Is the PM’s decision a new tradition?

Bill English has pulled the pin, thrown a grenade and skipped the country before the blast has even taken effect.

In his first bold move as prime minister, English has decided enough is enough and he’s ditching plans to attend events in Waitangi, instead getting on board with a lot of New Zealanders, whom he says ‘‘cringe’’ at the protests that unravel on the country’s national day.

He wants a Waitangi Day makeover and says that while such protests were nationally relevant 15 to 20 years ago, that was no longer the case.

Year after year, headlines rolling out of Waitangi commemorations centre on protests, threats, riots, pushing and shoving – or in the case of last year, dildo throwing.

English had to make a mark early in the new year, which also happens to be an election year, as to what sort of a prime minister he would be and he’s nailed his colours to the mast. He’s also jumped on a plane to Brussels only hours after delivering his divisive remarks.

There’s something iwi/Kiwi sounding about his comments explaining why he won’t be going to events at Waitangi on the 5th and 6th of February, as is usual custom for the prime minister.

While the ‘‘cringe’’ comment may have been a slip of the tongue, the sentiment around having had enough of the backwards and forwards arguments that go on at Waitangi every year was certainly calculated. It begs the question as to what sort of polling the National Party has been doing and what feedback it’s had around tapping into separatist politics.

It worked for former leader Don Brash, but most people would argue the country has moved on since then. Brash’s attempt last year to reignite this debate with Hobson’s Pledge – a lobby group pushing ‘‘one law for all’’ – sunk like a lead balloon.

While many New Zealanders don’t fit into the camp of cringing at the chaos that often ensues at Waitangi, it’s likely English is putting his money on the silent majority being embarrassed by discord on our national day.

It’s an election year after all, so is this a move to steal NZ First’s vote, and if so, will it sabotage any potential coalition arrangement with the Maori Party in future?

English’s constructive working relationship with iwi meant he was the top pick by Maori Party coleaders Marama Fox and Te Ururoa Flavell in the battle to replace John Key – nobody would appear to be more disappointed by his latest comments than them.

English is holding the ground Key stood firm on last year after refusing to attend Waitangi if a ‘‘gagging order’’ restricted him from speaking at Te Tii Marae.

But English has gone much further using loaded language and making it clear to Maori that he won’t tolerate their behaviour at Waitangi and the Government will play no part in it. He wants a day for all New Zealanders to be proud of.

This might just be the start of a new tradition not to visit Waitangi.