A centre-right coalition that will work

Clive Bibby

Opinion

I have never made a secret of where my political allegiances lie or that l think we need a different government ASAP.

But come October, l will put all my energies into trying to persuade anybody who wants to listen that we all have an opportunity to choose a coalition of parties that will truly represent all the citizens of this country — even those who don’t vote for them. And if elected based on the ability to form a coalition government, this refreshingly different construct will have the capacity to govern in the best interests of us all.

It will come as no surprise that this sort of arrangement would appeal to most New Zealanders who are desperate for change.

Recent polls suggest that Kiwis are struggling under the combined weight of government policies which, no matter how much the Government tries to disown the seeds of its own destruction, have become an increasing burden we can no longer tolerate.

It is truly time for change — the voters are indicating they want it, although the Government is hell-bent on trying to gerrymander a rescue package that will more than likely fail because it is seen to be disingenuous in nature.

But the one thing that needs to change more than ever — the economy — is crying out for politicians who know how to support those businesses that are capable of restoring this nation to the world leadership status we have previously enjoyed.

And here’s the thing.

Most general elections fail to present options that have the capacity to accommodate the varied personal choices in sufficient numbers that would result in the election of a workable government. That is why, under the MMP system we have adopted, governments are almost always a minority formed by inclusion of otherwise strange bedfellows.

More often, the largest party in a coalition must rely on smaller, sometimes radical parties that can provide the numbers they need in order to take over the Treasury benches. Some of these coalition partners bring nothing more to the table than that one thing (a confidence and supply agreement) that ensures the survival of the administration we elect.

Unfortunately, that link is so tenuous that the coalition or the leadership within this irrational alliance often collapses before its time is up.

However, this next time appears to have the capacity to be different — at least in providing voters with credible options that could work.

Mainly because the current opposition parties (ie, those that are likely to achieve the voter support threshold that ensures representation in Parliament) are idealogically aligned regarding most of the topics that register on the list of voter concerns.

And that “across the board” alliance bodes well for the longevity prospects of the next administration. As such, it should provide a more accurate reflection of our multicultural society that was envisaged by the architects of MMP than other coalitions have done.

I offer this observation based on the recent policy announcements of potential “right of centre” coalition partners. It looks to be a good mix — National, Act and New Zealand First.

Bring it on.