New Zealand’s newly elected National Party-led government can rely on governing by a four seat majority on all key issues for the next three years, after Prime Minister John Key signed a confidence and supply agreement with the Maori Party.
After recounts announced over the weekend, the government lost one seat from its election night result, taking its 60 seats in the 120-seat Parliament down to 59.
Coalition agreements signed with the Act and United Future parties, both of which secured one seat, had already given National a bare parliamentary majority of two votes, reduced to one by recounts.
The recounts saw the Green Party gain a seat on the party vote, and welcome the country’s first profoundly deaf MP, Mojo Mathers, to Parliament, while Labour and National swapped an electorate seat each in Christchurch and Auckland respectively.
National’s wafer-thin one-seat majority is now buttressed by the votes of three Members of Parliament elected in Maori constituency seats.
The Maori Party’s support extends only to confidence and supply,meaning it will support the annual Budget and issues of life or death for the government.
That will allow National’s Key to govern while giving the Maori Party scope to vote against the government in areas where it disagrees without threatening a general election.
Despite the likelihood his willingness to compromise with National will cost him the party’s co-leadership, Pita Sharples retains the Maori Affairs portfolio.
His co-leader, Tariana Turia, retains associate health and responsibility for the Whanau Ora primary health delivery policy, which the party has developed in consultation with National.
The Maori Party has also won an inquiry into poverty as part of a deal which political commentators speculate will spell the party’s death-knell after a groundswell of Maori voters returned to support the Labour Party in their party at the Nov. 26 general election.
(BusinessDesk)
5 Comments
In my opinion the government coalition under PM Key will not survive 3 years. Dramatic worldwide events will Key’s megalomaniac economic ambitions throw overboard, not leading into promised recovery but even bigger deficits and massive unemployment..
I can already hear him saying again and again: “I don’t accept that proposition, because the world situation changed dramatically”
Not content with Smiling and Waving, Mr Key now endorses a party that is committed to the advancement of one race over another. What's that called again .... Sorry, I have I've forgotten the exact term. I'm sure it starts with a "R" and ends with a "T".
You should report yourself to the Human Rights Commission, Mr Key. But you won't will you, that would entail wasted time when you could be Smiling and Waving.
Never mind though, Pita will be happy his Gang Bro's continue to enjoy Ministerial support.
BTW, how's the cycle way going, Mr Key? Don't seem to have heard much about it lately. I must congratulate you on an outstanding repsonse to the Global Financial Crisis. What a master stroke! An absolute world beater that was. What a genius. Give that man a knighthood.
Has no one noticed National's share of the vote fell quite considerably with specials counted?
National fell from 47.99% on election night to 47.31% after specials. That means the Nats picked up just 41.6% of special votes.
Indeed National/Act, with 48.38% of the vote, got less than they did in 2008 when they got a combined 48.58%. Considering the low turnout, not exactly the big swing to National.
'Thin as'.. means no effort to rock the rotten boat....tweak and fiddle until 014...plenty of employment in wgtn for the spin doctors and flunkies....
In simple language.....what happens in Europe the States and China, will determine how deep the hole is.
Expect the Keynesian games of can kicking to continue. The 'surplus' promised will go the way of the 170000 new job promise.
"Recession"....'new normal'...call it what you like....get used to it.
Sweden had politicians who were up to speed with why the Keynesian approach to economic management was foolhardy and based on lies.....they opted to go the prudent way and look where they are now...
Our pollies are made of different stuff...mostly hollow...so we get poor govt and that means the wrong policy approach...and now we head into 3 years of serious crisis with a govt holding a wafer thin majority.
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