Heather du Plessis-Allan: NZ not immune to rise of rightism

Donald Trump. Photo / 123RF

Opinion

Not yet.

That's the answer to whether right-wing, immigrant-hating politics will reach New Zealand. Not yet. But it could.

One of the most important things driving this rise of the right overseas is that things aren't too flash out there.

In Europe, the voters are afraid of the crowds of refugees spilling over their borders, taking their jobs, bringing crime and burdening their countries financially.

In the US, voters are frustrated that despite long hours, they're still struggling to make ends meet, while illegal immigrants sneak over the Mexican border, taking jobs, bringing crime and being a financial burden.

In both parts of the world, voters have become scared of "the other" - either the refugees or the illegal immigrants - and the impact they will have on their own fortunes.

So they've turned to strong, authoritarian figures. They've voted for the person promising to deal with "the other", even if it means breaking rules, deporting millions or building a wall.

That's why we've ended up with Donald Trump, and why Viktor Orbanhas a fence on Hungary's border.

We're not scared like that in New Zealand.

Apart from Auckland's ridiculous house prices and a bit of muttering about immigrants, things seem tickety boo. But all it would take is one shock and we'd be in no better position.

Perhaps, it could be China taking a dive -- $10 billion of our exports go there. If China couldn't buy our goods, it would first knock our dairy farmers, our forestry industry, our beekeepers.

But we'd all feel it eventually.

Or it could be that Auckland's housing market finally slumps.

Young workers mortgaged to the ears would end up with a house worth less than the debt. People would lose jobs. And we'd all feel it eventually.

We'd become scared too. Scared of how we'll make a living or pay for our homes. And, because we're already blaming them for taking jobs and pushing up house prices, we'd probably turn on the immigrants in our country.

And we certainly have an appetite for the rule-breaking traits we see in those leaders. Show me a Donald Trump or Nigel Farage and I'll raise you a John Key, a David Lange and a Rob Muldoon.

John Key is the anti-politician.

He talks like a regular Kiwi, he pulls ponytails for a laugh, gets excited about golf with Barak Obama, jokes about his vasectomy. Statesmanlike he is not.

On a prime ministerial tour of the African continent in the 80s David Lange sported a Nukebusters T-shirt in the style of the Ghostbusters movie.

Rob Muldoon is the closest we've come in recent years to an authoritarian figure. He used the SIS to compile a list of 15 "subversives" that he released during the Springbok Tour.

To get what he wanted, he would make law by Order in Council.

We're not immune to the rise of the right. We're just lucky we haven't got any reason to vote that way. Yet.