Speaker 1: Chiota. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is a bonus episode
Speaker 1: of The Front Page, a daily podcast presented by The
Speaker 1: New Zealand Herald. Former Cabinet Minister Michael Wood will be
Speaker 1: running for the Labor Party in next year's general election.
Speaker 1: He'll be running for the Mount Roskill seat. The former
Speaker 1: MP's career came crashing down in twenty twenty three after
Speaker 1: he was forced to resign as Minister for Transport after
Speaker 1: it was revealed he failed to disclose his airport shares.
Speaker 1: He resigned from the remaining ministerial portfolios after the discovery
Speaker 1: of even more shares held by his trust. Today on
Speaker 1: the Front Page, Michael Wood joins us to launch his
Speaker 1: political comeback, discuss what he's actually learned and how he'll
Speaker 1: work to gain back the public's confidence. So Michael, tell
Speaker 1: us your big news.
Speaker 2: Sure, Well, I'm announcing that I'm standing for Labor in
Speaker 2: Mount Roschool in twenty twenty six. So we're less than
Speaker 2: a year away from that general election and I'm really
Speaker 2: thrilled to have been selected as the candidate. It's my home,
Speaker 2: it's a place I love. I obviously served in the
Speaker 2: community as the MP and another roles in the past,
Speaker 2: and I'm ready to get into the fight and fight
Speaker 2: for the people of our community.
Speaker 1: How did this come about? Did you approach Labor or
Speaker 1: did Labor approach you?
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, I'm well we joined at the hip.
Speaker 2: Really Obviously, we lost the election in twenty twenty three,
Speaker 2: I lost the seat of Mount Roschool and since then
Speaker 2: we've just continued to work. So we recognize that we've
Speaker 2: lost that we had some work to do. So we've
Speaker 2: been on the ground, knocking on doors, holding meetings, talking
Speaker 2: to people, and over that time, I've been thinking quite
Speaker 2: a lot about whether this is something that I want
Speaker 2: to do or not, because you know, twenty twenty three
Speaker 2: was a very bruising experience that really put me on
Speaker 2: the floor, and I need to think about whether it
Speaker 2: was right for me, whether it was right for Labor.
Speaker 2: And over that time I've reflected a lot, and you
Speaker 2: come to the view that what I really enjoy is
Speaker 2: fighting when I think that something is unfair, or people
Speaker 2: aren't being.
Speaker 3: Treated well, or the community is being neglected.
Speaker 2: And that's really led me to the point of being
Speaker 2: of wanting to stand and I'm really thrilled that the
Speaker 2: party has chosen to support me in that right.
Speaker 1: And so did you ask them to come back into
Speaker 1: the fold or did you get a phone call from
Speaker 1: Cris being like, we really need someone from outline.
Speaker 2: I will look Earlier this year, I indicated my interest
Speaker 2: to our local party because that's how we work. You
Speaker 2: that the local organization has a big say in determining
Speaker 2: who was the right person to stand. But also over
Speaker 2: that time I've kept a really good relationship and dialogue
Speaker 2: with Chris Hopkins and Hipkins and made sure that yeah,
Speaker 2: he's aware of I want what I want to do,
Speaker 2: and that he's supportive of that.
Speaker 3: That's really important. We want to win the election next year.
Speaker 2: We do want to change the government, want to make
Speaker 2: Chris Hipkins a prime minister, and we need to go
Speaker 2: forward as one unit. So great to have the local
Speaker 2: support and also the support of the party.
Speaker 1: What have we learned about disclosing shares.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, look, it's pretty well known to say the
Speaker 2: very least, that that was something that I didn't do
Speaker 2: appropriately in my time in the previous when I was
Speaker 2: in government in that period. Worst saying I did disclose
Speaker 2: those she is my failure was to not sell them
Speaker 2: as quickly as I should have and that's entirely on
Speaker 2: me massive lesson learned from my point of view that
Speaker 2: you know, when you're in one of those jobs that
Speaker 2: is all consuming, you're working ninety hours a week, you're
Speaker 2: trying to carve out bits of time to you know,
Speaker 2: be a half present dad and family, you've still got
Speaker 2: to look after those things that might seem annoying and
Speaker 2: like small jobs, they do still matter.
Speaker 3: I didn't do that.
Speaker 2: I apologized at the time, paid a huge professional and
Speaker 2: a massive personal cost that took me a long time
Speaker 2: to rebuild from and it's something that is a lesson
Speaker 2: that I have fully absorbed as I head into this process.
Speaker 1: Did you make any decisions as minister with those shares
Speaker 1: in mind? Even do you think subconsciously?
Speaker 2: Absolutely not. It was just something that was never particularly
Speaker 2: on my mind. I can be absolutely clear about that.
Speaker 2: For me being in politics, both as a local MP
Speaker 2: and in my role as minister, your job is to
Speaker 2: serve your community and to serve the country. That's the
Speaker 2: approach I taken. You know, in twenty twenty three when
Speaker 2: I did have to face up to these problems and
Speaker 2: face a massive about a scrutiny. One of the things
Speaker 2: that was a small comfort in amongst that is that
Speaker 2: even while my political opponents were making this into an
Speaker 2: issue that they wanted to talk about, they never actually
Speaker 2: made an allegation that that was a way in which
Speaker 2: I would behave because.
Speaker 3: I never would.
Speaker 1: But when it comes to that, Thoughna, obviously you've seen
Speaker 1: that it was a massive mistake.
Speaker 3: You should have done better.
Speaker 1: Do you think it's good enough that you or your
Speaker 1: office were contacted no less than twelve times to sort
Speaker 1: this issue out? I mean, how does that get under
Speaker 1: the you know, under the paperwork, so to speak.
Speaker 3: How does that get lost? Yeah?
Speaker 2: Well, look, no, I've been really clear, and I'm happy
Speaker 2: to be clear again that that wasn't good enough.
Speaker 3: That was a space that I failed in.
Speaker 2: And you know, one of the things that I've thought
Speaker 2: about a lot over that period, and one of the
Speaker 2: things that I've learned is that you can, as an
Speaker 2: individual where something's gone wrong and it's had a big cost,
Speaker 2: you can dissect it and you can say, you know,
Speaker 2: this person should have done better and I wasn't told
Speaker 2: the right thing here, and you know this was exaggerated
Speaker 2: over there. You just don't move forward. If you do that,
Speaker 2: you just get caught up in a spiral of bitterness
Speaker 2: and blame. You just got to take it on your shoulders,
Speaker 2: except that you got it wrong, apologize and then try
Speaker 2: and put things right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, because after that happened, of course you
Speaker 1: lost the Transport ministerial portfolio and then the rest of
Speaker 1: your portfolios as well. And you look back at that time,
Speaker 1: even googling your name, Now, what is it like to
Speaker 1: read these things about yourself, these things about your work?
Speaker 1: What is it like being described as a disgraced former
Speaker 1: politician for example?
Speaker 2: Yeah, well I said before that that experience in twenty
Speaker 2: twenty three and twenty twenty four really was bruising that
Speaker 2: it put me totally on on the floor. So obviously
Speaker 2: I paid a huge price politically at that time, but
Speaker 2: I played a huge price personally as well, and that
Speaker 2: period of twenty twenty three and twenty twenty four took
Speaker 2: me to I've got to say, some pretty dark places
Speaker 2: where frankly, it was difficult to go on at times.
Speaker 2: Because one of the things about us is people, and
Speaker 2: I think I think particularly sometimes one of the things
Speaker 2: about us as men in New Zealand is that you're
Speaker 2: you know, your standing, your status, how people view you.
Speaker 2: It does, you do feel it, And so I can
Speaker 2: acknowledge that I made real errors at that period of time.
Speaker 2: I can take that on the chin. But yeah, when
Speaker 2: you hear that stuff, it's really really tough and it
Speaker 2: takes a lot of rebuilding to move on from there.
Speaker 2: But you know, as the old saying is, it's kind
Speaker 2: of it's not the defeat that defines you. It's what
Speaker 2: you do to get up off the floor and carry on.
Speaker 2: So I've worked on myself over that period. I've just
Speaker 2: tried to focus on what I can do. You can't
Speaker 2: control what other people say. And you know, one of
Speaker 2: the things I'll be saying to people in Mount Roscoll
Speaker 2: at this election is that I made those errors, but
Speaker 2: over a long period of time. I'm someone who's focused
Speaker 2: on our community. I've got things done for Mount Roscoll,
Speaker 2: and I'm ready to fight on all of the things
Speaker 2: that our community needs someone to represent them on and
Speaker 2: fight for. Now.
Speaker 1: And you've got your share portfolio printed and ready to go, for.
Speaker 2: Sure, I have no shoe portfolio now. Those shares but
Speaker 2: that was so many problems were sold. The proceeds were
Speaker 2: given to charity. You know, that is a lesson that
Speaker 2: I've fully absorbed.
Speaker 4: I was both angry and also incredibly frustrated. These are
Speaker 4: conversations that I've been having with Michael over several weeks,
Speaker 4: and to I only learn of these yesterday when repeatedly,
Speaker 4: through numerous conversations, I've asked him if there are other
Speaker 4: issues that I should be aware of, and he has
Speaker 4: said no, that's beyond frustrating.
Speaker 1: How do you think, because obviously going into twenty twenty six,
Speaker 1: going to the election, like I said, the first thing
Speaker 1: that comes up when you google your name is the
Speaker 1: situation that happened in twenty twenty three, twenty twenty four.
Speaker 1: How do you think, how will you gain Kiwi's trust?
Speaker 1: If somebody comes up to you, You're on a street corner,
Speaker 1: you're doing a street corner chat, and they come up
Speaker 1: to you and say, but weren't you the bloke who
Speaker 1: did this? You know, how do you gain that trust back?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Well, what I tend to find with people is that
Speaker 2: you know, people are reasonable and forgiving if you're open
Speaker 2: and straight with them. We've all made mistakes in our lives,
Speaker 2: all of us. That was mine, It's just that mine
Speaker 2: is a lot more on the public record than many people,
Speaker 2: so you need to acknowledge that, be really clear about it.
Speaker 2: But my focus is on winning a mandate and support
Speaker 2: in Mount Ross School, and so what I'll talk to
Speaker 2: those people about is what actually matters in our community.
Speaker 2: Stuff like the fact that huge parts of our community
Speaker 2: are a wasteland because housing investment has been stopped. We
Speaker 2: have a huge amount of homelessness, We have people who
Speaker 2: have massive issues with a lack of support for the
Speaker 2: fact that their properties keep flooding, and that My record
Speaker 2: in Mount Rosschool has been to go into bat and
Speaker 2: fight on that stuff and win stuff and achieve things.
Speaker 2: And in my ministerial role, yep, you might look that
Speaker 2: up and those bad stories come up, but I'm proud
Speaker 2: of the fact that actually there was a lot of
Speaker 2: big good stuff that I got over the line because
Speaker 2: I do go in and I do fight for these things,
Speaker 2: and I did a good job in those roles. This
Speaker 2: issue accepting, So I'll be open with people. I'll take
Speaker 2: it on the but then i want to know what
Speaker 2: they want to see from their representative, and I've got
Speaker 2: a track record to show that I will fight for them.
Speaker 3: Well.
Speaker 1: Actually, the second thing that comes up when you Google
Speaker 1: your name is you on a bike testing out a
Speaker 1: new bike path. So that's testament too, probably what you
Speaker 1: said there in terms of what you've been doing since
Speaker 1: twenty twenty three. You're currently a director at at two.
Speaker 1: I assume you'll be leaving that role.
Speaker 2: Well, a guy still got to put food on the table,
Speaker 2: so I need to continue working in the coming period,
Speaker 2: and that's important work for me.
Speaker 3: It's a part of who I am.
Speaker 2: As I said before that I like to fight when
Speaker 2: I think that something is not fear or needs changing
Speaker 2: in our community, and I enjoy that part of my role.
Speaker 2: So I'll be continuing to work in that role. But yeah,
Speaker 2: a little closer to the election, I'll be taking leave
Speaker 2: from that role so that I can focus fully on
Speaker 2: the campaign and trying to win Mount Roscal.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Do you are you scared that somebody would perhaps see
Speaker 1: that as a conflict of interest?
Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. I'd say quite the opposite.
Speaker 2: I've always been someone who's been a part of that
Speaker 2: broader labor movement. Thing in politics that drives before the
Speaker 2: most is this basic idea that working people should be
Speaker 2: treated fairly, should be able to live a decent life,
Speaker 2: should be able to have a voice, shouldn't be squashed
Speaker 2: down with those who have a lot of power, money
Speaker 2: and influence. And you know, I do some of that
Speaker 2: work in my union role, but also working in the.
Speaker 3: Political space is a part of that.
Speaker 2: So I see to something that's that's really consistent, and
Speaker 2: it is obviously pretty well out there as well, so
Speaker 2: people know who I am, they know what I do.
Speaker 1: Have you had any conversations with say Chris Hopkins for example,
Speaker 1: about because he'll you know, obviously be a your new
Speaker 1: boss again about being transparent and what happened you know,
Speaker 1: did you have a debrief or something before you came
Speaker 1: out and said, look, let's do it again in twenty
Speaker 1: twenty sex.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that is something that I've talked to Chris about
Speaker 2: and obviously there are real lessons to learn from the
Speaker 2: mistakes that I made at that time, but also there
Speaker 2: are ongoing issues in the parliamentary space. These issues do
Speaker 2: bubble up from time to time, and I know that
Speaker 2: Chris's leader and hopefully our next Prime minister, that he
Speaker 2: really wants this to be an area that there's some
Speaker 2: focus on. You've got to make sure that people are
Speaker 2: not just doing the right thing and behaving in the
Speaker 2: right way, but that the public can have confidence in that,
Speaker 2: because sometimes the perceptions are as important in terms of
Speaker 2: having trust as the realities. So I know that's something
Speaker 2: that he's really focused on. It's something as I say,
Speaker 2: that I've very much learned the hard way, and if
Speaker 2: there are ways in which I can help people to
Speaker 2: understand the importance of getting that right, then I'm happy
Speaker 2: to do that. I am a great believer that when
Speaker 2: you fall, you do sometimes learn lessons, and there's a
Speaker 2: bit of a duty and obligation then to try and
Speaker 2: do something good out of that. And if I can
Speaker 2: help to show people that you can get up off
Speaker 2: the floor and do good things again, and if I
Speaker 2: can contribute in this space in terms of encouraging openness
Speaker 2: and transparency, then that's something I'd.
Speaker 3: Like to do.
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, Michael, Thank you pleasure. That's it
Speaker 1: for this episode of The Front Page. You can read
Speaker 1: more about today's stories and extensive news coverage at enzidherld
Speaker 1: dot co dot nz. The Front Page is produced by
Speaker 1: Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who's also our editor. I'm
Speaker 1: Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to the Front Page on iHeartRadio or
Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow for
Speaker 1: another look behind the headlines.