Former broadcaster and now ACT politician Paul Henry was in Whakatāne on Wednesday for his Paul Henry Unlocked tour.

Henry has been travelling around the country since July, speaking to people about how he sees the country and what ACT can do to make it better.

More than 150 people turned out to hear him speak at the Liberty Centre.

Henry boomed his voice through the centre, cracking jokes while explaining why he had decided to go into politics.

The room fell silent as he spoke about the cost of living, the country’s growing debt and what he believed needed to change to unlock New Zealand’s potential.

Henry said he was concerned about the direction New Zealand was heading and that he did not want to look back after the election wishing he had done more.

He spoke about wanting to see more aspiration in the country and for future generations to have opportunities to build a better life.

Henry said his speech could be boiled down to one thing.

“My executive summary of my speech up here: Party, vote, ACT.”

He talked about why he had joined ACT and what he believed the party could offer New Zealand.

He also spoke about government spending, public services and the need to reduce what he described as waste while making sure frontline services such as healthcare and police had the resources they needed.

Henry said the Paul Henry Unlocked tour was about having an honest conversation with people about New Zealand, where the country was heading and what it could become.

He used humour throughout the evening, including jokes about the name of the tour and stories from his time working as a broadcaster and journalist.

After his 30-minute speech, Henry opened the floor to questions from the audience.

One man asked Henry about strategic voting and whether people could support ACT with their party vote while voting for another candidate in their electorate.

Henry said people could do this and argued that a party vote for ACT could help keep Labour out of government.

He also suggested people give their electorate vote to the candidate they believed would best represent them.

Another question focused on ACT’s plans to reduce the number of public servants while also wanting better healthcare, education and policing.

The audience member questioned how those things would work together when many of the workers providing those services were also public servants.

Henry said his focus was on reducing what he described as waste and duplication within government departments rather than cutting essential frontline services.

Money should be directed towards nurses, doctors, police and other frontline services.

The media was another topic raised during the question time with Henry outlining his views on public broadcasting, including TVNZ and RNZ. While he believes New Zealand needs a national broadcaster, value for money was important and there was no reason to own a television network.

Other questions covered healthcare, waiting times, primary care, Pharmac, the retirement age, KiwiSaver and digital identification.

Earlier in the day, Henry visited several businesses in Whakatāne including Podlife, Bayrock, where he signed the wall of fame, Extreme Boats, Whakatāne Sportfishing Club, Haddock Spray Painters and Julian’s Berry Farm, and various shops along The Strand.

Henry said the businesses he visited were beginning to feel an upturn in the economy, with two businesses preparing to expand and employ more people.

He said New Zealand had the potential to become “the world’s greatest small country”.

“A place ambitious people come to, not a place our own people feel they have to escape to get ahead.”

The evening ended with photos, with a line forming of people who wished to have a photo taken with Henry or share a private conversation.

An ACT of desperation: Paul Henry on joining ACT

■ Beacon reporter Aston Palmer sat down for a chat with ACT candidate Paul Henry after an evening event in Whakatāne …

Former broadcaster and ACT candidate Paul Henry says he joined the party “quite frankly, out of desperation” as he seeks to make a difference in New Zealand politics.

Henry was in Whakatāne on Wednesday as part of his Paul Henry Unlocked tour, meeting businesses and supporters and discussing his decision to enter politics.

Henry entered politics in 1999 as a National candidate but said he had not previously felt compelled to return.

“I’ve always followed politics and I’ve always been desperately interested in it,” he said.

The decision to join ACT came after he delivered the keynote address at the party’s conference about two years ago.

“I turned to ACT, quite frankly, out of desperation,” Henry said.

“Because it’s not good enough just to have the right government, and you’ve got to have a government that actually does stuff while it’s in there; doesn’t squander opportunities.”

Henry said he wanted to be involved rather than look back after the election and wish he had done more and to be able to make the country better for his grandchildren.

“I just couldn’t have comfortably lived with myself if I got up on November the 8th and ended up saying, ‘Oh, I knew this was going to happen.’”

“You need to do something. If you think you can help, you need to help.”

One of the more ACT’s controversial policies is around allowing reasonable force in schools.

Henry rejects the suggestion the policy would allow violence against students.

“There’s nothing even remotely in the realm of violence,” he said.

He said the policy would allow a disruptive student to be forcibly removed from a classroom when there was no other way of getting them out.

“All we’re doing is saying, here is another tool that you’ve got to take control of your class and to gain respect from your students.”

With regard to the use of force by police and public trust in police officers, Henry said individual officers should be held accountable where necessary but defended the wider police force.

“We have to support our police force,” he said.

“We have a very good police force in this country by world standards. Excellent.

“Are they all perfect? I’m absolutely sure they’re not.”

He has ministerial ambitions if ACT enters government, naming broadcasting as his preferred portfolio.

“It is very presumptuous of me. I want to be a minister,” he said.

He said his broadcasting background made this portfolio a logical fit, but his ultimate goal would be to close it down.

“Perhaps the greatest thing to achieve would be to be the last minister of that portfolio and preside over closing it down and saving a little bit more taxpayer money.”

Henry said his decision to enter politics was ultimately about the future.

“Here my darlings, here’s a lovely country and a mountain of debt. You know, that’s not a gift,” he said.

“I could just leave. I could go somewhere else and have a lovely time, but I would absolutely kick myself on November 8 if I hadn’t done everything I could do to try and improve the lot of this country.”

He encourages people to vote for ACT if they want a right leaning government in power.

“You party vote act to make sure you get a right-leaning government, and make sure it actually does stuff. It’s not good enough just to lock Labour out.

“We actually have to improve the country, and we have to lock in benefits for this country.”