Columns

Welcome to 2014. I love this time of year, with North Dunedin enjoying the surge of energy that accompanies students repopulating the electorate.

While this isn’t my first appearance in Critic, for those of you I haven’t yet met: I’m your local electorate MP, David Clark. I have the privilege of representing your aspirations, the aspirations of Dunedin North people, in Parliament.

Let me be upfront with Critic readers; my political views don’t (and never have) included banning Facebook. This message is especially directed at the phalanx of cheerleaders who heard my out-of-context comments and rushed to communicate messages of support on talkback, by facsimile, via telegraph and various other “modern” means.

Of course I have political views. Having been a student myself for many years, I enjoy debating issues. Don’t be afraid to grab my attention if you pass me in the street and want to bend my ear on an issue. But political discussion is for another day. This first column is focused on practical stuff.

If you’re new to campus, you might wonder how on earth your local MP might be any use to you. Here’s how.

My Dunedin office and I deal mostly with practical local issues. For starters, we witness and sign many documents, assist with tenancy disputes, do certification of degrees, help with immigration and StudyLink issues, and much more.

Some days my office in Albany Street processes more 18+ cards than the Rob Roy dairy makes ice-creams.

We also have a good knowledge of where else you can go for assistance.

As your MP on campus, an important part of my job is to listen to, and where relevant, to confront, reoccurring problems. For example, I’m currently hearing plenty of frustration about StudyLink waiting-times.

I can be contacted at any time via my office in Albany Street next to Why Not Hair (just up from the old Captain Cook. Drop by the office, or pop into one of my regular MP “clinics” on campus.