ACT State of the Nation speech shows an existential political threat to National and sets stage for conflict policy
ACT’s Seymour targets National, co-governance in speech
ACT leader David Seymour has delivered a speech painting National and Labour as two sides of the same coin, and calling co-governance a “culture war”.
He was quick also to turn the firehose on potential coalition partner National – and its leader Christopher Luxon.
“I will do my best throughout this speech to differentiate the Chris’s but it won’t be easy,” he said.
“It simply isn’t good enough to paint a red government blue, and then pretend it’s all fixed by endlessly promising to just ‘get things done’ … every time I hear Chris Luxon say that the Labour ‘doesn’t get things done’, it makes me a little nervous. Could he seriously want them to do more?”
“Five times National has vigorously opposed Labour’s policy from opposition and five times they’ve followed Labour into government and bedded in all the policies they’ve said they’ll remove.”
The incredibly incendiary speech David Seymour just gave to a packed ACT State of the Nation signals a rift on the Right unlike any seen in Modern NZ Political History.
That ACT, a Party that was .7 in the polls 5 years ago, is now rating 13.5% in the Roy Morgan Poll shows a polarisation of NZ politics we simply haven’t experienced from the Right since Muldoon.
ACT refuse to toe any line with National and their certainty in articulating a negative appraisal of perceived Māori political privilege marks them out as a Party that is actively attacking National for their direct vote share.
It also clearly shows that David will dominate any relationship with Luxon.
This is deeply damaging to National. The polarisation of the debate is so extreme that National have to foam at the mouth in an attempt to win back ACT vote, the problem with that is it scares the bejesus out of the middle.
This makes Luxon look weaker and weaker which allows ACT to grow and it gives the Left the perfect target to paint the relationship out for what it is, an extreme Right wing Government.
The problem is ACTs policy is so off the planet extreme, they have no comprehension what it would actually entail in passing it.
Imagine the following:
National and ACT win the 2023 election.
Because David Seymour is vastly smarter than Luxon, David gets everything ACT wants including axing the Ministry of Māori development, Ministry of Women, Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Ethnic affairs, Ministry of Pacific People, the Human Rights Commission and rewrites the Treaty based on nothing more than a referendum.
A hikoi of quarter of a million incandescent with rage Māori plus their allies descends upon Wellington in furious protest that makes the foreshore and seabed protest look mild.
They angrily start to occupy Parliament Lawns.
A spooked David Seymour and frightened Chris Luxon order the army to shoot.
Which part of that evaluation of ACTs race relations policy won’t happen?
ACT are going to trigger extreme policies that will in turn trigger even more extreme protest and when that gets to Wellington, it will be met with a frightened Right utilising the full muscle of the State.
This is going to get out of hand very quickly, you can not strip the Indigenous people of their political rights and pretend that won’t have an enormously violent backlash.
ACT are such pure eyed acolytes they don’t see their cleansing as something people would fight against, because ACT have no idea of the value of what it is they are burning.
The addiction to cancel culture and deplatforming by the woke has meant instead of debating the issue and winning people over, the Left simply rely on attempting to win the debate by strangling off any speech they disagree with.
We can see this in the 3 Waters and Co-governance debate were Labour haven’t even attempted to engage and explain to the public what it means and what it entails which is incredibly disappointing seeing as there are extremely good arguments made to defend each one of them.
Janet Wilson touched on this in her latest column looking at the Woke and their cancel culture social media Lynch mobs and notes the example I have always used regarding the Salam witch trials.
Woke dogma is more akin to a belief based religious cult and their inclusion through exclusion cancel culture has led to pure temple politics over Broadchurch appeal. It is identity and representation above all else.
According to the middle class woke, all white people are irredeemable racists, all men are rapists and anyone who defends free speech is a uniform wearing Nazi who hates the Trans Community.
It is alienating as fuck and makes gaining the 51% democratic majority almost impossible.
We have seen Chippy clearly move away from social justice as he pivots towards economic justice (a direction TDB has been arguing for years), and if he is to be successful in leading the next Government, the focus must be on economic gains that are universally shared (because there are numerically more poor white people than poor brown people) while actually making the argument as to why we should do this in the first place.
The Left in NZ have spent far too much time trying to strangle free speech off and play ostracisation games with those the woke blacklist, than actually arguing our case because you can’t win an election by blacklisting everyone!
This has ironically given ACT all the ammunition they need to launch a culture war we can’t win.
The Woke have had power and influence over the Left since 2016, it feels like the Wellington Twitter elite are losing that power and influence in 2022 as the political leadership suddenly appreciate how alienating their activism has become.
Poor people in NZ are not sitting around the kitchen table deciding who to cancel for a misuse of pronouns, they are trying to work out how to pay the bills.
It’s called ‘Bread and Butter’ politics because the woke are mostly gluten free vegans who will run a mile from the political scene so Labour can woo back all the voters they’ve alienated.
If ACTs State of the Nation doesn’t shake the Left up to drop the woke bullshit, then we deserve to lose.
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Sadly, I think you’ll be found to be at least 90% correct in your predictions, although I sincerely hope that bringing in the Army won’t be needed!
As an immigrant who has observed kiwi culture for the last quarter century, it’s evident to me that Kiwis would sooner avoid a difficult issue rather than address it head on. This game of pretense and denial is almost Asian in nature and is a really bad habit. So, NZ society will avoid an issue, right up until five to midnight, then act in an extraordinary manner. It happened in ’83 and it’s about to happen again.
For the last 30 years or more there has been a Gramscian ‘long march through the institutions’ by Maori tribalists, rewriting history and creating a cult of victimhood where none used to exist. In the last 5 years they’ve seen their opportunity to grab power via, just as you say, a woke government. Now it has activated the average kiwi who has been quietly seething in the background at the gradual loss of his/her status and national identity.
It’s going to be a bumpy ride for the next few years, but this is a nettle that has to be grasped.
Have you looked at NZ history? Do you have any context to what you are saying? I believe NZer’s are grasping the nettle by attempting redress historic injustice. The Waitangi Tribunal and recognition of Maori sovereignty is something we should be proud of as a country – it shows a level of maturity, self-reflection and integrity.
This doesn’t mean it’s perfect but it is infinitely better than the non-sensical race baiting coming out of Act and National.
Andrew’s last 5 years timeline coincides with ACTs increased racism drive. Think Don Brash and Hobson’s Pledge albeit established in 2016.
Seymour is pushing even harder on behalf of Hobson’s Pledge.
Mike Hosking is a big fan of Hobson’s Pledge.
Hey Burt, explain how wanting a legal and political system that recognises no distinction between races is somehow “racist”?
Really? Was it legal to help yourself (as the crown) to someone’s land after signing an agreement Ah no.
You have so much to learn Auntone. And here’s another tip, don’t look to Blob for advice, he is clueless.
For those who think they’ve “taken a look at history” I recommend Dick Crosby’s book ‘The Musket Wars’. Once you’ve read that, get back to me.
Half the problem with NZ history is that only a sanitized version has been promoted. Sure, the colonization of NZ could be considered unfair when judged by today’s standards, but compared to what came before, it was a revelation. Read the notes from the 1860 conference of Kohimarama, where chiefs reported how happy they were with the result. How they appreciated English rule of law, the protection of the colonial military and could sleep at night because they knew there wouldn’t be a war party paddling around the headland the next morning.
Is it creating a cult of victimhood or simply voicing a sense of victimhood which has been present for scores of years? As time has gone by the negative impacts of colonisation have become more obvious?
(I apologise if you have a heart attack at seeing the word ‘colonisation’ or get apoplectic and start screaming as some would, “Get over it, it happened years ago, everyone has equal chance to make something of themselves.”)
In some rural regions generations of families have established themselves on the legacy of stolen land. Their latest offspring are set up by the trusts and money and private school education and the ways of affluent life emanating from there.
On looking at social stats some ask, “How did that happen? Where did that come from?”
In answer some say, “Shouldn’t have happened, everyone had the same opportunity.”
When investigations and explanations come forth the ‘rewriting history’ trope is common.
Unusual isn’t it that the broad North American experience and results are so similar in many ways. The case First Nations people there seem to be more easily ignored or diminished by dint of the population and geographic size and spread.
It’s about grabbing power? Maybe it’s about fear of losing the power that was grabbed.
Ironically the ‘rewriting history’ debate is current in the US too. Many Conservatives and fuckwits want history written there to get rid of the reality of slavery and it’s impact of the evolution of that nation.
I’ll get back to you on this when the descendants of the 1066 Norman Conquest hand back my land and should Maori be handing back to the Moriori ? 🙂
Here’s a rough balance sheet for today’s Maori:
Negatives:
> Some land unfairly taken
> Some land sold on the cheap
> Some bad and racist things happened
Positives:
> Rule of law
> The end of cannibalism
> The end of slavery
> Literacy
> Numeracy
> Housing
> Sanitation
> Medicine
> Clothing
> Transport
> Education
> A modern economy
> Introduced food crops
> KFC LOL
Seems like a fair bargain to me!
If Maori were committed to going back to live much as the did in pre-colonial times (given that they denounce colonialism and its impacts), then they may get some sympathy from me as regards having their sovereignty recognised. Have their sovereignty, but Maori can self-fund their new self-determination as well. I mean, if colonialism was such a horror, it follows that they should revert to a pre-colonial way of living. But as it stands, they seem perfectly happy to live with all of the advances brought here by colonials and their descendants, yet they reject the only those aspects of colonialism that the can cite to justify another pay day.
More negatives
Raping
Pillaging
Plundering
Murdering
And you say that’s fair in your eyes! Says one helluva lot about you.
Sorry Andrew normally your right wing thoughts gell with my way of thinking but my learning and dislike of racism puts me at odds with you on your points of plus and minus.
Moriori where inhabitants of the Chatham Island not of NZ..
Most land was taken by force or slight of hand .
Plus
In their culture they had a good system of law, cannabism was not a regular occurrence slaves often became integrated into the tribe and their children always were ,their food cops were large and they were able to send vegetables to Sydney .medicine from natural sources
cured most everyday needs .The invaders brought many of the diseases with them and had a terrible effect on the natives. Some of the other pluses you note were only available to the wealthy in the European countries they came from like education .
All things considered Maori would have had a better life if we had not arrived but we did and history cannot be changed .It is up to the government of the day to try and rectify as much of the harm as possible and all races get a fair suckling of the saving. This is going to require moment from all parties involved.
Insightful comments Andrew and yup this may come as a surprise to some on here but not all NZer’s are Maori or interested in trying to pretend they are.
A most surprising thing is that the white supremacists, (not those who parade by the name but those who just know that they are the most superior of the species), are so flustered when they think they might have something to lose. Like power.
One of the sad things about not living for another 100 years is I won’t be here to see the rednecks reacting to the majority of the population having brown faces.
Your lists? On your ‘Positives’
Rule of law?: I keep reading how we are lawless
The end of slavery?: Replaced by economic slavery
Literacy, Numeracy, Education?: I keep being told those are down the tubes
Housing?:
Sanitation?: Yeah, don’t swim in the sea for all the shit in it, boil other water.
A modern economy? Well, who could disagree, that’s a real triumph isn’t it.
I wouldn’t mind if ACT was promoting policies that treated all people fairly so that we didn’t need many of the ministries you mention but as you say to eliminate ministries that are needed just so the 1% can get more money is a recipe for disaster.
NZ First will be the Hand brake on ACT and National this time. Just like it was on Labour s first term.
So all of ACts changes and adjustment s will be watered down, so favourable outcomes occur for all the constitutes.
I suspect so also but we may actually get an opening up of the issue and a chance to really take the temperature in the room and look at the issues.
It’s just not feasible to enshrine “rights for Maori” and “rights for everyone else.” It would bifurcate society, and resentment and conflict would be 100% guaranteed if this is done, so we’d be stupid to do it. In terms of social cohesion, realpolitik dictates that it would be far better to deny the 15% than to handicap the other 85%. Whether or not the argument is that “they deserve it” doesn’t matter: we live in 2023, not 1840. Any sovereignty Maori had over these islands is long gone, and it’s never coming back.
It is good to see a more hard-nosed ACT: National have become so centrist that they attempt to please people who will never vote for them at the expense of alienating those who will. The political orthodoxy across the West for 50 years has been leftist in nature (particularly socially), and we need to be dragged back to the sanity and the reality that the right wing represents.
Looking forward to the sanity and reality that right wing politics have foisted on the USA and the UK arriving here. Yes. Nothing like a good bit of inequality and a subsistance wage structure to teach the working class a lesson. While we are at it we should privatise health and education so only the truely deserving can access it. Animal insulin for diabetics? That will teach them to be fat. Government housing? Meh. Tents in a park is far preferred. Meanwhile the government should get out of welfare and let charities take on that role. Ruth Richardson gave us a glimpse of what a wonderful world self reliance could look like. We just need David to step up and finish the job.
Must be so bitter at being lumped in with the Crown. I mean who wouldn’t be? Wannabe Lord Barons and their peasants? The only side of the Treaty to be on is the Maori side. Whether you whakapapa back to a canoe or not is irrelevant. You don’t have to be Maori to support Maori. Kia kaha NZ – kick the crown to touch and with it, the hegemony of capital over community.
A very unfortunate situation. There is so little to pick between the left-centre-right party of Labour and the right-centre-right party of National, that Act are picking up votes just by being a little different (more evil) than the uniparty.