The disgraceful way this government is acting means the National Party must oppose key areas of what they are proposing. It is becoming increasingly obvious the Labour Party do not believe in democracy, do not believe in free speech, and are determined to waste money on ridiculous ideas around transport, Pike River Mine recovery, and climate change ideology. The National Party should be attacking the government on all these fronts.
When it comes to democracy Labour are happy to lecture others such as Myanmar but typically do not practice what they preach. Nanaia Mahuta’s proposed Maori Ward legislation is a good example. This legislation won’t go through the proper processes but will be rushed through the House under urgency. All because the government believes the people vote the wrong way in legal referendums on this matter; therefore that right must be taken away. This is something National must vigorously oppose.
The right to free speech is something this government has a strong desire to curtail. Ardern has previously described the kind of language Labour would make unlawful as “when you see it you know it.” According to her, no doubt. This is a dangerous step which will only undermine our fundamental right to freedom of expression. Not that this will concern her. It’s right out of the communist playbook.
The Climate Change Commission report is out and Ardern says the government will not hold back. It is just a knee jerk reaction because she thinks that is what everyone wants to hear. Has she even read the report? Does she even understand the report? Does she realise the consequences of not holding back? National must challenge what a load of nonsense the report is in terms of how unrealistic it is. The time frames are ridiculous. No methane production, no oil and gas; this is tantamount to a race to the third world.
Heather du Plessis Allen made some good points on her programme the other day. She reflected on a previous question from John Key a few years back. He had asked if we want to be first to achieve climate change targets. The first mouse to the trap gets squashed, the second gets the cheese. Heather also spoke about reducing animal numbers saying that if we reduce our numbers, some other country will pick up the slack. Her question was: do we want to reduce our export income to basically give it to someone else?
In terms of wasting money National need to focus on the real needs of the transport sector. They must continue to push their pre-election agenda and highlight the stupidity of the Dominion Road tram and snail rail from Hamilton to Auckland. There should be no more money spent on Pike River recovery. Like a lot of what is in the climate report it is no more than a game of trivial pursuit.
This is where National must start calling the government out. There are no doubt other matters that will arise over this term. National must be vigilant and keep the pressure on from now until the next election. They need to get out and reconnect with their voter base with a message that resonates with them. There is plenty of material for them to focus on. The task is crystal clear.
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