NZ Politics: Strategy To Hug Maori Party In Long-Term Embrace
April 29th, 2010
National is displaying a brutally realistic interpretation of realpolitik under MMP in seeking to consolidate the support of the Maori Party. By contrast ACT appears to be increasingly marginalised within the coalition (John Key dismissively waved away ACT’s call for a statutory cap to be put on Govt expenditure in the Budget). The prevailing strategy is to bind the Maori Party into a long-term relationship. Whanau Ora, a flexible foreshore and seabed policy, and now the UN Declaration are tangible political gains, which could persuade many of those Maori who cast their ballots (or their party vote) to Labour to switch to the Maori Party, and ensure Labour’s hopes of an election victory remain distant.
The political challenge for Key now is to convince many within his own party his strategy will work. His assertion the declaration is “non-binding” and “aspirational” was intended to assuage National’s heartland. This is the place where alarm bells would have been rung by Maori Party MP Hone Harawira claiming the declaration will assist Treaty claims and other matters such as ownership of the foreshore and seabed.
And how did Key’s opinion NZ’s affirmation is non binding square with Sharples version it is “unconditional?” The PM had extracted from Crown Law Office and MFAT’s highly regarded legal division robust legal opinions which back the view the declaration will have no impact on NZ’s legal framework. The Clark Govt was one of four UN member states which did not support the DRIP in 2007 on the grounds it was inconsistent with NZ law. On March 22 Cabinet concluded it could live with “in-principle” support providing it registered its reservations..
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Duncan Cotterill