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.
Staff Sergeant Dan Rosewarne drove one of the 27 New Zealand Defence Force trucks in the first aid convoy that reached Kaikoura last Friday. Photo: Supplied / NZDF
"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.
"I deployed to Afghanistan in 2005, the Solomon Islands in 2008, and completed a second tour of Afghanistan in 2012, where I served on the last Crib rotation for the provincial reconstruction team. I distinctly remember that, when the decision was made to leave the locally employed Afghan workers behind, this left many of us Defence Force staff devastated, as we knew that this decision would put their lives at risk. I made the commitment to myself at the time that, if I was ever in a position of influence in the future, I'd never let that happen again. When the security situation deteriorated in Afghanistan last year, this Government made the decision to evacuate our Afghan workers. It warmed my heart, knowing that this Government was honouring our moral obligation to those Afghan workers who put their lives at risk serving Aotearoa as part of the provincial reconstruction team."
Illness a road to politics?
This kind of speech is also a chance to outline an MPs personal political epiphany. In his case it was partly prompted by the experience of cancer.
"Shortly after my diagnosis, the haematologist told me that my form of leukaemia used to be a death sentence. But now there's this new immunotherapy drug that switches off the signal that causes the cells to divide and, luckily for me, it was fully funded through Pharmac. This drug is not cheap. From a financial perspective, funding this drug did not make sense. But to me and my family, it's paid huge dividends. I could work full time. I get to see my kids grow up and I get to participate in society. So this brush with cancer turned my mild interest in politics into an unrelenting pursuit. Going into hostile environments overseas to help preserve the security of people was something I always accepted—it's what I signed up for—but after my cancer diagnosis, I felt I also had a responsibility to contribute to the human security of our people here at home, to do what I could do to give people the healthcare, the housing, and the economic security that they deserve."
Perspective and focus
New MPs often also talk about the perspective their experience has provided.
"As I moved up through the ranks in the NZDF, I learnt what it meant to lead during the good times and the bad. To me, leadership is about self-awareness—knowing when to talk and, most importantly, knowing when to remain quiet and listen. I firmly believe that trust is not built by pretending that you have all the answers, but by acknowledging when you don't. As an MP I'll continue that mantra. I'll step up when things go wrong, I'll actively listen, and I'll never lose sight of why I'm here."
There’s one more thing that new MPs often do in these speeches, and that is touch on the things they hope to achieve, and/or the areas they have a passion for, or the communities they want to serve.
In Rosewarne’s case that was championing education for the battlers, well performing healthcare, a voice for the armed services and also for tradies like himself.
"To the tradies out there: I get it. You get things done. The Labour Party is the party for the trades, whether it's enabling you to upskill throughout your career or setting up a business of your own. I'll do anything I can to advocate for you from here in Parliament. I want to point out that construction workers are at more than twice the risk of dying by suicide compared to the rest of the workforce. The mental health challenges Aotearoa faces are bigger than party politics and must be tackled by all of us in this House together with the same bipartisan support that we give to national security and intelligence."
So, that was new Labour MP Dan Rosewarne in his maiden speech. Next week new National MP Sam Uffindel will get the same opportunity.
