Article: A culture war? Te Ao Māori is ready

25/09/2023

Drawing on pre- and post-election briefings I prepared for a small number of clients, this E-Tangata piece sets out my view of the 2023 coalition agreements and the implementation risks the government would need to manage actively. I argue that the electorate voted for minor change, not reform, and certainly not a culture war. I identify five risks:

an overestimated social licence
long, disconnected and contradictory policy lists
ministers without listening ears for free and frank advice
thin capacity in the public sector and little goodwill in the third sector
falling public sector productivity

I conclude that, unless these risks are mitigated, the Crown will probably be weaker in five years. The institutions of te ao Māori, meanwhile, will be strengthened by resistance and by taking care of one another.

Te Kawa, D. (2023, December 2). A culture war? Te ao Māori is ready. E-Tangata. https://e-tangata.co.nz/comment-and-analysis/a-culture-war-te-ao-maori-is-ready/

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