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Winston Peters - Source: ONE News -
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It's a common gag in horror movies. The monster that the audience thought had been slain, arises from the dead to haunt, terrify and wreak havoc once more.
I'm sure there were plenty of Members of Parliament - and
members of the public - who felt a little like that when they tuned
in to
TVNZ's
political show Q + A on Sunday morning to see Winston Peters,
flaying the government for pursuing what he believes to be a
naïve, separatist and divisive path on the foreshore and
seabed conundrum.
If they are smart the National and Maori parties will dismiss
Peters in public but in private take his warning very seriously
indeed.
Because, odd though it may seem, I think Winston Peters has done
them a favour. His Sunday morning salvo was a harbinger of how
things could actually look in election year if the confidence and
supply partners aren't careful.
We've seen it happen before when governments - often acting with
the best of intentions - get out ahead of the public.
It happened to Helen Clark quite early in Labour's first term when
Closing the Gaps - the left's flagship goal of reducing
inequalities between Maori and Pakeha - came under attack from ACT
and National as politically correct and profligate policy
making.
It happened to her again when Don Brash made his Orewa speech in
early 2004, calling for an end to what he claimed were special
rights for Maori.
Interestingly, the political intelligentsia - including the
Parliamentary Press Gallery - entirely missed the significance and
resonance of the Orewa speech, at least initially. I include myself
in that. We all thought it was redneck rhetoric that had all been
heard before (indeed Brash's predecessor Bill English had been
saying almost exactly the same things without impact ) and that it
would go nowhere. But it struck a chord and National rocketed ahead
in the polls.
The reaction to Peters' missive has been similar. It has been
ignored by some in the political and media elite but judging by the
emails, phone calls and text messages to TVNZ; the callers to
talkback radio and the anecdotal evidence, ordinary folk are
certainly talking about it.
Sometimes we in the media are guilty of reporting the world the way
we want the world to be rather than the way the world is. Many
journalists and politicians may not like it that there is an
audience for Winston Peters and his views, but that doesn't mean
the audience doesn't exist.
National and the Maori Party have a heaven sent opportunity. There
is no one inside parliament pushing the line that Winston Peters is
pushing.
That gives them the space to settle a vexed issue like the
foreshore and seabed and, more widely, to improve
race relations. The strength and harmony of their relationship -
especially between John Key and Pita Sharples - may already have
had some positive effect.
But if there is a warning from Peters' return to the political fray
it is: don't push it too far.
Some of the ideas already put forward by ministers in this
government could be divisive if taken to the extreme (separate
prisons,
open access to Maori to university , carving off
$1 billion for social services provided solely by Maori for
Maori).
Any government that goes too far and too fast along this path will
find the monster they thought was dead has returned, very much
alive and kicking.
Do you think Winston Peters would make a good Auckland super city mayor? Share your opinion below:
Add a Comment:
Post new commentadam said on 2009-07-07 @ 20:34 NZDT: Report abusive post
The rise of the Maori party and demise of peters is the worst thing that has happened to this country.
newsfollower said on 2009-07-06 @ 18:35 NZDT: Report abusive post
He could have a good chance. If my grandparents could vote for him they probably would... they love their Gold Card.
rebs8 said on 2009-07-06 @ 18:29 NZDT: Report abusive post
I'm not worried, he doesn't stand a chance of winning if last year's election result is anything to go by
freddy said on 2009-07-06 @ 16:11 NZDT: Report abusive post
HE IS A MAN OF ACTION! THE RIGHT PERSONALITY FOR THE FUTURE OF AUCKLAND.
llaw019 said on 2009-07-06 @ 16:03 NZDT: Report abusive post
What?! He is gunned for Auckland now because he is more likely to get better "gifts" like he did last year? Like he criticised immigration from Asian countries as "imported criminal activity", having him as the mayor of Auckland is "imported goverment corruption". If he wins, I rather move to Aussie or worst yet, to the states than to stay.