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GLENN JEFFREY
18-TDN-YOUNG02 Jonathan Young at home after New Plymouth seat impact loss
Less than a day after losing his job as an MP from New Plymouth, Jonathan Young says he has no regrets for the past 12 years, but feels there are unfinished business.
Young of National was defeated by Labor’s Glen Bennett after the ballots were counted Saturday night, falling behind by 1,519 votes.
And due to his match’s poor performance across the country, the 62-year-old also missed out on a list, despite ranking 22nd.
The result ends his passage through Parliament.
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GLENN JEFFREY / Stuff
Jonathan and Maura Young, with the dog Baxter, reflect on their 12 years of service as a MP for the New Plymouth electorate.
Young won the seat for the first time in 2008, after sneaking past Harry Duynhoven from Labor with 105 votes.
Now he is taking the time to digest how his role as an MP came to an end.
“He is facing the reality of this result and the huge increase (in the Labor vote) across the country,” he said at his home on Sunday.
While the special votes had yet to be counted, which could have some impact, Young was being realistic.
“Right now, I am not in Parliament at all and I don’t see myself getting there.”
He said that MP’s work had provided him with many opportunities professionally, but it had also been a personally enriching experience that he shared with his wife, Maura.
“It has been a great pleasure and a true privilege,” he said.
GLENN JEFFREY / Stuff
The Youngs were among the people who cast an early vote before the Oct. 17 election. (File photo)
Maura echoed her husband’s opinion.
“We both consider it a privilege to do what we can in the community and support the people. That is who we are and we will never change, regardless of the roles we have, ”he said.
“It is a service role and that should never be forgotten.”
Young said he counted the past 12 years as “some of the best of our lives.”
However, he still felt like he had some unfinished business on paper.
“I think so, enormously.”
This included support and collaboration with the energy and agriculture industries.
“They are at a high level of anxiety about what awaits them.”
He was also upset about missing out on the opportunities that were developing around the role of arts, culture and heritage that he had within the National Party.
“That will be an area that I want to be connected to.”
One of the programs I hoped to promote as a private citizen was the Creative Accelerator program, which is a way to offer young people pathways to arts-based careers.
Three things that stood out for him during his time as a deputy were his involvement in helping young people find employment, passing the Waitara Land Act, and promoting a better understanding of the oil and gas industry.
GLENN JEFFREY / Stuff
Maura and Jonathan Young at their election night party at the Plymouth Hotel in New Plymouth, which was a moderate affair.
“I feel like they have a lot of detractors but not a lot of champions.”
On Tuesday, Young will head to Wellington for a national caucus meeting, which will be a bittersweet moment for the party, he said, welcoming newcomers and saying goodbye to those leaving Parliament.
“They will have to think about how they can consolidate and build together again as a team.”
He said he had received a call from national leader Judith Collins on Sunday, who was “particularly disappointed by the outcome here.”
Young said he had not thought at this stage about his future with the National Party or whether he would consider another tilt in the seat in 2023.
