A NEW NEW ZEALAND

While nothing can every match the day the US voted for its first black president, yesterday will mark a turning point in our political history as well.
MMP makes major parties inclusionary by necessity. Clark saddled up and rode into town with a rag tag posse because she had to.

Last night Key signalled he would be more inclusionary, because he wants to. He understands that the Maori party will be the best party to help solve some of the issues Maori faces that impede their economic and social growth.
While we now have the measure of Key, after he talked strongly of inclusionary politics because it was good for the country, his own MP's will have to show grace as some will miss out to make way for the seats at the top table which will be shared with other parties.

Key has the chance to create a government now that shapes the future. It will need a mix of wise old heads and new blood.
In the coming days Key has some critical choices to make. He is known for making bloodless decisions during his years as a money trader. To get to where we need to go and create a country that is good and great he will need to make some pragmatic decisions about the future of some of the party's long standing MP's.
It will be the measure of not Key, but the party that these changes be made swiftly and without a murmur. The greatest lessons National can learn from Labour are loyalty and unity. So the whimpering and self interest of the past, that marked changes to personal status, must go.
Any National MP, who does not understand that the politics of inclusion will make the party stronger do not merit any position of note.
We look forward to a line up that shows , that National will give all New Zealanders a shared future based on aspiration, personal responsibility, and sound economic stewardship.