Of all things
You know of all things I could blog on right now, the senseless and brutal murders (I was going to say deaths) of the fur seals on the Kaikoura coast, the sad death of a New Zealander serving in the British Army or the police chases...I choose...Politics. Why? I don't know. But its on my mind so its best off than on.
Winston Peters we all know is trying desperately to be the next fossil to return to parliament after an absolute drubbing in Tauranga in 2008. But I hold to my position that he will follow the same path of Act in 2011 and miss out. He will only get his hard core voters to turn out and that will not gain him enough votes for the 5% let alone an electorate seat...wait a minute...what electorate does he even live in? (To be honest, thats in my don't know - don't care basket). But he has nothing new to offer New Zealand, will not be a part of any National lead government, therefore will be as useful to anyone as Chris Carter.
I'm so glad that Phil Goff has given his last 'public' engagement speech of the year. And what a way to end the year...the speech that makes you look more moronic that you already look. During his speech if you haven't already heard he spoke about Labour's finance spokesperson "David Cagill". Cagill was finance minister for a while but has been out of parliament for over 14 years. David Cunliff who many feel is a leader waiting in the wings is Labour's finance spokesperson and in looking at his body language when the mistake happened and when asked afterwards said it was a good speech. Well, both times his body language was showing he was frankly annoyed. I would be too if I was the #3 in the line up and the captain fluffs your name.
The thing is Labour voter or not, the prospect of Labour making any substantial gains in the polls, enough to topple the Nats is remote without someone worth voting for and policies to back them up. While I am all for cheaper fresh fruit and veges there has to be a way of isolating the benefit of that kind of idea to those who need it most, rather than a blanket removal of the tax. Otherwise its no different to the noise Labour is making to the National income tax cuts that went to higher income earners as well as lower incomes.
While I agree with him that National goals don't mean a strategic direction or policy, there isn't anything in his speech that is much better. A lot of we will do this but very little in the way of hard and fast commitments to doing it and then the hows. How will Labour take the GST off fresh fruit and veg? How will they ensure that the higher income earners pay their fair share of the tax because everyone knows, that will attract voters.
Thing's aren't exactly rosey under National and they have certainly made some calls I do not necessarily agree with, but they aren't social engineering either. I believe Labour also to some degree deliberately did not release information about the condition of government accounts at the time of the election because things were worse than they were made to appear to be.
National I think has to come up with some new material...after nearly two years they still harp on about the 'poor economic management of the previous government' when its the performance of the current one that is of concern with most people. When I look at a petrol pump and see I'm paying almost $1.90 a litre I don't think about Labour...I think about a 3 cent per litre increase and an increase in GST that was done this year...under National...not Labour.
But Labour has a mountain to climb and their lead scout is not looking the best. From my perspective its Nationals election to lose rather than Labours to win. Labour will need a new leader sooner rather than later.
Winston Peters we all know is trying desperately to be the next fossil to return to parliament after an absolute drubbing in Tauranga in 2008. But I hold to my position that he will follow the same path of Act in 2011 and miss out. He will only get his hard core voters to turn out and that will not gain him enough votes for the 5% let alone an electorate seat...wait a minute...what electorate does he even live in? (To be honest, thats in my don't know - don't care basket). But he has nothing new to offer New Zealand, will not be a part of any National lead government, therefore will be as useful to anyone as Chris Carter.
I'm so glad that Phil Goff has given his last 'public' engagement speech of the year. And what a way to end the year...the speech that makes you look more moronic that you already look. During his speech if you haven't already heard he spoke about Labour's finance spokesperson "David Cagill". Cagill was finance minister for a while but has been out of parliament for over 14 years. David Cunliff who many feel is a leader waiting in the wings is Labour's finance spokesperson and in looking at his body language when the mistake happened and when asked afterwards said it was a good speech. Well, both times his body language was showing he was frankly annoyed. I would be too if I was the #3 in the line up and the captain fluffs your name.
The thing is Labour voter or not, the prospect of Labour making any substantial gains in the polls, enough to topple the Nats is remote without someone worth voting for and policies to back them up. While I am all for cheaper fresh fruit and veges there has to be a way of isolating the benefit of that kind of idea to those who need it most, rather than a blanket removal of the tax. Otherwise its no different to the noise Labour is making to the National income tax cuts that went to higher income earners as well as lower incomes.
While I agree with him that National goals don't mean a strategic direction or policy, there isn't anything in his speech that is much better. A lot of we will do this but very little in the way of hard and fast commitments to doing it and then the hows. How will Labour take the GST off fresh fruit and veg? How will they ensure that the higher income earners pay their fair share of the tax because everyone knows, that will attract voters.
Thing's aren't exactly rosey under National and they have certainly made some calls I do not necessarily agree with, but they aren't social engineering either. I believe Labour also to some degree deliberately did not release information about the condition of government accounts at the time of the election because things were worse than they were made to appear to be.
National I think has to come up with some new material...after nearly two years they still harp on about the 'poor economic management of the previous government' when its the performance of the current one that is of concern with most people. When I look at a petrol pump and see I'm paying almost $1.90 a litre I don't think about Labour...I think about a 3 cent per litre increase and an increase in GST that was done this year...under National...not Labour.
But Labour has a mountain to climb and their lead scout is not looking the best. From my perspective its Nationals election to lose rather than Labours to win. Labour will need a new leader sooner rather than later.
Labels: Elections, Labour Party, National Party
posted by Wiremu Bayliss at
9:15 am
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