Wrecking Ball Politics - what might have been
Democracy as a Legacy, Not a Looting Opportunity
Once upon a time in a modest little democracy at the bottom of the world, laws were designed to outlast the headlines. And miraculously - that time returned.
Following the 2023 election, New Zealand’s newly elected centre-right government stood at a crossroads. They had the numbers to raze everything. But instead of reaching for crowbars, they picked up the blueprints and then they did something outrageous - they read them.
Rather than trash the Māori Health Authority, they streamlined its operations, partnering with iwi and DHBs to address duplication while retaining its kaupapa. Fair Pay Agreements weren’t obliterated; they were revised, made opt-in and retooled for the industries that needed them most. The smokefree generation policy was ringfenced - because even the new Finance Minister could read a Treasury report on the cost of lung cancer.
The Select Committee process? Strengthened. Public consultation? Expanded. MPs across the aisle began meeting informally to thrash out thorny issues, not because they had to, but because they realised the public liked it.
Christopher Luxon still posted awkward videos from hi-vis sites. But his Cabinet didn’t rule by press release. Instead, Ministers showed up to hearings, fronted up to opposition scrutiny and asked - get this - experts what to do.
David Seymour pivoted from cultural crusader to policy wonk, chairing a cross-party taskforce on school attendance. Winston Peters took up a ceremonial role as “Historian-at-Large,” delivering rambling but oddly charming podcasts on the Magna Carta, the Treaty and horse racing.
It wasn’t utopia. But it was progress. Predictable. Practical. Purposeful.
By mid-2025, businesses stopped asking “What will be repealed next?” and started asking “What can we build together?” Community groups began investing in long-term programmes again and the public, once punch-drunk from policy whiplash, began showing up to vote, to contribute, to care.
In this version of New Zealand, democracy isn’t performative. It’s quiet. It’s hard. It’s steady. And it works.
🗞️ GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASE
From the Ministry of Responsible Reform and Intergenerational Thinking
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION TO EVERYONE (INCLUDING OPPOSITION VOTERS)
Title –
“Progress That Sticks - A Coalition Commitment to Long-Term Thinking”
The Coalition Government today reaffirmed its commitment to stable, constructive governance by adopting a new principle - “Reform, Not Repeal.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon praised Cabinet’s approach to honouring what works, regardless of where it came from. “Our goal is not to score points, it’s to build a country our kids will thank us for.”
Key initiatives -
A bipartisan agreement to safeguard landmark policies with cross-party value.
Introduction of the “Public Value Review Panel” - comprised of community leaders, iwi, economists and sector experts, to assess proposed repeals before they proceed.
Enhanced Select Committee timeframes, including additional evenings for oral submissions and regional hui.
Associate Minister for Systems Integrity David Seymour added, “Good democracy is about evolution, not erasure. I’m proud we’re building on what came before us and inviting others to help shape what comes next.”
Winston Peters was unavailable for comment but is currently recording Episode 6 of “Winston’s Walk Through the Westminster Model.”
ENDS.
📮 LETTER TO THE EDITOR – FROM AN AFFECTED ORGANISATION
From: Dr Aroha Reihana, Executive Director, Aotearoa Public Health Network
Subject – Democracy That Remembers the Future
Dear Editor,
Last year, our team was bracing for heartbreak. The smokefree generation policy, which we had worked on for over a decade, was assumed to be gone.
Instead, the new Government kept it. They even strengthened parts of it , targeting vaping access and expanding cessation support in schools. We were stunned. And then, grateful.
That decision told our community something powerful - “Your mahi matters. We see it. We’ll build with it.”
This is what democracy should be, a relay, not a reset button. The fact that our rangatahi may grow up without tobacco in their lives is now a cross-party legacy.
Ngā mihi nui,
Dr Aroha Reihana
📮 LETTER TO THE EDITOR – FROM AN AFFECTED INDIVIDUAL
From: Jimmy Ngatai, Wellington plumber, dad of two
Subject – Proud, Finally
Kia ora,
I didn’t expect to write back a year later, but I had to.
I voted National. I was nervous about what they might break. But instead, they surprised me. They didn’t take my kids’ smokefree future. They didn’t tear up climate plans. They fixed things, but they didn’t erase them.
That feels rare. It feels kind of grown-up.
My daughter came home from school with a project about Parliament and said, “Dad, do they really work together?” And for the first time in ages, I said, “Yeah. Sometimes they do.”
Please, let’s make that the norm.
Ngā mihi,
Jimmy
📞 Phone +64 275 665 682
✉️ Email john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
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