Here Are The Fifty Most Powerful People In New Zealand:

(This month the weekly magazine The Listener revealed “the 50 Most Powerful People in New Zealand… Six panelists took their pickings from politics, business, law, sports, media and entertainment…”)

Bea F, cleaner. Works all night in the city, comes home and prepares breakfast for the kids.
Brian C, electrician. Once almost made the Wellington B reps.
Molly B, shift worker. Loves her children, hardly ever sees them.
Alan V, printer. Having trouble with mortgage re-payments
Tommy S, rigger. Keeps getting crook, going in and out of hospital.
Bernice F, nurse. Saving for a family trip home to Samoa.
Kevin B, boilermaker. Drinks heavily to get through the week.
Mehta P, call centre worker. Spends weekends visiting son in prison.
Mary T, teacher. Desperately figuring out ways to get kids to pass their exams.
Sandy R, waiter. Dreams of playing music full-time.

—and—

Kylie T, hairdresser. Constant rows with husband over family finances.
Liz D, saleswoman. Worries at children’s health.
Mick O, orchard worker. Being treated for chronic depression.
Tim U, seaman. Trying to pay for a daughter to go to university debt-free.
Sione F, plastic extruder. Family car has broken down yet again.
Brian M, line operator. Moonlighting as a night watchman.
Harry B, agricultural labourer. Once wanted to be an actor.
Curly S, brewery worker. Working long weekends, saving for house.
Betty M, early childhood worker. Teaches Maori in evenings.
Pauline N, bank teller. Keeps hens, sells the eggs and buys Lotto tickets.

—and—

Bronwyn T, social worker. Desperate to leave New Zealand for Queensland.
Brigid C, part-time supermarket teller. Can’t afford new clothes for kids.
Phil E, railway worker. Twins on the way, re-mortgaged to cover house extensions.
Chrissie D, dairy milker. Dreams of travelling to Europe.
Jo D, forestry worker. Provided children with a computer the family can’t afford.
Willie W, freezing worker. Blew last week’s wages at the Casino.
Sammi T, rubbish collector. Thinks Bro’ Town the best programme ever.
Don J, rest home worker. Lost an arm in an industrial accident.
Jason B, builder’s labourer. Desperate gambler
Pania H, midwife. Can’t understand her own kids, doesn’t know why others want more.

—and—

Snow W, carpenter. Constantly picked on by the boss.
Brenda E, kitchen hand. Lives in brother-in-law’s garage with two kids.
Alison S, data processor. Goes home from work, falls immediately asleep.
Barry G, painter. In trouble with police.
Paul C, aluminium installer. Lives with his parents but doesn’t get on with his father.
Hone H, crane operator. Just joined the union.
Amir M, baker. Can’t wait to be re-united with family still in Afghanistan.
Leo S, drain layer. Never votes, can’t see the reason for it.
Gary K, timber Worker. Wishes he’d stayed on at high school.
Leanne L, shelf stacker. Wants to have kids but her husband’s going to have to get a decent-paying job.

—and—

Susie A, journalist. Paying off a student loan, sure she has a system for winning at the races.
Dave P, driver. Teenage daughter killed in a car crash.
Pete G, mill hand. Never really recovered from a bashing.
Milly W, seamstress. Decided to give up smoking, failed.
Connie F, courier. Doing part-time university studies.
Nina R, motor assembly operator. Hopelessly in debt on credit card.
Jimmy W, watersider. Coaches local school footy team two nights a week, referees on Saturdays.
Hillary F, librarian. Finding food prices are getting too dear and cutting back.
Charlie G, storeperson. Doing periodic detention after a punch-up.
Toni J, timber worker. Ran a fund-raising campaign for a sick relative…

Not one a politician
No banker or director
Not one of them a judge
Or senior civil servant
Or running Sealord Fisheries
Or the Engineering Union;
There’s not a CEO
Or media executive
But when they pull the plug—
The juice stops.

B. Traven
Mangere

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