What is Co-Governance?

DEMOCRACY

(adapted from the Parable of the Speck and the Log)

A Maori and a non-Maori own equal shares in a $1000 second hand car.

Actually, the Maori owned it, but he let the non-Maori buy a share because the poor guy had just arrived in the country and didn’t have a car.

With democracy, they are supposed to contribute equally to the costs, have an equal share in the decision making about the car, and have equal time driving it.

One day, the non-Maori has a few friends visiting from overseas, and decides to let them take the car.

Because of this, the Maori can’t get to work and loses his job.

The next day, the non-Maori returns the car, but it’s all beaten up and has been in an accident. It’s no longer driveable and has to be scrapped.

Because the non-Maori is by now a member of one of the 10 richest families in New Zealand (who own 60% of the wealth), he goes out and buys a brand new Lamborghini. He stops paying his share of the costs of the other car and leaves the Maori to deal with the broken down wreck.

It takes the Maori a long time to recover from the financial blow of losing both his livelihood and his car, but with the support of his family, he gets another job, buys another car, studies part time and becomes a lawyer.

Because he has earned the respect of his people and knows about the law, they ask him to be a tribal representative.

The Maori is still somewhat aggrieved that the non-Maori never compensated him for his half of the car that was written off; and left him to deal with disposing of it.

He can also see that the non-Maori is harming other people and causing damage to other property, such as forests, lakes and rivers; and not taking responsibility.

The Maori wants to change how things are done so that things improve in future – both for his own sake and for his tribe who appointed him as their representative. Because the non-Maori did a lot of unfair things under ‘democracy,’ the Maori suggests they try co-governance as a fairer system.

CO-GOVERNANCE

With co-governance, the Maori tribal representative insists the non-Maori works with him to clean up the rivers, lakes and forests; and put in place laws to redress past wrongs and protect the Maori people from unfair treatment in the future.

As a result of this work, the Maori’s tribe begins to build up financial reserves, and this wealth is shared with the tribe to provide improved health, housing, education and other things that are important to them.

The non-Maori continues to take his Lamborghini to the car wash every Sunday, where he pays the Maori’s son minimum wage to give it a valet clean.

Even though the non-Maori does not suffer any material disadvantage from the co-governance arrangement, it frightens him to see the Maori gaining in wealth and power. He wonders who is going to clean his Lamborghini if the Maori’s son doesn’t need a part time job to get through University. People are also starting to notice and remember the poor behaviour of the non-Maori in the past.

In an effort to distract everyone from talking about his appalling behaviour in the past; and to make sure there will be someone available to clean his Lamborghini in future, the non-Maori shouts loudly that the Maori must be corrupt and dishonest to have amassed that much wealth; and makes up a silly story about a car to illustrate his point.

As ex Labour PM David Lange may have said, co-governance and democracy are absolutely delicious, just like custard squares and lamingtons. I would definitely recommend having at least one of each. 

Politicians deliberately use terms like “squeaked democracy,” “sophisticated dance,” “a new kind of necromancy” and “co-pulation” to muddle and confuse the public.

Don’t buy into it. Keep firmly in mind the story of the $1000 car.

Co-governance is a system which frightens the political right and empowers those who work in car washes.

How?

It reduces the rights and powers of the vehicle owners (mostly members or friends of the 10 wealthiest families in New Zealand, who still hold 60% of the wealth, despite the recent growth of tribal wealth that has been so frightening) and gives those rights and powers to the people actually washing the cars - with the hose in their hand (not to mention the keys) giving them ultimate power. In a nutshell, he who controls the turbo nozzle (and the keys) controls the world.

Don't let time stand still!

A Letter from the Board