The old government remains in caretaker mode. Special votes are being counted. Formal talks to shape the next coalition have not yet started.
Some might see this as time lost, a delay before the dawn of a new government. Yet, a closer look offers a different tale.
The current political phase is the equivalent of the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) in sleep. On the outside, all seems quiet as we lay with fast-flickering eyes. But within us, the mind is active, processing the day’s events, dreaming, and forming new thoughts.
That is just what is happening in our politics right now. As quiet as the Wellington scenery may look, there is a buzz of activity underneath.
Behind closed doors, the political gears are turning. Parties are honing their negotiation plans. Politicians from various camps are in quiet talks, face-to-face or through common friends.
This discussion unfolds far from the media’s probing eyes or the public service’s oversight. It is not yet subject to the Official Information Act, either.
There is no fear of immediate voter backlash because the next election is three years away. Voters’ memories will blur over time, so everything happening now will be forgotten by 2026.
And so, the soon-to-be government parties can explore fresh ideas, new alliances, and different arrangements. This makes for a hotbed for free-flowing ideas and creativity, a rarity in the parliamentary cycle.
Of course, the public will see little of this. And so, after the excitement of the election campaign, they may find the seeming political hiatus rather dull – or maybe relief after the furore of the campaign.
And so, let us allow our politicians of all parties this most unusual time in the political calendar.
Ideally, let this be when politicians dream up new and better ways of governing this country. And when they are done with it, we will want to hear what the new two- or three-party government plans to do.
The routine of government, of Parliament and election campaigning will start again soon enough.
Dr Oliver Hartwich is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative think tank. This article was first published HERE.
That is just what is happening in our politics right now. As quiet as the Wellington scenery may look, there is a buzz of activity underneath.
Behind closed doors, the political gears are turning. Parties are honing their negotiation plans. Politicians from various camps are in quiet talks, face-to-face or through common friends.
This discussion unfolds far from the media’s probing eyes or the public service’s oversight. It is not yet subject to the Official Information Act, either.
There is no fear of immediate voter backlash because the next election is three years away. Voters’ memories will blur over time, so everything happening now will be forgotten by 2026.
And so, the soon-to-be government parties can explore fresh ideas, new alliances, and different arrangements. This makes for a hotbed for free-flowing ideas and creativity, a rarity in the parliamentary cycle.
Of course, the public will see little of this. And so, after the excitement of the election campaign, they may find the seeming political hiatus rather dull – or maybe relief after the furore of the campaign.
And so, let us allow our politicians of all parties this most unusual time in the political calendar.
Ideally, let this be when politicians dream up new and better ways of governing this country. And when they are done with it, we will want to hear what the new two- or three-party government plans to do.
The routine of government, of Parliament and election campaigning will start again soon enough.
Dr Oliver Hartwich is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative think tank. This article was first published HERE.
1 comment:
Let us hope there are no nasty surprises in the common quest to hold power.......
This time, important issues are at stake. So, voters may not accept unexpected deals without question.
The MMP problem.
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