Green Party MP Mike Davidson says Ōtautahi needs visible MPs who will stand up for the city and the wider South Island as voters prepare to head to the polls.
Less than a year after entering Parliament, Davidson is back on the campaign trail, saying that the General Election is an opportunity to show Aotearoa what the Green Party can offer. While still finding his feet as a first-term MP, Davidson said working in opposition had reinforced the importance of building support for issues affecting communities.
“I need 61 MPs that are not ministers to support it, to get it introduced to the House. And currently we have 15 Green MP’s. And Tākuta Ferris has just said he’ll support it.” Davidson says, speaking about his first member’s bill.
Just last month Davidson announced a bill which seeks presumptive ACC cancer cover for firefighters, who are currently required to prove their cancer was caused by their work before receiving compensation. He says the bill demonstrates that even in opposition, MPs can elevate issues affecting communities and build support for change.
Before entering Parliament, Davidson spent time connecting with his Ngāi Tahu hapū through his work. He also served six years on Christchurch City Council as Councillor for the Papanui Ward, where he built a reputation around local government, sustainable transport and community-led projects. Among the achievements he is most proud of is helping restore Papanui Bush, now Bridgestone Reserve, recreating part of the native forest that once stood in the area before it was cleared following European settlement.
“Although I was able to give this a bit of a kick-start, it’s really the power of community and partnership that’s made this happen.”
Standing beneath the first tōtara planted in 2018, Davidson says the project showed what could be achieved when communities, local government and volunteers worked together. For him, those experiences continue to shape the priorities he takes into Parliament.
“I feel that the local MP has been very invisible over the last three years,” he said. “I want to make sure we change that.”
Davidson hopes to continue working in areas including sustainable transport and local government, while advocating for greater investment in Ōtautahi and the greater Te Waipounamu.
“We have seen over the last three years a government that has really punched down on so many different aspects of everyday life,” he said. “Māori have been hit hard”.
Davidson said he also wanted to see stronger recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and meaningful partnerships with mana whenua, stating that the Green Party exemplifies that.
While he remains critical of Government policies affecting Māori, including the repeal of Te Aka Whai Ora and legislation such as the Treaty Principles Bill, Davidson said his priority is to give voters a clear alternative while encouraging them to support the Greens.
