The Political Spring

What a month this has been politically! The Hone Harawira split with the Maori Party had been boiling for sometime. Now it's official. There's also a new party (Mana) led by Hone, some Maori intellectuals, socialists and unionists, and some of the same disaffected that began the Maori Party. Not to be outdone, the Brash Don rears his ugly ideology again kicks Hyde's butt right out of the Act Party and is voted in as the new UPOKO without a seat in Parliament! Phew! So that's what the far right means by "democracy". At least Hone has forced a by-election to give Tai Tokerau a democratic choice.

Already Act's gone up in the polls and Mana is at least registering below the margin of error. What happens if Act gets 5-6 seats and Mana 3-4? It's going to be a very interesting result. Hone thinks that Labour will in spite of what they say now, be ringing him to be part of a coalition. I doubt it. They will be seated on the cross benches. Act will be different. National will let them into government but put them on a short leash. What about the Maori Party? What's left of them will go with the government which ever one. And don't forget New Zealand First and the Greens.

The next parliament will be a very different if unruly beast. And who knows, we might get a better government out of it. There is also an unknown party of ethnic minorities who may be able to break party restrictions and vote in their own minority interests. If Brash starts picking on Maori those in National, Labour and other parties may join forces.