Judith Collins is now the Leader of the National Party after Todd Muller’s hapless term as leader imploded.
Put aside Judith’s legacy of dirty politics, or her offensive comments on welfare, or her deeply questionable comments on climate change, put all of that to one side and let’s build bridges with Judith where we can, and in that vein, let’s focus on her public comments that she would like to see National Party candidates stand in the Māori seats.
I think this would be a positive move. If Māori concerns and voices were being listened to by the National Party through their Maori electorate candidates, maybe the National Party wouldn’t implement policy that was so cruel and detrimental to Māori in the first place?
If Judith ran candidates in the Māori electorates it would finally kill off that stupid National Party policy to remove the Māori electorates.
But most importantly, running candidates in the Māori electorates would allow Judith to stand up to the racist part of her own Party who see the Māori electorates as ‘Māori privilege’.
By running National candidates in the Māori electorates, Judith could cast off the racist legacy of Don Brash while standing up to the bigots in her own party.
So, will she?
First published on Waatea News.
I think she just might, Mr Bradbury. It is said she is not a pure ideologue but a populist. I believe that to be so.
https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/anne-salmond-a-roman-circus/ar-BB16SFwN
Does the Opposition realise that our country is in lethal danger, and that a global pandemic is raging? Do they understand that at present, New Zealanders need calm, intelligent, trustworthy leadership, focused on the future and our collective survival?
Over the past few months, the Opposition has operated like a Roman circus, crying ‘wolf’ over a fictitious homeless man, trying to trip up the Government by leaking confidential medical information, and throwing one leader after another to the lions.
Now they have appointed Judith Collins, who talks about National ‘crushing’ the government and ‘taking back’ the country, as though New Zealand was their own private possession. As Jim Bolger has warned, pugilistic power-grabbing is about the last thing that most Kiwis want or need at the moment.
In countries like the US and the UK, people are dying in droves, and in Australia the pandemic is spiking. New Zealanders are worried about friends and families, losing their jobs, and a future that looks dark and dangerous.
Behind the pandemic lurk the climate crisis and the wholesale destruction of habitats, making it easier for infectious diseases to jump the species barrier.
At present, a sense of shared purpose, care for others, and a trust in scientific approaches are vital to dealing with these existential challenges, and keeping the virus at bay.
In discussing Covid-19’s impact on climate action, the new leader of the Opposition is worrying: “Scientists expect the impacts of 1.5C warming to be lower than 2C. But the same statement is true for the difference between 2.0C and 2.5C… The costs of global warming are real, but there is no indication they are insurmountable.”
This kind of ignorance is dangerous. Judith Collins needs to read Sir Jonathon Porritt’s new book, Hope in Hell, which authoritatively summarises the science on climate change, and gives us a decade to rescue a planet that is habitable for humanity.
While questioning the need to take practical account of these risks, she adds, ‘We will wonder why the government decided to add climate change into RMA decisions by local councils. We will be ready to embrace infrastructure on a scale not seen since the ‘Think Big’ days. And when anyone mentions Greta, we will ask: Who?”
It is sad when a Swedish teenager knows more about climate change than a long-serving politician. Divisive, combative leaders who think they know more about scientific matters than the scientists, and who rate the economy above saving lives have ruined the response to Covid-19 in a number of countries, leading to soaring death rates and economic devastation.
Let’s hope Kiwis are watching and learning from their suffering, and that New Zealand doesn’t go down that bleak, heart-breaking track.
Dame Anne Salmond is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Auckland, and was the 2013 New Zealander of the Year.
Heres an interesting story : just got picked up and dropped off by a National supporter, …Maori guy,…he does mainly airport work,… He said he picked up Aderns mother – Lauren late one night in Point Chev,- who said all Jacinda wanted to do was make this country a better place, and that when she was a girl of 15 or so she bought grocery’s for a family too poor to pay for it when she worked there at the grocery store.
And this taxi driver is now voting for Adern. We had quite the political discussion and he was well versed. But hes voting for Labour and Adern this election. Just shows you, dont it…
Lol.
Why chase about 12-13% of the population that either don’t vote or blindly vote Labour? (Ones that are not on the Maori roll of course)
If Maori believe they are served better under Labour then so be it, they aren’t, but why should National chase them with identity politics and racist policy and in effect lose more votes than they gain.
Forget chasing the Maori vote, get back the voters that have taken in by the fairy dust and puff pieces in magazines and MSM of a PM that has presided over more policy failures than successes, that should be more important than the Maori vote.
Way to miss the point. Which is why the right can’t rule this country, to busy going for power, rather than addressing issues.
Nope, didn’t miss the point Adam….National should not chase a section of society that vote for them in small numbers, who cares if promising the world to Maori, they will only take it then want more!
Should the Greens chase after the business vote, make policy to make it easier for them?
Leave the Maori vote to Labour as they have been using and abusing it for decades.
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