Category: Guest Posts
It was long past midnight in Livingston, Montana, when Donald Trump finally stood up to address the nation as President-elect of the United States, having won the landslide victory that had eluded him in his successful run in 2016 and again in his re-election bid in 2020. This time, the American people had overwhelmingly voted for change.
Competition is just as important in government as it is in private sector markets. The lack of competition, over the past 80 years, in government-owned social service institutions, is why they are in such a mess today, when compared to say Singapore’s welfare institutions.
We stand at a constitutional crossroads. Will we allow our Supreme Court to continue its drift towards judicial supremacy? Or will Parliament act to restore the proper balance? The choice is clear. In our democracy, voters - through their elected representatives – should have the final say in shaping our laws, not unaccountable judges. It is time for Parliament to act.
The pursuit of ‘Net Zero” partly driven by a mistaken belief that if New Zealand reduced its emissions our climate will be better, has driven the ban on gas exploration and the desire to shut down our coal fired station, even though it is doing a vital job in keeping the lights on. It has also given us expensive and unreliable wind and solar power.
The judgments in the High Court and Court of Appeal show how little regard some members of the judiciary have for the will of Parliament. In my view, the right thing to do would be to shut the door on customary title by returning the marine and coastal area to Crown ownership, managed for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
The attack has been against every institution which comprises the pillars of our democratic freedoms. The desired outcome is to replace our free and open market-oriented society with increasing state control, and to eliminate any freedoms currently enjoyed which are incompatible with that end.
Across the world, over many millennia, people have learned how best to live together, in a decent society where all share a common feeling of belonging to one larger community – in sovereign countries, unified and living together as equal citizens.
People are not stupid. If they are losing trust in our political institutions ~ and they are ~ it is not because of the evil machinations of the current government ~ which might actually do something to stop the rot, although probably not enough ~ and it is not because of some sinister right wing plot. People are losing trust in our institutions because those institutions no longer deserve our trust.
It has taken centuries for humanity to struggle and claw its way out of a swamp of ignorance and superstition to gain an understanding of the world, of the universe in which we live, and to use that understanding to create better lives for all. Yet, there are those who act as if they wish humanity to reverse course and return to a world of ignorance and superstition. I cannot comprehend how any rational person could honestly desire that to occur.
This country needs to respect and celebrate all cultures. We need to maintain our wonderful democracy and not slide down the path to a country dominated by the interests of a single racial or ethnic group. Our vote to disestablish the Māori ward was about preserving all that is good about our freedom for all to participate in a well-functioning democracy.
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