National leader Christopher Luxon, Act leader David Seymour, and NZ First leader Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell
National leader Christopher Luxon, Act leader David Seymour, and NZ First leader Winston Peters. Photo / Mark Mitchell
EDITORIAL
Years that bring a change of government are often a watershed in the country’s direction. This one, 2023, will be remembered for an astonishing reversal of an even more astonishing election three years ago.
Labour had won an absolute majority of the vote, a feat rare under Westminster rulesand thought practically impossible under proportional representation. Yet within three years the Government’s bubble had burst.
The election year began with the stunning resignation of its exhausted Prime Minister, followed by a “bonfire” of policies that were not making much progress anyway. When it came to the campaign, the Government did not try to defend its record, it went to defeat sniping at its opponents.
“Let’s get the country back on track,” said National. “Let’s get our country back,” chorused New Zealand First. Act’s “real change” was on the same pitch. The coming year will show whether they can remain in three-part harmony.
National’s “track” is primarily a restoration of the low inflation economy and budget discipline prevailing before the pandemic. NZ First’s line was a more basic appeal to voters who feel they are losing the country to a “woke” cultural elite. Act agrees with both but wants to go further.
New Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has won an election after a single term in Parliament, unprecedented in our lifetime. He has the calm manner and unfailing good humour he needs to keep the capricious Winston Peters and the determined David Seymour on the same page.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Luxon will need the same qualities to keep the country together as Seymour promotes a bill to remove or redefine references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi in legislation. Already Te Pati Māori, having won most of the Māori electorates this year, has demonstrated it can mobilise nationwide support for Te Tiriti which they believe did not give sovereignty to the Crown.
The coming year could be bitter and stormy – or it could turn out that this year’s election was cathartic for fear and resentment of Labour’s promotion of Māori. Luxon is well placed to reconcile the country to cultural change, for the same reason Labour was better placed to reform the economy. Change can be easier to accept from the party that comes from the opposite direction.
But the coalition’s first task is to get inflation and debt down, which may require a more root and branch purge of the public spending than Finance Minister Nicola Willis has announced so far. The state services are probably riddled with virtual signalling programmes that are doing very little.
Education is another task demanding the new Government’s vigorous attention. Teachers will protest at National’s insistence on the basics as they always do, but children’s declining achievement levels and poor attendance need urgent improvement.
So does crime. The “ram raids” of recent years and the spectacle of a town closing its shops and schools for a gang funeral have deeply disturbed people and they want to see stronger law enforcement.
The new Government promises a more pragmatic government than the last. It is more likely to make decisions it knows can be delivered. That will make a change.
The temptation of Twenty20 riches versus the test of character
Mitchell, in particular, emerged as the proverbial lottery winner for the Kiwis, securing a jaw-dropping 14 crore ($2.69 million) contract with the Chennai Super Kings. To put this astronomical figure in perspective, Mitchell is poised to earn 18 times more in a single IPL match than he would in a test representing New Zealand.
This stark contrast highlights the financial conundrum faced by cricketers torn between financial gain and loyalty to the traditional roots of the sport. This financial frenzy, while a testament to the players’ market value, exacerbates the challenges faced by national bodies in retaining their cricketing stars for the longer and more cerebral tests. This shift in the cricketing landscape has repercussions not only for New Zealand Cricket but for national bodies worldwide grappling with the challenge of retaining their marquee players in the traditional, time-honoured version of the sport.
The meteoric rise of T20, with its adrenaline-pumping, fast-paced action, has eclipsed the charm of One Day Internationals (ODIs) and the revered test matches. The allure of T20 leagues, particularly the IPL, has become an irresistible force, pulling cricketers away from the lengthier, mentally demanding format.
In the case of Mitchell, Ravindra, and Ferguson, their IPL contracts promise financial rewards that dwarf their test match earnings. The figures are staggering - Mitchell is set to pocket $40,149 every 24 hours during the IPL season alone.
The irony is not lost when we consider that the IPL, an Indian extravaganza, has become the most dominant event in the cricketing calendar, surpassing even the allure of international matches. The power dynamic has shifted, with T20 leagues becoming the pulse of cricket, and the IPL standing tall as the unrivalled colossus in this landscape.
As we laud Mitchell’s excitement to join the “wonderful franchise” of the Chennai Super Kings and the camaraderie with fellow Kiwis and cricket legends, the lament for the diminishing significance of test cricket reverberates. Mitchell’s stellar performances across all formats, notably in the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup, showcase the versatility of these players, making them prized possessions for T20 franchises.
As Mitchell, Ravindra, and Ferguson gear up for their IPL exploits, the troubling question remains: how can cricket authorities globally reconcile the financial allure of T20 leagues with the sanctity and historical significance of test cricket? The cricketing world finds itself at a crossroads, grappling with the delicate balance between financial prosperity and the timeless spirit of the gentleman’s game.
