Mike Butterick says he never meant to be a politician, but says the seat he now holds is one any farmer could aspire to.

The sheep and beef farmer, now Minister for Land Information and Associate Minister of Agriculture, says the Beehive operates nothing like a farm.

“It’s a long way from the back paddock to sitting in a suit in Parliament,” he says.

He has found it is structured, slow and process-driven, which is not something to resent.

“Nothing moves fast in terms of how you would compare it to decision-making in the real world, but you need that process, and you need the structure because otherwise, you actually don’t have a form of governance that we should expect.”

He says the New Zealand public might be taking their access to the government for granted.

“We’ve probably got one of the most open parliaments in the world.

“I mean, you can literally come in here… You can sit up in the gallery, there’s no big walls up in front of you.

“That’s something that we should actually cherish and value.”

Butterick says the Wellington bubble of politicians and the political news cycle has a distorting effect, compared to what the general public cares about.

“99% of them probably don’t care to be perfectly frank.

“They care about the big things that matter: the health, the education, the law and order, how we spend people’s money.”

He describes himself as an accidental politician but says the fundamentals apply to any farmer who wants to follow a similar path.

“Stay grounded, never forget that there’s a team of people that get you here.

“Never forget about your values, your party’s values – that’s your sense check.”

Butterick says the opportunity to bring communities voices to the table is what makes the role.

“I love listening to people’s stories, and I also feel really privileged to have the opportunity to speak on behalf of those people to make sure that their voice is heard.

“When you’re at the table you can be part of the conversation; when you’re on the table that’s not much fun because you’re the menu.”

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.