One of the things that makes the role of mayor such a privilege to me is the incredible experiences I get to have while at work.

A couple of weeks ago, I got to attend the valedictory speech by Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean at Parliament. I thought you might be interested in what doing something like that is like.

I’ve been to Parliament quite a few times since becoming mayor and it still gives me a thrill. I think it is the sense of history, both history past and history in the making.

When you arrive at Parliament you have to go through security which is very much like at the airport. Once in, there is a desk to your right where you say who you are there to see if no-one is there to meet you. As you sit and wait, in front of you is the passageway to the Beehive and behind you is the Parliament Building, which has been in use since 1918.

This was the building that I first went to on this trip. It oozes class, even if some of the people in it could be argued to fail to do the same. 

The event started with drinks in the National Caucus room on the third floor. Normally I would take the stairs if it’s only three floors, and these stairs themselves are well worth the effort. They are solid marble and each one is a thing of beauty to my eyes. However, even more special is the old school lift which cranks its way up and down and on this occasion I couldn’t resist a trip down memory lane with the short trip reminding me of rides in such devices when I was a kid.

After the Caucus room, it was off the The Chamber, being the room you see on the news when you watch MP’s arguing. I sat upstairs with other guests of Jacqui’s and listened to a number of speeches as Members who were retiring had 15 minutes to sum up - in her case, 18 years of work. 

Central Otago and the Māniatoto got a lot of mentions in her memories.

Following that was drinks in the Grand Hall. As the name suggests, this is a very large and very grand room which offered a great opportunity to have discussions with MPs and Ministers or potential Ministers-to-be. This whole thing may well sound like a junket but when you represent 0.5 per cent of New Zealand’s population as I do, getting things done or having any influence in this building is all about relationship building and a couple of hours of opportunity to do just that were not wasted.

The night ended with a trip through to the Beehive and up to Bellamy’s Restaurant for dinner.  

I’m not sure it’s common knowledge that Bellamy’s is now a public restaurant and a pretty good one at that. My meal was great and at $18 cheap by Wellington prices. As an experience if nothing else, I recommend it and you never know who you might see there. As the saying goes, bookings are essential.

If you have found this interesting, there are lots of ways to experience quite a bit of this yourself. Pickwick Bar opposite Bellamy’s is open to the public if the restaurant isn’t your scene. Parliamentary tours happen regularly and are excellent (and free!). The tour is worth taking just to see the earthquake resistance measures in the basement. Question Time offers a chance to sit upstairs and watch the politicians go head-to-head which I know may not be everyone’s gig, but if it’s yours it happens on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays of the weeks that Parliament is sitting, generally, between 2 and roughly 3 o'clock.

And if all else fails, grab a coffee and sit on the beautiful lawn and watch the world go by.

Parliament belongs to all of us and is, to a large extent in one way or another, open to all of us. We are a lucky country for that and something we should all take advantage of by a visit at some stage.