From Seymour’s embarrassing Oxford Union defeat to the punitive silencing of Māori MPs for performing a haka, alongside a slew of other equally shameful scandals, this government is tarnishing our global reputation with every misstep they take.
Seymour’s Oxford Union shambles was a humiliation for New Zealand. Debating the motion “no one can be illegal on stolen land,” his team bombed spectacularly, exposing his inability to articulate a coherent defence of his bigoted worldview. His smug dismissal of Māori activism as “reprehensible” failed to sway an international audience, highlighting his disconnection from reality. Clearly Seymour’s hubris and racist beliefs aren’t widely shared. This wasn’t just a loss; it was a public relations disaster for a Deputy Prime Minister who’s regressive and racist Treaty Principles Bill should never again see the light of day.
Yesterday, The Post reported:
David Seymour debated at the prestigious Oxford Union, and lost. Here’s what happened
ACT leader and deputy PM David Seymour took part in the famous Oxford Union debate, surrounded by the world’s brightest minds - including Noam Chomsky’s daughter. Harriette Boucher was also watching.
The newly titled deputy prime minister David Seymour took to a different chamber this morning, one with men in suits and ties, and women in gowns and pearls.
Taking part in the Oxford Union debate on Friday morning (Thursday, local time), Seymour argued in opposition to the moot that “no one can be illegal on stolen land”.
“I’m not sure we are going to win that one, based on the crowd response,” he told The Post after.
And they didn’t.
ACT leader and deputy PM David Seymour took part in the famous Oxford Union debate, surrounded by the world’s brightest minds - including Noam Chomsky’s daughter. Harriette Boucher was also watching.
The newly titled deputy prime minister David Seymour took to a different chamber this morning, one with men in suits and ties, and women in gowns and pearls.
Taking part in the Oxford Union debate on Friday morning (Thursday, local time), Seymour argued in opposition to the moot that “no one can be illegal on stolen land”.
“I’m not sure we are going to win that one, based on the crowd response,” he told The Post after.
And they didn’t.
Even more shameful was the punishment of Te Pāti Māori MPs for their haka protest in Parliament last November. Receiving record-breaking suspensions for merely doing a haka, which was justifiably expressing cultural dissent against Seymour’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill, the Māori Party have received numerous interviews from overseas reporters who're scratching their heads in disbelief.
The haka, a powerful symbol of Māori identity, was branded “disorderly” by a government clearly intent on removing all indigenous rights. International press, such as the BBC, Al Jazeera, NPR, CNN and ABC News reported factually, portraying Aotearoa as a nation that punishes Māori for a haka that is widely recognised as symbolic of New Zealand, creating perceptions of racist governance that will keep tourists away in droves.
Compounding this mess is Chris Luxon’s utter failure to lead in any meaningful way whatsoever. Perpetually in the dark on any details when it suits him about his Minister's and staff, Luxon has made a career as PM by shirking his responsibilities. From his underling's numerous missteps to his press secretary, Michael Forbes, who was investigated by Police for recording sex workers without consent, Luxon often claims that he’s absolutely clueless! His hands-off approach has left the shambles of a Coalition directionless, allowing his subordinates to run riot while Luxon tries to cover-up the mess with vague platitudes and false promises.
On Thursday, 1 News reported:
Why wasn't PM told about police investigation into staffer?
The sudden resignation of one of the Prime Minister's senior press secretaries is raising questions about why Christopher Luxon's office was not told about the police investigation last year.
Michael Forbes left his job as acting deputy chief press secretary on Wednesday and has apologised after accusations he recorded audio of sessions with sex workers, and had intrusive photos of women in public and footage shot through windows at night.
Police said they got a complaint from a Wellington brothel last July after images were found on a client's phone, but decided the case did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
The sudden resignation of one of the Prime Minister's senior press secretaries is raising questions about why Christopher Luxon's office was not told about the police investigation last year.
Michael Forbes left his job as acting deputy chief press secretary on Wednesday and has apologised after accusations he recorded audio of sessions with sex workers, and had intrusive photos of women in public and footage shot through windows at night.
Police said they got a complaint from a Wellington brothel last July after images were found on a client's phone, but decided the case did not meet the threshold for prosecution.
The government’s mismanagement doesn’t stop there. Recently, Winston Peters called Te Pāti Māori “extremists” and mocked Rawiri Waititi’s moko, a face tattoo that is widely used by Kaumātua (a respected tribal elder) in New Zealand.
The government’s socially destructive agenda, like cutting public services, ignoring climate commitments and cosying up to corporates to the detriment of our international reputation, erodes our progressive credentials that have taken considerable time, the will of numerous government’s and millions of dollars to build.
Then there’s the rolling back of nearly every progressive policy that Jacinda Ardern made while she was PM, legislation that was widely supported from across the globe.
Climate Change Emissions (Zero Carbon Act):
Previous Policy: The 2019 Zero Carbon Act set a carbon-neutral target by 2050 with carbon budgets and a Climate Change Commission.
Current Action: Core framework retained but softened; repealed Clean Car Discount, reinstated oil/gas exploration, and delayed agricultural emissions pricing (2023–2024).
Current Action: Core framework retained but softened; repealed Clean Car Discount, reinstated oil/gas exploration, and delayed agricultural emissions pricing (2023–2024).
Smoke-Free Generation Legislation:
Previous Policy: Banned tobacco sales for those born after 2008, reduced retailers, and lowered nicotine levels.
Current Action: Repealed in 2024 to preserve tax revenue and avoid black-market risks.
Current Action: Repealed in 2024 to preserve tax revenue and avoid black-market risks.
Māori Health Authority (Te Aka Whai Ora):
Previous Policy: Established in 2022 to address Māori health disparities via independent governance.
Current Action: Disestablished in 2024, functions returned to Ministry of Health to reduce bureaucracy.
Current Action: Disestablished in 2024, functions returned to Ministry of Health to reduce bureaucracy.
KiwiBuild Housing Programme:
Previous Policy: Aimed to build 100,000 affordable homes in 10 years.
Current Action: Scrapped in 2023, replaced with zero state house builds and declining building consents.
Current Action: Scrapped in 2023, replaced with zero state house builds and declining building consents.
He Puapua Report Recommendations:
Previous Policy: Proposed Māori co-governance.
Current Action: Halted in 2023, with co-governance policies reversed.
Current Action: Halted in 2023, with co-governance policies reversed.
Prison Population Reduction Target:
Previous Policy: Targeted a 30% prison population reduction by 2033, focusing on rehabilitation.
Current Action: Abandoned in 2023, with a shift to tougher sentencing and more jails.
Current Action: Abandoned in 2023, with a shift to tougher sentencing and more jails.
Te Reo Māori Integration and Bonuses:
Previous Policy: Promoted Te Reo in public services with salary bonuses for fluency.
Current Action: Bonuses ended and English mandated as primary public service language (2023).
Current Action: Bonuses ended and English mandated as primary public service language (2023).
Gender and Sexuality Education (RSE) Guidelines:
Previous Policy: Updated school curriculums to include gender and sexuality diversity (2020).
Current Action: Guidelines replaced in 2023 to focus on academic achievement.
Current Action: Guidelines replaced in 2023 to focus on academic achievement.
Violent Extremism Research Centre:
Previous Policy: Established post-2019 Christchurch attacks to research extremism.
Current Action: Defunded in 2024, seen as reducing “woke” spending.
Current Action: Defunded in 2024, seen as reducing “woke” spending.
Aotearoa’s once-stellar reputation for integrity is also slipping, with the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranking New Zealand fourth at 83 points, down from 85 in 2023 and a high of 91 in 2015. This steady decline, mainly driven by falling business confidence in government integrity, as noted in the World Economic Forum’s Executive Opinion Survey, signals growing perceptions of corruption in public procurement, immigration, and political lobbying.
Transparency International New Zealand warns of complacency, highlighting weak anti-corruption measures and insufficient transparency in political financing. This slide risks tarnishing “Brand NZ,” threatening economic trust and global standing, which will assuredly mean less investment.
Internationally, Chris Luxon’s mishandling of his press secretaries recording of sex workers, is further damaging our reputation. Then there’s the government prioritising Budget debates over addressing the haka suspensions, ensuring Te Pāti Māori’s absence during the Regulatory Standards Bill’s passage through Parliament, displaying that the coalition of chaos is obsessed with control, not dialogue, which further showcases their racism to the world.
New Zealand’s reputation is on life support. Seymour’s failed debate, the Coalition’s vendetta against Māori, Luxon’s weak leadership, and numerous globally recognised scandals are causing significant damage that will take many decades to repair. Aotearoa deserves better than this Coalition of Chaos, hell-bent on making us a global cautionary tale of squandered goodwill. It’s time to reject this regressive circus and demand leadership that puts our country back on track to a pathway of progress.
