Yesterday morning (as I wrote this) David Seymour was on TV 3’s AM show, where he said there was going to be a three-party coalition; instead of ACT being only in coalition with National, and Winston only being in coalition with National, ACT and Winston would be in coalition with each other. This is unprecedented and an intriguing development.
There are some benefits to this; first, it means that the government comprises 53% of the popular vote and therefore has a mandate not seen since 1951. This is an opportunity to crack on with items on their agenda knowing they’re backed by the population at large. A three-party coalition, with all leaders holding cabinet rank, further manifests the contention of governing for the whole nation.
Another important benefit is the muting of opposition. The actual opposition is discredited, comprising as it does the worst government in our history, a ragtag group of village idiots and deranged hysterical anti-semites. You only need to have witnessed the unhinged behaviour of Chloe Swarbrick during that same AM show to understand how sick these people are.
But, by bringing Winston and ACT into a three-party coalition, it means the childish games they’ve played in the past cannot occur in the future; their mouths are welded shut. One of the disappointing aspects of the Key Government was (perhaps due to certain people whispering in Mr Key’s ear – that “they’ve nowhere else to go”) that they set about undertaking Helen Clark’s 4th, 5th, and 6th terms. As we’ve seen in 2020 and again last month a lot of folks did find somewhere else to go; hence National only receiving 38% of the votes rather than 45%.
I am particularly impressed at how they have managed to avoid any leaks. The first I and, one presumes, many others heard of the three-party coalition was on television this morning. My closest lifelong friend is right in the middle of this, along with one or two others who’ve kindly let me buy them the odd drinkie (and yacht) in return for inside information during the Key Government years. All were silent, all refused – point blank – to tell me anything. I stopped asking about ten days ago.
What I have concluded based entirely on deduction (and – no – I haven’t been on the telephone this morning) is the final couple of sticking points are due to what I call “the Maori Stuff”. Luxon isn’t keen, for whatever reason, to jump into micturition all over longstanding Court judgements; or requiring newsreaders, schoolteachers, civil servants, and others to stop saying fake Maori words, and is holding out against this referendum caper (on which I’ve previously expressed my viewpoint).
I further feel that Winston and Seymour’s rhetoric over the past year on “the Maori Stuff” has led to vigorous head-nodding and very high expectations. To a sizeable chunk of the population “real change”, let alone “taking back our country”, simply won’t be occurring unless there’s a shopping list of Maori Stuff for the high jump.
To sign a coalition agreement saying “Sorry we tried; but there goes the country” won’t be acceptable to their respective constituencies; they simply must deliver (for instance) ‘everything in English’ and nothing short of that is going to wash. They may as well quit now.
It is just a shame that with the country in queer street financially these folks are worried about whether a newsreader is saying “Kia Ora”, or whether they can anger large numbers of people with a referendum. The priorities seem curious.
