pai, engari taihoa ka kitea mēnā rānei ka whai mana tēnei tūranga, ka whai mana tōna reo i roto i te pāremata. Nō reira, he tīmatanga pai, he hīkoinga tuatahi, heoi anō taihoa ka kitea.”
It’s a good push forward, but we’ll wait and see if his new position holds any and if his voice holds any weight in Parliament. So, it’s a good start, it’s a first step however, we’ll wait and see.
