Herald on the new Government
The Herald Editorial:
And on the eighth day, he created history. John Key’s confirmation yesterday of his Government with partner parties may not be of biblical dimensions but it is telling in its achievement.
First, New Zealand has been spared the interminable post-election horse-trading that has done more to damage MMP than anything else. Second, Maori have been embraced into a centre-right Government in a spirit and in detail that gives far broader hope for our society’s development than the mere completion of a political support document. Third, two parties, the Maori Party and Act, that have not been in government before now have an opportunity to introduce their philosophies directly into the sharp end of our politics.
That is an aspect I had not considered before – that neither ACT nor Maori Party had even been in Government – unlike Alliance, Progressive, United and NZ First before them.
In the short-term National could have bypassed the Maori Party and relied on Act and United Future to give it 65 votes in the 122-member House. But Mr Key is not thinking short-term. By committing his Government to some of the Maori Party’s goals he is hoping to transform politics and society beyond 2011.
By choosing – and not being forced – to work with the party, he sends powerful signals of where this co-operation might lead.
An agreement forged in possibilities has more chance of thriving than the lowest common denominator of painful concessions. It should have been no real disappointment for anyone that National will not, as it claimed, seek to eliminate the Maori electorates. Its “review” of the Foreshore and Seabed Act is vague but has the chance of finding a solution rather than cementing a problem.
I think there is a real possibility of an agreed solution to the Foreshore & Seabed issue.
In the meantime, there is no gainsaying the achievements of his first eight days. The economic crisis meant we needed a Government as fast as one could be formed. What we have been offered is something much more than the sum of its parts.
That is the hope – having the additional parties such as the Maori Party may allow the Government to make progress in areas such as welfare, that would be difficult without.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:22 am
key really ‘ran a number’ on act and the maori party..
..eh..?
http://whoar.co.nz/2008/the-many-perils-facing-the-maori-partywhoarholy-electoral-oblivion-in-2011batman/
phil(whoar.co.nz)
November 17th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Key is like a breath of fresh air on our political landscape.
The contrast between his fresh, inclusive style and that of his dour, megalomaniacal predecessor could hardly be more obvious.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:40 am
“Mr Key is not thinking short-term. By committing his Government to some of the Maori Party’s goals he is hoping to transform politics and society beyond 2011.”
Well maybe he will “transform politics and society”, but I’m yet to be convinced it will be for the better. I say that the agreements Key has entered into are a betrayal of those who have thus far supported him. I say (and I’m quite ready to be challenged on the assertion) that NZers are fed up with MMP and the losers who capitalized on the confusion it produced. They wanted clean clear government, and this could have been realised through a two party coalition of National and ACT.
Instead, Key has brought in the odious self promoter Dunne and a bunch of racists, where one of the co-leaders (groan) has accused European NZers of committing genocide against the Maori (remember the holocaust comments?) and is so weakly deceptive that she was caught lying prone in the back of a government car to avoid being seen when she left a meeting with Helen Klark. Turia is also an advocate for Maori Sovereignty. There’s no way any responsible politician should be entering into any kind of agreement with this scheming shifty charlatan, racist and opportunist.
So now we have the creep Dunnne happily ensconced AGAIN (man that’s such a piss off) the Maori seats entrenched for the term of this election and most probably for ever, a deceitful racist with her face plastered all over the news, and for what?? To deny ACT a degree of influence.
I say bring back Brash. Its too late of course, but I have always thought John Key’s political incoherency would make him an ineffective leader, and I reckon this flawed and politically damaging agreement proves I was right. It is incredulous to me that Key is ready to commit NZ to the tragedy of the entrenchment of the Maori seats, and the seemingly never ending irritation of Dunne, merely to hobble ACT and Roger Douglas, the only people with the nous to fix NZ’s economic problems. Pretty piss poor I reckon.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I’m still adopting a wait-and-see attitude.
I’m not sure that radical politics survives in the parliamentary environment- where compromise and taking into account other viewpoints becomes imperative. The Hone Harawira I heard attacking the EFA is different to the one I heard in the mid 80s.
If the MP is getting a choice between improving outcomes for Maori now, or pursuing (unattainable) sovereignty objectives instead, then they may find pragmatism and real results is the most tempting path to take.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Key is a far smarter political operator than most gave him credit for. Its good to see him showing all the doubters up.
Speaking of doubters, PhilU how good of you to return!! Its been a while! Have you gotten over the disasterous result for team LPG? You were so sure National would lose this election so its good to see the results have proved you totally wrong once again and the result was more comfortable than even I was expecting. So can you post credibly any longer? You will be reminded about this for the next 3 years
November 17th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
My new policy is to ignore PhilU. His comments have always been incorrect, I’ve in the past sometimes felt obliged to point out where they are wrong. With the spectacle of him predicting a massive left victory in the election, it has become clear to me that there is no point at all in pointing out where he is wrong. It achieves nothing, not even making you personally feel better, as there is no hope of him changing. Ignoring him is clearly the preferable alternative.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
“My new policy is to ignore PhilU.”
You just wrote another 100 words on the useless prick. He’s a psychotic narcissist who is compelled to exhibit himself. Nothing pisses him off more than no audience. So ignore him FFS, as you say you will.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
doesnt 1996 count for ACT!? did they just give support and got nothing in return?
November 17th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Philip Ure – the man who prophesied a Left victory in the election. Just another false prophet methinks
November 17th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
How many words do you just write RedBaiter? I thought you were ignoring me as well as him.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Interesting the DPF hadn’t realized that this is the first right of right government under mmp. All the rest have been either centrist or left of right. What a great change.
The documents are clear, simple and without the nit picking detail of the Peters kind. They are enveloped in Trust rather than in a legally binding manner.
Totally refreshing. ( and wouldn’t it be mind blowing if the three could go to the next election talking proudly about the achievements made based on that trust. Most businesses operate on trust so we shouldn’t be surprised by all this.)
Elections will always produce variable results by the very nature of their foundation in politics so the next result may alter things. In the meantime however,life will be much more pleasant not having that other lot screaming at our face. Life is tough enough without it being made unpleasant by Clark and her harpies.
The next job for ACT is to win the Mt Albert seat. If you all want to diminish the Maori influence that’s where your efforts should go for Clark won’t hang about long. All the crap that she has handed out will be returned in spades afrom around the hive and it will become most unpleasant.
So there is your next challenge. Another Act seat. National doesn’t change anything.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Interesting to see that Key has kept all of the top portfolios in house with National (e.g. Foreign affairs!) – I think Rodney got Minister of Spray Tans or something?
Looks like Key’s strategy of gathering around him more willing allies than the bare minimum that he needs is starting to pay off…
November 17th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
John Key has the chance to use the Maori Party to engineer a radical reshaping of the state sector in New Zealand. In core areas of social policy, the Maori Party want’s to split Crown funding from Crown ownership. What better way to remove the power of public sector unions over health and education policy.
And just wait till the politically correct band from Labour Party has to comment on policies that give tangata whenua want they asked for!!
November 17th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
“I thought you were ignoring me as well as him.”
I’m not ignoring you, its just that you’re so lamely centrist, you hardly ever say anything worth a comment.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Just a hunch, but I spect that’s because his party won the lions share of the votes, and the only coalition partner needed to form a Govt landed 3.5%.
But hey, dont let logic, reason, precedence and common sense get in the way of trying to discredit the new govt.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
“..He’s a psychotic narcissist who is compelled to exhibit himself..”
..are you riffing on the porn-star story..?
..and hey..you hardly won by a landslide..
..give 0.8% to peters/nz first..
..and it’s a whole new ballgame..
..eh..?
..and how long do you think this unholy alliance/wholesale swallowing of rats will be able to sustain/maintain itself..?
..weeks..?..months..?
..certainly not years..!
..eh..?
(here is my comment on john armstrongs’ comment..)
http://whoar.co.nz/2008/what-a-good-dealkeynational-gothe-got-everything-he-wantedand-only-had-to-talk-nicely-to-get-itit-would-seem/
phil(whoar.co.nz)
November 17th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Already, Turiana Turia is showing her true colours- “The portfolios held by myself and Pita Sharples will not be subject to the same financial management scrutiny as other portfolios.”
Mistake doing a deal with this duplicitous racist creep Mr. Key. Wisen up for fuck’s sake.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10543440
November 17th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
FGS Dont any of you dimbulbs understand how political speak works. JK RH TT PS are just doing the old ‘tell them what they want to hear”
Behind closed doors the reality is very very different.
The really hard part for JK et al is going to be getting the Sir Humphreys to carry out the orders of the day. After 9 years of Clark they all need to old CD taken out of the top 2 inches and the new one installed
Trouble for most of them the old CD is hard wired in so its going need a decaptitation to remove it.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Getstaffed – don’t get me wrong, I’m completely behind Key in all of this!!
November 18th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Redbaiter said:
“I say that the agreements Key has entered into are a betrayal of those who have thus far supported him.”
The hell are you talking about? We all knew key was going to try to form some “inclusive” hand holding govt with some level of PC bend. We all knew he was going to be more centre than right. He chose this path because he wanted so called “middle” New Zealand on his side; his forming of this sort of government is only following through with what he campaigned on. Indeed it would be a “betrayal” for him to switch to exclusive right wing policy after the centre (or perhaps centre left) people gave him the votes to put himself in power. He even told everyone that he was going to do a deal with Dunne prior to the election. Now what the more right wing people among us should have done is vote act instead of national. If act had got say 5-10% of the party vote, they’d be in a much stronger bargining position, and the nats would have to seriously reconsider their anti-Roger Douglas policy.
My personal view on the NZ electorate is that it is currently “addicted” to social welfare and other left wing policies, and thus the usual rules of treating an addict apply: If you suddenly try to quit cold turkey, a relapse is rather likely. I don’t want the country to relapse into another 9 years of stealth-communism. To that end I think of the Key government as the methadone to wean the country off the labour party. Hopefully, by the next term, they will be in a position to reduce the dosage and give us some more reform and direction.
Having said that, the Hearld article you have quoted later is disturbing, especially as Turia is supposed to be bound by collective responsibility in her ministerial role and thus unilaterally announcing things should get her a slightly less than minor and inconsequential clip on the ear in cabinet.