Christopher Luxons use of public funds for his home may be legal, but is it justifiable? – Arena Williams [Video]

OPINION

This is the first column from Labour MP Arena Williams, replacing Brooke van Velden, who is now a government minister. Williams joins our regular MP contributors Chlöe Swarbrick (Greens) and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer (Te Pāti Māori) on a three-weekly rotation.

Since November, the National-Act-NZ First Government has controlled 67 of the 123 seats in Parliament. As of March, it has put 18 bills through some form of urgency and taken only one item of government business through the ordinary democratic process. Many of those bills have taken things backwards for minorities, particularly Māori.

But heading towards a majority-rules form of government at such velocity comes with the risk of speed wobbles. Such an approach erodes our belief that our system of government is fair and reasonable, even if you don’t agree with the politicians in charge on any given day.

Last week, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon might have taken it too far for his own MPs.…