There are things that governments will take a stand on, lines that won’t be crossed no matter how damaging they might be politically, fights that are worth being prepared to “die in a ditch” over.
For many on the left one such area would have been a Capital Gains Tax (CGT), it seems absurd and unjustifiable that people pay tax on their income but those benefiting from large Capital Gains pay nothing. To many it would seem a no-brainer that a fairer taxation system should be discussed.
Sadly any real argument on the issue is stymied by vested interests who will identify complicated edge cases as a way of discrediting such a move even though based on rational argument most people would say heck if you’re making hundreds of thousands a year on investment properties then you really ought to pay some tax.
Regardless of any concerns over fairness the situation is distorting the market and all the nation’s capital is being piled onto an over heated, unproductive, housing sector.
But as with other givens in life our political parties deem a CGT untouchable, and so nothing happens. Just like changes to the age of Superannuation it is left to fester and nothing is ever done – no one wants to die in a ditch over either of these.
Jacinda Ardern decided early on that a CGT was not something her time as PM would be determined and defined by. Reality is in the short term it would make very little difference to property prices and in a more stable market, as we currently have, very little tax revenue would be gained.
Is it the right thing to do long term – sure. Is it worth dying in a ditch over short term? The Prime Minister probably correctly decided it is not.
So what is worth taking a stand over?
Well in my opinion Nanaia Mahuta continuing in prominent leadership roles is. If we continue to allow the National Party and the ACT party and their mob of supporters to bully Maori women out of well-deserved leadership roles – then what is the fucking point?
Are we going to be another generation whose kids see that it is acceptable to target someone purely because of their race, their sex? Who see that when push comes to shove and it becomes politically problematic to have someone of that demographic, someone with Ta Moko proudly displayed, in the role they are quietly moved sideways and that is ok?
Do we allow the likes of Luxon, Seymour, and Hosking to hound a good hardworking minister out of her job based on her race so that they can appeal to the worst among us without screaming blue murder?
That is not what I believe in, chances are if you’re reading this it isn’t what you believe in either. I reckon there are a lot of us in Aotearoa who have had enough of it.
You might say well Foreign Affairs and Local Government are two big portfolios, too much for any one person given their importance at the moment. Clearly with Chinese influence spreading in the Pacific rather than the more acceptable American influence, the situation in Ukraine, and controversy around Three Waters legislation she has much on her plate.
But lets be honest the most ferocious criticism of Nanania won’t ultimately be about how many times she visited the Pacific Islands, or about council owned assets being moved to a new public entity, you and I know exactly what it will be about.
Come on, your average Kiwi Joe doesn’t care if he is eating a Big Mac or fried rice the next time he has a pacific holiday. He doesn’t care which entity is sorting the water – just sort it so he can drink from the tap, fill his pool up during summer, and swim at a near by beach without getting sick.
But he does care about this co-governance thing he keeps hearing about. People say it’ll mean that Maori have more than he does just handed to them because of the colour of their skin. He has seen the comments on social media and look who it is taking away his rights - a strong proud Maori woman with a traditional tattoo. She must be there because of the colour of her skin surely – right?
He saw more than one person on his favourite News Talk site describe her as “barcode face”, which made him cringe initially – Jesus it’s 2022 are people really still saying things like that?
Not only were they saying it, it was deliberately not moderated, in fact it seemed like the articles on the site were mainly there to encourage the comments section. So he figured may be it was funny to call her that, like rejecting political correctness so we can still have a joke.
I’m sure she doesn’t mind a little joke he thought, all the bros he worked with seemed OK with a bit of a joke – you remember the good old comedy like Billy T James used when we were all one people and people could still have a laugh.
He actually voted for the current government at the last election, first time he has usually he votes for the other lot. He keeps hearing that they are destroying the country but when he looks around things seem reasonably normal. Jesus he thinks, have they seen what is going on overseas?
Still, this co-governance thing is a worry eh and it is really rarking up a lot of people he knows, people he doesn’t consider racists just every day kiwis who say that lady is not up to the job. Maybe it’d be better if they put someone else on it he thinks, you know defuse the situation, be a bit more harmonious. He thinks about Billy T’s laugh and that makes him grin – good days eh.
So should the government defuse the situation when it becomes untenable politically as it will? We’re still well over a year from an election I predict the rhetoric we’ll hear next year will be off the hook.
Or should they light a bomb under it?
Should the government line up behind Nanaia and be 100% clear we have her back and she is not going anywhere. Oh and more to the point we see what you’re doing and we’re going to call it from here on in – we’re calling a spade a spade from now on, and your racist BS is unacceptable.
Not blind support for her based on her being a Maori or a woman, she is expected to perform the same as everyone else - realistically at a higher level to be considered as good. But support that says if you rark your supporters up by damning her efforts with no basis other than her race you are getting called on it. Not in a wishy-washy “we’ve still got progress to make” kind of way but loudly and clearly calling it what it is.
This is an issue to die in a ditch for, a line to be drawn in the sand. I am genuinely shocked at the level of racism being used at present by opposition parties and not challenged by the media and I agreed with Taika’s assessment of how racist NZ is before this.
If they want a culture war, and clearly they do, then let’s have one openly. Surely in 2022 it is unacceptable to the majority of this country that a person is targeted, and their ability questioned, purely based upon their race.
When Nanaia first got her ministerial job I did not know much about her and was a bit worried as I thought she might be a bit of a hot head. I need not have worried as she has shown that she is thoughtful and considered in everything she says which is exactly what you want in someone in charge of Foreign Affairs.
I’m with Nanaia all the way. She is intelligent, vastly knowledgeable, hardworking and brave. I am a 73 year old pakeha woman and she is my hero. She has shown her ability as a politician and diplomat, let’s hold her close and support her work whenever we can.
She is thoughtful and intelligent showing that she has full control of her portfolios. I love her being our representative on the world stage and part of that is because she will upset people with stereotypes. I think it is going to get real nasty from now to the election and Labour do need to back her 100%.
Tautoko Nick. Sadly it's not only the Kiwi Joe male stooping to this gutter level of racism and war of vulgar gender insults - the Kiwi Jo female has climbed out from under a swamp rock spurting venom in a froth of racial hate and body shaming that makes me ashamed to be female!
We are familiar with misogynistic males and the many given reasons why they are who they are but I ask myself why are these females like this? What has caused women to be so hostile and deliver such degradation toward their sisters who have stepped forward and are highly successful in the positions they hold?
Are these Kiwi Jo mirroring the misogynistic male/s in their lives because they are still living a controlled submissive life or are they our new breed of female misogynists? Whatever the answer, for me as a female, they truly disgust me as much as the misogynistic males do.
As for dealing with this ugly underbelly in our society the 'ignore and everyone is entitled to their opinion' approach has not worked. Is it time for our leaders and government to draw a line in the sand and hit back hard? Go for it I say!
I support Nanaia 100%. She is knowledgeable, articulate, strong and feisty. We need her and others like her. The racist bullying we have seen recently must stop.
I think Jacinda's kindness approach has its place but right now with all the media bias, bigotry, racism and pure unadulterated nastiness which is way over the top needs a bomb under it before it escalates into something that can't be controlled. I'm on Labour's side.
Racism has clearly reared it's ugly head and l believe the root gore of racial slur, by racists, is due to the diversity of cultures within this Government. Blatant abuse, bullying with hateful undertones need to be called out for what it is. Maori will always be the focus of topic, specifically Wahine Toa in ministerial positions within Jacinda's caucus. Shame on Nat's, Act and their support base for inflicting disgusting behavior on the rest of us.
I agree that of course the Government should have her back, and of corse she should continue in her role. She is an extremely competent Minister.
I worry though, for the toll that such constant hounding and abuse may have on her. It must wear you down after a while... I think she's up for it though.
Nick Rockell your column defines the HEART of political debate about racism. Well said thank you.
When Nanaia first got her ministerial job I did not know much about her and was a bit worried as I thought she might be a bit of a hot head. I need not have worried as she has shown that she is thoughtful and considered in everything she says which is exactly what you want in someone in charge of Foreign Affairs.
Nanaia is an achiever she is who we need in her portfolio and will do the work well and completely! I stand behind her and the Labour Government!
I’m with Nanaia all the way. She is intelligent, vastly knowledgeable, hardworking and brave. I am a 73 year old pakeha woman and she is my hero. She has shown her ability as a politician and diplomat, let’s hold her close and support her work whenever we can.
She is thoughtful and intelligent showing that she has full control of her portfolios. I love her being our representative on the world stage and part of that is because she will upset people with stereotypes. I think it is going to get real nasty from now to the election and Labour do need to back her 100%.
Tautoko Nick. Sadly it's not only the Kiwi Joe male stooping to this gutter level of racism and war of vulgar gender insults - the Kiwi Jo female has climbed out from under a swamp rock spurting venom in a froth of racial hate and body shaming that makes me ashamed to be female!
We are familiar with misogynistic males and the many given reasons why they are who they are but I ask myself why are these females like this? What has caused women to be so hostile and deliver such degradation toward their sisters who have stepped forward and are highly successful in the positions they hold?
Are these Kiwi Jo mirroring the misogynistic male/s in their lives because they are still living a controlled submissive life or are they our new breed of female misogynists? Whatever the answer, for me as a female, they truly disgust me as much as the misogynistic males do.
As for dealing with this ugly underbelly in our society the 'ignore and everyone is entitled to their opinion' approach has not worked. Is it time for our leaders and government to draw a line in the sand and hit back hard? Go for it I say!
I support Nanaia 100%. She is knowledgeable, articulate, strong and feisty. We need her and others like her. The racist bullying we have seen recently must stop.
I think Jacinda's kindness approach has its place but right now with all the media bias, bigotry, racism and pure unadulterated nastiness which is way over the top needs a bomb under it before it escalates into something that can't be controlled. I'm on Labour's side.
Tautoko
Racism has clearly reared it's ugly head and l believe the root gore of racial slur, by racists, is due to the diversity of cultures within this Government. Blatant abuse, bullying with hateful undertones need to be called out for what it is. Maori will always be the focus of topic, specifically Wahine Toa in ministerial positions within Jacinda's caucus. Shame on Nat's, Act and their support base for inflicting disgusting behavior on the rest of us.
I agree that of course the Government should have her back, and of corse she should continue in her role. She is an extremely competent Minister.
I worry though, for the toll that such constant hounding and abuse may have on her. It must wear you down after a while... I think she's up for it though.
I absolutely back Mahuta. She is very intelligent, resilient, strong, principled, thorough and hard working.
I would not mess with her 😂