Agreeing to disagree sign of maturity

The government has had its first agree to disagree moment but it is not, as Newshub headlined its report, a sign of crack appearing in the coalition:

The Coalition Government is not seeing eye to eye with its continuation of Labour’s COVID-19 Royal Commission Inquiry. 

New Zealand First has invoked its “agree to disagree” provisions in its coalition cause with National over the inquiry. It means the Government’s inquiry will go ahead, however, NZ First is publicly stating it disagrees with elements of it.  . . 

The coalition isn’t cracking, the parties are sticking to their agreement to allow one or more to disagree with a decision but not to oppose it.

The ability to agree to disagree is a sign of mutual respect and maturity in a relationship as Mike Hosking said:

We have our first agree to disagree clause of this new coalition. 

First point to make – what a mature look it is. 

New Zealand First has invoked the clause, which is probably not the surprise. 

The surprise is that in previous coalitions this would be described as a crack. “Coalition cracks forming” was the headline from Newshub. Yet in 2024 if it is as it seems, it’s a clause, that’s life and we move on. 

That is to the credit of Christopher Luxon, who stitched this thing together with the view of it holding long term. So far, so good.  . .

Not allowing parties in any relationship – business, personal or political – to agree to disagree is a recipe for stagnation and potentially a breakdown.

Individuals who love each other sometimes have to agree to disagree. Political parties which chose to play together with the cards voters dealt them must also accept that sometimes agreement is impossible but that differences of opinion won’t threaten or destabilise the relationship.

As for the policy on which the parties disagree, I have sympathy for the view that it was set up by Labour to avoid blame.

But the second phase with new commissioners who will focus on vaccine efficacy and safety, the extended lockdowns in Auckland and Northland, and the extent of disruption to health, education, and business, will be much less constrained and be far more likely to find better ways of handling a future pandemic.