I want you to consider a certain former member of parliament between 1996 and 2002. He was undistinguished in the House (even by the woeful standards of the first MMP election intake of non-entities), made few speeches (none of any note), asked few questions and managed to lose a hitherto ‘safe seat’ that a cynic might have viewed as ever-so-slightly undermining the suggestion of him being widely respected by ‘his people’.
A polite summing up of his career in parliament would be ‘historical footnote’. A less polite summing up of his career in parliament would be that most people probably first heard of him ever being an actual MP only very recently.
This former MP was very proud of his ancestors and the hardships they endured: Land evictions, disease, short life expectancy…… His ancestors were famously ejected from the land they lived on and their hovels burnt down in anticipation of a royal visit. It rankled. But life goes on.
This former MP made something of himself in business but was always a strong advocate for people much like himself, offering support to those in need and championing various causes that would benefit ‘his people’. He was strongly critical of his people’s land being confiscated by the Public Works Act for what he considered insufficient compensation. In return, he was held in enormous respect by those folk. He had much to be proud of.
I am referring – of course – to former National MP Gavin Herlihy, in case you had some silly notion, dear reader, that this was a mini obituary of Joe Hawke. (You did! You thought I was meaning Joe Hawke, didn’t you? Haha!)
My point in mentioning the long forgotten (and never noticed at the time) ‘Herlihy era’ of New Zealand politics is to question why Mr Hawke is being slobbered over in death by the media, politicians and various other teat-suckers?
Gavin Herlihy served in parliament at the same time, championed rural interests – right to the present day – which are far more valuable to the NZ economy than the interests Mr Hawke championed, and this was done with an equal amount of sincerity, yet upon his death (which one hopes is at least 20 years away) Mr Herlihy will not be subject to endless hagiographic posturing by ‘the usual suspects’.
So why all the fuss over Joe Hawke, of whom most New Zealanders hadn’t even heard until last week? Those who had heard of him probably questioned what sort of idiot goes bare-knuckle boxing out in the streets against an incumbent prime minister in his own electorate (if you know what I mean). In typical socialist fashion, he engaged in loud mouthed, attention-seeking criminal behaviour and was lauded – and well remunerated – for it ever since. Nice work if you can get it! By contrast Mr Gavin Herlihy had to work for a living; farming during those bitter Otago winters and summer droughts, and succeed or fail on his own merits, making his own luck. Oh and law abiding to boot. You can draw your own conclusions as to which man is more deserving of your respect for his achievements.