Ross Meurant: Political Perspicacity - after the event

Five Lessons stand out.

Lesson One.

United we stand: Divided we fall.

“If all the minnows had put aside their arrogance aka ignorance and come together under one roof, they would not have split the 10% undecided vote and united they would have succeeded.”

How many times have you read theses pearls of wisdom from the perspicacious politicos who now swamp social media with their suddenly found, sagacity?

During the 24 months preceding the 2023 General Election, I was the chair of a collection of persons we referred to as “The Tent”, which brought together a combination of extensive political acumen and experience.  Ex MPs, business persons and hard-core “True Tories”.

On behalf of the tent, I spoke with 7 of the minnow leaders – urging them to put aside their personal egos and unite as New Party (NPNZ) under a philosophy of: (a) equality before the law irrespective of race, creed, colour religion or beliefs, (b) commitment to protecting private property rights (as private property is cornerstone of private sector capital – whether small business or large) and (c) lowering company tax. (1)

Every one of the 7 to with whom I spoke at length and some over several sessions, being sessions, which included 4 of the 7 persons and or their close consorts attending meetings of the “tent” with our board, listened to the paradigm we proposed (based on our experience since 1990’s), but ALL of them replied: “Yeah – nah, but I …. “

Like a clarion, the pronoun “I” resonated.

“I” know better than you lot.”

“I know because I am clearly a stand out leader among my fellow citizens.”

Conversely, the message the “tent” proffered was:

We seek those who empathise with centre right economic vision and equality.

A leader can be chosen from within.

United under a philosophy, you will survive the 5%.  Divided, you will all fail.

Policies are a different to philosophy – we contended.

Disagreement on policies is inevitable:  e.g., at one end of policy - e.g., abortion or gay rights, to the other end e.g., more money on health than police etc.

The “tent” maintained that conscience votes accommodated the social policy examples and that in the, “where to spend the money” policies, it all comes back to, “where does the money come from?”   The answer to that is, items (b) and (c) of the philosophy.

Too complicated?  Not for you, I am sure, but definitely it seemed to be beyond the 7 to accept as the foundations for a New Party – in which THEY might not be the leader.

Lesson Two.

Political leadership is a rare gift.

Candidates who thought that they as individuals were more important than a political party, received the same lesson that arrived at the doorstep many other misguided candidates in times gone by.

No disrespect intended to Matt King (who floundered below Shane Jones in Northland) for seeming to think that the traditional National voters who mass deserted National across the country (400K or more) in the previous election when Matt as the Northland National MP lost by only a few hundred votes, would follow him in 2023 as a local boy leading Democracy NZ, is one example.

Lesson learned is that voters follow Parties – not an individual – with the odd exception.

No disrespect intended, but Hon Shane Jones third placing in Northland is another example and a very clear message that NZ First, is Winston Peters. End of story.

The odd exception?  (Post WW2)

Bob Jones. Rt Hon David Lange, Rt Hon Sir Rob Muldoon

The standout exception to this rule, i.e., the party is paramount, has been Rt Hon Winston Peters.  Like him or not, by any objective assessment, for political charisma, Winston has confounded critics more times than he has enamoured disciples.

Paradoxically perhaps, Winston is also “the Party” – so big is his political profile and thereby, unquestionably in my view, when his time is up, NZ First will disappear.

Lesson Three.

Mathew 10:36

Not for the first time, Labour have been stabbed in the back by the culture they have sought to serve and entrench as a core pillar of their Party – akin perhaps to Labour’s history of serving the working man.

With the exception of the Northern most Māori seat, all went to the Māori Party.

The first time this happened, was when the “Tight Five” Māori MPs deserted Labour for NZ First – 1996.

Lesson for Labour might be, that it tries to return to the Micky Savage ethos, and stand by their working-class voters – rather than the WOKE and climate calamity crusaders.

Because the Greens were nemesis number 2.

Who’s Mathew 10.36?    And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Lesson Four.

MMP delivers a system for List parties and constituency parties – as separate and not within the same organisation.

In the lead up to Rt Hon Jim Bolger’s legacy i.e., MMP being delivered to the nation, Hon Murray McCully, Hon Maurice Williamson and I, at an Auckland Regional AGM of National (the old Hyatt hotel – Princess Street) advocated exactly this! 

As I recall, it was Maurice who became exasperated trying to explain the reality of MMP, but it took another 20 years before people really began to understand.

When MMP was introduced, my safe seat of Hobson was absorbed into adjoining seats of Bay of Islands, Whangarie and Rodney, so after 9 years, I was condemned to the List for National and with Jim Bolger making the calls, I knew I was gone. 

So, together with two former National MPs, Graeme Reeves and Lt Col Rob Munro in a Wellington restaurant, we conceived a party which was later formed without them but was stacked with and board members from the Fed farmers, Meat Board, Wool Boad, and were the first registered party under MMP.  Right of Centre (later renamed Conservatives) (1) was the name, reflecting my economic penchant. 

RoC was stacked with National by tradition.   It provided National with the first List Party (i.e., before ACT was formed).  But, Jim Bolger & Rt Hon Bill Birch, (in my view) did not understand the dynamics of the beast they had let lose – pretty much following the path preferred by Hon Jim Anderton – hard left mate.

2023 finally delivered the reality of MMP governance.

National has become a Constituent party.

Labour too.

ACT, Greens, NZFirst:  List parties.

Had the divided Christians united, they may have made it and could make it in the future.  But Brain Tamaki and Leighton Baker and Colin Craig – seem to me to have emasculated the vision Hon Grame Lee had when he too, in 1965, entered a Chistian Party into the foray of the first MMP circus.

Lesson Five.

Jacinda Ardern,

As I objectively assess (based on my political experiences) Winston as being the most charismatic and incredible survivor, I objectively assess Jacinda Ardern, in my view, as the most destructive, divisive, dangerous deliverer of democracy (if you could still claim New Zealand was a democracy during her tenure), New Zealand has ever witnessed.

Nothing personal in my condemnation of this woman.  Afterall, I knew her father – a better young cop would be hard to find (3)

Ross Meurant. BA MMP Former police inspector, former Member of Parliament and former Honorary Consul.

References: 
(1) NPNZ will press for a flat tax rate for individuals and for companies.
(2) NPNZ accepts Laffer Curve Theory that lower taxation encourages full disclosure by individuals, small business and big companies.
(3) NPNZ acknowledges that when this policy was applied in New Zealand during le 1980s, Treasury incomes did increase in the first year.
(4) Lower company rates encourage companies to return to New Zealand, creating employment and elevating Tax revenue to Treasury.
(5) Lower taxation rates encourage investment decisions based on the ROI rather than the tax benefit.
(6) Fact! When 1987-1990 Labour slashed the top rate of tax the tax revenue did go up.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Conservative_Party
- https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2021/08/04/guest-blog-ross-meurant-ross-ardern-poisoned-chalice