Claire Trevett: Shearer delves into optimism manual and comes up empty
Labour leader David Shearer on Te Tii Marae the day before Waitangi Day. Photo / Natalie Slade
Happy Waitangi Day! Labour leader David Shearer told us all to chirp as part of his vision of Waitangi's future.
Mr Shearer had arrived at Waitangi brimful of ideas about how the weekend could be improved to the point where Maori and Pakeha danced around the maypole, rather than spitting on the flagpole, and there were group hugs on the streets.
His strategy was clear: positivity reaps rewards, especially when the inaugural Mr Happy of politics - Prime Minister John Key - was having to get used to being Mr Just A Little Bit Grumpy.
So Mr Shearer announced there would be "no politics" when he arrived at Te Tii Marae, just half an hour after Mr Key had been shouted down and rushed off.
The Mr Key who fronted up to the Prime Minister's annual Waitangi Breakfast, fittingly held in the Treaty Room at the Copthorne Hotel, was a different beast from the Mr Key of breakfasts of yore.
Yesterday he delivered a perfunctory round-up of matters affecting Maori - education, the poverty committee, progress on Treaty settlements. He then moved on to a blunt, almost irritated right of reply - the one that was denied him when he had stepped on to Te Tii Marae the day before only to be shouted down before he had even started.
He went into bat for his Government, addressing issues of the Crafar farms, asset sales and even deep sea oil drilling.
If previous Waitangi Days were about promises, this was about delivery and Mr Key adjusted accordingly.
After he was shouted down by protesters on Sunday, he responded by saying he would continue to return to Te Tii - a stance that earned him some grudging respect from arch rival Hone Harawira.
Mr Shearer arrived having taken a lesson from Mr Key's now discarded manual on wooing the voters with optimism.
He may have overdone it rather with his "Happy Waitangi Day" vision.
His illusory day of group hugs and people frolicking around a flagpole bedecked in streamers, rather than spitting on it, barely got attention.
Because Mr Key's pledge to return reflected not only a determination to stick to a promise he had made in 2008. It also reflected his recognition of the importance of the Government actually fronting up, just that once a year, to account for itself.
After Waitangi day, he must now know that there are more kiwis who can't stand him, than those who back his plan to destroy our environment and make living in NZ affordable for only a select few.
I reckon we will see an unprecedented outpouring of hatred for key before this electoral term is completed and people begin to realize that his "brighter future for the elite few" doesn't apply to them.
And what is shearer doing to stop farm sales, environmental disaster etc- nothing, just making a bit of noise.
I am surprised that we don't have one single politician in the beehive who is actually prepared to stick up for the people on the basis that the majority should be heard. No wonder NZ is going down the gurgler.
Labours campaign platform in the election last year was no asset sales. Now people are moaning about asset sales. Presumably the 73% who did not vote Labour. That would make a good article on the apathy of voters.
The regulations in Parliament are changing so that passing bills under urgency (meaning no need to consult with the public) will be made more difficult siting a Victoria University study where they stated that since mmp urgency was used more during 1996 - 1996 (under National) and 2008-2011 (again under National). That would make a good article about this governments lack of interest in what voters are saying when it is outside election time.
Labour campaigned for no gst on fresh fruit and veges yet and people are now complaining about the high cost of fresh un processed foods. Perhaps an article of the impact no gst on these items would have on low and middle income families.
Food banks - that were all but gone under Labour are now back and thriving under a National Government.
I look forward to some more balanced reporting in future.