The Haps
St Francis of Assisi recommended having the serenity to accept what you can’t change, the courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to know the difference. He’d probably be quite useful for dealing with the Trump Tariff situation.
The Government of New Zealand cannot change the events unfolding overseas, but there are still useful things it can do. When you can’t change trade policy, the best trade policy is good domestic policy.
Regardless of trade conditions, the New Zealand Government can choose better domestic policies. It is (mostly) getting value from taxpayer funded services, regulating lightly, and managing the assets it owns. That’s where the emphasis should be as the May 22 Budget approaches.
One-way Traffic
Never has Parliament seen such a one-sided debate as the two hours it set aside for the second reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. A dozen MPs spoke against the Bill, but not one referred to the principles set out in the Bill. They certainly didn’t explain why they were opposed to the principles.
We saw the vote in Parliament, so we know the Bill was defeated in one sense, but in another sense it succeded. No idea can survive being displaced by a better ideal. The filtering of ideas is how open societies advance. On the other hand, no idea has ever been defeated by emotion and abuse alone. Only light can drive out darkness.
So long as an idea remains the best available argument, its time in the sun will come back around. Let’s put it another way, if there were better ideas than those put in the Bill, why didn’t opponents say what they were, at some point during a two hour debate?
Take Willie Jackson, who got booted from Parliament for calling David Seymour a liar, again. What’s interesting is this: Free Press knows Jackson had a chance to debate Seymour on TV3, but turned it down multiple times. For some reason we’re reminded of Ronald Reagan’s comment on the American flag: These colors don’t run.
Jackson didn’t just run in the media, though, he ran in the House as well. Parliament sat for over 100 days over the 14 months David Seymour was the Associate Minister of Justice responsible for the Treaty Principles Bill. Jackson could have asked Seymour questions hundreds of times but he only asked one question on the Bill. The question is captured in the YouTube video, viewed 80,000 times. The video shows why Jackson didn’t come back for more.
For all his talk, Jackson ran like diarrhoea when challenged to serious debate. Perhaps it’s not his fault, though. Perhaps nobody could give him good arguments. After all, if someone so passionately opposed to the Bill did have a good argument, they’d use it, wouldn’t they?
Not one MP in the debate got up and said ‘The Bill says x. I disagree with x. My reason is y. I think we’d have a better country if…z. None of them got to x. Nobody (except David Seymour) quoted the Bill. Even media commentators accepted David Seymour’s point that the opponents were not engaging with the Bill.
When the hysteria and personal attacks die down, people will be left to answer the simple question: what was wrong with the Treaty Principles Bill? Nobody has given an answer that engages with the contents of the Bill. That’s why we believe the Principles below will be the law of New Zealand sooner or later, it’s just a matter of time.
If you’re one of those people who’ve quietly (or not so quietly) supported David Seymour and ACT advancing the Principles below, thank you. We predict that, between now and the next election, ACT will lay out a new approach to making these undefeated principles part of our way of life. Until then we are grateful for your support.
Principle 1 The Executive Government of New Zealand has full power to govern, and the Parliament of New Zealand has full power to make laws,— (a) in the best interests of everyone; and (b) in accordance with the rule of law and the maintenance of a free and democratic society.
Principle 2 (1) The Crown recognises, and will respect and protect, the rights that hapū and iwi Māori had under the Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi at the time they signed it. (2) However, if those rights differ from the rights of everyone, subclause (1) applies only if those rights are agreed in the settlement of a historical treaty claim under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975
Principle 3 (1) Everyone is equal before the law. (2) Everyone is entitled, without discrimination, to— (a) the equal protection and equal benefit of the law; and (b) the equal enjoyment of the same fundamental human rights.