Even David Seymour seemed very doubtful about the addition of fuchsia to his party’s logo, which constituted a colourful but hardly meaningful ‘rebranding’ last week. Much more important in terms of the Act party was the announcement of a flat tax rate of 17.5%. For those of us who are old, our minds slid back to Roger Douglas’s announcement that there would be a 20% flat tax rate for all. This announcement caused David Lange to call for a cup of tea (even though it later emerged that he increasingly needed stronger drink to sustain him), and to the eventual collapse of the Labour Party’s neo-liberal assault.
But that was then and this is now. My prediction is that a 17.5% flat tax rate will fall upon the electorate flatter than a pinky-purple pancake. Yes, even those in Epsom, who surely are not so self-absorbed that they would not recognise the double whammy that this policy would inflict on those in the lowest income brackets. In short, higher taxes and fewer state services.
While one has to admire Act for going back to its policy roots (even if the founding fathers of that party will be flinching at the new logo), I think the party is coming to its natural end. I reckon this is Seymour’s last stand, and that he will lose in 2020.
So who will replace him? Ever since Colin Craig’s meltdowns, the Conservative Party has had no chance of rebuilding its support (it polled nearly 4% in 2014). It was first rebranded as the ‘New Conservative’ Party which garnered only .2% support at the last election. Late last year a person famous for other things, ex-Rugby boss David Moffett, joined the New Conservative board.
Moffett is an interesting character, seemingly driven by conspiracy theories and treading on the edge of white supremacist policies and the ‘replacement’ theories I have discussed before. Everything is a conspiracy to him. Jacinda is a traitor standing by to import huge numbers of umm persons of colour into New Zealand, and climate scientists are just seeking to feather their own nests by doing busy work. I will not even go down the trashy road of this man’s gender politics. The interview with Andrea Vance in January, which Martyn wrote about at the time, is a classic that should not be missed.
The New Conservatives is now transformed into New NZ (will it be the New New next?). David Moffett now has the title of “Founder and Executive Chairman” (no chairpersons here in the white male homeland) of the new New.
So they have just announced their party leader. Is it someone New? Well, no, not exactly. Marc Alexander entered Parliament in 2005 as one of nine MPs brought in by Peter Dunne, as a result of a worm that turned one night on TV after Peter said the magic words: “common sense”. If you do not believe me, look it up. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction in this story. Prior to politics he was a Christchurch based chef, and Garth and I used to love his little Mexican restaurant.
Anyway, Marc found himself with new roomies who he could not abide. Most of the new MPs in that Party were committed evangelical Christians with no time at all for the atheist Marc. He had a miserable and undistinguished term as an MP. He has a couple of favourite groups, and he once attacked Pillars (the organisation I am part of that works with the families and children of prisoners) in Parliament because they had a contract that he wanted for his favs. We have even featured him in Pillars’ 30th anniversary book. His actions lost the contract for everyone, as it was withdrawn. Trap for young players: asking questions in Parliament about a programme is a death knell for that programme. A bit of a wrecker, that bloke.
Looking for a political home, he joined National and was placed at number 61 on the list in 2008, but failed to get elected. I really don’t know what he has been doing since, as he has had a low profile. Thus, like a phoenix from the ashes, this week he rose again as the new leader of the new New. And believe me, he is not new or New.
Apart from his extreme views on imprisonment (he was once a Sensible Sentencing spokesperson) and his charity-bashing, I don’t know much about Marc. I remember he has an upbeat personality which I am sure will do him well as a party spokesperson. Sorry, ‘-man’. Looking forward to some policy from the party that seeks to replace Act in Parliament. Will they put some fuchsia, or perhaps neon turquoise, in their new logo? Time will tell.
Dr Liz Gordon is a researcher and a barrister, with interests in destroying neo-liberalism in all its forms and moving towards a socially just society. She usually blogs on justice, social welfare and education topics.
A 17.5% flat tax rate?
Which would mean a TAX RISE for poor NZers and a colossal cut to govt stare services
The rise in poverty, crime, prison numbers, social dislocation, would make anything in the 1980s pale by comparison. Only a true sociopath would welcome such a dystopian future
It would be new zealand utterly unrecognisable and one which 99% of nzers would not want a bar off
It’ll be interestibg to see how Epsom voters react at the next election to Seymour’s naked appeal to the worst of our angels
Mjolnir please do not use the word naked anywhere around David S. It is bad enough having to see him in his dopey dancing clothes all the time.
And further, most of Donald Trump’s supporters believe in angels, so Epsom angels could be a difficult force to reckon with – dumb is always difficult- add dancing boy and it’s starting to sound like a cause of diarrhea – which is difficult to spell.
Hopefully Liz is wrong about Act’s new colour being fuchsia – or
perhaps this is prescience from Seymour’s advisers aware that the traditional name for fuchsias was, ‘Christ’s Tears.’ Apt for Act.
(Epsom sounds incredibly odd.)
A commentator the other day called David irrelevant which I thought was generous. He’s nothing, just a stubborn fungal infection looking for another host. I would rather watch Angela Merkle tremble and shake than waste my time watching David ‘dance’. For Seymour to suggest that Kiwis should only be entitled to 3 years of jobseeker allowance when he will be a political beneficiary for the rest of his years is abhorrent. He’s a yapping nobody, more of a drain on the economy than anyone, and ACT are nothing more than divisive shit stirrers. Their followers can shove their ideologies such as Hobson’s pledge up their arse. Facts remain: the TOTAL paid to Maori for historical grievances thus far amount to the equivalent of TWO MONTHS of superannuation (boomers on benefits). Why is Seymour not hammering this demographic, or even better the greedy businessmen making the news again this week? Is it to deflect attention away from the likes of Seymour and his ilk?
There are 250 000 licensed gun owners who may find a home in ACT who were faultless but blamed for the actions of a foreign terrorist. They are having their property and liberties curtailed.
They are very very angry.
Labour, greens, NZ first and National have thrown them under a bus, only ACT was brave enough to even question the agendas at play.
I will never again vote “left” as it currently manifests itself, as I have previously done all my voting life.
The left just wants to take from who it chooses- tax money from workers, free speech from those they don’t like and guns from same- to feel good about themselves but fix nothing.
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