ACT’s James Christmas is seventh on its list and will be an MP regardless.
But Tāmaki matters because our electorate vote lets us choose the best candidate.
National has already made that assessment. At the last election, both Christmas and National’s Mahesh Muralidhar were on National’s list. Christmas was ranked 28th and Muralidhar 43rd.
But more important is why I encouraged Christmas to stand for ACT rather than National.
National is unwilling to confront what will be the greatest threat in our history to our system of parliamentary democracy.
The Waitangi Tribunal has launched a constitutional inquiry.
I resigned from the Tribunal because I would not lend my name to a project that seeks to make our rights as citizens depend on who our ancestors were.
Parliament is woefully unprepared for the coming attack.
Christmas is a distinguished constitutional lawyer with the intellect and ability to defend Magna Carta, the rule of law and equality before the law.
A mandate from an electorate will give him greater authority.
Labour voters will decide Tāmaki.
Muralidhar knows this. He has praised Labour’s small-business policies. Labour’s finance spokeswoman, Barbara Edmonds, has welcomed his support.
Christmas need not compromise his principles to win Labour voters.
The Labour Party no longer believes in equal rights for all citizens. But Labour voters still believe in equality before the law and one person, one vote.
Christmas will be the country’s champion against the Tribunal’s revolution.
Labour voters can support Labour with their party vote and give Parliament a champion for democracy with their electorate vote.
That is why Tāmaki matters.
The Honourable Richard Prebble CBE is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament. Initially a member of the Labour Party, he joined the newly formed ACT New Zealand party under Roger Douglas in 1996, becoming its leader from 1996 to 2004. This article was sourced HERE
But more important is why I encouraged Christmas to stand for ACT rather than National.
National is unwilling to confront what will be the greatest threat in our history to our system of parliamentary democracy.
The Waitangi Tribunal has launched a constitutional inquiry.
I resigned from the Tribunal because I would not lend my name to a project that seeks to make our rights as citizens depend on who our ancestors were.
Parliament is woefully unprepared for the coming attack.
Christmas is a distinguished constitutional lawyer with the intellect and ability to defend Magna Carta, the rule of law and equality before the law.
A mandate from an electorate will give him greater authority.
Labour voters will decide Tāmaki.
Muralidhar knows this. He has praised Labour’s small-business policies. Labour’s finance spokeswoman, Barbara Edmonds, has welcomed his support.
Christmas need not compromise his principles to win Labour voters.
The Labour Party no longer believes in equal rights for all citizens. But Labour voters still believe in equality before the law and one person, one vote.
Christmas will be the country’s champion against the Tribunal’s revolution.
Labour voters can support Labour with their party vote and give Parliament a champion for democracy with their electorate vote.
That is why Tāmaki matters.
The Honourable Richard Prebble CBE is a former member of the New Zealand Parliament. Initially a member of the Labour Party, he joined the newly formed ACT New Zealand party under Roger Douglas in 1996, becoming its leader from 1996 to 2004. This article was sourced HERE
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