Tomorrow's Just An Excuse Away.
The politicians re-emerge at Ratana.
Speak to me in a language I can hear
Humor me before I have to go
Deep in thought I forgive everyone
As the cluttered streets greet me once again
I was wondering how to describe the summer equivalent of hibernation. That’s how things feel at the moment as political leaders, and their courtesans from the press, emerge. Not from cryogenic stasis but a long summer holiday to recharge the old batteries after a gruelling election year, and with major challenges ahead.
Yesterday saw the annual gathering at Ratana, the first public sighting of our now well-rested pugilists.
Christopher Luxon turned up with his favourite speech. It’s the same one he used in the campaign last year, and that he delivered during National’s retreat last week. He used it once again, addressing an audience of people who probably weren’t feeling as generous in welcome as they usually are, but were far too polite to say so. Mostly.
Why change a winning formula? Why say something new that might get you into trouble when you can go with the tried and trusted? Luxon likes to roll this speech out because we already know the words - c’mon sing along - and any possible meaning contained has long since been discerned.
I know I can't be late
Supper's waiting on the table
Tomorrow's just an excuse away
So I pull my collar up and face the cold
On my own
Rather than dissecting the speech in detail I’ve looked to the Herald to see what the views are from the fans, and I’m going right to the club president - Audrey Young.
While Fran might note the emergence of light from the leader’s posterior, Claire will gush that we can use it to power a small town. But Audrey, daughter of, and sister of, the National Party, will declare it to be a sign of divinity from our lord.
The one true lord, Luxon. But last night fangirl #1 wasn’t exactly throwing her knickers at the stage. Still she managed to put a positive spin on things.
There you go folks. The speech wasn’t dull with nothing new to say - it was an example of the leader’s low-key strategy. To be fair, after the start he’s had this year, I’d be keeping a pretty low profile too.
Audrey said “the political pilgrimage to Ratana provided a golden opportunity for Christopher Luxon to provide some leadership at a time when there is plenty of anxiety over Government policy on Maori and the Treaty of Waitangi”. I don’t know if it was a gilded opportunity, but it was certainly time for him to introduce some leadership into what has felt like a vacuum over the last week.
According to superfan Audrey, Luxon was trying to bore people to death as a tactic, but she didn’t quite use those words. Still the ones she did use were surprising for their lack of praise of the Prime Minister.
“It appears to be a deliberate strategy and perhaps understandable. Amid turbulence created by his coalition partners, he is adopting a calm, understated approach – nothing that could be mistaken for encouraging more upset, nothing fortissimo, and nothing inspiring.”
Ahh, nothing inspiring, how refreshing.
A surprisingly accurate assessment. But regular readers of Ms Young rest assured there was still plenty of fantasy in there. Audrey spent part of the article distancing Luxon from the treaty replacement bill that has caused so much concern, telling us that he doesn’t think it’s necessary.
That’s a pretty cool story Audrey, but it rather belies the fact that the man has signed up to a coalition agreement to support it through select committee. So he is currently saying “yes” to it. However much he, and Audrey, might profess that he is saying “no”.
The earth laughs beneath my heavy feet
At the blasphemy in my old jangly walk
Steeple guide me to my heart and home
The sun is out and up and down again
Still despite her long and loyal support of the party Audrey clearly wasn’t thrilled with what she saw. Or perhaps painting the guy as a genial doofus is part of the plan, you decide.
She said it was as if he’d asked his speech writer to “Keep it low-key. Nothing original, nothing controversial, use campaign talking points like the importance of doing, not talking, and getting Maori kids back in school, supporting devolution, and creating a strong economy to lift everyone. And let’s call them principles, Government principles.”
In terms of his ability to articulate the relationship between Māori and the Crown, she added, “it is possible that Luxon has thought so little about such issues that he hasn’t got the capacity to talk about it. Or maybe he is saving himself until Waitangi”. Sadly I don’t think the answer is that he’s saving himself.
Reverting to type Audrey declared that the Labour leader hadn’t covered himself in glory either. Chippy’s great mistake, which she highlighted, was getting TW Ratana’s name wrong. Calling him “Tahupotu” instead of “Tahupotiki”.
Because let’s not forget this is the Herald. So a Labour leader getting the first name wrong of a church leader, whose political work took place a century ago, is comparable with a National leader supporting a rewrite of the Treaty through to select committee.
After so much Luxon recently it was nice to see Chippy back, and I was particularly taken with this photo of he and Marama. I appreciate three years is a long time, and it’s too early to be thinking about future governments, so let’s just say I thought they looked good together.
While Audrey concentrated on Chippy’s minor faux pas over a name. One so small that almost nobody would’ve noticed, much less taken offence. The Labour leader did have a few other things to say, which she failed to mention.
He talked about progress over time between Māori and the Crown. And he’s right, we have seen progress under a succession of governments, including under National with good work from the likes of Doug Graham and Chris Finlayson, men of integrity. As Chippy said, “Now is not the time to turn our back on that progress.”
I'll make the effort
Love can last forever
Graceful swans of never
Topple to the earth
Tomorrow's just an excuse
Tomorrow's just an excuse
A real leader stands up and acknowledges it when he has done something wrong. Where we’ve seen Luxon lack the fortitude to do so categorically over Seymour’s bill, Chippy put his hand up to say they needed to do better.
Particularly he said Labour needed to “make sure we were bringing non-Māori New Zealanders along on that journey”.
Which is kind of true, given the rich vein of racism mined by the coalition due to fear and ignorance over Three Waters and co-governance. But it’s also quite depressing considering the concerns around those things are really easy to summarise, as follows:
He said “we are here to walk alongside you”, a good message. Again, that is what real leaders do in my opinion. They walk beside the people, with them. Not removed and aloof, issuing slogans and empty words in response to concerns.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer was also very much with the people, she spoke of events being a continuation following the hui last weekend at Turangawaewae. “That sense of solidarity I think is what's everybody's feeling great about because we know we're not alone, we know we're not wrong and we know together we're calling out a government in its anti-Māori agenda.”
Needless to say ACT did not have the courage to attend. The man who created much of the current mess declining to have his face rubbed in it, and writing it off as a religious event.
On the other hand the third head of the taniwha finally emerged, after much speculation as to where on earth Winston was. Some said he and Shane Jones spent the summer drinking the Duke of Marlborough dry, others that he was taking in summer events up north. Like a rodeo, although obviously not his first one.
Shane Jones and Winston Peters were apparently insulted by Tuhoe speaker, Nika Rua, who described them as taurekareka - slaves.
Jones, demonstrating his great statesmanship, responded by telling him in te Reo that his words would choke him.
Jones and Peters were both booed, which is quite an achievement considering Ratana is usually so peaceful and respectful. Certainly compared to the rather more rambunctious reactions at Waitangi.
Jones, a senior member of our parliament, encouraged his detractors to meet him at Waitangi. Which sounded rather like an invitation from Trevor Mallard for Tau Henare to see him in the foyer, for a little chat.
Don’t worry Shane - they’ll be there. Tens of thousands of us. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of the largest political gatherings in New Zealand history.
I do wonder which politicians will have the guts to turn up. Chippy and Marama will be there of course, as will Te Pāti Māori - big time. Seymour will turn up, I’ll give him that, and he’ll speak his unpleasant truth of how he sees the world.
But I don’t know about Luxon. If you’ve ever been to a protest with ten thousand people you’ll know that feels like an immense number, and an immovable force. There may well be ten times that at Waitangi, many of whom are going to be feeling less positive about relationships with the Crown than in previous years.
And you can make it last forever, you
Can make it last forever, you
Can make it last forever, you
Ever you
Last year Luxon skedaddled early. Fleeing for the less intimidating setting of the Takapuna boating club. What about this time Christopher, are you going to man up as the leader of the country and listen to your people?
If you do could I make one simple suggestion - for goodness sake, get a new speech!
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Some of you will have recognised the lyrics to this. If you were in your 20s in the 90s, like I was, this no doubt takes you back to that time. But if you’re not so familiar with it, it’s worth checking out this beautiful clip and a very special song.
The Herald fan club, (and the corresponding chapters at Stuff, TVNZ et al) do seem to have developed a few doubts about the man who used to run an airline. I look forward to them realising that Luxon’s lack of vision is actually consistent with the whole National Party - nothing to believe in except maintaining the money-go-round.
Where is the fire in Luxons belly. Can't he make a speech showing passion for what he believes in. Is he an AI robot.