Bipartisanship On The Field And In The House

Wednesday, 16 April 2025, 8:31 pm
Article: RNZ

Ben Strang, Reporter

Bipartisan is a word that is often said and talked about, but seldom seen in action.

Surveys show voters feel the political world is growing more divided, and more than a third of people think Parliament is just for arguing politicians.

And yet, away from the arena of the House, or the cameras and microphones of the bridge run, New Zealand's members of Parliament are a surprisingly collegial bunch.

This is demonstrated no better than on the sports field.

As dusk fell over Hamilton and the lights flicked on at Seddon Park last week, half a dozen MPs from each side of the aisle were toiling away in the field, trying to secure a victory for the Parliamentary cricket team.

Green Party MP Steve Abel steamed in from the Tim Southee end, bowling a full toss into the pads of former Northern Districts cricketer Joey Yovich.

The ball was pulled, powerfully, into the deep. Tom Rutherford, the National MP for Bay of Plenty, sprinted to his right and plucked the ball before it went over the rope.

Yovich, caught National, bowled Greens.

Bipartisanship in action.

"It's been a pleasant surprise for me. The general, at a human level, collegiality of the Parliament," Abel says of his first term as an MP.

"I don't know how else you'd do it, really. We want to be there to debate the issues, and as much as that doesn't get personal, the better.

"Also, just quietly, there's no way I'd get into another cricket team anywhere, because I'm so bad at it, so I'm using the privilege of being in Parliament to play cricket."

The Parliamentary Sports Trust has teams playing regular games of cricket during summer, and rugby, netball, and sometimes football, during the winter.

Sometimes the teams will have representatives from all six parties take the field.

The Parliamentary cricket team played seven matches this summer, including its more than 50-year traditional fixture against a team of diplomats among them.

An annual fixture against the media was also a highlight, for the media, who now lead the series 6-1.

The politicians play to push diplomacy, community, to raise money for charity, and of course for the joy of the game.

James Meager, National Party MP, Minister for the South Island, and more importantly Parliament's cricket co-captain, says it's good chance to show people politicians aren't always at each others throats.

"The kindergarten coverage you see on TV isn't what happens most of the day in Parliament," Meager says.

"We spend most of our time with members across other parties in select committees. There's a lot of collegiality, and you don't see that on the TV and on the news.

"At the end of the day, we're all here to build a better New Zealand. And when you get on the cricket pitch, you're all acting as one. You're all on the same team. You're all playing for Parliament.

"There's lots of pats on the back when a few catches go down, a few more catches than we'd like, especially off my bowling, but the less said about that the better."

Fellow co-captain Kieran McAnulty, the Labour Party's shadow leader of the house, echoes those comments.

"It's a bizarre situation where you are actively trying to get these people removed from their jobs, but you still get on with them," McAnulty laughs.

"So often in the news we only see snippets of politicians having a crack at each other, but actually the vast majority get along well and work together wherever possible, and that is evident when we play sport together."

Tim Costley, a first term National MP for Ōtaki and a tall left medium pacer, says games do still have plenty of banter.

"I think most of it is a bit of heckling of each other," Costley says. "Particularly the media. I see the media have a lot of chat when we play them.

"It's a bit of fun right. It's the spirit it's played in. There's no politics out there. It's a good way for Parliament to go out and engage with people and have some great interactions in the community."

Given the hidden camaraderie politicians appear to share, RNZ asked MPs to share their favourite people on the other side of the House.

James Meager, of National, names Labour's Kieran McAnulty - "He's genuinely a really decent, down to earth guy. Totally different politics, and when you're sitting in the House you don't want to be sitting on the end of some of Kieran's barbs."

Steve Abel, of the Greens, names ACT's Mark Cameron - "I have a surprisingly good friendship with Mark Cameron, who is the chair of the primary production select committee. On certain subjects our politics differ wildly."

Mark Mitchell, of National, names Labour's Damien O'Connor - "I've got a really good friendship with Damien. He and I were co-captains of the Parliamentary rugby team for about ten years. We would travel overseas at World Cups and room together. We're good mates."

Chris Bishop, of National, also names Labour's Kieran McAnulty - "We captained the Parliamentary cricket team together for a number of years. We've travelled to the UK together, to play cricket. We do breakfast TV together, so I've always got on well with him."

Kieran McAnulty, of Labour, names New Zealand First's Mark Patterson - "I'm genuinely good friends with Mark Patterson, although he hates me saying that publicly because it doesn't suit him politically at the moment. But, you know, I'm an honest guy, so I'll just say it how it is."

Tim Costley, of National, names Labour's Peeni Henare - "We're both really passionate about defence, and I'd happily have him around for a BBQ. I don't necessarily want him running the country, but I'd have a beer with him."

It's a theme that would continue for all MPs - you don't have to like someone's politics to like someone, or be mates with them.

As for the sport itself, the Parliamentary side lost by eight wickets to the Seddon Cricket Club.

But Meager explains, sometimes they play pretty good cricket too.

The best performance he's seen?

"It would have to be the 150 hit by our friend Mr Strang, hit at Seddon Park a couple of years ago. Easily the cleanest hitting I've seen."

For the record, the score was 158, retired out. Not that anyone is counting.

Proof, if you will, that politicians and the media aren't always at loggerheads either.

© Scoop Media

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