Fresh from expressing his admiration for the Biden govt on NewstalkZB Saturday, political activist Jack Tame assembles a Sunday panel for QandA that seems to have little disagreement on the matter of New Zealand’s descent into tribalism and separatism.

Whereas the original idea of QandA was to get a cross section of views from the NZ public, its today an outlet for elitist supporters of the progressive status quo. No Conservative ever appears.

True to form Jack’s panel this week included extremist Auckland university lecturer and Maori activist Lara Greaves. Accompanying her was Maori activist and Far North District Councillor Moko Tepania, who helped shepherd through the introduction of Māori wards, and Rongotea lawyer Liam Hehir.

Apparently Mr Hehir is some kind of unofficial spokesman for the National Party. If he’s not, it sure sounds that way as most of his supercharged delivery in a voice that sounds as if he’s been gulping helium gas is aimed at telling them what they should do to “win power”.

So, given its hardly a cross section of man in the street New Zealanders, what’s the point of the show? Easy to answer. The basic idea is to amplify the views of the governing progressive elites, including those who use your money to fund this show, and tell you what’s coming down the track, and that you better get ready to like it, because if you don’t, there is nothing you can do about it.

At a recent convention of lawyers attended by Mr Hehir, he was impressed they all introduced themselves using Te Reo. He says it shows where the country is going and the way forward. A sign the Nationals had to straighten up and think right. “It isn’t 2005 anymore” he said, and the panel all nodded their heads, the irony of Dr Brash’s predictions becoming a reality today completely escaping them.

Mr Hehir’s advice is as usual completely wrong. National’s opposition to separatism is the one point of real difference they have with the Labour party, and if they hammer on that point with enthusiasm and unity, they become a true opposition and provide a large sector of the electorate with the choices they want to see. (Maori activists vote Labour anyway, and they won’t change.)

Judith Collins has already tested the water. The next reliable opinion poll will give the National Party a much better indication of what direction it should take rather than it listen to the elitist unbalanced rubbish presented by Jack Tame and his collaborators. Or a collective of lawyers.

The Treaty of Waitangi was never meant as the basis for a partnership, and the lie that it was needs to be stopped. Ms Collins too would seem to disagree with Mr Hehir in a statement she released today-

“If it is Labour policy that the Crown has an obligation under the Treaty to allow for tino rangatiratanga – to allow two systems of decision-making right – and, as Cabinet agreed three weeks ago, that we must have partnership in decisions at all levels of the system, then this conclusion has consequences. It changes our democracy.”

You can see Mr Hehir giving his advice in the video below.