Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is welcomed to Orongomai marae. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
A pōwhiri, a pie, and a grilling from primary school kids: Today was the day Chris Hipkins - the boy from the Hutt who grew up to be prime minister - went home for a visit.
With Rātana, Waitangi, Cyclone Gabrielle and other extreme weather dominating much of the political year so far, it was clear he and his political opponent - National's leader Christopher Luxon, also on the road - were taking the opportunity to test-run their election campaigning.
Hipkins took a tour of the long river valley north of Wellington, which includes Lower Hutt - where he grew up - and Upper Hutt where he lives and acts as the local MP for Remutaka.
Joined by new police minister and Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen, the trip began with a pōwhiri welcoming them to Orongomai marae with waiata and ceremony.
Upper Hutt's mayor Wayne Guppy took the chance to claim full ownership of the new prime minister.
"I know you grew up in Lower Hutt, and went to school in Lower Hutt ... but actually Upper Hutt's home. And I always say to people - when Chris came, the prime minister come to live in Upper Hutt, we put the finishing touches on you. We added the class," Guppy said.
"You are a Hutt Valley boy, but really an Upper Hutt man."
In his own speech, Hipkins mused on the meaning of Waitangi Day, saying he had made it a tradition to visit Orongomai each year but his new role had disrupted that.
"It actually started 15 years ago, before I became the local member of Parliament, with Paul Swain - then the local member of Parliament - I'd just been selected as the local candidate and so Paul said to me 'you'd better come along to this'.
His experience of Waitangi Day had always been positive, he said, but he was frustrated that same experience was not always reflected.
"A day where we can come together, have a really good conversation, have the odd disagreement as well but actually genuinely celebrate the bold visionary thinking that stood behind the signing of the Treaty all those years ago."
He also offered gratitude for the work marae across the country had done to support families through the Covid-19 pandemic and the cyclone, and for the work of those at Orongomai on prisoner rehabilitation, but was soon on his way, heading to his old primary school.
Luxon meanwhile was already visiting a school - Prebbleton, on the outskirts of Christchurch - with a meet and greet with the kids before speaking to media.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon visits Prebbleton School. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
His comments covered Andersen's appointment (it's the fourth police minister we've had in a year, the real issue was actually rising levels of crime"); lobbying ("I personally would like us to think about actually do we need more regulation around lobbyists"); climate change ("the single biggest thing we can do is accelerate our embracing of renewable electricity"); and teacher strikes ("parents want the issue resolved with teachers strike, teachers need to be valued, and National wants to see wages improve").
By midday, Luxon was on the road again. Hipkins by then was just being welcomed back to his old primary school - Waterloo School - with more singing and a speech in rounds by the children.
They said the school's values had not changed: Always show respect, take responsibility for your actions, and try hard at everything.
The latter appeared to have stuck with the self-described "boy from the Hutt", who in a speech to the children highlighted perseverance as the most important thing he learned there.
Pupils at Waterloo School perform for Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
"If you have the right attitude you can achieve almost anything that you might set out to achieve. Sometimes you won't succeed at the first go round, you might make a mistake ... but if you keep trying you can normally achieve what it is that you set out to achieve."
He continued to reminisce, with anecdotes about swimming in the now-demolished pool on school grounds, planting a tree for school's the 50th jubilee, and seeing the buildings be rebuilt after a fire in his first year.
"It is so awesome to be back again," he said. "Maybe one day in the future one of you might be able to come back here as prime minister and you'll be standing here where I am today."
Hipkins also answered questions from the media - but it was the questions from the kids he seemed to struggle with.
Photo: RNZ / Jane Patterson
Some were straightforward: Favourite colour ("well I have to say red, because all of the media are watching"); favourite food ("same as it is now, I've always loved pasta"); favourite subject ("studying in 1988 about the Olympics"), favourite sport ("probably cricket" - cue big cheers from the kids) favourite part of the job ("getting to do things like this"), and least favourite part ("I don't get to see my own family anywhere near enough").
But others prompted some soul-searching.
"I was asked whether I was naughty ... I'll confess now because Mrs Morgan's over there, and she'd probably tell you all if I didn't, but I do remember back in those days, we used to get sent to the principal's office ... I'd been sent there twice, he funny thing is I can remember the experience of being sent to the principal's office, but I can't actually remember what it was for.
"The biggest obstacle I ever overcame in my life? That's, that's actually a really tough question ... there was definitely parts of my schooling that I found really hard, and I had to keep trying at - I've never been very good at maths which we're now establishing on a daily basis."
He finished by directing a tricky question about what he intended to do about climate change back to the children, saying "the number one thing that we need to do to combat the challenge of climate change is make sure we're reducing our emissions".
Having completed their respective school visits, Hipkins and Luxon both turned their attention to the meaty issues of the day: Luxon heading to "What's the Beef" Field Day on Banks Peninsula, Hipkins to Real Meat Pies in Waiwhetu.
It was a busy itinerary for both leaders, offering a taste of what's to come on the campaign trail for this year's election. If the polls are to be believed, the parties' results could be as similar as their duelling schedules prove to be.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins at Real Meat Pies. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
