King Luxon Isn’t Wearing Any Clothes

Written By: - Date published: 10:45 am, August 28th, 2024 - 26 comments
Categories: Christopher Luxon, local government, Maori Issues, Maori seats, simeon brown - Tags: ,

Cartoon: Emma Cook

Last week, King Luxon and his steady Page, Sir Simeon, were out in the Kingdom to visit their lands and instruct the serfs.

“Thou shalt do away with thy fantasies, peasants!” The bald headed King screamed, his head turning red and redder.

“No more lalala land social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being should be in your thoughts. Banish them or face my wrath!”

Next to him, Sir Simeon glowed, staring up adoringly at the King – a man he admired, and loved.

But then Sir Simeon suddenly stopped. He didn’t dare look more closely. The King appeared more skin colour like right in front of his eyes. Could it be? Could it really be?

While the King raged, and his Court ruled, something was quietly simmering out in the distance. It was the sound of the people…..And they were starting to see it too.

***

Yesterday No Right Turn reported that only 2 of 19 councils so far who have voted, have chosen to do away with Maori wards. Today, that number is 2 out of 20. Northland just voted. The Councils will be forced, under the Government’s legislation, to hold a binding referendum. That of course opens up those Councillors and councils to interference from the likes of Hobsons Pledge and Jordan Williams. It also loads significant costs on to Councils, taking away precious time, energy and resources, when Councils are faced with nigh overwhelming problems with debt, water infrastructure and sustainable climate change plans.

Did you know: the 3 Waters debt is now estimated at over $180bn - 200bn - nearly half of our total GDP!

Is that what the King really wants?

Two days ago I wrote a too-long (again) piece called “What’s Far is Close. What’s Close Has Already Arrived” And it’s ostensibly about how a lot of the tactics we see used by Atlas Network’s Project 2025 and other right wing groups around the world have reached our shores.

[Project 2025 is a playbook for what happens when Trump wins, and it includes nasty things like allowing children to work in more dangerous jobs, forcing women to report miscarriages to the state, slashing all environmental protections, removing the Department of Education, taking over the US government etc. – Minor far right wish lists like that]

In that piece I wrote that in my opinion, the likes of Don Brash, Jordan Williams, Sean Plunkett, David Farrar less obviously perhaps, build a culture of culture wars in NZ – apparently sowing division and very specific sentiment in our community.

And while they might paint it under slogans such as looking after taxpayer money, or getting rid of racism, in my opinion it doesn’t add up. In May, Sean Plunkett was tearing down a National Party aligned Mayor who dared to suggest that disenfranchising Maori, who represent up to 20% of our population, isn’t going to help our country or improve productivity. Last week, Plunkett was hosting a far right extremist who believes stories from the Holocaust are propaganda and black rights movements are rubbish.

It’s all the populist route. Take it to the people, but manipulate the people, aka Brexit, to ensure they go your way.

It’d be boring for how many times the tactics have been used – except that it’s also a resoundingly successful political strategy. And used by leaders across the world including in the Phillipines, Brazil and the rise of the far right in Europe.

This is why when I hear Simeon Brown bleat frequently about “the will of the people” and “taking it to the people” and “National is the party of the people,” it’s all a little bit cringeworthy for how they have adopted the approach.

We all support democracy, but I can’t imagine any of us are willingly manipulated.

The devout Christian man in Simeon appears wittingly or unwittingly to be going the way of authoritarian populists and that’s not good news for NZ – in my view.

Now Luxon and co. aren’t not meeting resistance though. Many councils are conferring on what they can do to avoid having to run the costly, and timely referendums, but I’m more concerned about safety.

When we have Hobsons Pledge dog-whistlers out in our community running anti-Islam or anti-Maori campaigns, based on seeming lies / misinformation, you can be sure that their only real goal is division. And as Luxon showed us last week he’s not above putting Councils, Mayors, and Councillors on the public podium and if necessary, the egging station.

Except there are real safety concerns at stake – even as the Government allows a prominent gun lobbyist to set the rules on gun reform.

A few days, on this site, PsyclingLeft.Always brought information about the “Godfather of ACT” Alan Gibbs. Gibbs had instructed ACT to be more radical, arguing that all of our schools, hospitals, and roads should be privatised. Alan Gibbs also made it known, through the biography Paul Goldsmith wrote for him, that he is a fervent fan of the father of trickle down economics – a man who inspired the birth of Atlas Network!

Luckily, his daughter Debbi Gibbs is now Chair of Atlas, and this year he told NBR that she will carry his legacy forward.

Yes, the Gibbs family are mega donors to ACT but they are also key figures in Atlas Network – a group behind Project 2025 but here in NZ, interconnected with some of the most senior Government ministers and hold influential positions e.g. Deputy Chair of NZME.

I don’t know about you but I start to think – well what can we think? The National-ACT-NZ First government policies appear very aligned with the vision of privatisation and undoing regulation e.g. charter schools, Health NZ underfunding to David Seymour’s New Ministry of Regulation, which seems to hold the market as true King and Saviour (sorry Luxon).

And when, pressure groups such as Atlas funded Taxpayers Union, Hobsons Pledge etc. are linked to anti-Maori and anti-Islam materials to sow division and cultivate people to their way of seeing, well, is that what Brown and Luxon had in mind regarding “National is the party for the will of the people?”

It appears though, more and more everyday, that not only is the King not wearing any clothes, but that the people on the ground are starting to see it.

The power will be with the people, so support each other and thrive.

We are Aotearoa New Zealand. That’s not who we are.

26 comments on “King Luxon Isn’t Wearing Any Clothes ”

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  1. ianmac 1
    28 August 2024 at 11:52 am

    You must have spent ages assembling your post MT. Terrifying.

    The Hobson lot warns us that the Maori "takeover" of seashore and seabed will block public use of seashore and seabed. Will that be so? Just what effect would Customary Rights have?

    • Mountain Tui 1.1
      28 August 2024 at 1:52 pm

      Hi ianmac

      From my notes:

      The Land Information New Zealand website explains: "Customary marine title recognises the relationship of iwi, hapū or whānau with a part of the common marine and coastal area.

      "Customary marine title can't be sold, and free public access, fishing and other recreational activities are allowed to continue in customary marine title areas."

      Source: https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/08/13/hobsons-pledge-ad-maori-legal-expert-explains-the-problem-with-it/

      Cheers,

      Tui

      • ianmac 1.1.1
        28 August 2024 at 3:42 pm

        Thanks Tui. I tried to find evidence of Maori blocking use of beach but the only one I found was an iwi closing off the access over their land to the beach due to vehicles screaming over sand hills etc.

        So all that scaremongering from Act and Hobson is a lie.

        • Tiger Mountain 1.1.1.1
          28 August 2024 at 4:40 pm

          The only beaches I have been denied access to were gated properties in the Bay of Islands owned by Euros, Yanks and Russians!

          The coastline is not a free for all, use your scone, by and large we are very lucky in this country. I know a lot of locals in the Far North and they are quite happy to let you visit a small local beach that is in their family land. We are spoilt for choice up here anyway!

          • ianmac 1.1.1.1.1
            28 August 2024 at 5:15 pm

            At Mistleto Beach in the Sounds, I anchored my boat and was given a loud bollicking from the pakeha residents as they had rights to privately "own" the beach. They were not Iwi.

        • Mountain Tui 1.1.1.2
          28 August 2024 at 7:54 pm

          Yes, I believe so.

        • KJT 1.1.1.3
          28 August 2024 at 8:10 pm

          With the Northland beach the sandy road, maintained by the local Iwi, was gated because hoons kept tearing it up. You are still welcome to walk to the beach as the motor campers, across the access do all the time. In fact when we asked if we could launch a boat across it at LW, we were offered a gate key.

          Another in Northland was similar. They simply wanted to toll the private access road they maintained by a small amount to pay for upkeep. Which they couldn't afford themselves.

          Meanwhile:

          There was the road to Stony Batter. The attempt on the Thames coast to privatise Council/Māori land to developers. Blocked by local Māori and as far as I know still has public access and use. The bays owned by wealthy landowners in the Bay of Islands with big "trespassers will be prosecuted" signs. The Bay in Whangarei harbour where Pakeha and Tau Iwi landowners planted trees across the public access and deny any access across, " private property" even though 100m, mowed and with no trespass signs, is actually public reserve. The many beach front council motorcamps, which by some slaight of hand are now private property and closed to the public. Public land in the high Country which was gifted cheap to Pakeha run holders. Now being sold for millions. Public access to seabeds being blocked by fish farming leases extended for decades. The squatocracy denying public "right to roam" on the farmland they pinched. And many more instances of Pakeha and Tau iwi landowners "blocking access".

          It is not Māori that are the problem.

          • Obtrectator 1.1.1.3.1
            28 August 2024 at 11:38 pm

            Sorry if I sound thick, but can someone explain the term "Tau Iwi" as used above? I've tried looking it up, but there doesn't seem to be much information available.

            • Tiger Mountain 1.1.1.3.1.1
              29 August 2024 at 7:54 am

              Be thick no longer…a quick Google search shows that Tauiwi is a term for non Māori, literally “foreign race”–typically migrants, refugees, visitors. Pākehā is more for European NZers born here, and whose families may have lived here for generations.

  2. Ngungukai 2
    28 August 2024 at 12:53 pm

    The Gibbs and the Holyoke Families became fabulously wealthy with the Kinloch Development at Lake Taupo whereby they acquired Maaori Land by dubious means. The Holyoke National Government built the roads into Kinloch FOC for the families. Sir Allan and his Toy Boy Seymour are carrying on as the families have always done, as they say a “Leopard Does Not Change It’s Spots”.

    Allan Gibbs father was a National Party MP alongside Sir Keith Holyoke. The Atlas Group and the Mount Perelin Society are looking after the interests of all New Zealanders including the indigenous Maori Communities.

  3. Drowsy M. Kram 3
    28 August 2024 at 1:25 pm

    yes Mountain Tui. What's up with our CoC govt? Ideology? Racism? Another divisive distraction from self-serving CoC MPs making a complete pig's breakfast of governance?

    Could councils simply refuse to disestablish Māori wards? [8 Aug 2024]
    The ACT Party celebrated Kaipara District Council’s vote to disestablish its Māori ward yesterday, but its Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton told 1News Palmerston North City Council was “playing with fire” with its investigations around not holding a referendum.

    Why don't local councils simply ignore the legislation forcing them to hold a binding referendum in the 2025 elections? What's the worst our CoC govt could do? Prosecute them? Sack them? That might generate uncomfortable international headlines, and unwelcome scrutiny of the legislation. Unless, of course, our CoC MPs are pretty relaxed about being labelled 'anti-Māori' – comfortable even.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ori_wards_and_constituencies#2024_law_change

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C4%81ori_wards_and_constituencies#Rollbacks

    • Mountain Tui 3.1
      28 August 2024 at 1:55 pm

      It's probably going to be a who will call the bluff first scenario? Nothing to stop the Councils from doing so, and I suspect they are getting advice on implications e.g removal.

      As usual, there will be greater power in numbers so if they can forge a greater coalition, it will be impactful.

      They'd have to ready for attacks from Jordan Williams, Plunket and allies though. Their strategy is to take down dissenters (the same way Levy claimed whistleblowing doctors were "resistance".)

      They will do this by trying to get locals to attack Councillors. It's ugly.

      This only stops when enough stand up and push back / ignore them all.

      • thinker 3.1.1
        28 August 2024 at 6:03 pm

        Remember Spot the dog and those MMP ads?

        People said Telecom itself ran them and when I got older and learned more about the corporate world I always wondered how that would have complied with the directors' role as in the Companies Act

      • Ngungukai 3.1.2
        28 August 2024 at 7:42 pm

        Basically Rodents with a Nasty Agenda ???

    • thinker 3.2
      28 August 2024 at 5:58 pm

      Quite a bit of money spent on local infrastructure comes from central government. NZTA, for example.

      That's one way. You'll need to use your imagination for others…

  4. Georgecom 4
    28 August 2024 at 7:38 pm

    Wellington regional council having to spend $350 k on a referendum for already existing maori ward seats. At a time when rates are going through the roof and money is desperately needed to repair water and sewerage pipes Simeon Brown and Seymour wasting bucket loads of rate payers money on "dont need to haves". this government very happy to waste other peoples money on things not important or that make no differencene

  5. PsyclingLeft.Always 5
    29 August 2024 at 12:16 am

    Hi Mountain Tui. Yep, the more that is revealed the better,(the Emporer indeed!) . And on the shady Networks and Thinktanks enabling same.

    As to getting the actual protesting..and voting public to do same ? I just hope it doesnt take increasingly more serious personal pain (Financial, Health, ..etc) for people to Get up… Stand up !

    I became Aware…many years back. Struggled working full time, with young Family through both rogernomics and ruthenasia and all that terrible damage and cost..to NZ.

    And the massive wealth gifted to a very small group….And the same names..and thinking are still involved today. I could , sadly, see it coming to power in the buildup to the last election : (

    Is why I stand up and do what I can. And I have always tried my best to help others to see what could actually be.

    Oh yea, part of my being Aware is being informed..I became very Environmentally active (particularly on Climate Change).

    One of the groups I follow is DeSmog. Not sure if you have heard of ?Unsurprisingly…Atlas Network have tentacles in every country pushing Climate Denial.

    I give you a Link to some. They are all there…

    https://www.desmog.com/atlas-economic-research-foundation/

    As always, appreciate the immense effort you put in. Take care, and Power to you.

    • Kay 5.1
      29 August 2024 at 7:28 am

      As to getting the actual protesting..and voting public to do same ? I just hope it doesnt take increasingly more serious personal pain (Financial, Health, ..etc) for people to Get up… Stand up !

      Perversely, the more personal pain one ends up in, the less likely they are to engage in the voting process.

  6. Jack 6
    29 August 2024 at 7:17 am

    Impressed with the lengths that you are prepared to go to. Very revealing information.

  7. Ad 7
    29 August 2024 at 8:46 am

    National's polling trend since April is up. At expense of ACT and NZF. Luxon is settling in just fine.

    If you worry about some vast rightist conspiracy group, maybe it's overdue for the left to coalesce and generate their own one.

  8. Jenny 8
    29 August 2024 at 1:43 pm

    "something was quietly simmering out in the distance. It was the sound of the people….."

    Mountain Tui

    An attempt to privatise the Auckland Council owned swimming pools, which inspired the cartoon at the top fo this post, was defeated by a grassroots campaign led by the PSA and the pool employees themselves.

    PSA members I talk to have informed me that the private companies that stood to benefit from the privatisation of the public swimming pools are ropeable, and can't believe what just happened.

    PSA delegate warns “Don’t underestimate our people.”

    https://www.psa.org.nz/our-voice/workers-celebrates-win-to-keep-auckland-pools-and-leisure-centres-under-public-control/

  9. Mark 9
    1 September 2024 at 10:09 pm

    180 Million is hardly half of our GDP – I assume this is a typo?

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