When Te Piki Oranga Kōtuitui Hapori Sonny Alesano arrived at the Nelson Courthouse one day in December, he overheard a conversation. Twenty-four-year-old Jason West had been charged with driving without a licence. Sonny introduced himself, gave his business card to the rangatahi and let him know about Te Piki Oranga’s He Tangata driving programme.
Jason, who works all over the region as a sheep shearer, says, ‘It was such a relief off my shoulders; I was stressing out and didn’t know what to do. Sonny told me he could help me with my licence and I said, “Yep, done, I need that”. It was the good luck I needed.’
In the past, Jason had lost his licence for driving unaccompanied to work on a learner’s permit. He thought the waiting list meant it wasn’t possible to book in for his practical test. Then he was pulled over driving without a licence. ‘It was such a pain, I was stuck in a cycle, flat out. It’s also my hobby, I’m real passionate about cars. When I’m not working, I’m always underneath my car. So to have a car and not be able to drive was devastating.’
Jason passed his restricted driver’s licence test in early January 2021. ‘I’m so stoked, Emani is such a nice person. It’s great, now I don’t have to be worried about being pulled over.’
It also means he can keep his licence. ‘The judge said if I got my licence before the next court date, she wouldn’t take it off me. I still have to pay the fines, because I broke the law, but now I’m able to drive. She gave me the opportunity because there’s a real shortage of shearers in the country; a lot are stuck in Australia because of Covid-19.’
With work all over Te Tauihu, a driver’s licence is essential for Jason’s employment. There isn’t any public transport that will get him to where he needs to go and on time. ‘We start shearing at 7.30am, so wherever I’m coming from, I have to been there by then. And if there’s no work up here, I can now go down to Alexandra.’
Jason says he feels unstoppable now. ‘It’s a real boost in confidence.’
But he believes it wasn’t just his future at stake. ‘I could see that, if I passed, it would encourage the judge to give someone else the same opportunity. If I’d failed to get my licence, maybe she might not have been so lenient with other people in the same situation. I would have tried, regardless, but having the support really helped me mentally. It’s especially great to be able to talk to someone with more life experience, someone other than your parents.’
Jason looks forward to shearing for at least the next five years. Then, he says, he might become a barber, like his mum. ‘I’ll be going from animals to humans,’ he laughs.
Sonny says Jason’s story is not unique.
‘You turn up to court to support someone and you see how many youth are there, and we know there are processes other than the justice system,’ Sonny says. ‘We are looking at how we can support these rangatahi to ensure that court is not the only option for them. Helping them get their driver’s licence is just one. Emani Soane, one of our driving instructors, has done such great work with our young people.’
Sonny says he’s also been working with Pasifika communities, offering learner driver licence courses with Emani.
‘When English is their second language, it can be an additional barrier.We provide support because having a licence gives them more opportunities for other work,’ Sonny says.
Jason and Sonny
