By Lyric Waiwiri-Smith

Copyright thespinoff

The Green Party co-leader is running a constant marathon, but she still has ambitions of slowing down.

There’s something to be said about Chlöe Swarbrick: for a swathe of Gen Z/millennial women living in Auckland circa 2017-now, she’s to blame for their radicalisation. The self-described “earnest nerd” with “the biggest ‘put me in, coach’ energy” has been a 95bFM presenter on the University of Auckland campus, a bartender at Neck of the Woods on Karangahape Road, a social media manager for St Kevin’s Arcade, a small business owner in Mt Eden and Epsom, and a mayoral candidate and two-time electorate MP for Auckland Central, otherwise known as Swarkland, otherwise known as Chlöe Town.

So, it makes sense to hold this interview on her tūrangawaewae: Karangahape Road, where if streets could talk, they might tell you about that time Neck of the Woods decided to dabble in offering a menu, which left Swarbrick running between the club and the local mini-mart, Lim Chhour, one night when the kitchen ran out of food. In Spinoff tradition, we’ve met at Verona Bar (“like Elemeno P said!”), with Swarbrick fresh off a panel discussion at the Climate and Business Conference. Once she places her beer on the table, she places her head in her heads, lets off a big sigh, and lets the high-functioning ADHD rip: talking at a mile a minute to lament the state of our climate response, and the overall “cooked” vibes coming from the government.

At 31-years-old and nearing a decade of parliamentary life, Swarbrick’s mind is always on politics, from making plans to up her party’s calls to action to figuring out “what’s left to say at the next Palestine rally”. She decompresses by going to gigs (“thank God for live music”), yelling at a Wahs match and promising herself to slow down. To work out some of the pent-up anger she acquires from listening to David Seymour every other week, she’s recently taken up drumming. Sure, there’s been plenty of chat lately about Swarbrick being a potential prime minister or finance minister, but rarely do the people ask, Swarbrick for arts, culture and heritage minister?

From the climate crisis to Gaza to homelessness, there’s enough happening locally and internationally to make Swarbrick mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore. But being despairing about it isn’t an option, she reckons, because it’s that feeling of hopelessness that can kill political movements. “I don’t get my inspiration from parliament, I get my inspiration from out there,” Swarbrick says, gesturing away while mulling on the roadshows the party have recently taken around the motu, and the party’s work to keep the left in constant collective action, so that the end goal isn’t lost out of sight. “I thought I’d get into parliament and we’d all just realise things,” she says, sagely. Didn’t we all?

A former muay thai fighter, Swarbrick has famously challenged outgoing Spinoff editor Madeleine Chapman to “one outs”. But that pledge was made four years ago, and said match still hasn’t eventuated, so what’s the hold-up? Well, Swarbrick is quite short, so she reckons that maybe Swarbrick v Chapman wouldn’t be a fair fight. But I’m not buying this convenient response. “I think it might just have been two people saying funny things online,” Swarbrick offers, and I have to concede that that is 90% of what we do here at The Spinoff.

But underneath the breathing exercises, Swarbrick’s clearly still itching for a fight, so I ask who would be her dream opponent. Well, they’d have to be in parliament, and would probably have to be a woman, Swarbrick decides — which reminds her that a few years ago, when her team were putting together a list of potential Fight for Life opponents, Act Party deputy leader Brooke van Velden was keen for a tussle. Swarbrick thinks on it for a few moments, and looks up with a grin.

“Is it wrong to say Winston Peters?”

THE SPINOFF PUB Q+A

How much should a pint cost?

I’m thinking … $10? No more than $15? I’m trying to figure out the bars to houses ratio on the average street, and work it out from there … Let me get back to you on that one.

Do you have a karaoke go-to?

Panic at The Disco’s ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’. As my mate said, it’s the millennial ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.

Favourite place to get a drink in Aotearoa?

I love the Wine Cellar, and Currach Irish Pub on Aotea/Great Barrier.

Which three MPs would be on your pub quiz team?

Steve Abel, because he knows a lot about sports, and history, and there’s always some kind of historical questions in there. And Tamatha Paul, because I feel like she’s got a lot of pop culture knowledge — mine is all local music. She’s on the Gen Z/millennial cusp, and I’m on the tail-end of millennial, but she’s got big Gen Z energy, so she’d know a lot not just about music, but film as well.

And Winston Peters, why not? He’s been around.

Which MP from across the aisle would you most like to share a drink with?

Gezza! Wait, does Gerry Brownlee actually count? I feel like we have a lot of things we need to discuss after the last month.

Which current policy would you like to call last rounds on?

The Misuse of Drugs Act. I didn’t expect to come into parliament as a first-term MP and be the face of drug law reform, but I took the portfolio on from Julie Anne Genter, and it’s a kaupapa I’m very passionate about. When I look at what’s happened in the 50 years since the Misuse of Drugs Act was enacted, I can’t think of a less factual or empathetic piece of legislation.

Is there an alcohol-related law you would like to change?

Alcohol sponsorship and advertising in sport. We know that less exposure to alcohol minimises alcohol harm, and the easiest way we can tackle this is by looking at our advertising laws.

What’s a policy area we’ve been nursing without finishing the glass?

Tax reform. While the red team is trying to figure out whether a capital gains tax works, we already know that our tax system needs a reform if we want to address inequality as well as poverty. We know these things go hand-in-hand, and people want solutions, which is why the Green Party launched its alternative budget this year promising fairer tax rules so that the wealthiest 1% can contribute more, and then we could afford things like free doctor’s visits, trips to the dentist and early childcare education.

What qualities make a good drinking partner?

Curiosity, but if I’m having a night of it, someone who can dance. I’ve become more of a dancer in my 30s, I used to be that person standing at the back of a gig nodding their head.

Have you ever had a Schnapp’s election moment where you regretted your political instinct?

Up next on One MP, One Pint: Act MP Cameron Luxton.