Letters: No choice for NZ First

NZ First leader Winston Peters.

Fact: the majority of Aotearoa actually voted for a change of government on Saturday, and with 300,000-plus votes still to be counted, this fact will become even more evident.

So, what then should New Zealand First supporters' instruction to its leadership be?

1. Given more folks voted for change, New Zealand First supporters are obliged to instruct their party leadership to join the Labour-Green coalition for change. That is the only tika, pono, aroha (i.e. principled) decision for New Zealand First.

2. New Zealand First doesn't owe National any favours, since National ran such a hard campaign against Winston Peters in the Northland electorate, right? You want utu (to re-balance the scales)? There's only one logical way to do that.

3. We've seen minority parties (i.e. the Maori Party) having paid the ultimate price for siding with National. New Zealand First doesn't want to risk siding with the most corrupt government New Zealand's ever had, and paying the same price.

4. What Aotearoa needs now are progressive policies to address the many crises we're facing. National ran a campaign of 'steady as she goes, business as usual'. That will just see our social, environmental and political situations worsen, and that would be disaster.

5. Aotearoa has to torpedo the Trans Pacific Partnership to save our nation's sovereignty and protect our environment and human rights. A Labour-Green-New Zealand First government will ensure that priority has the best chance of being realised.

6. New Zealand First has to re-focus on building racial harmony in Aotearoa and recognising te Tiriti as being of constitutional significance. That means New Zealand First needs to drop any false race-based policies, whether overt or dog whistles (e.g. referendum for the Maori seats, cessation of 'separate rights' for Maori). Aotearoa has a particular, unique brand of democracy. Time to get with the programme.

CATHERINE MURUPAENGA-IKENN
Ahipara