Marama Davidson and Chloe Swarbrick speak about Marama's return to parliament, her cancer journey and what's in store for the Greens this year. Video / Alyse Wright
Opinion by Simon Wilson
Simon Wilson is an award-winning senior writer covering politics, the climate crisis, transport, housing, urban design and social issues. He joined the Herald in 2018.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is at Waitangi with her caucus in her return to politics, after treatment for breast cancer.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has a large caucus group at Waitangi too.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins called the Treaty Principles Bill a hand grenade tossed into a crowd, and added that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should not be surprised that people have started to scream. But the sun was shining and he did a lot of grinning forthe cameras. He’s at Waitangi, the PM isn’t, and he gets to take free shots.
He was speaking at a media briefing at Waitangi, shortly after the Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, was given an enthusiastic welcome on the Treaty Grounds by a very large all-ages kapa haka group.
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson also came out grinning. She chose the day to announce her return to politics after stepping back to deal with breast cancer. Two surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy later, she’s still standing.
“It’s okay to ask for help,” she said when I interviewed her later. “It’s okay to ask for not so much pain.”
Is she ready, someone asked her co-leader, Chlöe Swarbrick.
“I mean, look at her!” replied a very grinning Swarbrick.
Davidson says her focus this year will be on community. “The people who are there for you. The people who make things happen.”
She quoted the late Efeso Collins, the Green MP who died almost exactly a year ago. “No one stands alone, no one suffers alone and no one succeeds alone.”
She said Te Tiriti provided a way to address climate and environmental issues and support the wellbeing of people that offered “a type of politics that could be the envy of the world”.
Hipkins’ focus, at least today, was on appearances. He emerged from the Copthorne Hotel for his media conference wearing a dark suit, white shirt and tie, with polished shoes. An obvious nod to the faux pas he’d made a few days earlier at his caucus retreat, when he’d gone on camera in shorts and jandals. More Dad at the beach than leader-in-waiting.
Will we be seeing the jandals this week? I asked.
“Oh yes,” he said. “Come along tomorrow when I paddle a waka. Full T-shirt and jandals kit for that.”
Standing behind him, Northland list MP Willow-Jean Prime started chortling.
“He was in the jandals just before he came out here,” she said.
“I got changed for you guys,” Hipkins said, grinning again.
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson talks ahead of the Waitangi celebrations backed by her caucus at the Treaty Grounds, Waitangi. Photo / Alyse Wright
It’s been a quiet start to Waitangi week this year. The wharenui at Te Tii Marae, over 100 years old and closed for several years for renovations, was reopened in a dawn ceremony. A smattering of tourists wander around; Treaty Grounds staff, events staff and caterers buzz busily to and fro.
Over the next two days the Waitangi Tribunal will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Judges and diplomats will arrive, then the Kīngitanga: this will be Nga wai hono i te po’s first visit as Queen. And then the politicians. The place will fill up fast and the passions will rise sharply too.
As, it seems, will the heat. It was overcast, then sunny, then breezy, but no one expects it to stay cool for long.
