Look at that half empty Michael Fowler Centre from the National Party Conference over the weekend.
It spells out a problem for National.
They can’t fill a 1000 person venue.
Right wing pundits don’t understand why Labour are still so high in the Polls because while the Right are highly polarised, they are not the majority.
The middle are terrified of what a National/ACT Government would actually do.
The reality is that the more redneck and reactionary the Right get, the more they lose the middle.
This middle vote doesn’t care Kiri shouted at bureaucrats and they don’t care Wood didn’t sell his shares, they are voting Labour to stop ACT and National.
Because Luxon is so weak, educated folk see Seymour will get everything he wants and the country will be twisted into the sharpest right wing turn this country has suffered since Rogernomics and Ruthanasia.
People might be pissed off at Labour post Covid, but allowing Darth Vader and his Paramilitary Stormtroopers in to run the day care centre isn’t really the solution eh?
The Right are blind to how extreme their policy direction is and that’s why they don’t understand why Labour’s vote is holding up.
John Key was beating Labour by double digits 180 days out from his elections, Luxon has never managed that ever.
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Now poll some of the 250,000+ non-citizens that have gained voting rights since the last election. *crickets chirping*
Agreed – Nats ‘patch protection’ and rehashing of existing ACT policy seems insane, when all they have to do is ‘woo the soccer Mums’ to form the next govt with ACT. It’s almost as if they don’t actually WANT to govern, but instead, leave Labour to face the consequences of its shambolic mismanagement. Shame for the rest of us who have to live through another 3 years of shambolic governance though.
The Nats management has never been the sharpest.
We should be used to it Jason we live through nine years of shambolic governance with National.
They’re are the rich man’s party only, evidenced by the size of their political donations by the wealthy elite and why over 60 % of the country can’t relate. You will often hear the right promote National as being for “all” NZ. That is nonsense talk, always has been. They are a party for their donors only, that will never change. That’s what you get with capitalism.
Yes you are right, National has for a long time become stodgy.
Labour has become to wishy washy.
Might be ACT that will become the true working person’s party
Absolute crap Wooly. What policy does Act have for the working person.
Oh I know. Drop minimum wage, no work place agreement, increase age of super, cease contribution to Super Fund, reduce benefits, change tax rates so higher earners benefit. I’m sure there are more.
Agreed Cobbly, that the Act party represents an existential threat to everything the first labour govt built so that NZ could take its place in the first world… But I have a suspicion that WB is making a joke..
Indeed Uncle Tom. ACT are ANTI-Worker, pure and simple.
The fact that some workers are thinking of voting for these nutters based on David Seize-more sound bites is a sad indictment of the lack of reporting on ACT’s far right agenda.
Build a thriving economy from which all can benefit.
Yes Bob
Here we go. Trickle down Bob.
I didn’t say that and don’t mean that Wheel.
We need a much more fair society than currently,where the poorest are being punished by an incompetent Labour Government.
“ACT that will become the true working person’s party”
I mean there are dumb comments then there is just ratfucking
The NATIONAL Party, what does that name even mean? According to the Dictionary, the word NATIONAL means:- Relating to the characteristics of a Nation, common to a whole Nation, but this is a false dichotomy when applying this definition to the National Party, because they are NOT National, NEITHER do they act in the interests of the majority of NZers or the characteristics of the entire NZ Nation! National are a Elitist Party who serve a minority of like minded, Upper class, Rich people & ensuring their wealth & enrichment at the expense of others is their main goal & focus! The National Party need to be rebranded & renamed as “The Bourgeoisie Party” because that’s the constituency who they comprise of & whom they represent, not the Proletariat Class of people which makes up most of NZ! And that’s why they are not making any poll progress they don’t represent the majority of NZers, they only represent s élite minority!
There is a widespread rejection of the extreme policy positions of BOTH parties, but the monopoly press barons are acting as a protection racket for the corrupt politicians, and simply do not report such sentiment (an outrageous forty-year cover-up).
The two parties are to the right of Atlee/Nash AND Macmillan/Holyoake on the economy (and even Muldoon). They are also to the right of both John F. Kennedy AND Eisenhower on foreign policy.
The Tories know very well that the way to energise their base and get a strong turnout would be to return to moderate positions on both (i.e. a Trumpian platform), just as Labour knows the same is true for them (i.e. a Corbynite/Bernie-type platform). But the corporate political donors would never allow that, and so they both stumble on with extremely poor quality candidates, pushing unpopular globalist policies.
Speaking of the next election, I see that washed up former newsreader turned attention-seeking conspiracy theory spreader Liz Gunn has started a political party. You can donate a million dollars to her “cause” if you like! I almost spit my coffee out with laughter when I read that. What a joke.
As to this article, Luxon is pretty clueless. Yes, Labour have their problems, I’ll agree – but I don’t want someone like Luxon running the country. It’s quite different to running an airline.
Conversely I wouldn’t fly in any aircraft that Chippy was the boss of.
The thought is terrifying.
Is that a woman pilot?
Bob the first Is that a woman pilot ? Yippee! It’s Kiwibank Young NZ’er of the Year, Shaneel Lal, police protected, safe as Key’s invisible cusp and Luxon’s invisible tootsies.
Labour & the gweens would be about the same too. That’s why I’m sticking with a ‘Hung’ parliament with either side scrambling to put together a minority government together.
Then another election not long after it all turns to shit! Then maybe, just maybe the sheep will realise maybe its time for a new political system?
You know, Government by referendum! Minimise the influence of MP’s and political parties and more focus on policy and what the voting public wants!
FPP & MMP have failed us.
You’re right Denny. BUT this is not a normal election just like 2020 there are unusual disruptive issues everywhere. People’s lives are unsettled and their values threatened.
Bomber is right to say this election will be won in Auckland.
South Auckland will fracture . National will poll the highest it ever has in South Auckland. because of the sex education curriculum. The churches will make sure of that just like they did for the Cannabis referendum.
Martyn – Somewhat agree…ACT is for Urban Right voter, while National is for Rural Right voter, with a lot of overlap between the parties…outcome still the same…Right wing Government in October 2023
Problem with your theory Bomber is that enough people would rather choose a plain peanut butter sandwich than the disgusting meal they’ve had to deal with for the past six years. Luxon only needs to be boring and safe pre-election and he can go as far right as he wants afterwards. He wouldn’t be the first PM to swing wildly from the centre. A majority never voted for Rogernomics, Ruthanasia or woke Co-Governance.
Jordi. That’s why we need Winston Peters and NZ First .
It’s obvious that the actual polls have been somehow manipulated, either by misleading questions or narrowing of answers to give a one sided perspective. However, the amount of people who are flying under the radar , either positioning themselves with the as yet , discontented anti vax , anti co governance, and now pro feminist groups , among the obvious , must be taking a toll on what possibly would have been National voters.The winner out of all this of course will be New Zealand First who take it in their stride, media blackouts , orchestrated propaganda against them from focused groups within Labour, ACT , National, and and the controlled legal profession. Interestingly this is the first election that a Political party is not being dragged through the courts for some funding issue as far as I know, but there is a group of politicians who are making up for that naughtiness by displaying bad judgment, so all is not lost…..
Rob: NZ The Way You Want It.
Winston: NZ The Way It Was.
What I keep seeing and reading across NZ media and socials is that people do not trust Luxon and find him unrelatable and lacking in policy.
Many, many people would be prepared to give the Nats a go at this stage but when they decide to look into them they effectively see an empty room. No-one at home. (the Michael Fowler centre is a wonderful metaphor for what voters are perceiving).
Wishy washy, potentially woke Luxon who has zero smart policies (in fact, at this late stage in the game, a paucity of policies), wont take the attack to the other side and has the personality of a goldfish.
So that is the opinion of many centre voters and also quite a few on the right which is why so many have crossed to ACT because Luxon is simply not decisive and unequivocal enough for them.
The second thing you see echoed time and again on the socials is: The belief that National simply cannot NOT win! Labour is so very bad and its patently obvious to everyone that no-one but diehard Marxists will vote for them. I dont know whether they are so ideologically captured that they cant see it or whether they have enough money that the ‘bread and butter’ issues dont rate on their radar.
The truth is that National should be romping home about now and they shouldnt have to be doing anything too marvellous to get that landslide. Its a testament to how bereft of talent, leadership and forward thinking they are that they are still not managing to get across the line.
In all likelihood, Lab/Green will return (even though they shouldnt) because most people are desperately focused on ‘bread and butter’ and if that’s your situation you know instinctively you have to vote Labour. In lieu of a National Govt who hasnt committed to building more housing (Canada’s Nats did) or building more hospitals, why would Joe Average vote for them? The die hard Nats supporters are completely tone deaf.
The world has changed. Most of us want to vote on principle but few of us have the luxury of doing so. Govt’s can get away with a drift towards authoritarianism and other evils because we have to choose whoever will keep us in a job/ or put food on the table.
Having said that I think Labour will win with a small majority, however, it’s interesting to note that earlier this week, one Australian betting agency had National picked to win at $1.45 and Labour something around $2.20. So maybe they know something we dont.
Fantail. “ We have to choose whoever will keep us in a job. “. Yes. I gather this is why teachers unhappy with the damaging genderID ideology and sex education programmes in schools being captured by transgender radicals, have little choice but to go along with it. The same could apply to decent police officers who support all women, but who would have to comply with any directive from the Commissioner to prioritise transgender persons, as at Albert Park. Everyone needs to eat. Nigel Farage and his family having their various bank accounts closed on them in the UK, and the same I think happening to one or two vocal Scottish critics of government or public policy, is very intimidating. It is in all political parties’ interests to be the watchdogs of the New Zealand speech police, but the latter make that very difficult if they continue to fail to provide concrete facts or definitions of their own possible scenarios.
I don’t agree with your prediction Fantail. And it pays not to underestimate an Aussie bookie in my experience. ACT will romp home and scare the bejesus out of us all. We deserve them. Sadly.
Nationals conference consisted of their MP’s and close family members, the empty spaces are where they lost voters to ACT.
The Australian betting agency knows how appalling this Labour Government is hence the odds.
But having said that Fantail all your points are well made.
Labour’s problem is their friends are unpalatable to the centre Fantail…It’s like picking what flavour rat you wish to dine on…ACT has the same problem , as their junior party seem to be sleep walking to the election, their election policies are as interesting as an Air New Zealand safety video , and as embarrassing….
Luxon is a Goff. No charisma.
I have to agree, scum sucking filth labor party/greens/moaris will probaly get back in because its voters are programmed at birth to vote for them.
And have you ever voted outside of your own scum fucking social bubble, because you’re obviously a deep critical thinker?
My bubble consists of people who work for a living Ivan.
“Because Luxon is so weak, educated folk see Seymour will get everything he wants and the country will be twisted into the sharpest right wing turn this country has suffered since Rogernomics and Ruthanasia.”
Ah..? But AO/NZ is STILL the roger and ruth show. Nothing’s changed. It doesn’t matter to those who own us who gets [in] based on pretext and pretend. We, all of us, are still struggling under a neo-liberal, sociopathic and narcissistic nut-job nightmare and that means nothing’s changed for them except they get richer and we still struggle.
When there are arrests, when the gubbimint is dissolved and a temporary administrative body’s installed pending an inquiry, that’s when I’ll get excited.
Otherwise, as is this case in point, nothing’s changed and we’re all still fucked.
What is clear is that Labour need at least 3 years on the. bench so they can take a good hard fucking look at themselves, what theyve done to this country, their supporters and their core values.
Also clear is they are fast running out of any semblance of competent electable ministerial candidates so their gunna need to regroup.
The country will suffer unimaginely under tbe alternatives but Labour must be brought to heel.
Maybe not National but Labour should worry when your leftie mouthpiece headline is:
‘The country is stuffed’: Petrol pain is back and not just at the pumps.
Oh but the left brought media didn’t they? Just shows what horse shit that is. Look some of the fear mongering drivel that comes out of newshub. Their crime reporting is ridiculous or at best pretending like you could not have run the same stories 10 years ago (with the difference now being a car was used)
Darth Vader is already running the day care centre
We should be used to it Jason we live through nine years of shambolic governance with National.
We should be used to it Jason we live through nine years of shambolic governance with National.
We should be used to it Jason we live through nine years of shambolic governance with National.