INL Digital Edition August 1, 2020

08
AUGUST 1, 2020
Electionlink
Expect more scandals and fall outs as Gotcha Politics grips
Peter Dunne
The 52nd Parliament is hurtling
towards an inglorious end.
It will finish in just over two
weeks and will be dissolved
shortly thereafter on August 12, 2020 in
preparation for the September 19, 2020
general election.
It has been a dramatic term –
dominated by huge tragedies, from the
Christchurch Mosques massacres, to the
Whakaari White Island eruption, and
now Covid-19.
But in recent weeks, the focus has
been more on what many would
describe as farce.
The revelations concerning the
personal conduct lapses of a number
of MPs that led them to stand down
have raised many questions about
the culture of Parliament, the stresses
placed upon MPs, and the responsibility
of political parties.
But while inappropriate and unprofessional
conduct by MPs should never
be condoned, no matter their status, the
current situation needs to be kept in
perspective.
Turnover of MPs
The present number of 20 MPs (at
last count) standing down at this elec-
Hamish Walker Andrew Falloon Iain Lees-Galloway
tion is not out of line with the numbers
retiring at previous elections.
Historically, New Zealand has had a
relatively frequent turnover of MPs, the
average length of service is just over six
years. Of the MPs elected at the 2014
election, 53 have now either retired
or been defeated. Only 26 of the MPs
elected at the 2011 election are seeking
re-election this year.
So, the turnover of MPs is not the
problem; indeed, many would argue
that a frequent turnover and refreshing
of the House is no bad thing. Others argue
for term limits to stop MPs serving
for too long, although just as many are
surprised to learn that very few MPs
serve for more than ten to fifteen years,
let alone longer.
Also, the average age of MPs has been
dropping over the years, meaning that,
consistent with patterns in the wider
workforce, MPs are more likely to move
on to do other things, as part of a range
of career experiences.
If anything, the turnover rate for
MPs is therefore likely to increase in the
years ahead.
Personal conduct lapses
But the unusual thing about this
year’s crop of Parliamentary departures
is the number where the decision to
stand aside has been brought about
by circumstances relating to personal
conduct. During this term, National has
been rocked by the scandals involving
Jami-Lee Ross (now running as an
independent and unlikely to succeed);
Hamish Walker and Andrew Falloon.
But the problem is not solely related to
National. Labour has lost two Ministers
for personal conduct lapses: Meka
Whaitiri following an altercation with
a staff member (although she is seeking
re-election as an MP) and now Iain
Lees-Galloway, as well as others for
incompetence.
The Lees-Galloway saga
Most of the cases have been clear-cut,
but there are some aspects of the
Lees-Galloway case that are curious. He
had been a controversial Immigration
Minister, and there had previously
been calls for his resignation, especially
in the wake of his decision to grant
residency to the convicted Czech drug
smuggler Karel Sroubek, who had a
lengthy criminal record in both the
Czech Republic and New Zealand. Had
the Prime Minister dismissed him at the
time of that incident, there would have
been little argument, given the lapse of
judgement involved and his admission
that he had not read the full file before
making his decision.
Yet she did not, and instead backed
him strongly. All of which makes the
decision to get rid of him now because
of a consensual affair with a staff
Tuariki Delamare to contest in Auckland Central
The former
Immigration Minister
returns to politics
after 20 years for TOP
Supplied Content
Former Immigration Minister
Tuariki Delamere has jointed
The Opportunities Party
(TOP) as Auckland Central
candidate and Spokesperson for
Immigration.
Mr Delamere is a former New
Zealand First MP and a Cabinet
Minister under the first MMP
Coalition Government. He held
ministerial portfolios including
Immigration and Overseas
Investment Office.
Since 1999, he has owned
and managed his Immigration
Consultancy Tuariki Delamere &
Associates and the famous Finale
Restaurant & Cabaret on Karangahape
Road in Auckland CBD.
He was also Political Advisor to
Māori Monarch King Tuheitia.
Impressive policies
Mr Delamare said that he chose
to join TOP after a break of 20
years because of its impressive policies
and the passion of candidates
to the Party.
“I was impressed by the enthusiasm,
passion, and commitment
of the candidates in 2017. This
year, I realised that if I was serious
about maximising TOP’s chances
then I should get off the side-lines
and offer myself as a candidate,”
he said.
His record and reputation in
Parliament was that of fighting
for what is right, not what is
politically convenient at the time.
As Associate Treasurer in 1996,
he faced down the National Party
over funding for Te Matatini, after
discovering that the single biggest
cultural event in New Zealand
received zero funding from the
Government.
Mr Delamere told the then
Prime Minister Jim Bolger that he
would vote against the Budget,
which resulted in Te Matatini receiving
$1 million of state funding.
As Immigration Spokesperson
for TOP, Mr Delamere brings a
wealth of experience to the role as
former Immigration Minister and
Tuariki Delamare (Picture by Dileepa
Fonseka for Stuff)
current immigration lawyer.
He said that Delamere New
Zealand will always need migrants.
Wrong immigration mix
“Recent governments have
continued to get the immigration
mix wrong and allowed high
numbers of people to migrate
to New Zealand who provide no
discernible benefit to New Zealand.
TOP welcomes immigration
policies that will benefit New
Zealand but will vigorously oppose
immigration policies with no
perceivable benefit to the country,”
Mr Delamere said.
He has taken aim at the government’s
handling of thousands of
skilled migrant residence visas sitting
in backlog under Immigration
New Zealand (INZ).
Many of these applicants have
waited a year or longer for a
decision, he said.
“The current fiasco of 15,000
skilled migrant residence visa
applications just sitting, not being
processed is a gross indictment
on the Government. This fiasco
continues to grow exponentially
with every passing day of the
Covid-19 pandemic. It is clear that
many will be declined and told to
return to their home country. The
Government needs to be open,
transparent, and honest with these
15,000 applicants,” Mr Delamare
said.
Quota system squashed
One of his first actions as Immigration
Minister was to cancel a
quota limit singling out students
from China which he considered
“racist and discriminatory.”
“China had an imposed quota
of 400 students. However, we
had many thousands of students
from Malaysia, South Korea,
Japan, Vietnam, Thailand. Why
was that? There was no quota for
any other country, just China. I
immediately cancelled China’s
quota because it was racist and
discriminatory, and made it
open like any other country,”
he said.
TOP Leader Geoff Simmons
welcomed Delamere as an
experienced candidate for
the hotly contested Auckland
Central electorate, especially
following current MP Nikki
Kaye’s retirement from politics.
“There is no one like Tuariki
Delamere in New Zealand politics,
and we are looking forward
to the September Election with
him beside us. He has acted as
an Advisor to our Executive
Team for some time now, and
we are proud to have him on
the team in a public facing role
as a candidate,” Mr Simmons
said.
Mr Delamare said that he
is focused on the survival and
prosperity of Auckland Central.
“TOP’s policies offer solutions
to tackle today’s problems,
many of which are present in
my electorate. I am looking
forward to once more working
for a better, brighter, kinder
New Zealand,” he said.
About The Opportunities
Party
The vision of The
Opportunities Party is to
create the greenest economy
in the world through science,
technology, and innovation. The
Party believes in the younger
generation regaining access to
the housing market, preserving
and regenerating New Zealand’s
extraordinary environment.
“So, we are once again known
internationally as the place talent
wants to live. TOP believes
that it is time to enshrine our
democratic freedoms with a
constitution, and to safeguard
our independence from foreign
influence,” Mr Simmons said.
“The days of an economy
based on selling houses to each
other, with the profits exported
directly to the Australian banks,
or where we continue to exploit
the environment and watch
carbon emissions rise along
with the world’s sea levels, have
to end,” Mr Delamare said.
As New Zealand gets set for general election,
the two main players- Labour Party under
Jacinda Ardern and National Party under
Judith Collins will hope to bank on their
individual charisma to steer their respective Parties
to victory.
However, the outcome of the elections will be
determined not by the individual charisma but the
substance of the policy which will be articulated
by both Parties, how the cadres will be able to steer
their chances to the electorate and of course the
complex arithmetic of the coalition politics.
Labour Party
From Labour Party’s point, as an incumbent
Party, it has built a of a government that would
bring transformative policies on the strength of
which employment and incomes.
This approach, Labour supporters say, would ride
better through global ups and downs than under
the present National Party.
Labour will present its case to the electorate that
it will be tested in some corers.
Unlike Helen Clark’s time when it had the luxury
of having talented leaders such as Phil Goff, David
Cunliffe and Martin Gallagher, the Labour Party
today does not seem to have strong people to handle
key portfolios.
New talents such as Priyanca Radhakrishnan
will prove their mettle in the government if given
an opportunity to handle key portfolios such as
Defence.
All in all, one can agree that Ms Ardern has
member that ended some time ago
and was apparently widely known a
little puzzling. It leaves unanswered
questions about whether, for example,
he used his Ministerial position to the
advantage of the staff member. The
Prime Minister’s call – after the sacking
– for Ministerial Services to investigate
whether any official resources had been
misused during the affair is also bizarre.
Normally, the evidence is gathered first
in a serious matter like this, not called
for after the event.
Potential embarrassment
Overall, it raises the suspicion that
Lees-Galloway’s dismissal was based
more on getting shy of a potential embarrassment
ahead of the election than
a judgment on his personal conduct. The
Prime Minister may also have felt she
had no alternative, given both the way
in which the Leader of the Opposition
had raised the matter, and had the
previous day dismissed Andrew Falloon.
Whatever the reason, it will have
further eroded confidence in a political
system reeling after recent events.
Nominations to stand for Parliament
at this year’s election close on August 21.
With dark rumours still swirling from
both sides of politics, and the mentality
of “gotcha politics” that has become an
unwelcome aspect of New Zealand politics
in recent years, the daunting reality
now is that more scandals coming to
light before then cannot, unfortunately,
be ruled out.
Peter Dunne was a Minister of the Crown in
the Labour and National-led governments
from November 1999 to September 2017. He
lives in Wellington.
Election 2020 will transcend personalities to policies
Balaji Chandramohan
This year, Transparency International New Zealand
(TINZ) asked each political party to answer
seven questions that are important to addressing
corruption through building stronger integrity
systems with greater accountability and transparency.
These questions are about fighting corruption,
integrity, accountability and transparency.
Parties’ responses will be provided in the August
edition of Transparency Times.
Meantime, below is a list of suggested open-ended
questions for voters to ask candidates.
Voters’ concerns
TINZ knows that many voters have the same concerns
as TINZ has. These questions are for readers to ask their
candidates. Readers are also encouraged to pass on this
newsletter to other voters, referring them to this list of
questions: (1) Integrity and trust- What does political
integrity mean to you? What will you do to build trust in
your leadership and your party?
2) Post pandemic recovery (2) As the country deals
with Covid-19 response and recovery, what will you
do to (pick any) Prevent the misuse of public funds for
personal gain? Deliver relief fairly and transparently?
Protect democracy and fundamental human rights?
Respect Treaty partners? (3) Political Party and campaign
funding-What actions are you personally taking to disclose
your campaign funding from all sources? How will
Jacinda Arden
Judith Collins
travelled a long way from the back benches to the
post of Prime Minister, proving herself as an adept
lawmaker especially when her Party was in crisis.
Another aspect of which the Labour Party will be
tested is the issue on National Security as it comes
close to the elections.
In the past decade, after Ms Clark’s departure
from the New Zealand political scene, Labour has
focused more on the immediate issues concerning
the welfare of the New Zealanders than on the
abstract and complicated issues related to national
security.
National Party
On the other hand, National, under Judith
Collins, will hope to replicate its chance of winning
and hope to see the days when some of the calibre
of John Key was able to get back the voters to
turn their head on him through his charismatic
leadership.
As mentioned, Election 2020 will witness the
clash of personalities – Jacinda Ardern and Judith
Collins but the outcome will be determined by the
substance of the policy which they could articulate
and the complex political manoeuvring involved
before and after the elections.
Balaji Chandramohan is Indian Newslink Correspondent
based in New Delhi, India.
Questions of integrity for political candidates
you make sure that money donated to your campaign
is not given with the expectation of specific policy or
action on your part? (4) Whistle-blowers-Describe your
attitude about whistle-blowers who expose wrongdoing,
(or alternative question): Are there too many, or too few,
whistle-blowers in New Zealand, and why?
Note: A whistle-blower is a person who exposes
secretive information or activity within a private or
public organization that is deemed illegal, unethical, or
not correct (Wikipedia).
These questions for voters to ask candidates, are
downloadable (.pdf format).
Questionnaires for political parties
In this election cycle, TINZ is asking each political party
to complete a similar but more detailed questionnaire.
Responses will be published in the August Transparency
Times, on our website, and through social media in
advance of the election.
Our members contributed to the development of these
questions which align with our mission – fighting corruption,
integrity, accountability and transparency. Our
aim is to examine each political party’s understanding of
anti-corruption issues and their ideas about addressing
them.
The above article appeared in the July 2020 issue of Transpar
ency Times of Transparency International