M. McDonald, (Tuesday 19) wrote "A democracy is no longer a democracy when the people are denied the right to have a say."
This must be so in any nation with a tight two-party system. Policies are initiated behind closed doors in Party caucuses and rammed through superficial debate in the Chamber with the process of "Confidence motions". This means that those "having a say" tend to be mainly those capable of making big donations to party funds. It also means that Opposition becomes weak, because the same powerful interests tend to give financial support to both of the parties. Is there any other explanation, for example, for recent ineffectual opposition by our Labour Party to the TPP, whose traditional supporters are likely to be the most disadvantaged by it? Or for the fact that Helen Clark's government some years ago were ready to sign a similar Multilateral Agreement on Investment?
On the following day Ngapuhi elder Kingi Taurua is reported as hoping to use Waitangi Day to protest acceptance of TPP. There are two sides to the Treaty debate and no doubt extreme "right" commentators will pass this off as just another Maori abuse of the Treaty.
Personally, I hope Mr Taurua and other Maori leaders will pursue this a lot further than just making a protest. We are told, and I accept, that the Treaty is the only written document forming the basis of this country's constitution.
I do believe that those signing the Treaty did pass sovereignty to the British Crown, to control the devastation of internal tribal wars. But I do not believe that allows the Crown to pass this on to criminal-minded overseas commercial interests, no matter what advice the Governor-General gets from any Prime Minister. This should be tested in law before this pernicious Agreement comes into force.
