Peter Carr
Writing opinion pieces for a growing stable of local newspapers became even grander this week – so congratulations David Mackenzie and team for your southern spread to the King Country.
In a recent article the editor (he-who-shall-be-revered) described me as a right-wing writer. Or words to that effect. Now I do not object to that moniker but thought it a little unfair for I have, sometimes, been kind to those who are very far removed from Genghis Khan. The leftwards lurch way beyond political sensibility by a previous leader – whose nuptials were recently celebrated – caused a crazy scramble to bring the then government back towards the centre. But the damage was done.
The Leninesque rabbiting was too far gone to bring sensible retrieval and I felt (mainly) sorry for the clearly-to-be temporary incumbent. So, he crosses the floor to the other green seats to shout derision at those who, in a triumvirate, find themselves battling issues. The remedy for those issues will be financially painful, either direct to the taxpayer or through the channels of huge local body rates increases – especially where the councils have already taken the Kings coin but have now hanged themselves on the financial washing line of the dirty linen of Three Waters.
It is not healthy to hear of emergency meetings of one’s district council at a late budgetary hour.
Peter Carr
We are in for a rough ride. And that is just the fiduciary sides of or lives. Just up the road the historically anointed leader of Māori elected to hold a large (and very well attended) meeting at the weekend to declare (surprise surprise) that the Treaty shall stand firm as it was intended to be. Now the Māori leader – a mild mannered decent man whose mother I had the pleasure to meet and talk with – is little recognised due to the blathering and silly hat wearing of the elected representatives of the Māori Party. The hat thing was the result of a weak Speaker of the House who was promoted recently both in title and plum job overseas.
And we await the end of the great silence. That death knell of worthwhile news that (publicly owned) TV1 thrusts upon us for the better part of six weeks each summer. I cannot think of any worthwhile nation that annually permits news to fall behind comic cuts, cartoons and infomercials other than in God’s own.
So, as we lurch into 2024, we know that the holiday period planning behind the scenes (the famous 100 days) will bring government actions that will not be universally liked nor appreciated. Whether roading improvements will happen, tax regimes reshaped, slash and burn ‘behind the scenes’ employment actions take place with public servants – there will be run-on in a number of places where hearts beat loudly to maintain what the holders consider to be worthwhile jobs. And the Golden Three – education, health and social welfare – to what extent will they be forced to reduce or re-shape services?
It is seat belt time. It is time to allow the far end of the tunnel to permit entry of daylight. It is time to walk the talk.
Am I right? Or am I Right? Feel free to have your say.
Buckle the seat belts
