Clive Bibby: National needs to do better

 

I have never tried to disguise where my political allegiances lie. 

I am happy to admit that I have occasionally fleetingly toyed with the idea that a Labour government might be good for the country - at least for just a short term in order to get the nation back to a position where it’s founding principles are the guide to a better society. However, in the past, come poling day, nothing has ever seemed bad enough to make me take that final drastic step of ticking the red box. 

But this time the stakes are higher than ever before and l am torn between what we must consider as freedom loving kiwis and the possibility of making things worse by electing a government that is no better than “Labour Lite”. 

It is clear that we need a change of government and l would like to add my vote in making that happen. 

Mind you, it is equally important that we provide any incoming administration with some guidelines to work with that are clear, incontrovertible and non-negotiable. 

We should require any party seeking our votes to promise to deliver changes that may require legislation in order to stop the current movement towards a nation stripped of its sovereignty, divided along racial lines and subjected to ideas that are an anathema to our traditional values. Most political observers reading this would most likely say that the government is already dead in the water and we will get what we want simply by turning up on the day next year. 

I’m not so sure!

So far National are a long way from offering the alternative we seek. 

It isn’t because they lack the ability to govern effectively in our best interests - more that we are still unsure whether they are prepared to be upfront with their intentions if they are successful at the polls. 

Given the mess we are in due to the undeclared, un-mandated agenda that has emerged only after the last election, we simply can’t afford to allow that possibility to be repeated. Sorry, but the days when trust was enough, at least for the moment, those times appear to be on hold. This time, we need it in writing! 

Consequently, I offer a few of my own non negotiable requirements in order to secure my vote. National are already committed to at least one but there are a number of others that need to happen prior to the next election They are:

1) a promise to repeal the 3 waters legislation and return the oversight of these natural resources to the local authorities.

2) a promise to repeal any un-mandated legislation that allows for Maori wards and return the status quo back to what was acceptable under the old legislation ie. Maori wards can only be introduced based on a majority community decision at local body level. 

3) the revised history curriculum taught at all levels of eduction to be based on historical facts rather than myth and false information. 

4) a promise to repeal the legislation allowing for separate health services based on race unless there is proof that individual electorates are happy to endorse those “special needs” delivery systems that are already operating effectively eg. the Ngati Porou Hauora on the East Coast of the North Island. 

There we have it. That shouldn’t be too hard. 

I will await the response from those aspirant leaders who are touting for our votes.

The ball is in their court and the challenge has been laid down but a warning - please don’t trifle with this important part of our democracy. We are a tolerant bunch but there are limits to our patience. We have had enough. 

Clive Bibby is a commentator, consultant, farmer and community leader, who lives in Tolaga Bay.