Global Tory confab in Wellington for forum
The global alliance of centre right parties around the world – The International Democracy Union – is coming to Wellington today for its annual regional forum.
It is the first time such a big gathering of global Tory bonhomie has been hosted in New Zealand in over a decade. The IDU serves as a hot house for sharing policy ideas and election winning strategies, “where today’s idea in one country is tomorrow’s policy in another,” the IDU website states.
“Through the IDU, member parties can exchange policy ideas, assist each other to win the political argument, and to win elections,” it states.
The IDU holds two big forums a year – one in Washington DC and one that alternates around regional affiliates – this year the alternating one is Asia Pacific and is being hosted in Wellington.
Attendees are both local and international – a veritable who’s who of the conservative side of politics, with a phalanx of ex-prime ministers and party leaders attending or speaking. That includes Prime Minister Christopher Luxon; Australian Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton; former Canadian Prime Minister and IDU chairperson Stephen Harper; former Australian Prime Ministers John Howard and Scott Morrison; and former Taoiseach Enda Kenny of Ireland.
A range of NZ National Party ministers and MPs will attend, including Defence Minister Judith Collins, who has been nominated for chairwoman of the Asia Pacific Democracy Union (APDU)r. The ADPU is the local branch of the IDU.
Luxon said that it was a good chance for the brethren parties of the right to meet up.
“I think there’s a really strong case for the centre-right – emphasis on centre – in our politics here in New Zealand and certainly around the world. And it’s a good chance for us to come together and discuss where the centre-right of politics is actually heading. And yeah, that’s what I’m looking forward to – engaging in that debate and discussion.”
The IDU was formed in 1983 by, among others Margaret Thatcher, then Vice-President of the United States George Bush senior, Paris mayor and later President of France Jacques Chirac, and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
“Countries can only develop their full potential if they develop recognising the ideals of liberal democracy, freedom of the individual, and the need for economic growth to be based on individual initiative and free, competitive enterprise economies,” The IDU’s website says.
Luxon as a recently elected centre-right leader will be the subject of significant praise and attention, especially as the electoral tide has ebbed or appears to be ebbing on the conservative side of politics in Australia and the United Kingdom.
“I know a lot of the players that are involved with the IDU. Obviously it’s a good global grouping of centre-right parties from around the world, chaired by Stephen Harper who was Prime Minister of Canada and someone I’ve known for quite a while,” Luxon said. “There are challenges in liberal democracies around the world at the moment and a lot of it is about how we maintain trust in our governments and also in our social institutions,” Luxon said.
The honorary chairperson is Lord Michael Ashcroft, who has been known for supporting conservative party causes and has been a big donor the UK Conservatives since Margaret Thatcher was in office.
The IDU also runs seminars for both politicians and party members. Tomorrow it will be holding its forum and on Friday a meeting of the executive will be held.
But in the end, quite aside from shared policies and patrimony, it exist to help centre-right parties to win elections. “The IDU plays an essential role in enabling like-minded, centre-right parties to share experiences in order to achieve electoral success.”