Marama Davidson gets back to work
The Green co-leader stepped back into the spotlight for the first time in eight months.
Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Tuesday, February 4.
In today’s edition: Act floats pulling New Zealand out of Paris Agreement, Wellington’s new housing boom, and a new poll (again) puts Labour above National. But first, Waitangi week sees the return of the Greens’ Marama Davidson.
‘We can come through’
Green co-leader Marama Davidson picked a busy week to mark her return to politics. After an eight month absence following a cancer diagnosis and treatment, Davidson joined her fellow leader, Chlöe Swarbrick, at Waitangi yesterday. The Green MP formally stepped back into the spotlight over the weekend, appearing for her first interview in about eight months. "I'm alive, I am well, and I'm getting better with each day," Davidson told RNZ’s Mata Reports. "Some of the days have been tough, and then people come through with the support and the aroha."
In an interview with RNZ’s Morning Report moments ago, Davidson described her return to the “political realm” as a “bit overwhelming”, but added that being removed from her day-to-day job had given her a “clearer view” of what mattered. 2024 was a challenging year for the Greens, with Davidson absent for about half of it. Along with the passing of Efeso Collins, there were scandals or incidents involving Golriz Ghahraman, Julie-Anne Genter and Darleen Tana. “We can come through,” Davidson said this morning. “We are ready for whatever is thrown at us. I am so pleased to be back to help the team out.”
The ‘ideal’ time to return
The timing of Davidson’s return is, of course, partly because of how her lengthy recovery has panned out. But it’s also a reminder of Davidson’s values. Speaking to reporters at Waitangi yesterday, Davidson described how difficult it was to step away from work “right when I felt needed on some really big issues”, reported Stuff. A profile of Davidson from Leonie Hayden in The Spinoff in 2020 gives a clear idea of how the MP views her position of power. “There’s no point in me sacrificing time away from my whānau unless I continue to do what I was put there to do, which is to represent the voices on the ground who feel like they are disconnected from power,” she said.
Many of the “big issues” will be front and centre of debate this week. The Treaty Principles Bill is currently before select committee, meaning it remains an omnipresent topic as politicians make their way to the Far North. “It’s an ideal time for me to make my return to politics,” Davidson said yesterday, reported Newsroom’s Laura Walters. “I purposefully wanted to pick up on the excitement and vibe of the nation, sending a clear message that they stand for kōtahitanga.”
Opposition rallies supporters
Waitangi organisers are expecting a particularly big turnout on Thursday, with some early predictions as high as 50,000. We’ll have plenty more coverage of this in The Bulletin all week. Despite the heightened political atmosphere, organisers are stressing a desire for peace. “It is back to basics,” Pita Tipene, the chairperson of the Waitangi National Trust, told Stuff’s Glenn McConnell.
The prime minister, Christopher Luxon, will not be among those welcomed onto the Treaty grounds. The coalition will still be well represented, with Act’s David Seymour likely to face the brunt of any protest. In the run up to the commemorations, the opposition has made early efforts to control the narrative. Like the Greens, Labour leader Chris Hipkins has already made the voyage north. “He’s at Waitangi, the PM isn’t, and he gets to take free shots,” wrote the Herald’s Simon Wilson (paywalled), in reference to Hipkins. In an opinion piece published yesterday, Hipkins criticised the prime minister for choosing not to visit the Treaty grounds this week. “Despite kicking off one of the most divisive debates on race relations in our lifetimes, prompting one of the biggest protests to parliament we’ve ever seen and record public participation in the submissions process on the Treaty Principles Bill, Christopher Luxon has declined to front up,” wrote Hipkins. (Luxon isn’t the first prime minister not to attend, it’s worth remembering – in recent years, Helen Clark, John Key and Bill English have all gone elsewhere on at least one occasion).
The conflicting arguments for Luxon
On the one hand, Luxon’s absence is understandable. He does not want to be associated with upset over the Treaty principles bill, a proposed piece of legislation he has repeatedly described as “divisive”. On the other, Luxon leads the government that decided to allow the bill to make it to select committee (The Spinoff’s Liam Rātana wrote a very level-headed opinion piece last year considering whether the financial cost of the Treaty debate was, actually, justified) and should be present to listen and respond.
As Newsroom’s Marc Daalder wrote last year, Luxon’s decision to head to the opposite end of the country for Waitangi Day (he’ll be spending it in Canterbury) comes after he conceded the Crown-Māori relationship had worsened under his government. “The political optics for critics are that he’s too afraid to show up – or, as Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi put it, he ‘may be a drop-nuts’,” wrote Daalder. Leaving his coalition partners, and the opposition, to suck up most of the airtime on Thursday is a bold gamble by the prime minister. Whether it will pay off remains to be seen.
Have thoughts? Join the conversation in the comments.
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We still need 4,500 new members to join us this year to ensure our future so we can continue the comprehensive, rigorous and thoughtful coverage of the things that matter to our audiences.
Please, if you value comprehensive coverage of Waitangi and te Tiriti issues, and you’ve let your membership lapse, make this week the week you sign up again.
Could NZ follow America and pull out of Paris Agreement?
Act leader David Seymour has floated the possibility of New Zealand pulling out of the Paris climate agreement. It wouldn’t happen in this term of government, however, as Seymour would take the proposal to the election as party policy, reported the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan. “I think in the future we’re going to have to ask ourselves with such major polluters pulling out, especially the United States, is it worthwhile for New Zealand to stay in and find itself sending New Zealanders’ money overseas?” Seymour said.
More reading:
My ancestors were colonisers
On The Spinoff this morning: a stunning essay from Max Rashbrooke examining his ancestors’ role in the shaping of Aotearoa, and what that means for his own role in its future. Here’s an extract:
“Outside parliament, my ancestors (known among themselves as “the Mob”) made useful contributions. In a court case concerning the Irish freedom fighters known as “Fenians”, an oppressed minority in colonial New Zealand, C. W. Richmond delivered a judgement of relative leniency and tolerance. His daughter Mary helped found New Zealand’s kindergarten movement, and the Mob’s women were influential advocates for temperance and female education. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the family’s politicians believed in public service for its own sake, rather than as a means to get rich. The Mob’s members read widely on philosophy and religion. They were scientific investigators. They held an intense curiosity about the world. And they singularly failed to apply these values to their dealings with Māori.”
More reading:
Join us live in 2025
We have four fantastic live events in 2025. Join us in Auckland and Wellington for The Spinoff Live!
Auckland at Q Theatre: Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club Party, February 13 and Gone by Lunchtime Live, April 9.
Wellington at the Hannah Playhouse: The Fold Live, February 20 and The Spinoff Book Club, March 13.
Wellington’s new housing boom
There’s been a spike in applications for townhouse and apartment developments since the city’s pro-density District Plan was approved, writes Joel MacManus in his latest Windbag column.
After averaging 26 new dwellings consented per month, WCC approved 87 new dwellings in November. It’s a major outlier compared to the relatively slow rate of development happening elsewhere in New Zealand amid poor economic conditions and high interest rates.
To support work like this, consider becoming a Spinoff Member.
Click and Collect
Growing tension between New Plymouth mayor and MSD boss over rough sleepers revealed.
The strategy and politics behind Trump’s trade war. Meanwhile, Trump has this morning confirmed a one-month pause on implementing tariffs on Mexico.
On RNZ’s First Up today, finance minister Nicola Willis said the government will make the case for continuing trade access to the US.
Biggest hāngī laid in almost 80 years kicking off Waitangi Week celebrations.
Desley Simpson responds to report Wayne Brown would ask her to step down as his deputy.
Treasury has warned the government that “significant reforms” or “reductions to public services” will be needed if it sticks to its current, restricted spending track. (NZ Herald Premium, paywalled)
Grammys 2025: The highlights, the lowlights, the performances.
Toby Manhire joins Duncan Greive on a brand new episode of The Fold to discuss a minor diplomatic incident involving Texas senator Ted Cruz, and what it says about the chaotic information space we now operate in.
Hayden Donnell argues that Chris Luxon is right about New Zealand's culture of saying “no”, but that he could look closer to home for the solution. Alex Casey and Tara Ward recap the return of Breakfast, New Zealand's last surviving morning show. Liam Rātana shares ten fascinating facts about Waitangi. Anna Rāwhiti-Connell reviews the erotically charged Noferatu and Babygirl double feature. Thomas Giblin has a quick guide to all the new movies and TV on streaming services this week.
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Catch you back here tomorrow morning.
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Luxon's cowardly decision to run away and hide in Akaroa on Waitangi Day tells us everything we need to know about how hopelessly unsuitable he is as a politician.
He's let his two vastly more competent coalition partners walk all over him for eighteen months and drag the country through all kinds of expensive and divisive posturing while he grins and sweats on the sidelines, offering nothing but empty corporate slogans.
There's a particularly stupid idea that countries can be 'Run like a business'. Luxon's only worthwhile legacy might be finally proving this concept to be nonsense.
Oh, and WELCOME BACK Marama Davidson.
Great to see Marama back! Not surprising the PM will be absent - he has nothing to say worth hearing anyway.