Of late there have been countless headlines stating Prime Minister Christopher Luxon 'must go' followed by reasons why. These include - in no particular order - his poor party polling, his poor personal polling, inability to articulate clearly what he stands for, overuse of corporate speech, running the country like a business and more.
For a member of the public who stands outside the beltway, outside of the political skullduggery and shenanigans in Wellington, it looks suspiciously engineered. Get the jungle drums beating and the sound will only intensify, especially with the combined enabling might of the media, unions and activist-left.
I don't like or dislike the PM. He seems capable when he is wheeling and dealing internationally, he's a very successful person in his own right and looks like a loyal, dependable family man.
But there is one reason why I believe he absolutely will have to go and that's his position on the Treaty Principles Bill. Here he is in parliament in November last year:
"...it is Government policy to support this bill to first reading. It is also Government policy to give parties a free vote at the second reading. The National Party, which I lead, will not be supporting it. The only way this bill will become law is if the Opposition parties do support it." [My emphasis]
To his credit he has not wavered. And it's a mark of his leadership that his Ministers and MPs also toe the line (though often rather robotically.)
But his truculence is not matched by the people who voted for him or one of the other coalition parties.
Yes, we all understand that some Maori feel beleaguered by existing as a minority. They anguish and appeal about the 'tyranny of the majority'. But Maori are only one minority in New Zealand. It is impossible to satisfy every minority which is why we have a democracy that vests rights and responsibilities in the individual.
In practical terms then, the country cannot be co-governed by one race on one side and every other race on the other. That is patently unjust, illogical and a recipe for never-ending dispute. Luxon says he opposes co-governance but while the derived Treaty principle of 'partnership' remains, the courts and councils can interpret it as such.
We cannot solve past wrongs by committing future wrongs. We have to commit together to a robust democracy that will abide. We have to agree as best we can what role the Treaty plays going forward. That's what this bill gives ALL New Zealanders a chance to do.
BUT the Prime Minister is standing in the way. Even though surveys show most people support a referendum to decide what the Treaty means for everyone who lives here, Chris Luxon is prepared to deny their wishes.
It is untenable for him to change his mind after months of steadfastly defending his opposition, though even he must concede in the deep recesses that unresolved, the issue will only come back again and again.
So he must go. His party must put New Zealand's future and democratic foundations first.
If Luxon stays, the country blunders on.
Lindsay Mitchell blogs here
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