New Zealanders aren’t going backwards. They’re rejecting the idea that national identity and public policy must be filtered through a single ideological lens. They want a government that governs for everyone – not just for the loudest or most organised voices.
Science embraces uncertainty. Scientists formulate theories to explain natural phenomena based on the available evidence. But they do not expect those theories to stand for all time.
Salmond calls for open minds. On this point she is right. But an open mind is not one that refuses to evaluate claims. It is one that is willing to have its own claims evaluated. It is not one that protects ideas from criticism, but one that welcomes criticism as the price of progress.