The terrifying rise of Judith Collins & why mocking her crushing 3 cars misses the point
“I am not a Monster” hissed the monster.
Judith Collins is rising…
National’s new-old shadow cabinet stresses continuity – with a dash of mongrel
So Judith Collins jumps from 15 to nine and takes on transport, with English acknowledging her skills are suited to opposition – and Transport Minister Phil Twyford would soon discover that.
…let’s put aside the way the mainstream media have framed this as the creation of the greatest and most powerful opposition in history, the mocking of the fact that ‘Crusher’ Collins only crushed 3 cars misses the real point…
Just three cars destroyed under ‘Crusher’ Collins’ law
The law that earned the former police minister the nickname “Crusher” resulted in just three cars being confiscated and crushed.National’s Judith Collins introduced a law in 2009 which allowed vehicles to be seized and destroyed.
The plan was to target illegal street racing, which led to crashes. Collins said the same measure should be applied to those who fled from police.
…what this really shows is that despite knowing this draconian legislation wasn’t working, she heavily promoted it anyway.
That’s not something to mock, that is something to fear. She knew crushing boy racer cars played to her base while also knowing it didn’t work.
That mentality from a Cabinet Minister is bad enough, imagine if she won the National Leadership?
Call me crazy, but imo it would be… glorious. Isn’t Collins all but unelectable – the proverbial kiss of death for National(?). Jacinda would likely have a near uncontested election come 2020.
Indeed. She’d be another Don Brash. She might appeal to the conservative rump of the National Party, but I’m guessing that’d be about 39% – the same amount Don Brash won for the Nats in 2005.
Which is why it’ll never happen. I’m guessing English or Bennett will take National to the next election in 2020.
I’m picking that they know they can’t win in 2020, so they’ll keep Bill on to take the fall for the loss, giving them 3 years in Opposition to figure out who the next leader will be. The new leader will be anointed immediately after the 2020 election, and will spend the next three years trying to manufacture some support parties, so they can have a serious crack at getting power back in 2023.
I think this is dead on the money. Bill has maxed their potential in the MMP environment. They’ve well and truly burnt all their non-existent Northland bridges with NZF, and ACT just can’t seem to stop flatlining. They have to come up with a straw party to their right which can get in and stay in. How they must now regret letting Slater and friends go beast mode on Colin Craig. He would have been the perfect fit.