Former Hornby High School principal Iain Murray has a suggestion for his new colleagues in Parliament. Spend a day in a school and try teaching a class.

The Christchurch educator and former Air Force serviceman secured a seat through ACT’s party list following the election.

He told chrislynchmedia.com that politicians often underestimated how much work teachers put in outside school hours and during the holidays.

“I don’t think that politicians get just how hard it is on the front line when you’re teaching and learning,” Murray said.

He said politicians would also benefit from seeing how schools put the curriculum into practice and how funding decisions play out in the classroom.

Murray said he had been interested in politics for years. Dissatisfaction with the previous Labour government’s record on the economy, education, crime and health eventually prompted him to stand for ACT.

He said his experience in education, defence and health had shaped his approach to leadership and accountability. In Parliament, he wants to reduce bureaucracy in schools and businesses, which he said pushes up costs and slows decisions. He also wants greater scrutiny of what taxpayers get for the money the government spends.

Asked about the political views of teachers, Murray said most of those he had spoken to leaned left. But after he announced his candidacy, five staff members approached him to say they were centre-right voters.

Murray was due to head to Wellington for an orientation for new MPs. He expected his first official day in Parliament to be several weeks away.

“It’s going to be a pretty steep learning curve in the initial four or five weeks, I would think.”