Election 2023: Audrey Young - Treaty of Waitangi tops the agenda as Chris Hipkins fires up over ‘race-baiting’

OPINION:

This is a transcript of Audrey Young’s subscriber-only Premium Politics newsletter. To sign up, click on your profile at nzherald.co.nz and select ‘Newsletters’. For a step-by-step guide, click here.

Welcome to the Politics Briefing at the end of a week in which debate over the Treaty of Waitangi, racism and race-baiting have eclipsed economic management issues for the moment.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins used the Newshub leaders’ debate to accuse a NZ First candidate of racism and to confront National leader Christopher Luxon about it on the basis that Luxon is willing to deal with the party after the election.

Hipkins then gave an important speech yesterday about the Treaty of Waitangi in Kawakawa in which he effectively said that party leaders staying silent on the Treaty can be just as bad as race-baiting.

On the back of Hipkins’ speech, I’ve done a comment piece on where Labour and successive Governments have gone wrong by staying too quiet; some of the realities about Māori rights; and the principles of the Treaty (see below). Contrary to frequent claims that no one knows what the principles are, they have been defined.

My colleague Adam Pearse also had an interesting interview with Act leader David Seymour about his policy to hold a referendum on the principles of the Treaty and the short shrift he has had from iwi leaders.

National has released its fiscal plan with just over two days to go until early voting starts. It gets to surplus the same time as Labour’s plan but its surplus is higher and its debt lower, Thomas Coughlan reports. As foreshadowed, the biggest saving was $2 billion cut from the amount forecast to be spent on benefits over the four-year forecast period.

Nicola Willis, Christopher Luxon and Simeon Brown announce National's fiscal plan in Auckland today. Photo / Jason Oxenham

The Herald’s Mood of the Boardroom event was held in Auckland this morning and host Fran O’Sullivan said that after running 21 of them, it might be time to write a book about it. It’s an annual insight into the views of leading CEOs on politics and the economy (see below). Finance Minister Grant Robertson and shadow finance minister Nicola Willis were guests of honour, and Robertson began facetiously: “It’s good to be here at the Grafton Socialist Club.”

When Willis was asked what she would do if the price of NZ First’s support was a $3b provincial growth fund, she joked that that would be Christopher Luxon’s issue to deal with in negotiation. It’s not a fanciful question. When NZ First was conducting parallel negotiations with National and Labour in 2017, Labour offered NZ First a $3b fund and National’s final position was they would explore it. When people wonder why NZ First went with Labour, that’s an answer.

It has been a week of riveting debates. 1News deputy political editor Maiki Sherman did a fantastic job in the Kaupapa Māori debate on Tuesday, corralling the likes of Willie Jackson, John Tamihere and Shane Jones. Patrick Gower was also brilliant with the Newshub televised debate on Wednesday, which Hipkins won. Gower anticipated the weaknesses of Luxon and Hipkins - that they would not be able to appear heartless or stingy when confronted with a young woman in the audience who has stage four bowel cancer. Luxon said yes immediately to extending bowel screening and Hipkins followed immediately. It’s a kind of emotional blackmail but it makes for gripping viewing and campaigning.

Next Monday it will be Mike Hosking’s turn. Like him or hate him, he is a brilliant broadcaster and he will be hosting the first of his traditional leader breakfasts on Newstalk ZB from 7am to 9am, starting with Christopher Luxon. Then at 12pm that day, a group of senior Herald journalists will put Chris Hipkins through his paces with the Job Interview. Watch it on the Herald website. Tuesday night will be The Press town hall debate in Christchurch.

Quote unquote

“We all assume that the Treaty is set in stone, but the Act Party with the help of National and NZ First will chip away at its place in our country until all that is left is rubble” - Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in his Kawakawa speech.

“Do not append a whole range of Māori terms to policies or entities where the quality of the output or the service delivered is inversely related to the beauty of the Māori name” - NZ First candidate Shane Jones on RNZ.

Micro quiz

Italy’s rugby coach and former All Black Kieran Crowley was born in Kaponga, South Taranaki. What electorate is Kaponga in? (Answer at the bottom of this article.)

Brickbat

Labour's Ibrahim Omer.

Labour MP Ibrahim Omer for ill-discipline. He mused at a public candidate’s meeting in Wellington Central that Labour had not given up on a wealth tax. Stick to what Labour promises to do as a government, not what policies it might adopt in opposition.

Bouquet

National leader Chistopher Luxon flanked by Mark Mitchell (left), and Paul Goldsmith yesterday. Photo / Alex Burton

National MP Paul Goldsmith gets the prize for appearing as a nodding head behind Christopher Luxon’s press conferences more often than any other MP. He’s everywhere.

Latest political news and views

Fiscal plan: National is promising a larger surplus and lower debt in its fiscal plan, unveiled this morning by leader Christopher Luxon.

Mood of the Boardroom: The Herald asked New Zealand’s business leaders to rate National leader Christopher Luxon. Here’s what they said.

Opinion: It’s great that Chris Hipkins addressed Treaty issues and race relations on the campaign trail - but he should have spoken out much sooner, writes Audrey Young.

Controversial candidate: Winston Peters has backed NZ First candidate Rob Ballantyne, whose “racist” comment was raised in the second leaders’ debate.

‘Race-baiting’: Labour leader Chris Hipkins has accused National’s Christopher Luxon of “race-baiting” for votes.

Treaty of Waitangi: Act leader David Seymour says he would recommend that Parliament take longer debating definitions of the Treaty of Waitangi principles ahead of a proposed referendum.

Opinion: A “teal deal” between National and the Greens is a real post-election possibility, says Matthew Hooton.

Gang exchange: National’s police spokesman Mark Mitchell got into a sometimes tense exchange with the whānau of gang members outside Parliament on Thursday.

Property policy: Next month’s election could have a big impact on landlords and tenants. Here’s what the parties are proposing.

Opinion: Christopher Luxon says he “doesn’t know” Winston Peters. The Herald’s Claire Trevett and Audrey Young help him out with a handy 10-point guide.

Opinion: Who won the second leaders’ debate between Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon? The Herald’s political experts deliver their verdicts.

Kaupapa Māori debate: A wealth tax “deal” with Labour, what Winston Peters really meant by “indigenous”, and a fiery discussion about co-governance dominated a debate among Māori representatives of the main political parties.

Benefit sanctions: The National Party’s benefit sanctions policy goes against prevailing evidence and can simply lead to “more hardship”, an expert says.

Education: The long-term trend for education standards is falling. Here’s how the political parties plan to stop the slide.

Quiz answer: Whanganui

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 Campaign, the Herald’s politics podcast.