Her Worship

August 09, 2004 11:52

As her action-packed nine-year mayoral term comes to an end, Critic decided to take a chance to chat to Sukhi Turner about her time in office, student issues, how to make a good curry, and just how in the world a small girl growing up in Northern India completely ignored the fact that she was a minority and came to be Mayor of a small South Island city.
Sukhi Turner is a busy lady, which makes her ability to maintain an open-door policy even more amazing. No matter what official engagements she has (and believe me, she has loads of them), she prides herself on always having time for a chat with members of the community she represents. So I wasn’t surprised when I managed to get an interview time with her during the middle of the week (albeit after putting my negotiation skills to good use with her secretary).
After nine years of this you would think that she would get sick of talking to annoying reporters, but she strode out of her office with a welcoming smile on her face. Clearly an important part of being Mayor is the ability to stay cheerful even under heaps of pressure. “Hayden, nice to meet you,” she said as I fumbled to get out my dictaphone, note pad, and shake her hand at the same time. She showed me into a comfortable conference room with a view of the Octagon, and we began the interview.
Becoming Sukhi
The first thing I wanted to know is how she actually wound up where she is, and after a few minutes it was clear that the mayoralty was almost inevitable for her, being the only job where she could really put her principles and interests to their maximum use.
“I’m a student of history and political science, and have always been interested in things that happen around me,” she says. “I’ve always been aware of what’s happening around and who’s making the decisions on our behalf, and have been interested in democratic tradition, and there were a few things happening that I didn’t think were quite right. … Some of the changes [in Dunedin politics] I didn’t think were very beneficial to the city and its long-term health. So I thought I’d be interested in the decision-making and making sure the city was well represented.” As an ambitious young lady, Sukhi thought she should try to make a difference. However, unlike many of us more apathetic citizens, she actually put in the effort and ran for council, where it was a natural progression to her current position as Mayor.
Sukhi is a women of principle, and as Mayor she has stuck to her beliefs strongly. “I think that I’ve always felt a thing of fairness,” she says. “I’ve always felt that people should be treated equally.” This is not surprising, considering the inequalities inherent in certain aspects of the Indian community she grew up in. “I was adamant that in our family… in India, that people should not be discriminated against, especially women. I’m lucky that I come from the Sikh culture, and our family certainly had a strong desire to give equal opportunities to both their male and female children. And I suppose those are the traditions that I actually bring.”
These values of fairness and equality are reflected in her policies and political opinions. “I think that poverty should be an issue to most people, to all people in fact, especially decision makers. And we cannot have a healthy society if a section of our community are not actually being uplifted and empowered to go to their full potential.”
Strong opinions such as those, and an ability to argue them, certainly helped Sukhi get where she is, but it can’t have been an easy ride, especially being a minority. “You mean a woman of colour? Someone who’s not mainstream Pakeha and white?” she says with a laugh.
Sukhi admits that there are always difficulties in being different, but she is quick to point out that Dunedin has an inherently accepting atmosphere about it. “This city is one that I’ve found is very colour-unconscious actually, and very ethnicity-unconscious as well. … Over the years, especially with the University, we’ve had quite a lot [of immigrants] from all over the world.”
“I think people here just regard people as people mostly. And obviously, there are a certain number who may not and have a little bit of a red neck I suppose, but generally speaking the vast majority of Dunedin people take people as they are.” This praise of the ethnic acceptance in Dunedin is well justified by Sukhi who adds with a chuckle: “otherwise I wouldn’t have been elected.”
As far as the whole country goes, Sukhi feels quite strongly about our open-mindedness compared to the rest of the world. “I think that New Zealanders are ahead, they have always been ahead of other people in the world regarding race. … New Zealand has a lot to be proud of.”
Who da Mayor?
So what has she achieved in her time as Mayor? Evidently, quite a bit. “It’s difficult to actually pinpoint and say one or two things,” she says, as if she has been asked this question a million times before. One thing that Sukhi has prided herself on, however, and has mentioned in a variety of sources, is the way the City Council has become much closer to the community. “I think that in the area of just interacting and making the council accessible to all people, and to have an open-door policy, and people being able to come and find information, and just the interaction between council and the community – I think that has been a highlight.”
But what about the students? What has Sukhi done for us? “Well, one thing that I was very hot on and had a very, very strong view on was student fees. … I have consistently brought to the table a view that the next generation should not be hobbled by debt, and – unfortunately – the order of the day and even this government has actually perhaps not put as much emphasis as they should have put in reducing student debt, and I think that will actually come back and bite us.”
As she is part of the University Council, she also has some strong views on other local issues, such as the international student fees debacle. “I feel it’s like kicking your guests in the teeth, and I spoke very strongly against that, but unfortunately mine – and two or three others – was the minority voice.” Sadly, this was one debate she couldn’t win, although first-hand accounts say she put up one hell of a fight.
And then there’s the whole bridge issue. Everyone knows the story: University wants to build ridiculously expensive entrance and bridge for VIPs, students object, plans temporarily shelved while University looks at what else could be done with the money. But what does the Mayor reckon? “Well, the first time it happened I thought it was a bad idea,” she says, having been on the council since the first proposal was made all those years ago. “But the whole proposal has changed from the original one.” So does she agree with it? “I hope people who like new fancy entrances are pleased,” she says with a laugh, referring to the rest of the St David Street development.
Cooking with Sukhi
But there is one last thing that has helped Sukhi to become so successful. What is the secret to her internationally renowned curries? “Well, it’s actually cooking the onions well. … First you must actually heat the oil to a good temperature for the onions, and the onions must always be browned.” I point out that, when I cook, I tend to add everything once the onions have turned slightly translucent, to which Sukhi replies: “No, no, no, because that’s more like the gravy of Pakeha food,” with another of her hearty laughs.
It will be sad to see her go at the end of her term this year. Not just because she’s a good cook: she also runs the city quite well. And whoever ends up replacing her is going to have some mighty big shoes to fill. Metaphorical shoes; it’s not like she has big feet or anything. And if any of you think you could be the next Mayor Sukhi Turner, she has this to say to you: “Our young people are very articulate, they’ve got lots of confidence, and there’s nothing to [the job] as long as you do your homework.” But she warns students not to get too ambitious for their boots. “I would respectfully ask that you stand for council first, rather than the mayoralty.”
Throughout our interview there was one thing I had noticed: Sukhi Turner enjoys her job. No matter how serious or controversial an issue, she still manages to lighten the room up with a hearty laugh, always looking on the lighter side. She is definitely a refreshing break from the conservative old types predominant in local politics elsewhere in New Zealand.
Hayden Selvadurai
Volunteer Writer