Inspirational volunteers

I’ve been on a what’s app group for National Party volunteers in my local electorate. I’ve been insanely busy with scores of polls, parenting and speaking engagements so have only twice had time to do some pamphlet delivering.

But what has been refreshing and even inspiring to me is seeing these dozens of volunteers, who age from 20 to 70s, every day putting their hands up saying they can door knock here, deliver here, turn up for mobile hoardings etc etc. The candidate and his family are also spending all their time trying to get people to two tick National.

Now my local electorate is not a marginal seat. It is a very red seat, so short of divine intervention the candidate and the volunteers know they are not going to win the seat.

But that doesn’t deter them. Because they believe in their party, they believe in the political system, they have values and beliefs about what is good for New Zealand, and they are willing to give up hundreds of hours in trying to make New Zealand a better place.

This is not something unique to National. All parties have volunteers who put in numerous hours because they believe in their party. They do not have any expectations of being MPs, being on boards or in any way benefiting from their efforts.

We often think of politics as about MPs, candidates, donors, lobby groups, media etc. But for me I like to think it is about volunteers. The ones who day after day get up early because they believe in politics and believe in New Zealand.