Meka Whaitiri's defection from Labour to the Māori Party is not a good look for the MP or the two parties.
She looks duplicitous and the way she defected without telling her party was plain bad mannered.
Labour looks messy and unstable.
The mess is made worse because of questions over the process:
National MP Michael Woodhouse pointed out Whaitiri's comments at the marae and asked the speaker to make clear whether a letter was received, if so which parts of the law were not met, and whether he would release the correspondence by "tabling" it.
Rurawhe said there were "very specific events" that would be required by the law to trigger Whaitiri's ejection and "I can confirm to the House that those events have not happened".
"I think it would be a dangerous situation for the Speaker of the House to start interpreting things that are clearly not being officially and submitted to me. Now, as I began my ruling, members can say whatever they like outside of this house but unless they inform me in the correct way by sending me a signed letter that is the case, I cannot act on it.
"I'm not prepared to do that until I get a letter signed by the member concerned, that ... what she has said outside ... is her intention to do."
The distinction hinges on section 55B, which requires three things: Being signed by the MP, being addressed to the speaker, and notifying him either of their resignation from the party they were elected for or that they wish "to be recognised for parliamentary purposes as either an independent member of Parliament or a member of another political party".
National MP Chris Bishop asked Rurawhe again specifically which of these was not met, for example was the message emailed and therefore did not have a physical signature?
Rurawhe said he had not received any letter of resignation - signed or unsigned - but a message was sent by email.
"I believe I followed the law to the letter, so when I tell this House I do not have a letter I actually mean it. What I have got is indication from the Honourable Meka Whaitiri that for Parliamentary purposes she has withdrawn her vote with the Labour Party," Rurawhe said. . .
Until Whaitiri's email to the speaker is made public, it remains unclear exactly how Whaitiri's decision to switch parties avoids the law - passed in 2018 with stated the purpose of removing MPs from Parliament if they do so, therefore upsetting the proportionality of Parliament.
The Māori Party will no doubt be pleased to have a third MP but it will have a mess to sort out too because it has already selected a candidate for Ikaroa-Rawhiti, the seat Whaitiri holds.
The voters of Ikaroa-Rawhiti who voted for Whaitiri because they wanted a Labour MP, rather than for her as a person have been let down.
The mess ought to be better for the right as undecided voters realise they have a clear choice between a National-led government with Act or a Labour, with the radical left Green and radically racist Māori Party.
Given the mess Labour has made governing by itself, how could any thinking voter opt for an even messier trio?
But it's not only thinking people who get a vote so any ideas that this will make winning the election easier for National and Act should be tempered with a high degree of caution.
No comments:
Post a Comment