We meet a new MP, Dan Rosewarne who gave hs maiden speech this week: a chance to say 'who I am, how I got to be here and what I hope to achieve'.
There was a new MP in Parliament's House of Representatives this week.
Dan Rosewarne (who replaces Kris Faafoi from the Labour list) was sworn in on Tuesday.
(Note: The New Mational MP Sam Uffindel who won the Tauranga by-election to replace Simon Bridges arrives next week.)
But this week was Dan Rosewarne's big reveal. Every new MP gets a chance to give a first speech; an 'all about me' opportunity. It's one of few speeches an MP gives that is unconstrained by party considerations, debate focus, or political considerations. Most MPs, in their maiden statement, talk about their roots.
Listen to an audio version of this story with clips from Dan Rosewarne's speech.
"I found school difficult; my experience of the education system was one that focused on the kids who are doing well while leaving the struggling kids like me to find their own way. I vividly recall seeing the college careers adviser after deciding to leave school early. She outright said that I may as well just get a trade-as if it was some kind of second-tier option. I left school deflated, as if I was a failure.
"But hey, I followed her guidance, went to polytechnic, and started an automotive apprenticeship. And guess what? I absolutely loved it. For some reason, that kinaesthetic learning just clicked with me. I loved being outside, working hard, diagnosing faults. It gave me confidence. Then midway through my training, I walked past an army recruiter at a trade expo. Knowing that I struggled academically, I thought that joining the army might be out of reach. The recruiter told me to take the tests and he'd see what career options there would be for me.
"He gave me three tests: a literacy test, a maths test, and a general trade test. I failed the literacy test, failed the maths test, and I just passed the trade test. The recruiter said, "Mate, you did terribly. But there's something about you I like." Three months later, I was on a bus to Waiōuru to complete my basic training. I thrived as a young soldier. The army did what the education system couldn't: they refined my reading and writing skills, developed my leadership qualities, built my resilience, and gave me the opportunity to pursue further study."
Military experience
Captain (retired) Dan Rosewarne ended up spending 23 years in the military and was a soldier until just a few days ago. That time included working his way up through the ranks, and finding service everywhere from Headquarters to disaster response. Plus overseas deployments…