Christopher Luxon survives crash course in Waitangi politics - with help from Ngāpuhi’s Mere Mangu - Audrey Young

OPINION:

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Welcome to the Politics Briefing in a week in which Christopher Luxon had a crash course in Waitangi politics. His first visit as Prime Minister could be described as a success in as much as he avoided a disaster. And to a large degree, that was down to the formidable Ngāpuhi woman Mere Mangu. She demanded a respectful silence for Luxon’s speech from the crowd previously rarked up by Winston Peters, David Seymour, Annette Sykes and Hone Harawira.

Much has been said this week about the disappointing quality of Luxon’s Waitangi speech but, had he not been able to speak at all, it would have been an utter political disaster. Mangu saved him from that humiliation.

Ngāpuhi’s Mere Mangu. Photo / Tania Whyte

After the show of unity by Māori at Waitangi, Luxon changed his party’s position on David Seymour’s bill, which is designed to purge the principle of partnership from Government policy and to rewrite the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. Previously Luxon had only hinted that National would not support the bill beyond select committee but used terminology that left the door slightly open. This week, the day after Waitangi Day, he was unequivocal in saying National would not support it beyond select committee. The door is shut - although Luxon refused to acknowledge his major shift against the bill and Seymour refused to believe it.

Luxon has signed over responsibility for the bill to Seymour himself, but he will need to keep close to the political management of it. The hearing Luxon got at Waitangi and his engagement with iwi leaders suggests there is still a reasonable amount of goodwill towards him despite the hostility over the principles bill.

The lesson and challenge for him is to manage other controversial Māori policy coming down the pipeline from the coalition agreements, such as overturning a Court of Appeal decision on customary title in the foreshore and seabed.

Meanwhile, the Government wasted no time after Waitangi to reset the political agenda towards National Party campaign commitments, including abolishing funding for cultural reports on offenders before sentencing and abolishing the Auckland regional fuel tax. The trouble is the funding hole left for Auckland transport projects.

Quote unquote

“I’m not a supine thing you walk over” - Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown says he won’t be dictated to by the Government on transport projects.

Micro quiz

Name the three Pacific countries Foreign Minister Winston Peters visited this week (answer below).

Brickbat

Act's David Seymour. Photo / Adam Pearse

Goes to David Seymour for saying he doesn’t believe the Prime Minister: “The bit I don’t believe is that he won’t change his mind if the public really want it [the Treaty Principles Bill].”

Bouquet

Goes to Christopher Luxon for protecting his speechwriter’s reputation - stretching credulity in saying the repetition of parts of his Waitangi Day speech from last year was deliberate. Ridiculous but loyal.

Latest political news and views

Fuel tax: The Auckland regional fuel tax is ending, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have announced.

Opinion - Treaty bill: Christopher Luxon has finally declared Act’s Treaty Principles Bill a dead duck walking, but there’s still a lot of pain to come, writes Claire Trevett.

Treaty bill: Act has launched an information campaign to build public support for its Treaty Principles Bill.

Opinion - Treaty bill: Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has the unenviable job of cleaning up Act’s race-relations mess, writes Matthew Hooton.

Benefits: Government estimates of the time beneficiaries will spend on welfare have risen sharply.

Swarbrick mediation: Green MP Chloe Swarbrick has attended a mediation session convened by the Human Rights Commission over her use of a controversial pro-Palestinian phrase.

Law and order: The Government has scrapped funding for pre-sentencing cultural reports as it eyes a law and order and welfare crackdown.

Consenting bill: The Government is defending a proposal to introduce a new bill to fast-track consents, which Labour says has echoes of the Muldoon era.

Opinion - Treaty bill: Whether the Prime Minister likes it or not, voters will get to have their say on Act’s Treaty Principles Bill, writes Thomas Coughlan.

Pacific aid: Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced the Government will give $16.5 million to the Cook Islands to help fight climate change.

Climate case: Iwi leader Mike Smith has won the right to sue seven big polluters - including Fonterra, Z Energy and Genesis - for their role in causing climate change.

Quiz answer: Tonga, Cook Islands and Samoa.

Audrey Young is the New Zealand Herald’s senior political correspondent. She was named Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards in 2023, 2020 and 2018.

For more political news and views, listen to On the Tiles, the Herald’s politics podcast.