In his exit speech and interviews, former Green Party co-leader James Shaw revealed that, more than once, he reached the brink of resigning as a minister on a point of principle – the principle being not getting what he wanted.
Valedictories are good like that. Theycan reveal crises we never knew about at the time.
In the end, whether because of the threats or despite them, Shaw chose not to spit the dummy. The Labour Government in 2021 increased its emissions targets on the eve of the Glasgow climate change conference at which Shaw was representing New Zealand.
“I also want to thank Chippy for not following through on his annual threat to resign during the education budget process,” said Robertson.
He was not the only Labour minister to make life difficult for Robertson. Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson refused to sign off on Budget 2022 as all ministers are required to do – normally a sackable offence.
But Jackson is said to have held out until Māori ministers were allocated the same $1 billion they had got in targeted funding in the previous year’s Budget collectively across housing, education, health, whānau ora and other services.
It worked. The 2022 press statement on the Beehive website says: “Our proven track record in delivering for Māori is underscored by this year’s Māori Budget, which once again exceeds $1 billion.”
The exact amount of extra funding he extracted is not known but it was not mere crumbs.
There are other examples that have changed the course of history, some of which involved people being offended at their treatment. In 1979 Matiu Rata, the MP for Northern Māori, resigned from the Labour Party in Opposition after he was shifted off the front bench to make way for David Lange. He saw it as an insult to Māori and went on to form Mana Motuhake, which became part of the Alliance.
Ruth Richardson, who had been Jim Bolger’s Finance Minister in the first term of his Government, 1990 to 1993, was not reappointed to finance in the second term and refused any other Cabinet appointment. Despite the Government having a tiny majority, she took a decision to resign from Parliament altogether, once the Fiscal Responsibility Act had been passed in 1994.
David Lange himself resigned as Prime Minister on a point of principle in 1989. His former Finance Minister, Roger Douglas, had previously resigned on a point of principle in 1988 after Lange stopped his flat-tax proposal. But after the caucus re-elected Douglas back into Cabinet in 1989, that was seen as a vote of no-confidence in Lange.
Sir Don McKinnon quit his defence responsibilities in Opposition over policy differences with the National caucus. Photo / Paul Estcourt
National was not immune to turmoil in Opposition. Jim Bolger’s deputy leader, Don McKinnon, resigned as shadow defence minister before the 1990 election after the party changed its position to support Labour’s law banning nuclear weapons and nuclear-propelled vessels.
McKinnon, along with a third of the caucus at the time, believed National should accept nuclear propulsion but not weapons. Doug Graham held the foreign affairs portfolio, which McKinnon claimed after the election that year.
In 2004, Tariana Turia was an associate minister when she quit Labour over its response to the foreshore and seabed Court of Appeal decision and went on to form the Māori Party.
Katherine Rich was sacked on a point of principle in 2005. She had been National’s social welfare spokeswoman and was demoted from fourth to 10th in rankings and stripped of welfare by leader Don Brash after refusing to endorse a speech he had made about beneficiaries.
David Parker resigned as Revenue Minister on a point of principle after Chris Hipkins as Prime Minister ruled out a wealth tax, although some saw it as a selfish act that damaged the party just before the election.
