Labour Tourism Shadow

Kelvin Davis is a fine orator on Maori issues, however is out of his depth as the opposition's Tourism Spokesman

Disappointment today for the tourism industry.

The New Zealand Labour Party shows its thin veneer of able politicians by appointing Kelvin Davis to shadow PM, John Key in the Tourism portfolio. The National Party probably can't believe their luck!

Davis has prepared for the cut and thrust of tourism by his previous career.... as a school teacher. As usual with Labour MP's, Davis has yet to step outside the security blanket of state funding and has no experience running is own business.

In the last election he lost the Te Tai Tokerau Maori seat to Hone Harawira but managed to enter parliament on the party list.

So far Davis has not appeared on the public radar and his biggest achievement in parliament is to have delivered one of the most bland and boring Maiden Speeches last year.

I challenge anyone to play the video below and last more than 3-minutes!

6 May 2009
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Davis looks forward to challenge of new roles

Labour Maori MP Kelvin Davis is looking forward to the challenge of being Labour’s spokesperson for Tourism and Associate spokesperson for Maori Affairs.

The former role will see him in a position to hold the Prime Minister, who is also the Minister of Tourism to account, while the latter enables him to back up his senior colleague Parekura Horomia.

“Growing up in the Bay of Islands I am well aware of the importance of tourism to New Zealand’s economy,” Kelvin Davis says.

“I look forward to talking to operators in the industry to find out what needs to happen to ensure the New Zealand tourism industry flourishes. Obviously there are challenges to this industry because of the recession, so I will be interested to see what the Minister of Tourism does to meet those challenges.

“I am especially interested in developments in Maori tourism and know of a specific Maori tourism initiative in the mid-North that will promote the history and people of Ngapuhi. I look forward to doing whatever I can in my spokesperson role to support that Maori initiative and others like it.

“However, it is my role as Associate Maori Affairs spokesperson that really excites me. Combined with my present role as Maori Education spokesperson, I have a real opportunity to contribute to Maori wellbeing and development. This is what I entered politics to do.

“Maori education goes hand in hand with Maori development,” Kelvin Davis says.

Source: Click HERE