Not the End of the World

Apparently the world is ending today but that doesn't stop MPs getting it in the neck in the press.

But as it's Christmas (if we make it past  Armageddon), I find I do encounter an impressive MP every now and then.     I think it's a bit lazy to have a go at them all the time - no matter how enjoyable that is.   

Several years ago, Chris Carter was in front of me in a queue for a domestic flight.   A lady nudged him and said hello (he was quite high profile at the time).   Carter said some polite, generic greeting back to her.    A small silence followed.

"I've met you before, actually"  said the lady.

Carter looked back at her  - " It's Jean, isn't it?   We met at the Freemans Bay Primary School Gala in April last year."   He then talked in some detail about Jean and what they had discussed back then.

That sort of thing is very impressive and he had a friend-for-life in Jean after that.

Another impressive MP was Scottish MP Donald Dewar.    Before coming to NZ in 1999, I worked in London for 12 years or so.    In 1993,  I was at a conference discussing UK pensions policy.   Dewar was Social Security shadow minister in those pre-Tony Blair years.   He was there to tell us what Labour would do if they got into power at the next election.

I wasn't expecting much - he was a bit late, a little flustered and weatherbeaten.  To look at, he was unremarkable.   Besides,  Labour had no chance winning the next election - no way. 

The subject matter was as grey as his temple hair, but I noticed that - unlike the other speakers - he was talking off-the-cuff and winging it.     He spoke articulately, confidently and in a structured way.   

He knew his subject matter so well that he backed himself to be able to answer any questions at all.    It was a rare mixture of confidence, sincerity and humour that was very engaging.   

He had about 40 minutes and spent no more than 15 minutes on his speech.    The rest of the time was used up talking with the audience, sometimes walking among them, answering questions and having concise but valuable conversations.  No rehearsed answers.   He had an ask-me-anything-at-all demeanour.   

His 40 minutes contribution garnered him a warm standing ovation as he left the room, through the centre aisle, to get to the House.     He was about to do great things for Scotland in the following years, but Donald Dewar was taken from us far too soon, dying in 2000.

Since then, I have witnessed many MPs appearing at conferences and the like.  Typically, they allow about 5 minutes for questions at the end of their (long) speech.    The questions when they come are answered at length and with very careful language.    Often a PA is hovering nearby giving urgent "wind-it-up" signals.    Some answers are even "parked" (eh?) or taken "off-line"  (huh?).    They really can't get out of there quick enough.   

So my message to MPs is to lighten up when you make a speech and meet people and answer questions.   In the flesh, people want to be impressed by you.   John Key is pretty good at this - the downside for him is that he sometimes blurts out the wrong words and he gets a mauling for it in the press.    But that's hardly the end of the world, is it?