A good omen

The sun had risen before I walked from the Grafton station to Te Whetu Tawera. Just before I crossed from one side of Park Road to the other I saw the sun-kissed Grandstand in Pukekawa (Auckland Domain). Not only did this herald a warm and sunny day, later in the day Parliament undertook the second reading of the ACT promoted Treaty Principles Bill.

Only the ACT Party MPs voted in favour of the Bill, with all others rejecting it. David Seymour reacted by falsely claiming that the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand want a referendum. The Justice Select Committee reported back to Parliament that of the over 300,000 submissions to the committee only 8% were in favour of the Bill continuing (by way of undertaking a referendum); over 90% were opposed.

Mr Seymour rejects that this indicates that the vast majority of ordinary citizens were opposed to the ACT Party's desire to change the way that Te Tiriti is interpreted. Perhaps he should reflect on the numbers. In the election held in 2023, 92% of those who voted did NOT vote for ACT. The same proportions in the same way as submissions on the Bill.

The Prime Minister avoided the debate and the vote in Parliament. While he has repeatedly said that he and the National Party would not support the Bill past the second reading, he has consistently and repeatedly supported (or not opposed) the ACT Party's agenda throughout the nearly 18 months of this Parliament. He has made David Seymour the Minister of Regulation, allowing him to propose alterations to current laws many of which have been passed by the coalition often under urgency, which limits the debate. Seymour is also an Associate Minister for education, finance, health and justice. I cannot recall any other politician having such power

Perhaps a new day may have dawned and National will begin to behave as the leader in the coalition Government