It has been a few years since I started following the ‘dissident right’ and saw myself as part of their movement. Those dissidents worked their way into Trump’s circles, understanding that he rewards loyalty and hard work. Their politics is now the mainstream in the Trump administration: the powerless ‘dissident right’ has become the ‘ascendant right’ pulling the levers of power. Unlike the neocons who came before, they are unafraid to wield power for good – and forcefully, where necessary. Trump’s coalition is therefore a bit odd, with right-wing traditionalists and right-wing progressives working side-by-side, but it’s not that odd when you realise New Zealand’s coalition is similar. On paper. But that’s where the similarities end.
A nation is a people. I repeat it as often as I can. A State of the Nation address should be a message for the people and about the people.
Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech started with terrible aesthetics. A podium with various corporate logos on it, rather than our Coat of Arms. The PM bounced up to the podium like a middle-manager about to give a pep-talk to his overworked team. The diverse introduction came in nine(!) different languages. The message was simple: this is not a speech for New Zealand, or New Zealanders, but a speech for global corporations. New Zealand is open for business! That’s been his message for a while, but there was little in the speech to make businesses pick New Zealand over America today. We’re a struggling economy at the bottom of the world that is fast falling behind in productivity measures with declining per capita GDP, growing Crown debt and crippling regulations.
Half of it was a rehash of things the coalition did in 2024. Yes, it was mostly good work and little improvements that can stack up to big changes. But the world changed a few days ago when President Trump 2.0 took office.
More people are fleeing the country than ever. A large part is the legacy of the Labour Government, but, if people had true hope Luxon could turn things around, they’d stick it out. If the shock and awe that Trump is deploying had been deployed a year ago, where would we be?
The talk about deregulation was in the form of more rock concerts at Eden Park, port expansion at Tauranga and easier overseas investment. Good? Maybe, but I can’t force myself to care. These are all external facing and not the everyday woke nonsense New Zealanders have to deal with. Add the fact that they’ve been in charge for a year. By the time ACT’s regulatory reform goes through, the coalition will be over half way through their term. Contrast this with President Trump’s actions in the last few days or President Milei’s over the last year and you realise that we’re as stuffed as we’ve ever been.
ACT’s response was more sombre. David Seymour is right that “being better than Labour” is not good enough after a “century of decline”: most of which was under National’s watch. Unlike Luxon he was clear that the focus needs to be on making sure people want to stay here. The ‘Kiwi spirit’ is being chipped away and he went so far as saying that much needed to be done to keep New Zealand in the first world. Admitting these obvious truths made it a much better version of Luxon’s speech but still lacking. I look forward to Winston Peter’s at a future date.
New Zealand continues to be an airport lounge as an all-time record number of Kiwis flee the country. Yet mass migration continues and the population still grew by over 30,000. From the 12 months following the 2023 election, there was inward migration of nearly 160,000 (3.0 per cent) with around 130,000 (2.5 per cent) long-term departures. There was a net loss of around 48,000 citizens and a net gain of nearly 79,000 non-citizens. The majority of migrant arrivals are from India, China and the Philippines with the UK and SA far behind.
Both Luxon and Seymour view people as simply replaceable. One in, one out. What difference does it make? They add to the GDP and that’s about it. As Seymour said, we are “people with different languages, religions and cultures united by one thing…we are the most remote country on Earth”. It’s not rocket science to realise there’s a connection between that vision and New Zealand being turned into an airport lounge.
As soon as the going gets tough, people bugger off.
Why stay in the most remote economic zone on Earth when there’s a less remote and more prosperous economic zone next door?
That’s why New Zealand has become a nation left behind. That’s why Bukele, Milei and Trump are so successful and capable of far more radical change: they have a vision of their nations first and foremost as homes for their people.
Dieuwe is the editor of Right Minds NZ. In addition to conservative politics and reactionary thought, he likes books, gardening, biking, tech, reformed theology, beauty, and tradition. This article was first published HERE
A nation is a people. I repeat it as often as I can. A State of the Nation address should be a message for the people and about the people.
Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech started with terrible aesthetics. A podium with various corporate logos on it, rather than our Coat of Arms. The PM bounced up to the podium like a middle-manager about to give a pep-talk to his overworked team. The diverse introduction came in nine(!) different languages. The message was simple: this is not a speech for New Zealand, or New Zealanders, but a speech for global corporations. New Zealand is open for business! That’s been his message for a while, but there was little in the speech to make businesses pick New Zealand over America today. We’re a struggling economy at the bottom of the world that is fast falling behind in productivity measures with declining per capita GDP, growing Crown debt and crippling regulations.
Half of it was a rehash of things the coalition did in 2024. Yes, it was mostly good work and little improvements that can stack up to big changes. But the world changed a few days ago when President Trump 2.0 took office.
More people are fleeing the country than ever. A large part is the legacy of the Labour Government, but, if people had true hope Luxon could turn things around, they’d stick it out. If the shock and awe that Trump is deploying had been deployed a year ago, where would we be?
The talk about deregulation was in the form of more rock concerts at Eden Park, port expansion at Tauranga and easier overseas investment. Good? Maybe, but I can’t force myself to care. These are all external facing and not the everyday woke nonsense New Zealanders have to deal with. Add the fact that they’ve been in charge for a year. By the time ACT’s regulatory reform goes through, the coalition will be over half way through their term. Contrast this with President Trump’s actions in the last few days or President Milei’s over the last year and you realise that we’re as stuffed as we’ve ever been.
ACT’s response was more sombre. David Seymour is right that “being better than Labour” is not good enough after a “century of decline”: most of which was under National’s watch. Unlike Luxon he was clear that the focus needs to be on making sure people want to stay here. The ‘Kiwi spirit’ is being chipped away and he went so far as saying that much needed to be done to keep New Zealand in the first world. Admitting these obvious truths made it a much better version of Luxon’s speech but still lacking. I look forward to Winston Peter’s at a future date.
New Zealand continues to be an airport lounge as an all-time record number of Kiwis flee the country. Yet mass migration continues and the population still grew by over 30,000. From the 12 months following the 2023 election, there was inward migration of nearly 160,000 (3.0 per cent) with around 130,000 (2.5 per cent) long-term departures. There was a net loss of around 48,000 citizens and a net gain of nearly 79,000 non-citizens. The majority of migrant arrivals are from India, China and the Philippines with the UK and SA far behind.
Both Luxon and Seymour view people as simply replaceable. One in, one out. What difference does it make? They add to the GDP and that’s about it. As Seymour said, we are “people with different languages, religions and cultures united by one thing…we are the most remote country on Earth”. It’s not rocket science to realise there’s a connection between that vision and New Zealand being turned into an airport lounge.
As soon as the going gets tough, people bugger off.
Why stay in the most remote economic zone on Earth when there’s a less remote and more prosperous economic zone next door?
That’s why New Zealand has become a nation left behind. That’s why Bukele, Milei and Trump are so successful and capable of far more radical change: they have a vision of their nations first and foremost as homes for their people.
Dieuwe is the editor of Right Minds NZ. In addition to conservative politics and reactionary thought, he likes books, gardening, biking, tech, reformed theology, beauty, and tradition. This article was first published HERE
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