GUEST BLOG: Ross Meurant – PRE-ELECTION PREDICTION: ARISE SIR WINSTON
Jacinda is gone!
Labour’s handling of the delta virus is a disaster.
The anger, disappointment, delusion, despair and fear – is tangible.
International media which twelve months ago lauded her as a princess, now ridicule and lampoon her – internet links validating this claim, abound.
As a former National MP and before that as a cop and a hard-core believer in National aka Muldoon and whatever he stood for (before my conversion to Sir Roger Douglas), but who voted for Jacinda 2020 because in my view National was a pathetic option and Judy Collins (as events have confirmed) was not in my view the person to lead the party, I now question what sort of pills my vet was prescribing for my anxiety.
Facts are however: I was one of thousands of National voters who abandoned the Blue Machine.
For example, when my former seat of Hobson (now Northland) where I once had a 4000 majority, went RED as did many other former safe Tory strongholds, clearly, I was not alone in my disappointment with National.
Problem NOW is; with Labour performing so dismally dealing with the Delta Virus, which not only threatens but is wrecking massive economic damage and psychological grief midst the masses, National is still a walking disaster.
The latest exposures is but the least example of the internecine warfare which in my view ravages National and (having been on the Electorate Board of Mz Collins), is beyond the ability of Crusher to crush.
This side show does little to help NEW ZEALAND (not Aotearoa) (1) to recover from: (a) COVID and (b) the economic damage it has caused and (c) the ongoing psychological disaster which we as a nation all experience.
No one is immune. Even Jacinda has postponed a junket to America.
So! What happens next? David Seymour the saviour?
In my view, it is a sobering reflection on the selection processes within political parties, if New Zealand has to endorse this fellow as the next Leader
Which brings me to a matter which I have some difficulty to articulate.
As National fails to make a stand against the relentless momentum of Labour’s hidden agenda to transfer the wealth of New Zealand to Maori (representing ten per cent of the population at max) (1); fails to make clear its position on Labour’s thrust to change the name of New Zealand and on legislation which jeopardises the status of, “Mum and Dad”, where does the traditional conservative voter look for salvation?
For whom does the conservative majority of New Zealand, vote?
Winston and I went to school together.
Winston went on to gain a teacher’s certificate and graduate from Auckland University with an Llb; I went on to get a policeman’s certificate and graduate Bachelor’s Auckland university and Master’s at Victoria.
And, in 1987 we found ourselves in the National party caucus.
Winston went on to exalted heights and I was out of Parliament after 9 years (and the Muldoon handshake). By 2000 I was back in a parliament as the primary industries (dairy, meat, wool, horticulture, forestry and fisheries) adviser to Rt Hon Winston Peters.
This appointment precipitated quite a bit of drama, including false allegations of political corruption, culminating in the Scampi Affair.
However, more recently persons associated with NZ First were arraigned before the courts on charges pertaining to political donations and I was interviewed by media apropos:
These skeletons lurk latent but passage of time and new challenges which demand attention, tend to ameliorate the damage skeletons possess.
Once upon a time, Winston and I were very close. I still like the bloke. But irrespective of what Mathew Hooton or Barry Soper may think: the Scampi Affair stuffed that relationship completely.
Vicissitudes of Politics.
Which is why it is difficult for me to promote as the solution for the conservative voter and thereby the key to the next government of New Zealand; NZ First.
BRING BACK WINSTON.
Ross Meurant resigned from the police at inspector rank in 1987 to enter parliament as a National MP. Today he is Honorary Consul for Morocco and trustee and CEO of commercial assets owned by absentee Russian investors.
- Must I be a racist because I don’t agree with elevating Maori culture above The Rest? Problem is; I have Maori pedigree from paternal and maternal great great grandparents. For the evidence of this, read: A Step Too Far para 23.
I for one would be happy to see Winston back in parliament one more time. He provided anchorage, which the entire floating beehive seems to lack at times.
(As well as someone like Luke Wijohn at the other end of the parliamentary scales.)
Correct Ross,
With the exception everything but everything Jacinda has done, or attempted to do has been a disaster!
Be it housing, child poverty, health reform, water reform RMA reform, all are either proven failures or failures in the making.
Why, because there is a disconnect between the Governance that is the Politician and the Management that are the Ministries that are below them. The simple fact is Jacinda lacks any “managers” in her Cabinet they are at best policy “wonks” at worst blind idealists with no grasp on reality. She just does not have a Michael Cullen, Jim Anderton, or Roger Douglas to actually “make things happen” for better or worse.
Thus a complete mess in every direction, every thing is a complete muddle.
That said on to Winston.
First a quote from my father “there is no substitute for the enthusiasm of youth, but it needs to be tempered with the wisdom that comes only with age”
It is clear now that during Jacinda’s first term Winston provided the “wisdom” or wise counsel as she fairly much governed ok from the start position left to her by John Key. She did that without the deviation in the “loon” policies that are now sure to sink her in two years time at the next election.
The MSM perpetuated in painting Winston as the “hand brake” on her and gushed with delight on his demise, are now just suggesting they “might have got it wrong”
Even if she does pull off another “elimination” of Covid, which I doubt, in the next month it is still two years until the next poll. If Covid is still the the key issue by then she will be surely be confirmed as a dismal failure, Covid is almost certainly not going to be the top issue by then, the economic consequences of lock downs maybe.
The other issues latently simmering under the surface will be screaming and dominating air time . In particular Labour’s poorly concealed attempt to transfer power and assets to IWI
This will not be accepted, let alone tolerated by the majority. Jacinda is dividing her team of 5 million with this apartheid strategy.
Winston will take this on and exploit it to it’s extreme, “One Country, One People, New Zealand First”
Arise Sir Winston
What a situation we find ourselves in . It does not fill me with confidence of the future for this beautiful country when we are asked to think of voting for Winston as the best of a bad choice. Labour are taking us down a path of division between Maori and the rest. He Puapua and the 3 water scheme show this . I do not see where National could lead us as while knowing what they do not like there is no talk of what they do want and more to point who will lead them to get there. Keeping the Greens from power is essential but if they got some decent leaders and stuck to the enviroment they may have something to add to the policy. Act is still an unknown mix . NZ First seem to be the only party able to stand and say let’s slow down this Maori takeover as long as they do not allow that pompous p—-k Shane Jones a voice.
The next 2 years will be interesting and the public need to make themselves heard
Well said Trevor
Hopefully NZ First can make it back, some very good people in the Party and many good people who have left. They need a New Leader, someone who can promote the party and it’s ideas, Winston is a handbrake on the Party and always mires the party in controversy. People no doubt trust his ability however he has become a liability, time to step aside and introduce some new blood. Shane Jones is not new blood, just a Winston Mark 2.