Mike's Minute: Is this why the National vote is soft?

Federated Farmers have quite rightly raised what you would loosely call "the alarm" around a rush of new deals between councils and local Māori. 

The rush is on because of the Government's new Natural Environment and Planning bills. 

They were released late last year, saying you can't do local Māori deals under it. It's passed its first reading and is sitting at committee level and due back soon. 

Like rust, councils don’t sleep, so the deals are being inked. Canterbury is the latest, but deals have already been done in Manawatu, Whanganui, Northland, and Taranaki. 

Obviously, we could focus on the duplicitous nature of all this. We could focus on the fundamental dishonesty of giving people a say over major matters without having to ever face a voter. 

But let us, for this moment in time, wonder aloud whether this very sort of thing might be a reason for the softness in the National Party vote at the moment. 

We are late in the term and, yes, there was a lot to do to try and stitch up the chaos Labour left behind. 

But the Māorification of this country was a centrepiece for all the players in the current Government, and yet you can argue, and I do, that it never got the attention it needed. 

It never seemed to have the urgency. 

It started with the smaller, you could argue, simpler stuff i.e. Māori names for everything. There should have been stroke-of-pen edicts that ended the nonsense on the spot. 

We had the vote at local level around Māori wards. That was democracy in action as some kept them, some didn’t. But at least we had a say. 

But stitch-up deals with local tribes who decide what gets done and doesn’t, simply because of race, is a gargantuan example of what needed addressing on day one. 

Here we are on day 962 and we still haven't closed it off and, given it's July and Parliament rises in September, there are only a handful of sitting days left. ChatGPT tells me there's only ten. 

I assume they plan to pass it in that time, but in the ensuing period the piss is well and truly being taken. 

Delivery is everything in government. 

On this, even if they deliver, they have looked lackadaisical in their approach, hence the bleeding of support. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fed farmers have quite rightly raised what you would loosely
call the alarm around a rush of new deals between
councils and local murray up with us at the moment
now the rush is on because the government's new Natural
Environment and Planning bills there separate things. They were released
last year. You can't do under the new law. You
can't do local murray deals under it. It passed its
first reading sitting at committee level due back shortly. Like

(00:22):
rust though, councils don't sleep, so the deals are being
inked desperately and fast. Canterburg's the latest, but deals have
already been done in the mannu Ofatu Wanganui, North lond
and Taranaki. Obviously, we could focus on the duplicitous nature
of all of this. We could focus on the fundamental
dishonesty of giving people a say over major matters without
having ever had to face a voter. But let us,

(00:42):
for this moment in time, this morning wonder allowed whether
this very sort of thing might be the reason for
the softness in the National Party vote at the moment
we are late in the term. And then, yes, there
was a lot to do to try and stitch up
the chaos that labor left behind. But the maarification of
this country was a centerpiece for all players in the
current government. And yet you can argue, and I do,

(01:03):
that it never got the attention that needed. It never
seemed to have the urgency. It started with the smaller
you know, the simpler stuff like Maori names on everything
that should have been a stroke of the pen edict
ended the nonsense on the spot. We had that vote,
you remember at local level around Maori wards. That was
democracy and action. Good stuff. Some kept them, some didn't,
but at least we all had to say. But stitch

(01:25):
up deals with local tribes who decide what gets done
and what doesn't simply because of race, is a gargantuan
example of what needed addressing on day one. And here
we are on day nine hundred and sixty two and
we still haven't closed it off, and given its July
and Parliament rises in September, and there are only a
handful of sitting days left. GBT told me yesterday's ten.
You realize only ten sitting days left. I assume they

(01:48):
plan to pass it in that time. But in the
ensuing period, the piss is well and truly being taken delivery,
you see, is everything in government on this. Even if
they do deliver, they have looked Laxiday's and their approach,
hence the bleeding of support the voter expected more. For
more from The Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to News

(02:09):
Talks at B from six am weekdays, or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio