LOCAL NEWS
JOHN ELLIOTT: WHAT NOW FOR NZ - LABOUR ABLE TO GOVERN ALONE There was a suggestion from some hard right National Party supporters after the election that many Nats voted Labour to keep the Greens out. Rubbish. Some centrists who might more often than not vote National, voted Labour because they rated Jacinda Ardern, they disliked Judith Collins, and they believed in giving a government a second term. That is far from an unusual scenario. There have only been two one term governments in this country since the second world war ended in 1945 - that’s in 75 years. Labour governed from 1957-1960. They were thrown out ostensibly because of Arnold Nordmeyer, the Minister of Finance’s black budget. He put up the price of tobacco and alcohol, infuriating thousands of Labour voting workers. Then, from 1972-1975 Labour had another one term government. Circumstances conspired against them that time too. Charismatic strong man Norman Kirk, Labour Party leader, tragically died, giving way to a timid and weak new leader, Bill Rowling. Then Rowling had to deal with new National Party tough guy Rob Muldoon, a fight he just couldn’t win. An international oil price crisis didn’t help Labour either. 2020 was not at all like 1960 nor 1975. So, as we all know, Labour scored a stunning victory, New Zeaand First are gone, and Seymour brought in nine colleagues for Act, partly because of a pro-gun lobby. The Greens were steady on nearly 8% and also got 10 seats. And National are in disarray. The only coalition discussion was whether Ardern would do a formal agreement with the Greens, or leave them to battle alone out of government. Ardern put a proposal to the Greens and 86% of the Greens hierarchy voted to support Ardern’s plan to have two Green Ministers, outside cabinet, James Shaw and Marama Davidson. I can’t for the life of me understand where the other 14% are coming from. I understand they don’t like the word compromise, but democratic government is all about compromise or it just falls to bits. Ask Italians. However, I do understand that minor parties getting into bed with the major parties has often led to oblivion for those minor parties under the New Zealand MMP system.
LETTERS & EMAILS
So what of the MMP system. Should it be abolished? I don’t think so, but it needs some tweaking. The threshold for a minor party to enter parliament could be reduced to 4%. That would have had no effect on the recent election. It is the coat tail provision which is most unpopular which allows a party to take extra MPs into parliament if the party wins just one seat, and scores enough of a percentage to get more elected. This time the Maori Party won one seat, but gained
just enough votes nationwide to get one more candidate in. I would abolish that provision. There is also the public reaction when a sitting MP loses their seat, but walks straight back in on the list. Examples this time include Brownlee, Smith, Reti. I suppose if a party rates those MPs highly enough they have every right to place them high enough on the list for them to get back in, but it does look funny to see Labour cheer its success in a seat like Whangarei and then see Reti walk back in on the list. As an aside, however, I do think Reti has performed pretty well in a dismal bunch of National MPs. So what of predictions for this next term 2020-2023. What does Labour have to do, and how can National rebuild? National needs a thorough review - an honest one. They have fallen into a policy and philosophical hole. Too many of them are middle aged white males. They need more diversity in their team. Jacinda Ardern out-led them both through Covid and through good economic management. National could not persuade voters they needed National to run the economy successfully. Even very good candidates can’t win when the tide is out for a party, but National’s time will come again. Labour must deliver houses for the homeless, and state houses for the poorest of our citizens. Parker must come up with a new Act to replace the Resource Management Act which protects the environment. Especially important is tree protection. Auckland City is losing trees at the rate of knots, and it must stop. No fair and just society can ignore the inequality that now exists in New Zealand. It’s bad by all western world standards, better than the USA and the UK, but only just. It is largely a phenomenon of neoliberalism, where ‘the market rules’ was the mantra. So some form of tax adjustments must be made - what and when I don’t know, but money doesn’t grow on trees, and borrowed money must be paid back. I hope the Greens keep pursuing the wealth tax, even if in a modified form. Compromise in action again! I firmly believe we should move to a four year parliamentary term, to allow a more managed throughput of legislation. Tourism has been among the hardest hit industries by Covid, and there are still people calling out for easing up on border control. Minister of Tourism, Stuart Nash, made a few tentative suggestions about tourism’s future last month, and copped some backlash. It won’t be easy, but I feel reassured by the Prime Minister’s statement earlier this year, “I will not sacrifice the health of New Zealanders on the altar of GDP.” But there is a growing suggestion that Labour may govern too conservatively, despite their mandate. They must be bold on the most important democratic ideals - poverty, PN inequality, housing and jobs. (JOHN ELLIOTT))
continued from p6 RIP LYNETTE KILMARTIN I am writing to you as we near a decade since Lynette Kilmartin took her life on 11 December 2010. Much has happened in that time but Lynette has always been in my thoughts and is missed immensely. While it is true that life goes on after a death, there is always a feeling of there being a gap in a previous complete circle - for me anyway. I realise that Lynette made many friends while living in Ponsonby and I would like them to know that they are in my thoughts at this time, as we all find within ourselves the strength to face another anniversary - this one PN the 10th - of Lynette’s choice to stop living. Kind regards, Ann Wilson (Lynette’s sister)
24 PONSONBY NEWS+ December 2020
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