Maiki Sherman and One News got very excited about their poll showing that more New Zealanders oppose the Treaty Principles Bill than support it. Never mind that:
1. The largest number are unsure about the bill.
2. Other polls say the contrary.
3. Our polling shows that there is a large cohort of New Zealanders who oppose the bill purely because they are worried about the division it is causing.
In our poll conducted, between the first and third of this month by Curia Market Research, respondents were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the statement:
More people agreed with that statement than disagreed.
It is seriously concerning that in a liberal democracy, such as ours, people are opposing legislation not on its merits but rather because they are worried about social conflict.
This kind of thinking creates the conditions where political decision making comes down to whichever group is making the most noise and causing the most intimidation. That is no way for a free and equal society to function.
We cannot be held to ransom because radicals scream racism over and over again and meet disagreement with fury.
It is not racism to advocate for equality regardless of race or ancestry, but if determined activists are given enough of a platform in our media, people start to feel that tensions are getting too high and are more likely to believe the whole exercise is not worth it.
We must have the discussion. A fair one would be nice! We need to empower New Zealanders to feel they can have an opinion on the future of their country and that those who tell them their view is not valid are the extremists.
Unfortunately, the whole establishment machine is invested in stifling debate and promoting only opposition to the Treaty Principles Bill. I have mentioned the media’s clear bias, but it goes beyond that to elite institutions like academia, the public service, and local government.
Some councils are wasting their ratepayers’ time and money holding debates and votes on the bill even though they have no influence on its outcome. Despite record rate hikes, failing infrastructure, and no shortage of local issues to deal with, they indulge their own egos and spend hours virtue signalling.
I’m looking at you, Auckland and Hutt City councils, and Environment Canterbury. Good on Taranaki Regional Council for being more sensible on the matter. Deputy chair Neil Walker said:
I think personally that the regional council is not a political body, and I certainly don’t want to be sitting here time and time again, sending the government political messages about various things.
We’re essentially an environmental council and a statutory body doing regulation. We are not doing all of these kind of things, lecturing the parliament on everything.
It may feel like we are asking you to take a lot of action this year and that is because we are. As I have said before, we are in a now or never situation where we may never again have such opportunities to be heard on the future of New Zealand.
So I am, again, urging you to have your say by making a submission on the Treaty Principles Bill. We have created a tool that makes it quick and easy!
Another way you can make a difference is to talk to your friends and family about supporting the bill in ways that promote unity and equality. We all need to have the courage to not bow to intimidation and to proceed with sometimes challenging conversations. The best way to do this is to relentlessly stick to our values.
Fundamental human rights for all should be the baseline for modern societies. We won’t stop fighting for equality.
This article was originally published by Hobson’s Pledge.
