A stupid threat

Having been told to wait by the Waitangi Tribunal, the government is now threatening to go ahead with its asset sales anyway:

"We have today asked the Tribunal to provide its recommendations and reasoning by 24 August," English said.

That would allow the Government proceed with the share float in the first week of September.

[...]

But he suggested the float would go ahead in the first week of September regardless of whether the tribunal reported back early.

"We would do this on the basis of all the information available to us at that time."

Its a stupid threat, and an overt display of bad faith. And if they actually try and follow through with it, it will result in a High Court injunction quicker than you can say "New Zealand Māori Council v. Attorney-General (1987)". But I guess that's what you get when privileged white guys don't get your own way: a lot of threats and pouting and foot-stamping.

The Treaty process is more important than National's PR-based political timetable. If National cannot understand that, then they are simply not fit to govern this country.