Though I had to butt in to get space this morning on Q & A  (after being criticised by friends and mocked by others for politely waiting last time to be invited to speak) I enjoyed it.

I was particularly pleased to get the chance to support (however briefly)  the Hon Nick Smith's argument with Len Brown on the gobbledygook that is the Auckland (spatial) Plan, and now the draft Unitary Plan. 

I was surprised by Jon Johansson's support for my view that we should apply the blunt Aussie attitude to immigrants and the dole –  "bludgers need not come",  instead of our current policy.

On the other hand both the on camera discussion of Te Ururoa Flavell's predicament, and afterwards was disappointing. Here was a flagrant demonstration of the idiocy in an egalitarian democracy of handing more and more power to a race defined warrior class aristocracy.  Weak governments are vesting 'participation' powers that are exercised as valuable veto and hold-up rights, in unelected elites who routinely abuse power for personal gain. Thought they are good at the rhetoric of democracy (the notion that leaders serve their people, at the pleasure of the people) in fact their actions show the people are expected to serve the leaders. Rangatiratanga still operates on the aristocratic principle, that the leader's interests are paramount. The group interest is subordinate to the glory of the leader because his or her mana is the measure of the group's power. Collective meaning and identity are expressed through the respect the leader can extract.

I was disappointed (though not surprised) to find that NZ political 'scientists' have not been exploring the implications of this bizarre recent New Zealand policy. The panellists seemed to think it sufficient to expound on the necessity for success by Maori organisations of respect for  familiar succession mechanisms. They did not seem to think it of interest to look at what actually happens throughout Maoridom – where power stays with people who gain it till they leave or are kicked out in divisive fights.  Many Maori institutions are risible, because much of Maoridom simply does not do intelligent democracy – we are so familiar with corruption and theft by leaders from Maori organisations that it is scarcely news, and routine succession in power without crisis frequently just does not happen until the fossilised holders of power have run their organisations into the ground .

Take the NZ Maori Counci for example – they can't dump Sir Graham Latimer, so they are stacking the Council with like minds –  latest appointment being of crooked Donna Awatere-Huata. it ought to have made them persona non grata with the government, but has not. Such tacit endorsement of corrupt people is corroding our self image as incorruptible, and the reality will follow.