What’s wrong with asking people for their ideas?

Guest post
6 years ago
Categories: labour, national, same old national, Simon Bridges

There’s been this strange commentary coming from the National Party opposing the Labour-led coalition Labour’s setting up of working groups, inquiries and councils around future change, including big issues such as tackling NZ’s mental health problems, the future of work, important things like holidays and tackling climate change.

Of course, Simon and his Natbots exaggerate the numbers and cost. Many of the things they include are the normal day to day process of government decision-making. They are being too cute with this.

I get that this is their political purpose, shallow though it is. But why is it such a problem asking others for input into ideas? After all, it is our government regardless of how you voted.

As as an ex politician I know that wisdom doesn’t reside only in the minds of politicians or those you agree with.

In fact it’s arrogant to say otherwise. The ILO and various other important international actors advise that tripartism is essential for recognising that there is more than one party in the employment relationship.

I’ve been at ILO conferences where our business leaders have strongly supported this model. It requires that everyone, including business has to step up and engage.

I remember that the biggest change for working people in the 1990’s was the Employment Contracts Act, that has lasting negative changes to this day. The newly elected Natz Government managed to introduce this in just 19 days.

My question to Mr Bridges is when you talk about getting on with governing and criticising a government that thinks good ideas don’t necessarily reside in the minds of politicians, are you saying that a huge number of people’s view don’t count? Is your model government by fiat?

Because that’s how I see it as I work with yet another group of workers who are facing their breaks being cut from three to two, where their layoff is the second with a possible third in the season and Wairoa workers are still waiting for compensation after their unlawful lockout in 2015.

Darien Fenton