Around January 25 every year, with the exception of the last two, politicians and faithful alike have gathered at Rātana Pā to commemorate hāhi (church) founder Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana’s birthday.
About halfway between Whanganui and Marton, the event is also traditionally the start of the political year, being the first major event after politicians’ summer holidays.
However in 2023, the year kicked off early, with Jacinda Ardern’s surprise resignation announcement while on caucus retreat in Napier last Thursday. That - the most explosive news event of the past week - should have changed the flavour of Rātana ceremonies on Tuesday, but instead it was overshadowed by the topic of co-governance.
Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins also delivered important speeches. (Source: 1News)
Christopher Luxon caused a splash early on in the day with a speech claiming he believed the conversation around co-governance had become “immature and divisive”. This appeared to send the left into a spin, with Green co-leader Marama Davidson telling 1News she believed the comments dishonoured te Tiriti.
Quite telling, perhaps, were Davidson’s cushioning comments that showed she wasn’t necessarily present for Luxon’s speech. She conveyed her reaction was based on what she’d heard and understood of it.
She said she believed it gave "a clear message about where his values are at”.
The National Party leader said the co-governance debate had become "divisive and immature" in recent years. (Source: 1News)
It’s important to read beyond the headline, because Luxon’s explanation was more nuanced and perhaps suggested a support - albeit by a different definition - for co-governance in a broader sense - just not when it comes to public services.
In his speech - and in subsequent comments to reporters - Luxon said the key issue was the Government’s failure to adequately communicate what co-governance actually means. It’s a fair cop, and if anyone it’s the left - if partisan goggles came off - who should be frustrated with their own side for losing control of that message.
Benedict Collins breaks it all down. (Source: 1News)
Arguably, Labour has done more damage to co-governance by failing to adequately define it. Misinformation and racism has filled the vacuum. In an odd way, Luxon’s comments, if taken at face-value, could be useful advice - he even said the word had been “misappropriated”.
To what extent that had been fuelled by the National Party's "demand the debate" campaign is where Luxon stumbled at reporters’ more probing questions. He simply refused to address whether he was complicit - as part of the caucus - in that narrative (whether it was right or wrong).
Davidson also expressed surprise at Luxon making such comments at a place like Rātana. It is traditionally - as Winston Peters earlier pointed out - a place where politicians will make promises to Māori in an attempt to lure votes - so why try to alienate Māori?
Perhaps because Luxon knows not all Māori think the same way, and he wanted to lay his cards on the table: We’re not for co-governance, but we are for Māori.
That will work with some who feel pandered to by the identity politics of the liberal left. It’s something Paula Bennett once described as her attraction to the party - Labour had made her feel hopeless for being a Māori single mum, but National made her feel hopeful and aspirant.
Credit where it’s due, Luxon wasn’t trying to be anything other that what he is on Tuesday. Whether it pays off in votes from Māori will be revealed after October 14.
Outgoing deputy prime minister Grant Robertson said later in the day Luxon had politicised the day.
But for its part, Labour had more subtly made its lurch for Rātana and Māori support, reiterating the long and deep connection between the church and the party. In 2017 it was crucial to win the Māori seats. Labour knows it will be again in 2023.
And if Luxon has politicised Rātana, Hipkins politicised the politicisation with pointed comments seemingly aimed at Luxon’s.
Speaking to those gathered, Hipkins said there had often been too much uncertainty and misunderstanding between Pākehā and Māori and in that it was “easy for fear to be cultivated”.
This echoed a speaker’s comments to Luxon earlier in the day that National “not be afraid of co-governance”.
“As political leaders … we can seek to exploit that fear for political advantage or we can seek to eliminate it,” Hipkins said, before bringing it home that Labour would “seek to bring New Zealanders together”.
Ardern provided the underline, saying, in her final speech as prime minister, the relationship between her and the church was to be passed on, and the relationship would endure beyond her premiership.
If Luxon was able to almost override the biggest political story of the week with his own kōrero, perhaps he’s not the political rookie he’s been made out to be.
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