Matthew Flinn - Issue 5

Written by Louise Evans

My first impression of Matthew Flinn is gleaned from the AIMES website. He smiles beatifically from the podium, his arms trophy-laden, having just won the AIMES Award for Education and the Overall Award for Excellence. I scroll downward and begin with the best of intentions to read his hefty achievement record, and it’s immediately apparent he’s had a substantial life for his 22 years. My eyes begin to glaze as I read on, though a few obscurities bubble to the surface: Indonesian language studies? Cambridge University’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society?
I’m overwhelmed and intrigued. As Matthew now lives in Wellington, I email to ask whether he’ll be interviewed, and the response is immediate- Matthew seems dead keen to participate. In between his days in the parliamentary business, he‘ll have the time to indulge us with a few details on his life.
Days fly by, there’s been nothing further from Mr Flinn. Then an apologetic email comes in that I’ll receive the answers as quickly as possible, but as he’s singing in a charity concert that very night, they may be sent at some ungodly hour. Sure enough, somewhere near midnight an extensive email arrives. Even through sleep deprived vision, I’m struck by how articulate he is, generous with his time, and totally lacking the over-inflated ego I must admit I had secretly hoped for. Hmph. Despite never having met the bloke beyond the realms of cyberspace, I remain charmed.

You were chosen as the overall winner of the AIMES awards last year. How did it feel to be recognised for your achievements?
 
It was amazing to be honoured in that way. Given the undoubted calibre of entries, it was fantastic enough to be selected as the winner in the education category, but to be singled out from among such an amazing group of fellow winners was quite stunning - and humbling. It was surreal moment which capped off a night my parents and I will never forget.

More generally, to have my achievements celebrated was emotional. Cambridge presented me with enormous challenges, there were times when I did not think I could make it to the end. The AIMES Awards affirmed to me in the most wonderful and compelling way that I can do it - that I did it!!

What do you think is unique about the AIMES awards?
 
Unique is a great word to describe the AIMES awards. It is wonderful to have young people from different disciplines celebrated at one event, in contrast to a night of music or sporting awards, for example. We are able to marvel at, and be inspired by, our respective and highly varied talents and achievements.  
 
It is also amazing that these awards have been initiated and supported by individuals and businesses, in order to encourage and nurture the talent specifically of North Harbour. There is no Government mandate or funding.
 
The AIMES Awards are extremely significant, in terms of prestige and financial support, and I'm sure they will continue to grow. I am not aware of anything similar to the AIMES Awards throughout the rest of New Zealand.

How has your North Shore upbringing shaped the path you are now following?
 
The North Shore is a beautiful place offering everything a family could want in regards to raising children. I myself had a very happy childhood. I had the privilege of taking for granted the ability to spend day after day at Long Bay beach with family, and access to quality schools and extra-curricular programmes. The fact that I was raised on the North Shore has therefore played a crucial role in that I have been able to strive for excellence in academia and music. and also in the fact that I have had the optimism and faith to support such ambition.    

You are the youngest of five children. Are all your siblings equally ambitious?
 
Ambition is difficult to quantify. If it pertains to the nature of the goals we set, then I would not say that we are all equally ambitious. However if it relates to the determination with which we pursue the goals we do set, then I would say we are. In any event, we are all very different! Amongst my brothers and sisters there is a physiotherapist, a product designer, a florist and a nurse. This variety reflects our very different personalities and interests, but we are nevertheless all bound together by very deep bonds of love.

How did you gain an invitation to be interviewed your current job, as advisor to the Prime Minister?
 
When I returned to New Zealand from Cambridge, I asked myself: who would I like to work for? The Prime Minister of course! I have always been a great admirer of Helen Clark – of her principles and her style of leadership. In a short email with my CV attached, I simply asked her for a job! I never expected that such audacity could pay off!
 
How does it feel to be so young yet having an advisory role to the head of the country?
 
It is an immense privilege, and provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn and grow. My role in the office is a junior one, but I am working on a daily basis with fantastically knowledgeable, intuitive and experienced people.  

I feel honoured and proud that I have been trusted to take on such a role with so little experience, and I am thriving in such a stimulating environment.

What are the positive and negative sides of becoming successful within New Zealand?
 
It is positive in that those who excel are more likely to be identified, and consequently to receive the encouragement and support required for them to reach their potential. Yet the opportunities in such a small country are inevitably limited to some degree, and the big wide world can be very tempting!
 
There is often talk of New Zealanders suffering from "tall poppy syndrome". I tend to think this phenomenon is somewhat over-stated. My experience of it has been limited to the odd comment from the playground bully in the very earliest years of my education. At the very least, the AIMES Awards are testament to the fact that success is fostered and celebrated on the North Shore!
 
What do you hope to achieve from the experience that you are now gaining?
 
I am always seeking to enhance and broaden my skills, and I think my current work situation will definitely enable me to achieve that – one can never be too effective when attempting to manage a large and varied list of responsibilities under sometimes significant time pressure.
 
I hope that daily exposure to novel and surprising challenges and the process of working through them calmly will help to build up my confidence, for despite the wonderful success I have been blessed with thus far, there are times when I cannot help but be more aware of my limitations than my capabilities.

You are also an accomplished singer. What attracted you to singing to begin with, and how do you balance it with your other work and study?
 
It was simply a case of being a copy-cat younger brother! My elder sister played the piano: I wanted to play the piano. My elder sister had a beautiful singing voice: I wanted to have a beautiful singing voice. Of course once I started, it was the ecstasy of a beautiful piece of music, and the thrill of the live performance which had me hooked.
 
Balancing my love for music with my academic and professional pursuits has always been an ongoing challenge. Singing is like a full-body sport with almost universal muscle engagement, it requires a lot of time to remain in peak physical condition: time that I am not always able to dedicate to it. Yet music is so utterly central to my happiness. I could never give up such a passion. I have been tentatively forming plans to spend a year in 2009 dedicated purely to progress in singing, and then to assess the longer-term from there.

Are there any other dreams you wish to pursue in the future?
 
To ascend to the bench of an International Human Rights Tribunal, to pursue my love of singing all over the world, and to direct a film, write a book… I have so many dreams that any attempt to enumerate them in detail would paralyse me! I am guided by one central desire, however. That is to give more to the world than has been given to me, for I believe we live in a society where too often the reverse is the guiding philosophy. It is a tough ask for me, as I have already been given so much, but as with everything I do, I am determined to do my best.

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