Tuesday, September 08, 2015



National Party values

What's important to the National Party? Here's two examples from the Parliamentary record:

  • Last month, a minor party sought leave to introduce a bill amending the sale of Liquor Act to allow bars to open at 5am for the rugby world cup. National granted leave, and effectively granted urgency for this bill.
  • Today, a minor party sought leave to introduce a bill to increase New Zealand's refugee quota. National denied the leave.

The upshot: Rugby meatheads getting pissed at 5am is important to National. The fate of refugees isn't. I can't think of a better example of their moral bankruptcy.

Meanwhile, National's granting of leave for Seymour's bill has made a rod for their own back. In future, people will seek and expect to be granted leave for a bill on any issue which is more important than rugby meatheads drinking - which, face it, is just about anything. So we can expect perpetual disruption to Parliament because of this.