Business leaders are calling for more bipartisanship in government policy-making, especially for infrastructure. Photo / Susan Botting
Business leaders are calling for more bipartisanship in government policy-making, especially for infrastructure. Photo / Susan Botting
THE FACTS
Business leaders urge more bipartisanship in government policy making, especially for infrastructure.
True policy stability comes when both political sides see benefit in similar outcomes.
Lasting alignment is achieved through evidence and engagement, not just demanding bipartisanship.
Some business leaders have recently called for more bipartisanship in government policy-making, particularly when it comes to infrastructure. It’s an understandable instinct. After years of shifting signals on energy, water and planning, business quite reasonably craves long-term certainty and consistency.
But in my experience, having worked for decadesat the interface of business and in politics, real policy stability in New Zealand rarely comes from politicians simply agreeing across the aisle. It comes when both sides, for their own reasons, see benefit in broadly similar outcomes.
True bipartisanship is rare. What we often mistake for consensus is in fact a convergence of political self-interest – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s how our system achieves balance over time.
Take trade policy. We often describe it as “bipartisan,” yet it wasn’t long ago that the incoming Ardern Government nearly refused to ratify the CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) – one of our largest trade deals. Debate continues about who really benefits from trade and whether our commitment to open markets remains appropriate.
Infrastructure is no different. For decades, the building of new roads appeared bipartisan. But motivations differed. Those on the right tended to see roads as drivers of economic growth and productivity. Those on the left saw them as pathways to social mobility and community connection.
Road construction has long been seen as a bipartisan effort, symbolising both economic growth and social connection depending on the political lens. Photo / 123rf
That overlap has now fractured on the altar of climate change, with some on the left viewing cars – petrol or electric – as part of the problem, and new roads therefore as inherently bad.
Infrastructure, more than most policy areas, is profoundly political. Politicians know this instinctively; that’s why they turn up in hard hats and high-vis when cutting ribbons. Infrastructure projects tell a visible story about who they are and what they stand for.
Expecting infrastructure to be depoliticised is therefore a hard ask. Even where broad agreement seems possible – say, in building more health infrastructure – the details quickly divide us. Where? To what standard? What balance of primary and specialist care? Digital or physical investment? Public or private funding?
Lasting policy alignment is achieved through evidence and engagement, not just demands for bipartisanship. Photo / Mark Mitchell
So rather than putting too much pressure on politicians to simply “be bipartisan”, business could focus on what it can control – building the case for long-term policy stability and smarter investment.
Here are some practical ways forward:
• Build evidence that resonates. Show why specific infrastructure is needed, not just for economic performance but for families and communities.
• Speak political language. Frame the benefits using terms and values that resonate across the political spectrum.
• Support institutional anchors. Back bodies such as the Infrastructure Commission that promote continuity and evidence-based decision-making.
• Be confidently persistent. Argue the case to both sides of politics, consistently and in plain language.
• Be willing to compromise. Rigidity can stall progress; persuasion often requires flexibility.
• Stay the course. Consensus, once achieved, can still be derailed by new ideas or personalities. Steady advocacy is essential.
Infrastructure projects have become political symbols, as roads and transport are increasingly shaped by the priorities of policymakers and the public. Photo / Dean Purcell
In short, lasting policy alignment isn’t achieved by demanding bipartisanship; it’s earned through ideas, evidence and engagement that draw different sides to similar conclusions – even if for different reasons.
That, in the end, is what genuine bipartisanship really looks like.
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