The problem for National is that NZ has escaped a mass death and hospitalization pandemic because Labour did the opposite of everything they demanded!
The mainstream media have however breathlessly proclaimed Luxon as the second coming of the right wing messiah.
Sure, Luxon had a good first week, but in comparison to the implosion of Muller and Collins, all Luxon had to do to look better than them was make it to the press conference without exploding or lacerating a child!
It was a very low bar to meet, the joy that Luxon managed to tie his shoelaces without injuring anyone is testament to how bad things had gotten inside National, not how much better Luxon actually is!
Key always knew his massive wealth disgusted most Kiwis, that’s why he always dressed down to avoid triggering that negative egalitarianism, Luxon however sees his wealth as a blessing from Jesus, so he will never hide his money or the luxury he enjoys.
And that’s the ultimate problem with Luxon.
He is a slick advertising campaign for a holiday you are never able to ever afford!
The problem for Labour is that they haven’t really done a fuck of a lot to actually present a reality better than Luxon’s vacant aspiration!
Labour are still failing on doing anything meaningful on Housing!
Labour are still failing to do anything on implementing Welfare reforms.
Labour are still failing rehabilitation in prisons.
Labour are still failing to fund public services better.
Labour needs big visions they can deliver on rather than the half hearted bullshit they currently run with.
Thanks to middle class identity politics, the Left have spent more energy since 2016 on fighting heteronormative white cis male patriarchy than capitalism.
Labour have failed us over 4 years because they had no plan to scare the public service into serving the public.
They need 5 big Radical Centre ideas that actually do more than woke virtue signalling to challenge inequality and poverty .
1 – Use Public Works Act to seize 90% of all golf courses in Auckland.
The Housing crisis needs an immediate solution, not more empty promises. Using the Public Works Act, central Government should seize 90% of golf courses in Auckland and build a mix of state houses and first time home buyer owner/occupier tiny houses using the best environmental & urban design housing. Fuck the golfers. We could solve homelessness, provide extra resources to these new communities while giving first home buyers an immediate way into the housing market. Why not turn golfing privilege into economic justice?
2 – Feed the bloody kids – all of them!
Not just some bullshit unhealthy food, I’m talking community garden, local produce, parents paid to come in and help serve up the most nutritious and healthy breakfast and lunch at every school we can provide. To actually care about our children and set standards of what is most healthy for us. Hungry children can’t learn and removing this cost from the poorest parents pockets would do more to put money back into those pockets than any welfare increase would do without getting clawed back by MSD. We would build community at schools, while providing healthy food to our kids, while putting money into the poorest parents. Make this universal.
3 – Financial Transaction Tax
Society needs money for social infrastructure and to rapidly adapt to the climate crisis. It is unacceptable that citizens pay more tax. A Financial Transaction Tax set at .001 cent would capture all those speculators who trade and the banks that enable their gambling. Hit the corporates with this tax and the beauty is that it’s unavoidable because every electronic financial transaction is recorded. This would see billions available each year and start to push back on corporate power.
4 – Legalize Cannabis
The hundreds of millions in tax revenues, the 5000 jobs, the weakening of gangs plus the means to move criminals out of the black market into law abiding jobs all combine to the need for a State regulated industry that will benefit everyone. A stoned nation is far less violent than a drunk one, I’m certain it would reduce the terrible culture of rage we live with in this country.
5 – Free Public Transport
You want Aucklanders to get out of their cars? Make public transport free. Again this would help save the poor money and force change by providing and enormous incentive to get people out of their polluting cars.
This Government is failing in every indicator except keeping us safe from Covid but that’s not enough.
What is required are some big ideas with immediate pay off that enables the Government to bypass the public service and their fiefdoms.
Keeping Covid out isn’t enough. Those 190000 kids in poverty, those 24000 on emergency housing wait lists and the generations locked out of home ownership deserve better.
All National need to do to win in 2023 is hint at a better life to all those Labour have failed in housing, welfare, poverty and the environment without letting on that National’s policies will make all those failures worse – welcome to democracy!
The fact that Labour will wipe the debt of any business overpaid by the wage subsidy but won’t do the same for beneficiaries speaks volumes of their values!
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
If you can’t contribute but want to help, please always feel free to share our blogs on social media
The last election was decided on covid and the response. The next election will be decided on vaccinations and the response. The party mercifully not responsible will win a landslide result quite irrespective of personnel , policy or anything else.
Jacinda has had the worst of luck.
D J S
I would argue Jacinda has had the best of luck. She was looking at being a one term Prime Minister, but Covid saved her.
She was able to terrify the public (with 80,000 are going to die) and then completely monopolize the media, even before giving then $55 million and probably double that in Covid advertising. Bridges and her were neck and neck early 2020, then suddenly wall to wall Jacinda with patsy questioning from Jessica and Tova dominating every media outlet day and night.
I don’t blame her, I mean “never waste a crisis” but no one can deny she’s made the most of these tragedies.
My point is that all that is going to backfire before the next election. And Jacinda and her team could only accept and implement what the WHO and the American pharmaceutical industry as a team directed them/her. Her popularity has resulted in a level of co operation almost unequaled in the world which will result in a reaction of equal intensity when it finally sinks in that the vaccine is infinitely more harmful than the virus.
D J S
“when it finally sinks in that the vaccine is infinitely more harmful than the virus.
D J S”
WTF!
🙂
Never be surprised at the number of people that’ve attended the Google and Facebook Schools of Medicine. And they doo their research dontcha know – all “peer reviewed” as well. Usually they all very peshnut about what they do (in that space, going forward)
Yep.
She and her clowns are hopeless losers that were saved by a crisis.
They however have turned into totalitarian arseholes and frankly National are likewise arseholes for supporting their position.
Don’t you mean she saved us from Covid, because if she didn’t who did ???
The last election was decided by tradition more than Covid and the government’s response to Covid. Most first term governments in New Zealand are reelected to a second term.
It’s ALRIGHT, I’m HERE 🙂
I helped propagate the fact Leader Luxon has 7 houses. Why?.. The proverbial Shot-Across-The-Bows.. a warning that the housing situation isn’t going away – a demand to show-his-cards [thinking on policy].
Wealth tends to magnify the person you are; if you’re generous – you’re really generous.. if you’re a pain-in-the-tuchus – you’re a REALLY BIG pain-in-the-tuchus.
Luxon doesn’t strike me as a terrible person, perhaps out-of-touch on the cost of living though – but aren’t they all?
He’d think differently about his portfolios if there were a meaningful CGT. Lino has wimped out.
Labour, 2023 – we kept moving, sadly we have no sense of direction and now we are hopelessly lost.
National 2023 so much like National 2008, yawn!
Any party that were to run on legalizing/decriminalizing Weed would get votes. Any party that would advocate for free public transport as the only logical choice to get cars of the road would get votes. Any party that would advocate for businesses to move from AKL to elsewhere – where there are empty houses but no jobs, would get votes. After 4.5 years it has become very very clear that Labour rather commit to losing an election then to commit to something that is common sense, would be good for the country.
Have you heard of the unregistered Liberty Party?. They agree with your viewpoints on free public transport and legalizing weed. After all it’s time our country changed in the ways the benefit the people the most, not corporations.
https://twitter.com/LibertyNZParty
If it’s unregistered and doesn’t have 500 paid members the it’s a fucking wank joke.
Sabine, any party you support, I’m voting against, your hard right politics will continue to destroy our country.
How National beats Labour = on Labours record in government.
And why National lost out to Labour so dismally! National were quite simply, abysmal.
I agree 2020 National were abysmal.
Or promise tax cuts, that’s all National has! Nothing on housing, poverty, the economy, students, health, education, farming, Pike River, the environment, immigration, investment, infrastructure, oh Mickeyboyle, you are so lame.
Old triggered Bert lol. Which one of those varied issues has improved under this “kind” Labour government Bert? Hint* the answer apart from Covid-19 effected immigration, is none of them. Well done you for trying though, you’re getting better…
Your social credit funny money idea is great Martyn and would produce the cash needed to rebuild this country but only a desperate Labour might try it. Someone would have to show them how it works because they struggle at economics. National won’t go near it because they do understand how it works and the wealthy can’t hide their money. My worry would be that if Labour did go for it and had all this extra money to utilise could they use it wisely. Remember the biggest mandate at the poles in recent history and what have they done. Or should I say not done. Oops. Poverty solutions is hugely complicated but rather than handouts I’d rather see a living wage reality. That way when the State finally houses the poor they’ll be able to pay the rent with some dignity.
They have big ideas. They even have the funding. But you can’t speak in broad vague visions without the detail of what you want done and how to do it, you bunch of impractical uni students!
It’s like a bunch of little kids pretending to drive dads car when it’s parked with the engine off. Yep, you can turn the wheel, even make engine noises but that don’t make it a car going anywhere, no more than the kids pretending to drive it, actually driving it.
What I’m seeing is panicky “make it look like we are doing something, anything” moments. Call for reports, then do nothing, carry a piece of blank paper around the office and look busy. Christ, Jacinda thinks they’ve done heaps in housing and still are when all they’ve done is fine tuned the tinkering into the current mess it is! She’s that out of touch.
And it’s all catching up with them.
Come next week there will be a drum roll and Michael Wood will step up and do one of those tiresome meaningless Labour super announcements, (recall his bike bridge announcement?), that they’re down to last option for light rail, a magical Greater Auckland echo chamber pleasing fantasy costing billions, NASA level complex and it will take all the parking on every road it goes down which will deeply fuck off voters. And that will wrap up 2021, back patting all round. And we all know, just like the 0.75 billion dollar bike bridge, it ain’t ever going to happen.
And let’s not get started on law and order. Oh my God, they’re awful in this department! Or the casual blocking off highways using vigilante methods in the real name of passive resistance.
All the Nats have to do is be nice and sensible, be patient, Luxon relaxes and tries to be likeable and this government will shit the bed all on it’s own. They’re on course to do it because that is their non delivery track history to date, anyway!
“All the Nats have to do is be nice and sensible, be patient, Luxon relaxes and tries to be likeable and this government will shit the bed all on it’s own:
Exactly. And then of course, once elected, let rip with what they do best. Sell off any last remaining assets, bring out the old tough on crime and dirty filthy bennie dog whistles, preach aspiration and self reliance, hand out o lot more corporate welfare, and Bob’s your transitioning Auntie.
Missed opportunities galore, especially with the mandate they were given! Nice as she is and probably the best of a pathetic bunch of specimens, my reckons in this space going forward is that JA and her inner core of best frenz Munsters actually think they’re being progressive.
Looks like things are definitely going to have to get worse before they can get better.
So be it. Yea nah.
Yep, both sides have hidden agendas, how come Labour never campaigned on 3 Waters or He Puapua?
The only way you will get the public onboard with legalizing cannabis is to ensure that the market is run by small producers and a diversified supply network. The only way to get the Cooperates and therefore politicians onboard is to ensure that big business monopolizes the market. And therein lies the problem. No matter how much people like yourself and all the other Champaign socialists like Cloe etc want it, competing forces will always play into the hands of the anti cannabis crowd.
All labour needs to win the next election is for them to lose the next election for them to win. How. By letting the right try to cobble together a minority government first, and fail! Act & Nat’s won’t win 60 seats together, nor will Labour and the Maori Party.
That will mean that National and Labour will be the only combo to breach the threshold of 60+1 ‘seats’.
Then offer the National party an ‘olive’ branch to go into a coalition government.
Then ‘we’ might see half of what’s on your wishlist come to fruition M.
All the theories here are too complex. To win, all National has to do, is rock up for the occasion.
What do you mean Labour have failed to do anything on housing?
They’ve made every home owner and speculator far wealthier than they were 3 years ago hellgiven how much Luxon has made I wouldnt be suprised if he votes Labour
Auckland-based White collar under 35 females – that is uncle Fester’s target market. Nothing more, nothing less.
Most males not glued to National will vote Act. 50+ conservative females have been turned off by the over Maorification of the media and public service and there are now a million-and-one small interest groups that hate the PM and her government. The only thing propping up this government is those without penises under the age of 50.
Uncle Fester his 2 female lieutenants and the tobacco salesperson have to convince a subset of this population to come across to National. Corporate workers that already pray to a Luxon-type in their day job, bitch and moan about not being able to afford a house despite eating out most nights a week and are now afraid of the gang members and homelessness they see of Queen Street and haven’t been able to pop over for a shopping holiday in Sydney are an obvious target.
I’d argue it’s a 50/50 proposition in 2023 but will trend right if the ‘son of Megatron’ variant continues to be more transmissible and less virulent. If we are out the other side by mid 2022 it’s advantage team right as team left bet the house on covid.
Uncle fester… A very good resemblance lol.
The demise of National and their ethos corresponded exactly with the arrival on scene of Jacinda Ardern. It will take the complete opposite to resurrect National.
Voters will take many years to forgive the carnage forced upon those not creaming it via the farcical rock star economy. This was the era where allegedly the only New Zealanders working hard were wealthy National Party voters. Everyone else was effectively the lazy and feral enemy. Irreparable damage was done to our beautiful country and it’s people during this time. That won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
Ardern has done some fine work at critically important times but overall her report card reads a disappointing and anticlimactic C. Report card reads : Considerable room for improvement but huge question marks remain over ability and will.
Has Ardern done enough to earn another term? As of today the 12th of December 2021, it’s 50/50.
Does Ardern deserve to be sent packing? At this point NO, but their momentum is headed in the wrong direction. They have enough time to put that right.
Does National deserve another crack at the top floor? Absolutely not.
The run up to the next election is already under way. We know what to expect from National. A relentless and divisive campaign of undermining and misinformation. They will grab back a large chunk of the voters they lost under Chucky but the rest of NZ can see Luxon for what he is. An extremely wealthy and arrogant man with absolutely zero connection to the vast majority of Kiwi’s. A man who will hide the significance of his religion as he knows it’s a complete turn off to most Kiwi’s but will roll it out the moment he thinks he can gain any traction from it. He epitomizes self interest and insincerity.
Labour will win again in 2023 with a significantly reduced majority and form a coalition Government with the Greens. National will be the main opposition party with a meaningful number of MP’s on board.
Who will win in 2026? Who can say. There is a lot of water to run under the non existent cycle lane on the Harbour bridge before then. I feel certain Ardern will step down as PM half way through the 2023-2026 cycle and we’ll have a new PM leading into the 2026 election. Impossible to predict what will unfold then as there are just too many variables. I say with genuine confidence, Luxon will never be PM. The time in our history for a PM like him has been and gone. They are dinosaurs. That aside, don’t underestimate the ability / determination of Luxon and National to sell themselves as your helpful friend and savior. I hope the very day Ardern steps down as PM, Labour implement the desperately needed Capital Gains Tax. Fairness in our tax system is well overdue. If they budget on a well funded vested interest fearmongering misinformation war against the CGT, and fight that war with facts, NZ will happily accept it. This also honours Ardern’s pledge not to implement a CGT while she was the PM and attributes a respectful and appropriate legacy to Dr Michael Cullen.
We know high profile politicians often receive epic makeovers. My advice to Jacinda Ardern looks like this.
Many Kiwis believe you have developed the art of producing faux concerned facial expressions and faux smiles. Please dump both. They have become epic cringe to the point your authenticity is being questioned by people across the board.
Dump the kindergarten teacher dynamic. Kiwi’s don’t embrace being spoken to like young children.
Please stop nodding your head and waving your hands around and wringing them while you communicate. David Lange was a wonderful orator and easily the best of any NZ PM I’ve seen. I believe you were on track to be even better. The no result on Election night 2017 showcased your superb communication skills. The epitome of a natural leader. Bill English on the other hand was the complete opposite. Hours late getting to the stage due to “others” composing his speech. It was all so unfamiliar to him he had to keep referring to it every 8 seconds. He and National arrogantly attempted to hoodwink NZ into believing National had won the election and even arranged for balloons to be dropped from the ceiling in a farcical victory celebration. Major problem of course was that National needed Winston Peters to get back into Government. The same Winston Peters National had treated as their number one enemy that they via Steven Joyce had set out to wipe off the NZ Political map. Bill English even congratulated Winston Peters on the campaign he ran. Peters must have been on the floor in hysterics. I sure was.
When you are being spontaneous Ardern, you’re a magnificent communicator who commands the stage. The rest is nauseating and always looks like contrived fluff you’ve been practicing in the mirror for several hours before taking the stage.
All this rhetoric is of course your own opinion. Unfortunately Jacinda Ardern has had to deal with a lot more than most, maybe some of it is a reaction to all the sh**t she has to deal and contend with on a daily basis. Never mind the great white man in a grey suit will come and save us all.
I think you are way over estimating the average voter and the NZ media with your 5 proposals. Social democratic policies in English speaking countries are generally universally condemned by the media and frighten middle class voters. Most of whom are very comfortable with things as they are.
Anything requiring more taxation or state engagement in the economy is a very big no no for governments of left and right. This an unwritten law but Aderns “no cgt” declaration is proof that it exists.
SAD BUT TRUE PETER.
Do you want to feed tens (hundreds?) of thousands of hungry children, or do you want to use community gardens? Pick one.
Commercially grown vegetables are the only ones that most middle class households can afford; you’re dreaming if you think that it’ll be feasible to feed the poor with community gardens.
I like community gardens, btw, it’s just that I know the difference between something that’s enjoyable and teaches you useful skills and supplements a diet with a supply chain that you can rely upon to fill the stomachs of the poor.
Totally agree with the failure of the Left because of identity politics though; wokeness is the number 1 reason the Left sucks and the radical Right is rising to claim the loyalty of the working class.
Comments are closed.