THE NATIONAL PARTY CAUCUS should make Judith Collins Leader of the Opposition. They should, but they won’t. Like the Labour Party caucus in 2011, the Nats will allow their hearts (or possibly their livers) to over-rule their heads. They’ll opt for the candidate/s they want – rather than the candidate their party needs. And, by telling their party to run-along and let the professionals handle it, they will unleash exactly the same debilitating internal conflict that kept Labour out of power for 9 years.
Why? Because the only lesson to be learnt from history is that human-beings are incapable of learning the lessons of history.
Anyone listening to Judith Collins being interviewed by Guyon Espiner on this morning’s (26/2/18) “Morning Report” couldn’t help but be impressed.
For a start, she had the gumption to show up in RNZ’s Auckland studio. Although all five of the candidates vying for the National Party leadership had been invited, all but Collins declined.
That decision, alone, is enough to disqualify Amy Adams, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce and Mark Mitchell from leading a round of applause – let alone the largest political party in New Zealand.
More impressive, however, was Collins’ ability to express her thoughts clearly, forcefully, succinctly and with a well-judged measure of good humour. Unlike Amy Adams, she doesn’t gabble. Nor does her tongue appear to be engaged in a wrestling-match with every vowel attempting to make it past her teeth – as is the case with both Simon Bridges and Mark Mitchell.
Only Steven Joyce is competitive with Collins when it comes to articulateness. Unfortunately, he always sounds as if he’s privy to some private joke: something about which his listeners know absolutely nothing. There is about the man a fundamental lack of seriousness which sits very uneasily with the role he is now seeking to play. Conveying the impression that the voters are all just hapless players in some vast cosmic comedy may be acceptable in a highly successful campaign manager – but not in a potential prime minister.
The other explanation for Collins’ articulateness is that she actually has something to say. In marked contrast to the torrent of empty platitudes and/or self-aggrandizing puffery pouring out of the mouths of the other candidates, Collins talks about politics. Given that she is in a race for the political leadership of New Zealand, that is both refreshing and gratifying.
That Collins’ politics is frightening to liberals, socialists and other harmless living creatures is neither here nor there. Said socialists and liberals are not her primary audience.
The New Zealanders Collins is speaking for and to are not the sort to be found in the university common-room – nor yet the secondary-school staff-room. They are not liberal arts students or aspiring film-directors. Not many of them will be found on the factory-floor, in the warehouse, or laying bitumen on the motorway.
Collins supporters are much more likely to be found in small, owner-operated businesses and family-farms. She will get a good hearing from women operating in positions of mid-level responsibility: the working mother who looks after the wages in a medium-sized enterprise; the manager of a retail outlet employing three or four shop assistants. Men of an authoritarian temperament (and there are a lot more of those than most people would like to think) will urge Collins on with lusty cheers.
Most supportive of all, however, will be those wealthy, hard-core conservatives who bridle at the regulatory “madness” of health-and-safety legislation; the enterprise-stifling provisions of the Resource Management Act; and the sheer effrontery of trade unionists and public servants. The sort of people who know that life under free-market capitalism is a zero-sum game – and who have no intention of remaining on the losing side for one second longer than is absolutely necessary.
In short, Collins appeals to the sort of people who have always made up – and continue to make up – the vast bulk of National Party support. The sort of people who do not take kindly to having their clearly expressed preference over-ridden by the ambitious ne’er-do-wells and wannabes who came to them for the money and behind-the-scenes backing required to secure a seat in the New Zealand Parliament.
In short, the sort of people who, should they discover that National’s caucus is no longer capable of identifying who, in the largest possible measure, possesses the qualities required to lead the National Party to victory, will insist on doing the job themselves.
why would we want Judith when we got rid of bill she is of the same ilk same old has been
@ Michelle … Collins is waspish. A rabid mongrel with a lust for blood.
When put up against Jacinda Ardern, this will cause Natz to sink even lower into their odious cesspit of squalor. Also there is the fact that Collins has a dubious history promoting hubby’s company Oravida, using the previous Natz government!
This adds up to being all good as far as I’m concerned, giving Labour the next two, maybe three elections.
To be truthful, none of the five candidates have the ability to knock down Jacinda, no matter how hard they throw dirty politics at her and her team.
She strikes me as being quite mad and more than a little delusional, personality wise like Muldoon in Drag.
But nonetheless, a self serving survivor.
Which is a far more interesting prospect than Simon Bridges who would happily go to the trenches and die for whatever death merchant/oil company/tobacco company will pay him the most.
(And who, incidentally, manages to make John Key look like nz’s very own George Clooney.)
Sad but true Countryboy,except for one thing….they are determined to see the Right thing done!
Trouble is our Nat lite mob in power now are only marginally better.
Not sure who was the better looking Muldoon or Collins, certainly a lot of similarities with their facial features and mannerisms.
Judith Collins and Steven Joyce as deputy/finance was the only way National could win in 2020. They don’t stand a chance with Bridges/Bennett
Its got to be said that Judith Collins has similarities with Rob Muldoon , both being authoritarians.
The difference pretty much stops there, however.
Collins is a committed neo liberal determined to stomp out all opposition in parliament and her own party to deliver what was Roger Douglas’s original plan.
Muldoon , on the other hand , was in fact on the political spectrum , –
more Left than the Greens are now and closer to MANA. That’s how far to the right this country has slidden.
And that is also why Bob Jones formed his bogus political party , – the New Zealand Party. It was only ever constructed to split the right vote to get rid of Rob Muldoon and temporarily , National. In doing so it enabled Labour to get in and of course , – Roger Douglas as Finance Minister. Which is exactly what the Business Roundtable ( now called the New Zealand Initiative ) planned .
Yes , their bullish mannerisms may be similar , – but their political and economic ideology’s were poles apart.
Collins is neo liberal through and through.
Muldoon was a committed Keynesian ideologue , – however with a unique NZ bent.
And except for the oligarchs and the wannabes, – most ordinary working and small business owning New Zealanders were better off under Rob Muldoons Keynesianism than they ever have been under Roger Douglas’s neo liberalism.
By far.
We also seemed to have no problem building dams, railways , forestry , airports , hospitals , schools , – and hotels ,… back then. We also lacked a beggar culture on city streets, the mentally ill were properly looked after , the students could get an education without going into a crippling lifetime of debt for it , jobs paid an actual LIVING WAGE and were still relatively easy enough to get , housing and accommodation were kept under control , and on and on it goes…
So go ask yourselves ,… whats changed???
You really want the answer ?, … well as for NZ’s case,… this pretty much spells it all out for you…
New Right Fight – Who are the New Right?
http://www.newrightfight.co.nz/pageA.html
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