Bill English, you have a tough 3 years ahead – good luck
A friend opened his front door to a conservatively-dressed man and woman carrying leaflets, yesterday morning. Was he tired of corrupt government and ready for a change, they asked?
After a slight pause, the woman explained: they were Jehovah’s Witnesses. They took no part in debased earthly politics, instead putting their faith in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now, this ain’t heaven. Not by any stretch. Forget the stardust. There are people sleeping in cars, there are children who go to school barefoot and hungry. But the truth is, whatever you may think of Steven Joyce or Winston Peters, New Zealand politics remains largely and refreshingly free of corruption.
Of course, parties misrepresented each other’s policies. It has always been thus. The leaders espoused ‘‘relentless positivity’’ and a ‘‘strong, confident New Zealand’’, while behind them in the shadows their lessprincipled lieutenants rooted in the muck.
But the leaders fronted up, time and again, to every conceivable question the public, the media and their opponents could throw at them.
By 9 o’clock the next morning, the same time my friend was opening his door to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, there was already a friendly queue building outside our local intermediate school.
We took our sons with us when we voted. The boys played with a giant black and white chess set by the door, the pawns as big as them, and tried to sneak a peek at my party vote in the booth.
I couldn’t see any party scrutineers, with their blue and red and green rosettes.
That was, perhaps, the first sign that something was amiss.
Neither were there, for that matter, any security guards, armed police or machine guntoting soldiers.
This calm and simple way in which New Zealand’s election campaign was conducted – Waikato Draught outside Pt Chev Bowling Club – this is not how the world runs its elections in 2017!
Post-Brexit. Post-Trump. Post-truth. At a time when the world has become cynical of the conduct of democracy and elections, it seems we still live in a safer, more trusting place.
Perhaps a naive global backwater, ‘‘a huckleberry little country’’ as Mike Hosking would have it. Or perhaps a place of sufficient oldfashioned respect and courtesy.
So yes, there is something strange and unusual going on in New Zealand politics.
When so much of world politics seems to have descended into morass of abuse and dishonesty, we still debate politics with (get this!) civility and mutual respect.
This morning, Bill English talks to Winston Peters.Let us be clear: Peters has no choice. The voting public cannot, and will not, tolerate him abusing his kingmaker position by swinging his support behind Ardern, when she is trailing 12 seats behind National.
The result is clear and unequivocal. An unprecedented 1.2 million Kiwis voted for National.
Now, we will all get on with meeting the big challenges – health, housing, child poverty ...
Bill English, you have a tough three years ahead of you. Those who have the interests of all New Zealanders at heart will wish you well.
And the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Perhaps they might look away from the heavens, and instead help the rest of us rebuild Godzone for our kids.