Leading from the front issuu

A MOTH TO THE LIGHT OF INJUSTICE
mark cleary,
spokesperson, napier pilot city trust
It’ll come as no surprise that Pat Magill has his own
folder on my computer! As you all know he writes lots
of emails and they need more than one reading. Pat
is an early adopter of technology and is the master of
the email especially the bcc: You never know where the
email addressed to you from Pat, is going.
I have known Pat for as long as I have lived in Napier
which goes back 41 years. Our first meeting was when
we needed a carpet on the attic stairs. I was playing for
Napier High School Old Boys’ and he was the go-to carpet
man. He did a great job, but there was no bill, despite
plenty of requests. It was too small a job to worry
about he said, and he enjoyed working on an old house
on the hill!
That’s not to say he’s an easy touch…he’s a canny negotiator
as was attested by the way he negotiated a very
generous $10 lunch from the Hawke’s Bay Club at the
2019 Unity Day. When we were organising this year’s
Unity Dinner at the RSA, the Restaurant Manager gave
us a meal price with the proviso that ‘Pat Magill is not to
come calling and ask for a reduction!’
I started to get to know Pat better when I started at
Colenso High School in 1991. The Pub With No Beer
and the Y were Colenso’s neighbours and I quickly recognised
that Pat and the Napier Pilot City Trust were
strongly embedded in the local community. Pat knows
where the needs are and is welcome everywhere. There
is mutual respect.
What is remarkable about Pat is that he is the very
model of what the social scientists see as change
agents. He understands the central need to respect,
support and empower the individual rather than to rescue.
Too many activists preach, know what is best and
remain completely out of touch. Pat remains grounded,
connected to his community and his people.
Pat operates on the kanohi ki te kanohi level; he’s
face-to-face, whether this is sitting chatting to rangatahi
in the Napier District Court foyer on a Wednesday
morning, outside the Pieman in the Maraenui shops, the
Westshore Pub or the RSA. His strong interpersonal and
empathetic skills have given him an extraordinary and
sharp insight into issues of equity and justice.
What makes him remarkable is that he calls out injustice
whenever he sees it without fear or favour. His commitment
to Te Tiriti o Waitangi drives so much of what he
does. This speaks volumes of his ability to understand
our history and the need for us all to know it if we are
to heal as a nation. He has fearlessly championed the
need for all New Zealanders to know and understand
the Treaty and I, like hundreds of others in Napier were
persuaded by Pat to attend Robert Considine’s Treaty
workshops.
Pat continues with this advocacy with increased passion
and enthusiasm. He is one of Andrew Judd’s (the
former New Plymouth Mayor and self-described reforming
racist) fieriest supporters in Andrew’s quest to remove
racist legislation that is aimed only at the Tangata
Whenua.
Pat is a moth to the light of injustice; strong and proud
and always ready to show his support in his mild, peaceful
and determined way.
This was clearly illustrated last year as the Ihumātao
occupation kicked off. Pat mentioned that he was heading
off to join and show support for the SOUL protestors…there’s
no stopping this man and aren’t we lucky
to have him.
Napier Pilot City Trust – for a kinder, fairer city 131