Honorable and able service

Dunedin North MP Pete Hodgson was last year described as Labour's chief dirt-digger and mud-slinger. Since the 1980s he has been a party strategist and a numbers man, well familiar with the dark arts of politics and possessed of the craftiness necessary for the task. He has also been seen as a policy wonk, and his public utterances often lacked a common touch.

All in all, those qualities are hardly likely to have endeared him to the public. Yet, he retires after 21 years in the House highly respected and, certainly around Dunedin North, popular as well. How did that come to pass?

The former veterinarian, originally from Whangarei, began working for the Labour Party in 1980 and was Prime Minister David Lange's marginal seats adviser in 1985. Then, when Stan Rodger - himself a stand-out MP and Cabinet minister - stood down from Dunedin North in 1990, Mr Hodgson took over.

He continued to sustain big majorities - 7155 at the last election - and became strongly identified with his electorate. He and his staff were assiduous in their day-to-day work with and on behalf of constituents and Mr Hodgson, while no natural baby kisser, made a point of attending local fairs and events and visiting schools. He would circulate quietly, reinforcing the impression of being genuine and of caring, keys to the esteem in which he is held in Dunedin North and the city.

This belied the steely, competitive, hard-working streak that helped him, in his first stint in Opposition, cane the government over health before his turn came in Cabinet over nine years and 14 portfolios. In his valedictory speech in Parliament this week he described himself as an activist minister who got a lot done, a straight-forward assessment made possible by his impressive capacity and stamina. Few ministers had his ability and vigour to absorb enormous amounts of information and to drive change.

Few ministers had their heads so heavily into the big stuff. Few were so focused on policy rather then power. In some ways he was a technocrat rather than a politician, and he seemed happiest in portfolios such as research, science and technology.

He rose to number 6 in the Labour hierarchy and was in leader Helen Clark's inner circle for many years. Persuaded to stay on, his last term in Opposition, despite his role in helping skewer ministers Richard Worth and Patsy Wong and embarrassing Bill English, must have been a let-down, and he was happy to slip down the rankings to make way for younger talent.

In some ways, he was able to do a better job in Cabinet and Parliament because he seemed not to seek the very top positions. Perhaps he was self aware enough to know that he probably lacked the charisma to have succeeded in that particular way in this day and age.

While scepticism among voters is healthy, we are all too often slow to acknowledge the skills, effort and high standards of many of our politicians - as well as the toll it takes on families. Although, of course, it is politicians' choice to stand for election, their mix of motives does often include an authentic desire to help their country and their fellow citizens.

Politicians of the Pete Hodgson type, despite the sometimes corrupting influence of power and the vicious, hothouse nature of the business, do have high ethical standards.

Thoughtful, dedicated, intelligent, compassionate and, yes, honorable, he has applied his skills and motivation to try to improve New Zealand. Dunedin has also benefited considerably from his loyalty and support. As new opportunities open up for him, he warrants our praise and thanks.

This year also also marks the end of the careers of two older warhorses of Parliament. Whatever one's views of their ideologies, Roger Douglas and Jim Anderton have had major impacts on life in New Zealand.

The influence of Mr Douglas, through Rogernomics of the 1980s, was greater than some prime ministers, and Mr Anderton will be remembered for his persistence behind the establishment of Kiwibank. It was also Mr Anderton, then Labour Party president, who hired Mr Hodgson in 1980 to work for Labour. The party, the nation and Dunedin have reason to be grateful for that decision.