It’s A Matter Of Values - Imagine If The Govt. Had Any?

A Turning Toward the Tūī – How New Zealand Reclaimed Its Future

Imagine a different winter. One where Parliament paused, listened and remembered who they served.

Instead of racing through legislation under urgency, the Government stood in the chamber and said, “Let’s build something enduring, not just efficient.” Instead of slashing environmental protections and rewriting the RMA behind closed doors, they opened the doors wider than they’d ever been.

They began with first principles. Land, water, and air are taonga - not commodities. Communities are partners, not obstacles. Democracy is slow, yes, but that’s what makes it resilient and our values? They don’t change because of a change in ministerial portfolios.

The proposed Fast-Track Approvals Act never saw daylight. In its place, a new Whakahau Whenua Framework was launched - a collaborative governance system that put iwi, hapū, scientists, local councils and regional voices at the centre of land-use decisions. Every development project was required to prove climate alignment, biodiversity regeneration and public benefit. No exceptions. Not even for donors.

The Regulatory Standards Bill was replaced with the Kaitiaki Principles Act, enshrining that regulations must balance individual freedom with collective responsibility and that legal 'persons' can’t trample the rights of living ecosystems or future generations.

Forestry slash? Gone. A joint industry-Iwi strategy funded native forest regeneration and supported high-value, low-impact wood products. Water bottling? Banned for export. Mining? Only allowed where community consent and ecological resilience aligned and every bond for environmental repair was enforced before extraction.

Rather than using urgency, Parliament set new precedents - citizen assemblies, deliberative polling and guaranteed consultation periods for all major legislation and not just token feedback loops, these shaped the bills themselves. More than 75% of submissions on the reformed Resource Management framework came from people under 35.

Environmental NGOs were not defunded, they were invited to help monitor progress, evaluate community impact and hold ministries accountable. Public servants were protected in law from political interference. University researchers were funded to lead open-source climate planning with rural communities and urban marae alike.

The tourism campaign? It didn’t just say “100% Pure New Zealand.” It said “Guardians of the Future - Nau Mai, Haere Mai.” And it was backed by real action, regenerative farms, electric tourism fleets and strict carbon budgeting.

Working people? Instead of secretive changes to the Pay Equity Act, the government worked with unions to pass the Fair Work Futures Act, ensuring all care workers, 91% of whom are women were paid based on value, not invisibility.

Across Aotearoa, in schools and marae and small towns, a movement grew. Not partisan, not angry - just determined. Citizens of all political leanings gathered to form Te Hui Whakahou - A Civic Assembly for the Future. They met quarterly, livestreamed, multilingual and inclusive. They discussed climate, housing, inequality and Te Tiriti. Government ministers came to listen, not speak. Some said it would be too slow. Too hard. Too democratic somehow.

But something beautiful happened.

People came back from Australia. Businesses started investing not just in profit, but in place. Our kids started learning civics again and planting trees as part of it. Rivers cleared. Birds returned. Debates were still fierce, but respectful.

Democracy wasn’t just saved.

It evolved.

🗞️ Counterfactual Government Statement

From the Ministry for Democratic Renewal and Intergenerational Equity

RE: Launch of the Whakahau Whenua Framework and Civic Partnership Protocols

The Government of New Zealand is proud to announce the enactment of the Whakahau Whenua Framework, co-designed with mana whenua, local government, environmental experts and community advocates.

This framework replaces prior extractive fast-track pathways with a regenerative model of land-use decision-making rooted in climate responsibility, democratic accountability and Treaty partnership.

The Civic Partnership Protocols provide a blueprint for participatory governance, including quarterly citizen assemblies, co-governance panels and mandatory public interest impact assessments for all major legislation.

We affirm our commitment to place-based solutions, long-term thinking, and an Aotearoa where environmental wellbeing and human dignity are the foundations of prosperity.

Together, we look not just to the next quarter, but to the next generation.

✉️ Counterfactual Letter to the Editor: From the Federation for Regenerative Development

To the Editor,

Last month, our organisation celebrated its 20th birthday.

We’ve spent the last two decades opposing short-term exploitation and fighting for long-term stewardship. But this year, for the first time, we weren’t just reacting. We were building, in full partnership with local and central government.

Since the establishment of the Whakahau Whenua Framework, we’ve been at the table. We’ve helped set the conditions for ethical investment, helped shape new restoration metrics and mentored dozens of young leaders now driving climate-aligned business and community planning.

The work is far from over. But it finally feels possible.

Thank you to every New Zealander who raised their voice. Thank you to the Parliament that chose listening over urgency. And thank you to the many farmers, tradies, scientists, activists and rangatahi who proved that doing the right thing doesn’t mean going backwards - it means going forward together.

— Chloe Morgan, National Co-Convenor, Federation for Regenerative Development

✉️ Counterfactual Letter to the Editor: From a Citizen Reinvigorated

To the Editor,

A year ago I was thinking of leaving Aotearoa. It felt like everything was being sold - the land, the truth, the future.

Today, I just came home from the third local Civic Hui on freshwater policy. I wasn’t shouted down. I wasn’t ignored. I was heard.

Our marae has joined with the local council to replant the awa. My teenager just submitted her views to Parliament using the youth consultation platform. My partner, who’s a nurse, finally received the pay equity she was promised years ago.

We’ve got a long road ahead, but now, at least, we’re walking it with our eyes open, hand in hand.

Let this be our new norm.

— Tama Clarke
Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga
Father. Gardener. Proud to stay.

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