Continuing the series from previous posts.
National is experiencing some of the same problems that David Cameron is having to deal with after re-branding the Tory party:
Third, the Tories tried to prove that they were “nice” by siding with politically organised groups whose strategy was to portray themselves as victims: ethnic minorities were victims of oppression by whites, and gays were victims of “straight” oppressors. The main ploy of such groups – there are now seven with legal recognition – was to claim that each group should be represented in every sub-division of society in the same proportion as it is found in the general population. If ethnic minorities make up 9 per cent of the population then if 9 per cent of judges, teachers or doctors are not from ethnic minorities there must have been discrimination by whites. The political solution has been to enact laws defining discrimination as disproportionate representation, even though such disparities are inevitable. As a result, complying with anti-discrimination law has become a major business cost. The Equality Act is the latest in a long line of anti-discrimination measures and its main clauses did not come into effect until October 1. The Coalition could have delayed the new law but instead it chose to push it through, despite promising that it would adopt a one-in one-out approach to regulation. Their policy announcement that no new regulations would be imposed unless an old one was abandoned didn’t last five minutes.
We are going to see something similar as National embraces the Greens. Watch also for a push from the gay community for gay marriage. Momentum is building in the US and in Britain for this. David Cameron has already neutralised the issue by supporting gay marriage. John Key can do likewise. By doing so he will take the card away from Labour who think they have a mortgage on rainbow votes.
