By Seuamuli Desmond Bentin
Why is Luxon Christopher and Bishop just Chris? Is it because Luxon has seven mortgage free properties and Bishop only has two, which he owes money on? I don’t know mate. That’s why I’m asking you.
For you guys who don’t particularly care about what is happening in politics here, there, or anywhere, Christopher became the fifth New Zealand National Party leader in four years last Tuesday, and Chris announced to reporters on the same day that he would do whatever Christopher asks him to do, starting with saying that (about 28% of) “Kiwis don’t care about how wealthy their political leaders are, and admire those who’ve been successful”.
I added the “about 28%” bit because that is the National Party support base max. The swingers, centrists, and others vote the Nats into power when they are led to believe that they too will become as rich as Chris, and maybe even Christopher, if they voted National.
They will inevitably return to vote for Labour when even after up to nine years support, the most they get is a long neck and asset sales.
We now have two major political parties in Samoa. The Human Rights Protection Party (HRPP) and Fa’atuatua I le Atua Samoa ua Tasi Party (FAST). Which one is like, liberal, and which is more conservative? I am sure that they would both claim to be Conservative.
I cannot find any official confirmation yet, but it seems like the FAST Party leadership and members have adopted red as their party colour.
Red is the colour of the labour movement and the centre-left Labour parties of New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Ireland. Does that mean that the FAST party is centre-left or liberal?
The HRPP leaders and members are seen predominantly in blue, which is the centre-right conservative National party colours.
Somehow, we have managed to get things switched around and confused here. I think all the great things the HRPP have done recently like changing the side of the road that we drive on, moving the dateline and taxing the incomes of pastors have hardly been conservative. They should be the ones in red.
Or maybe there really aren’t any policy differences so the colours are just so the FAST party supporters know which ones to threaten with violence when they come to Savai’i.
But how will we react to the creation of a Green Party if Samoan Climate Change Leader Brianna Fruean decides that appealing to our political leaders for the political will “to do the right thing, to wield the right words, and to follow it up with long overdue action” comes under the heading of “If you want to get something done right, do it yourself?”
Laters.