No GST on food, no monarchy, tax the rich: Te Pāti Māori’s demands for coalition
A wealth tax, removing GST from food, and exiting the Five Eyes military spy pact with the US, UK, Canada and Australia are among the demands of Te Pāti Māori party president John Tamihere before the party will support a coalition government at the next election.
With Te Pāti Māori reaching 4.5% in some polls, Tamihere said future governments would have to recognise they would be a “permanent party in government”.
The left love Michael Joseph Savage. Every Labour MP who wishes to push their left wing credentials have photos of him hanging in every electorate office and Minister’s room.
Savage is lauded as the creator of the welfare state in the wake of the Great Depression.
He was swamped when he went into public as NZers of the day gushed over how he had saved them all.
The most hilarious truth, provided by insights from John A Lee who served in Savage’s Cabinet however paints a very different picture from the mythology the left have given Savage .
The truth is that Savage was incredibly centrist and not a radical at all. Backed up by the neoliberal Walter Nash and conservative manipulator Peter Fraser, Savage did all he could to stop transformative change, it was actually Savage’s Caucus who forced his hand repeatedly to be transformative.
The exact same dynamics will be at play inside any post Labour led minority Government with a supply and confidence arrangement with the Māori Party.
The dawning reality for most political commentators is that the Māori Party are going to have one of their best political results ever and with a campaign promising the take GST off food and tax the rich in the wake of exploding food prices and the IRD report, they have material well being policies that are as attractive to Pakeha as they are to Māori.
This is going to generate a surge of pakeha voters supporting the Māori Party because they know when John Tamihere says he’s going to take GST off food, they know he will.
By remaining on the cross benches instead of becoming part of the Government, the Māori Party are setting themselves up to be a permanent force inside Parliament.
The ‘Coalition of Chaos’ narrative the right are selling of a Māori Party constantly demanding more for their vote misunderstands the cross benches, because if Māori Party demands are too great on policy, Labour can simply turn to the National Party for votes instead.
We are seeing the impact of youth demographics that benefit Māori at play now which in turn is forcing a maturing of the MMP political system.
Poor white people will have as many reasons to vote Māori Party as poor Māori voters this election as Labour continue to fail to do something meaningful on the cost of living crisis.
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Te Pāti Māori want conscious pākehā support–Debbie says it her self with appeals to “Ngati Tiriti”, those new gen or perceptive older people that understand if the lot of Māori improves, the majority of New Zealanders will benefit too.
And working class people in particular have a lot to gain from their policies that Labour fear to advance.
It will be a real toss up for some of us…Green or TPM.
TPM are more likely to fight harder for their policies than the Greens. And are unlikely to give their questions to National.
If removing NZ from 5 eyes is Tamiheres bottom line then he has ruled himself and Labour out from forming government.
Aside from the stupidity of thinking NZ could defend itself as a neutral country, allowing a sub 5% party to determine the security (let alone the constitution) of the country would never stand.
There is no neutrality, there is the west or there is China and Russia.
How many times has Switzerland, Spain, or Ireland been invaded? A neutral country doesn’t need to defend itself.
Standalonecomplex We’re an island country, of strategic interest to others, and have what they want, land and water.
“…stupidity of thinking NZ could defend itself as a neutral country.” Keepcalmcarryon
Not stupidity.
As others have remarked, if you are a neutral country, no need to defend yourself. More than that, as a neutral country we can’t be dragged into foreign conflicts not of our making or in our national interest.
if an armed conflict did break out between the nuclear militaries of China and the nuclear powered AUKUS pact countries of Australia the US and the UK in this part of the world, and New Zealand’s neutrality was internationally recognised and guaranteed by world bodies like the UN the Chinese could be assured that they wouldn’t be attacked in their rear from New Zealand in any military conflict with Australia. And therefore would have no need to attack us.
In the current situation of rising tension between the AUKUS powers and China, (which is quite likely to end in open conflict). If we are to avoid being drawn into that conflict, then New Zealand must immediately divest itself of all military and spying links with the AUKUS powers and go before the UN General Assembly to request that New Zealand be officially recognised by the UN as a neutral country.
As an officially UN recognised neutral country New Zealand would them be able to act as an honest broker and diplomatic ‘go between’ or even the UN approved abjudicator in any negotiations between the rival nuclear power blocs.
The League of Nations formally recognized Swiss neutrality on February 13, 1920. While the policy was not universally admired, it was respected by other countries. As a tribute, the world organization even chose Geneva as its headquarters. It also exempted Switzerland from military obligations.
Swiss neutrality is one of the main principles of Switzerland’s foreign policy which dictates that Switzerland is not to be involved in armed or political conflicts between other states. This policy is self-imposed and designed to ensure external security and promote peace. Wikipedia
Sounds like a plan.
New Zealand’s biggest export earner is our trade with China.
Real “Stupidity” would be in not being provenly neutral.
At any outbreak of armed conflict between the AUKUS Powers and China if If New Zealand is not neutral, at any outbreak of hostilities, all our trade with China would be instantly cut off. Unless protected by our neutrality our shipping would be blockaded and even possibly attacked. New Zealand’s economy would be wrecked.
Talk about stupidity.
What’s ‘ the defention of Rich’s in NZ… Just those top 300, who want to be taxed more I would Suggest.
Because not sure the Maori Mudd le class and Elites want to be taxed anymore.
Their demands for a coalition government aren’t strictly reasonable but you have to admire their chutzpah.
They are racist idiots.
Nothing to admire whatsoever.
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