2. The Spark

In this first episode of Piecing Together Unity, Nigel McFall shares an overview of what makes him—and the Unity Party—different. 

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Transcript

Kia ora, hello, and welcome to Piecing Together Unity. I'm Nigel McFall, your host and the leader of the Unity Party. I thought today I'd give you a bit of an intro and share the reason why I'm here and how I got to this point of deciding to start a new political party.

I live in North Canterbury. I'm a small business owner, a husband, and a proud dad to seven amazing kids. Like many New Zealanders, we don't own our own home. Even with a small business, the rising costs of living have a significant impact on us. And I know that we're doing better than most, and that does concern me.

All my life, I've had a people-first mentality and a strong emotional connection to others. For a long time, I wasn't able to use those gifts. A couple of years ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and what I've worked out about myself is that, like many neurodiverse people, I'm very people-centric. We genuinely care about others and the situations they are going through.

Whilst this podcast isn’t about ADHD, it is important to understand that it’s a big reason why I’m here. The ideas and the policies that I come up with—ADHD has a huge part in how they come to life.

The thing I've learned is that my brain really enjoys solving complex issues. In fact, my well-being is improved when I'm trying to solve complex problems. It's not an instant intelligence, I guess, but because of the way my brain works, it allows me to take an issue that I'm interested in and process it for a long time. It's not just a passing thought or something I think of in the moment—it’s something that is constantly processed in my brain for days, weeks, and sometimes months.

It uses my connection to people, my life experiences, and my choice to come up with a solution. It’s dynamic. I don’t just type out an idea; I look at it from every direction possible, trying to find that solution.

But the most important part of this is what sparks the interest—and that is a feeling. There is no greater motivation than to feel. The pain of people. People who are struggling to get by. People who feel like they don’t belong or have no hope. These are feelings I understand, and they’re the reason I want change.

New Zealand needs a leader that not only feels what’s going on in the country but cares enough to change things and to think differently. I want to be that leader.

My whole life, I’ve felt like my ideas were so foreign to everyone that no one understood me. But now I see and understand that my thoughts and ideas can create change. I believe these ideas can remove the barriers to us having a better, more unified, and resilient New Zealand.

I’m looking forward to this journey. I’m not a professional broadcaster, and this is the first time I’ve done anything like this. It’s totally out of my comfort zone. The editing will be done by me, so don’t be too critical. I’ll hopefully get better.

I don’t have much of a budget, but I don’t believe you need a big budget to make change. I think anyone can make change. It’s just about being a strong voice for change, and that’s what I intend to do through this podcast and through the interactions we have.

So, with that, I thank you for listening to Piecing Together Unity. Remember, every piece matters, and together we can build a future where everyone belongs. Until next time, please keep striving for unity.