The surge in support for the ACT Party and their exceptionally radical agenda is not just a problem for National to manage, it is a problem for New Zealand to manage.
MMP over the last 30 years has always generated hand breaks in the middle to blunt the extremes of the Right and the Left, this has built pent up frustration on the opposite ends of the political spectrum and this election that frustration is threatening to rupture.
ACTs radical agenda has double digit support and the weakness of National means ACT will be able to push much of their radical agenda through including a referendum to redefine the Treaty using nothing more than a simple majority referendum.
Seeing as Māori are only 16.5% of the population, there’s no way a referendum on their rights by majority vote is anything other than an abuse of process.
The idea that Māori will simply accept the majority redefining the Treaty and then have it foisted upon them willingly seems to ignore our 183 year history.
The protest backlash ACT are going to generate by redefining the Treaty will trigger scenes of conflict well beyond the mandate protests on Parliament’s Lawns last year.
The question is can National stop ACT from starting civil unrest and talk them down from this Referendum?
Is Chris Luxon a strong enough leader to stop ACT from starting a referendum that could tear the country to pieces?
First published on Waatea News.
