Clive Bibby: Where to Now?

I’m writing this on Election Day while waiting to cast my vote down at the local school - a deliberate action on my part because it allows me to offer these thoughts while the outcome of today’s vote is still unknown.

It also offers the opportunity to examine some of the promises made or should have been made by those politicians who have, during the campaign, gone to great lengths in an effort to secure our votes. 

At the time of writing we can contrast the different lollies being handed out to a gullible electorate and wonder how many of the parties really expect to be in a position to honour them.

Because, if the polls are right, there will only be a couple of parties being asked to front and put in place the policies that have persuaded us to vote for them.

So, because column space limits this discussion to promises that are likely to be introduced after the election, l will only examine those made by the parties who are expected to form a Coalition on Monday or when all the votes are finally counted.

Again - given the polls taken over recent months, it would be surprising if National, Act and NZ First are not the ones most likely to visit the Governor General and be asked to form a government.

And if that is so, I will be interested to see if the promises made by these three right wing parties on the campaign trail will be included in their priority list of changes to the system that need to be urgently introduced.

Being a sceptical old bugger, and going on past performances, l am expecting to be disappointed if and when we are told that “ Sorry, after viewing the government books, we find we simply can’t afford to do what we promised.” Tragically, this sort of lame excuse makes one cynical about the obvious disingenuous offers that persuaded us to change the government.

It wouldn’t be so bad if that was the real reason for going back on their word.

But my suspicion is that some of the promises that many of us voted for were never intended to be honoured anyway or if they were, would be in a watered down state that meant little will change in the areas where real change is essential.

For example, l regard the following current policies as being in the “must do” category

1) repeal the Three Waters act and any co governance of our fresh water resource

2) abolish the new NZ History curriculum being taught in schools

3) abolish the separate Health systems and Maori Wards based on race

4) abolish any preferential treatment of individuals based on race or cultural background in any state operated institution whether it be affirmative action in the health sector or simply lenient sentencing in the courts, That should do for starters For me, the focus will now be on the incoming government to show us what they are really made of .

Time will tell as to whether we have been duped.

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