New South Island Minister confident despite junior ranking

Tuesday, 21 January 2025

New Minister for the South Island James Meager, left, with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Proactively advocating for its people and taking his truck on the road to talk to those who live there, is how New Zealand’s first ever Minister for the South Island plans to tackle his new role.

Rangitata MP James Meager was given the non-Cabinet portfolio by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a ministerial reshuffle at the weekend.

Rangitata MP James Meager is in his first term in Parliament.

A first-term MP, Meager is also taking on the Youth, Hunting and Fishing, and Associate Minister of Transport portfolios.

He told The Press he would not wait to be consulted on issues affecting the South Island.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis is now also minister for economic growth.

“My job will be to be proactive and to offer support to all ministers. And to make sure I am a voice for the South Island in government and in Wellington.”

Meager said with South Island industries such as agriculture, manufacturing and tourism vital to the nation’s economy and providing “massive” opportunities, he would be supporting Finance Minister Nicola Willis in her new portfolio as Minister for Economic Growth.

“If we [New Zealand] want strong economic growth, we are going to have to get it through the South Island. We all know the South Island is going to have a valuable role,” he said.

“We need more people, more jobs, more growth.”

The grounding of the Interislander ferry Aratere near Picton in June has been one of a series of problems with the inter-island ferries.

He said among his other priorities would be speaking out about education, agriculture, health services, transport links and infrastructure. He plans to drive his Mazda truck around as much of the South Island as possible to listen to the needs of communities and businesses, he said.

“My job is to talk to the South Island.”

Rangitata MP James Meager’s heartfelt maiden speech

Holding the Associate Transport Minister portfolio, alongside new Transport Minister Chris Bishop, would help him tackle South Island needs such as resilient roading and bridges, and reliable airline, coastal shipping and Cook Strait ferry links, he said.

“We can’t get the goods we produce to market unless we can get them on the trucks and to the ports for export.”

Meager, who is 37 and of Ngāi Tahu descent, becomes one of eight ministers outside of Cabinet in the coalition Government. He took the Mid-Canterbury/Timaru seat for National at the 2023 election from Labour’s Jo Luxton.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said giving the South Island portfolio to the Government’s newest and most junior minister showed its “absolute contempt for the Mainland’.

“He won’t sit around the Cabinet table when all the budget decisions are made, so what’s the point?” he said of Meager’s appointment.

There has been no South Island ministerial role in previous governments. The portfolio of Minister for Auckland was first created by then prime minister Helen Clark in 1999, and was reinstated by Hipkins in 2023.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger wants a fact-to-face meeting with the new South Island minister.

Meager said Luxon had shown his confidence in him by trusting him with the portfolio.

Census figures show the South Island’s population is growing faster than that of the North Island. Canterbury’s population jumped 8.6% between the 2018 and 2023 censuses, and Selwyn and Queenstown Lakes were New Zealand’s fastest growing districts.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said he was pleased there would be a “go-to person” for South Island concerns, and intends to set up a face-to-face meeting with Meager.

New housing in Christchurch. Canterbury’s population jumped 8.6% in five years.

Mayors around the South Island who believed their regions were being “left out” would be pleased with the new portfolio, he said.

“I think it’s good that now we’ve got one [minister] that just looks after us. We can now work together for what’s best for the whole South Island.”

James Meager says he will be a voice for the South Island in Government and in Wellington.

Mauger hoped Meager would help keep momentum up on infrastructure projects, and champion plans such as the Brougham St (SH74) upgrade in Christchurch.

Business Canterbury chief executive Leeann Watson welcomed Meager’s appointment.

Canterbury and the South Island were “quiet achievers” in the national economy and the South Island drove 23% of national business growth last year with only 13% of the country’s businesses, she said.

“The South Island’s contribution to the New Zealand economy is something we’ve been discussing with the Government, alongside the need for focused investment to support our growth, so it’s great to see this commitment and recognition through the creation of a ministerial portfolio.”

Watson said Canterbury’s business growth is boosting student numbers, domestic and international immigration, and tourism “growing far beyond those in other centres”.

She said this highlights an opportunity for the Government to take a more active role in supporting the region.