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Sunday, January 29, 2023

Clive Bibby: Leadership under a National government - what we do and don’t need

It would seem that the election in October is there for the taking for a National party expecting to be fighting a government that has betrayed the trust of the people.

While many within the opposition party will be heaving a huge sigh of relief that the PM has abandoned the sinking ship and, by doing so, presumably made things that much easier, they would be advised to reflect on the real reasons why Labour are in this position facing an inglorious defeat. 

It is simply because they failed to deliver on their promises and instead became a mob of reckless clandestine operators treating even their own supporters with contempt. 

Nobody, especially the voting public, expect to be betrayed in this manner - it is an affront resembling being treated like a piece of dog shit that you might have to scape off your shoe. 
My guess is that the response to this outrageous contempt will be swift, emphatic and unequivocal.

However, there are lessons to be learned from this dramatic turnaround in fortunes for any incoming and exiting government - no matter which side of politics you are on. And those who are honoured with the renewed trust of the people need to be mindful of what happens when politicians abuse the trust that is always conditional. 

I have personally always thought that there are some unanswered questions about Christopher Luxon’s ability to promise and deliver for those of us who have doubts about how we will fare under a new administration - even if it begins as one of the preferred options. 

For my money, the National leader needs to recognise the issues that have enabled him and his party to be in a position of promising the repeal of any legislation that has contributing to the divided constituency we have become. 

It doesn’t need to be this way and it should never have come to this. 

But any change back to the way we were will have to be based on a determination to rid the nation of the contributing factors that lead to an environment that is not us. 

Readers will forgive me if I once again list the offending bits of legislation that need to either go or be replaced within the first six months of a National /Act government regaining the Treasury benches. 

1) repeal of the Three Waters bill 
2) reinstatement of the law governing the introduction of Maori Wards at local government level 
3) reinstatement of the local body b-law that limited the planting of exotic forests to classes 6 and 7 land. 
3) the abandonment of any selectively imposed animal emissions tax on farmers 
4) the scrapping of the distorted radical version of our early history taught in schools - to be replace by a factual account of what happened - warts and all. 
5) the scrapping of any legislation that imposes co-governance on institutions that have traditionally relied on majority authority.
6) an end to the settlement process and associated relativity clause - this should happen ASAP with settlement of the few outstanding claims that have enabled this on- going undemocratic saga to continue.

So there you have it. 

If the National party leadership aren’t prepared to acknowledge these elements of concern and take the necessary steps to eliminate the ones that are limiting our progress as a unified sovereign state - where equal opportunity is the basis for our peaceful coexistence as a multi cultural nation- then they should expect the same fate as their Labour forebears. 

It’s over to them. I hope they understand where people like me are coming from.

We have had enough and are tired of being treated as irrelevant. 

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

5 comments:

Kiwialan said...

Luton is a complete treatyist and doesn't have the guts to stand up to the Maori radicals , apologizing for not speaking te reo and promising to be a good boy and study hard, disgusting to kowtow before the mob. I'm a lifetime National voter but David Seymour will be getting my party vote, the only bloke who has the balls not to back down to the racist Maori caucus. Kiwialan.

Anonymous said...

YES I'm with Seymour - who can manage to be very clear about his views on Maori separatism without denigrating Maori, or wanting to be separatist. Luxon is not clear - either he's too "kind' to put his foot down or he wants a bob each way -I think it was good he spoke out recently, but he still doesn't convince.

Anonymous said...

Yes, he's 'a bob each way' type lacking any real conviction and doesn't deserve our vote.

Well said Clive, but note that it's not just the school history curriculum that's been subverted, it the whole education framework. And, you also need to add another: no PIJF or other state funded propaganda machine.

Anonymous said...

At 74 years of age, I have voted National all my adult life until 2020 when I gave my party vote to Act mainly because I had lost faith in National, and I could see that the "bought and paid for media" were on a mission to crucify Judith Collins, who I personally thought would have made a decent PM.
Since Luxon has taken over as leader of the opposition, I have tried to convince myself that he will "come right" given a bit of time and is simply "keeping his powder dry" until closer to the election as many have suggested since he become Nationals leader. Personally, I think his time is up. He needs to deliver or walk away - He does not seem to have any personality, or if he does it does not show up over the TV screen. He seems incapable of making a decision and sticking to it, and appears to be frightened of his own shadow. I do not believe the guy is in the right party, he would be better suited to labour. He is useless. I will not be voting National in October unless he makes dramatic changes to his modus operandi.

Francis S said...

I agree your points Clive, but think you have not finished the list...
7) Repeal the new race-based health legislation
8) Remove the maori seats and the race based maori electoral list. These are undignified for the competent maori members of our society who can hold their heads up with pride without relying on anachronistic and paternalistic echoes of Empire.