In defence of our East Coast MP Kiri Allan

 Clive Bibby

Opinion

In politics, there is a time and place for everything and now, more than ever in these troubling times, we need to focus on maintaining an environment that allows governments to operate in the best interests of all citizens — including those who didn’t vote for them. If it fails to do so then, in the normal course of events, it will be replaced by some other coalition of the willing.

But in that context, there is a danger that an elected government under pressure — albeit, much of it of its own making — will lose the next election and take with it its better performers whose skills we can’t afford to do without.

That is the nature of politics in a democracy that respects the parameters within which our representatives do their business.

In an ideal world, all governments would be formed as they often are during times of crisis such as in wartime, when Prime Ministers are able to choose the best and brightest, most capable MPs of all persuasions for his or her Cabinet who, in turn, effectively have licence to run the country from the Cabinet room.

I’m not suggesting that the current situation is so dire that it warrants consideration be given to this extraordinary requirement, but due to the fragile state of superpower relationships, it might not be far away when it is.

Back to the present.

The purpose of this column is to share my personal concerns as to why, in times like these, we need to be careful before judging Cabinet ministers in precipitate fashion who are actually performing better than most.

If Minister Allan is found to have knowingly breached or ignored Cabinet protocol then my guess is that the system will force PM Hipkins to remove her from her portfolios — end of story. That would almost certainly put the final nail in the coffin of this Government.

But let me say just this. From my personal perspective — as one who openly bats for the other side — a region such as ours, in a crisis situation of its own like never before, would lose much more than we gain if Kiri Allan was no longer our MP.

In my dealings with her on a number of occasions during the past six months, l have found her response to my submissions to be both courteous and refreshingly attentive.

It is not surprising that she has needed to take time out because she is exhausted.

Who wouldn’t be, operating in a field that is like quicksand — where you don’t know whether the repairs your constituents have just spent months completing will not be obliterated by another overnight bout of heavy rain. It is soul-destroying for all involved, especially for the local MP.

I say it is time to rally round folks and give Kiri the support she has unfailingly given us when we needed her. The alternative is untested. At least we know who we have got operating on our behalf and for my money, we are lucky to have her.