Dr Don Brash: Equality is not a dirty word

Surely, in a liberal democracy, there are few words more chilling to read written in earnest than the “flawed concept of ‘equality’”. But there they were, in print, in an opinion piece by the National Urban Māori Authority’s Lady Tureiti Moxon published in the NZ Herald on Tuesday last week.

The Treaty Principles Bill has done exactly what its champion David Seymour intended; it has sparked a national conversation. And that conversation has been eye-opening to say the least. Never could I have ever predicted that ‘equality’ would be treated as such a dirty word.

The immortal words of Dr Martin Luther King Junior’s I have a dream speech, treasured for decades after his death, are now out of fashion according to certain sections of our society and Nelson Mandela would today perhaps be condemned for the ideals he said he would die for:

“the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.”

In fact, I am old enough to remember when Te Pāti Māori President John Tamihere was himself a champion of equality in our Parliament. I daresay he would prefer it if his speeches about the Foreshore and Seabed legislation disappeared. Nowadays he leads the party that ran Lady Tureiti Moxon as a candidate at the last election.

Equality is not simply flawed in Te Pāti Māori’s dystopian idealised future of our country, it is irrelevant, unimportant, and an obstacle to overcome. Lady Moxon deplores that the Regulatory Standards Bill “mirrors the identical flawed thinking that was in the Treaty Principles Bill by placing undue emphasis on “equality”.”

One of the greatest triumphs of the twentieth century was the West’s determined shift to place human rights and equality at the very heart of governance and democracy. It is our commitment to equality, and the simple idea that we should be treated the same before the law and have access to the same opportunities, that has allowed for the dismantling of discriminatory systems and laws.

No doubt there will be those who read this and quibble about the definition of ‘equality’ in order to excuse Lady Moxon’s disdain for it. Helpfully, she herself included her own definition of the word in her article. This is the equality she considers the government to be placing “undue emphasis” on:

“Equality = being treated the same, having the same opportunities, rights, or resources, regardless of any differences. It implies that everyone has access to the same resources and opportunities, regardless of their race, gender, financial position or background.”

Lady Moxon referred to Māori life expectancy being lower than other New Zealanders’ as evidence of the failings of equality. Context tells a different story.

In 1891, the life expectancy for Māori was 25 for men and 23 for women. In the century and a bit since, this expectancy has steadily climbed so that 2019 statistics have Māori men at 73.4 years and Māori women at 77.1. Statistical trends show a trajectory of continued improvement in Māori life expectancy can be expected.

Notably, Statistics New Zealand says “increases in [Māori] life expectancy were highest in the late 1980s to early 2000s.” This period was one of intense focus on equality in New Zealand. Our Human Rights Act was passed in 1993 and Bill of Rights Act in 1990. It was a time of progress for women and minority groups.

I have been advocating for a New Zealand that treats each of us equally under the law for decades now and I know better than most how aggressively this concept has been resisted by those who promote a system where who one’s ancestors are determines their rights. Racial separatism is explicitly advocated for by Te Pāti Māori, and its proxies, and some of the ugliest of their messages have sadly gained traction with a new generation of activists if social media is anything to go by.

The idea that anyone who does not have Māori ancestry is merely a visitor to these lands can be seen in videos online, in the comment sections of articles, and in vox pops in the media. No matter if a person is a sixth generation New Zealander, according to the new Māori activist doctrine, they are manuhiri (a visitor) and Māori are only allowing their presence out of reluctant goodwill.

This way of thinking is a recipe for disaster. It is a sure way to destroy social cohesion and distract us all from the immense economic challenges that we all face. We must start with equality as our baseline.

It is extraordinary that needs to be said, but equality is not racist.

Sources:
https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/growth-in-life-expectancy-slows/
https://teara.govt.nz/en/death-rates-and-life-expectancy

Dr Don Brash, Former Governor of the Reserve Bank and Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2003 to 2006 and ACT in 2011. Don blogs at Bassett, Brash and Hide - where this article was sourced