2023 in Review: Part 3

The Racism Roadshow, Posie Parker, Newmarket Barbie, and Christmas wishes.

Welcome back to 2023 in review 🙂 You can find part one here, and part two here.

Last night on G News, Gerard Otto’s page, there was a question posed, “Who are the most dishonest politicians in our parliament?”

Thinking about this year, I’d say Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis were worthy winners. They’ve told so many lies about tax plans and fiscal cliffs, calling everything the last government did a shambles, and claiming to have all the answers. But most of all about wanting to lead for all New Zealanders.

Like so many things they’ve said, be it on climate change or improving things for Māori, their words say one thing but their actions say something entirely different.

In fairness to David Seymour and Winston Peters while they also have some awful policies and have used repugnant tactics, they at least owned them. They were upfront about the fact that they have no interest in representing the majority of people in this country.

In terms of those who are honest there are many on the left I could suggest but I’ve particularly enjoyed Grant, Willie, Ayesha, Chloe, James, and Marama this year, consistently saying it how it is, no spin, just the truth.

If I had to choose just one person it would be Nanaia Mahuta. I thought the interview she did post election with Jack Tame was incredibly honest.

Oh that Luxon or Willis had an ounce of her integrity or decency.

March continued.

As autumn continued racism went on the road with groups of bitter, misinformed people congregating to hear the reverend Bachelor’s sermon of filth.

Nanaia was increasingly being targeted, but she wasn’t backing down, rather she was calling out what was going on. No one can say in hindsight that they weren’t warned about where the embrace of an anti-Māori stance by the opposition was taking us.

We are better than this.

This year when I join protests against the new government’s anti-Māori actions, which I see have resulted in a third urgent claim in less than a month being made to the Waitangi Tribunal, I’ll think of them. Those sad pathetic people who gathered to listen to that garbage, the eager followers, the early adopters.

Looking around at the hundreds, the thousands, of decent Kiwis who will no doubt march for the Aotearoa we believe in, I might just raise a finger in the air in recognition of those in the meetings earlier this year.

Meanwhile a second front on law and order was being used as a rod to beat the government. Kate Hawkesby told us of the horrors on the streets of our largest city.

Hawkesby goes to Helltown.

Labour and the Greens were still ahead of National and ACT in the polls, but you could see with the combination of the dog-whistling, and the tough on crime talk, that the gap was narrowing. Glancing at the comments now I see one from Yahn Darkwood, another we lost in 2023. I imagine some of you knew him, or followed his health battles. I hope you’re up there with the stars Yahn, I think you’d like that.

Mind you the polls weren’t great for the right, with Luxon still trailing Chippy by 10% as preferred PM. It was announced that Christopher had Covid and he disappeared for a bit. The next poll was worse for the right and I commented “Does it feel like Willis is now National leader and we've seen Luxon for the last time, other than exiting a meeting?”

It’s hard to imagine now but earlier in the year Nicola Willis seemed downright competent compared to Luxon. As I’ve said, it was a very long year.

Still signs of the tumultuous times ahead were emerging. The teachers went on strike, and dirt on Stuart Nash was being drip fed to the media.

In one of the most memorable interviews of the year Kim Hill spoke with Sam Neill about his health battles.

Things that make you go Hmmmm.

At the end of the month the culture wars came calling in the form of Posie Parker who travelled here for a tomato juice.

The two newsletters I wrote about that were probably the most contentious I’ve written. The topic is a minefield, and while I tried my best to navigate it there was no way to keep everyone happy. Some of the vitriolic comments I received, on both sides, including from people I know well, were pretty unhinged.

But I’m glad I wrote the newsletters. I think they read well together, and I recall how my thinking evolved during the discussions that look place, but if you’re just going to read one then I reckon the second is the better one.

Posie Parker vs Transgender Rights.

A Posie Parker Postscript, what have we learned?

I find the current push from New Zealand First to cancel the funding of sports involving transgender athletes very sad. There are voices that can legitimately ask questions over fairness in certain sports - but they’re not those of Andy Foster, Shane Jones, or Winston Peters. Who are not championing anyone’s rights but are simply scoring points with bigots.

At the end of the month Donald Trump was indicted, I commented “What sort of world are we leaving for our children if a US President can't even lie about paying off a porn star?”

Back home Christopher Luxon had identified who the real victims were and demanded that Marama Davidson apologise to white men, if you can get your head around that. Then he announced his plan to pretend to do something about climate change, while ignoring agricultural emissions. Jesus wept.

In the first week of April Jacinda Ardern said her farewells, and many tears were shed. In fact I’d recommend a tissue reading this one even now.

At this point I’d like to mention Chippy. Labour were in a rough place with deteriorating popularity and the loss of a much loved leader. Chris Hipkins put his hand up and said I’ll do that job.

Another politician might have bided their time, seen the writing on the wall and saved their leadership ambitions for a more opportune moment. Not Chippy, he put his country and his party first. In the time that he was Prime Minister I can’t recall anything significant that he did wrong.

There are lessons for Labour from the campaign this year but I have nothing but gratitude for Chippy. The burden on his shoulders must have been immense and he certainly deserves a break and a good run at the government next year.

This government will do awful things next year. But for now it's good to take a breather, enjoy family and friends, and leave the worrying to another day.

Take care, stay safe, be cautious of Covid it's bloody everywhere right now. Eat a bit much, have a nap, swim in the water, read some good books - or bad ones if you enjoy them, wear sunscreen*, laugh loudly, and delight in the wee ones.

* click the link, it’s a lovely clip if you haven’t seen it before, or a trip down memory lane if you’re about my age.

When I typed laugh loudly above, somewhere between my brain and fingers it became love loudly. Do that too.

Thanks for putting up with all my typos over the year, the jokes that went a bit too far, or the references that were just too obscure.

Most of all thank you for what you have given me over the last year. Your support and encouragement of my writing means so much to me. I finally feel like I’m doing the thing that I should be, and I’m incredibly grateful.

Meri Kirihimete ki a koe me te whānau. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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One last plug eh. Today being Christmas Eve it’s your final chance to get a paid subscription for the whole of 2024, for what I hope you’ll consider to be $68 well spent.

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Being that it’s Christmas Eve this was an easy song choice. For those who’ve been following the countdown on my page you can expect to see this one again a bit later. Not only my favourite Christmas song, but one of my favourite songs full stop. The perfect antidote to the crass commercialism we see so much of.

Take care all of you lovely people, I’ll catch you again in a couple of days.