OPINION: Hobson's Pledge – play the ball, not the man

As Don Brash sallied forth he certainly had Hobson's Choice as he was met by a rain of slings and arrows from all the usual suspects and even by the usually measured NBR.  

This raises a couple of questions that each deserve an answer. Firstly is the socialist fascism we see arising globally and particularly in the Anglosphere from the self-appointed cultural elite whose desire to control what we do, say and now even think, knows no bounds.

Comprising mainly the media, academics, local body and national public servants plus the general Left consensus, this group reacts with amazing ferocity when its ideals of political correctness are pricked by thoughts other than those it itself espouses.

This results in a closing down of public debate, which prevents the issues at hand being considered and debated by the public at large. Further, this totalitarianism leads to lamentable ad hominem attacks on the speaker or writer by whom they are miffed, in a thoroughly rude and nasty manner.

Proper discussion of the actual substance of the issue is thus stifled.


The other important question is the issue raised by Dr Brash itself concerning privilege and the removal of equality before the law.


This fundamental basis of English law which has built up from the 12th century forms the basis of how we live and respect the rights of all people, and should not be overridden or quietly ignored for political expediency. Actions to do so should be well resisted.


The immediate cry of 'racism' shows that the emperor has no clothes. This pejorative is so misused and abused that it's meaning has been diluted and of course frequently overlooks that the racism referred to is reverse racism. In the Brash case, 
the removal of privilege from non-Maori folk.

It has been argued that Maori were not the first settlers and that evidence to verify this exists in the National Archives. However, it seems petty to pursue this line and much more productive to accept our Maori brothers and sisters, many of whom now have European blood, as first settlers and treat them accordingly.

Fortunately much progress has been made in this endeavour.


To return to the point however, it is absolutely vital that the issues raised by Dr Brash are properly ventilated and considered, with weight being given to the notion of fairness for all people of our nation.

As we go about our daily lives we tend not to notice change as it is usually incremental. How many of us know for instance that the largest voting bloc in the UN is The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation.  

Or, as Jennifer Oriel reminds us, that they replaced
 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the Islamic Cairo Declaration whose articles are not universal but established ' in accordance with the Islamic Sharia'?

Locally, how many of us are aware of the Iwi Leaders Forum 
discussion paper wanting co-governance of fresh water but requiring full governance in time along with $20m to advance this cause?

It may be fair enough but we need to be informed by open discussion.

In the past we have been an apathetic nation, changing with the Springbok protests until today activists are protesting about many issues of the day.


This is good in itself but we need thinking people to stand up and alert us to changes we may not know or have thought about.
The discussion and debate must be civilised and not the mass verbal slaughter of the hapless writer or speaker raising the issue.


We need more of the Dr Brash style thinkers speaking out.

Graeme Edwards is chairman of Argyle Estates, a real estate company that specialises in commercial property.