Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, November 12th, 2008 - 66 comments
Categories: john key, national/act government -
Tags:
Getting elected is easy if you promise people the world and tell different audience different, contradictory things. It’s especially easy when you’ve got the media whole-heartedly on your side.
Governing is a bit tougher though. Those same commentators who thought it was great fun regurgitating your latest attack line will also find it great fun attacking you. Remember, politics is just a game to them. More importantly though, the people who voted for you expect you to deliver on the expectations you’ve created.
Let’s have a look at that list of expectations National has created, based on both what National has promised and what most National voters believe National will do, based on comments in our ‘a change to what?’ posts:
- more rapid growth
- higher wages
- better healthcare
- better education
- lower interest rates
- lower inflation
- lower crime
- no reductions in Super
- fund Plunketline
- fewer people on benefits
- no more ‘power crises’
- repeal the ETS
- abolish Maori seats
- no cuts to Working for Families
- no blow out in government debt
- more infrastructure investment
- standardised testing from year 1
- reduced poverty
- cleaner waterways
- Disabled children have fully funded school support
- NZ getting to the top of the OECD.
- no abuse of the 90-day no work rights period
- no dysfunction from privatised ACC
- repeal the amendments to s59
- longer prison sentences
- bootcamps stopping youth crime
- lower tax
- ultra-fast broadband to the home in a few years
- lower greenhouse emissions
- fewer core public servants
- improved public services
- higher savings rates, more sign-up to Kiwisaver
- no sale of Kiwibank
- cheap toll roads
- no more congestion
- lower emigration
- no government scandals
- no trouble with support parties
- Herceptin funded
- revamp EFA but don’t bring back secret trusts, anonymous donations
- national testing in schools
- no individual case failures of health, education, or other government services
- investment in Kiwirail
Key will need to deliver or there will be some mightily disappointed voters.
[updates. yes Key has said he won't repeal the s59 amendment but National also purposely used it as an example of something bad Labour did, they created an expectation that it will be removed and that's what matters for the purposes of this list. If I've forgotten anyhting please let me know.]
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- No Roger Douglas in cabinet. (Tick)
- Whenuapai to remain an airforce base. (Tick)
repeal the ETS (cross)
Keep that list handy please Steve, we could all do with a reminder
Reform the EFA is another one, even Goff admits it was a mistake.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/vote08/4758646a28435.html
I would keep it now as it can be a tool to blunt the unions in 2011. Teach you lefties a lesson:)
I must confess a guilty pleasure looking forward to National’s impending disembowelment as voters start to wake up to how hollow National’s election promises will prove.
I just read the Herald readers’ responses to Banks’ cuts to Auckland infrastructure. All the commenters who were bleating on about Helengrad last week are now bleating on about how they’re getting their services cut!
And I thought they would appreciate a bit of solid right-wing policy…
Ha. Ha. Ha.
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/your-views/2008/11/12/do-proposed-cuts-auckland-city-services-go-too-far/?c_id=1501154&commentpage=1
better education (cross) aLready ruled out that testing crap
Repeal S59 (Cross) – *Roll on the horrified looks of the old voters/Spare the Rod Spoil the Child voters who voted for Key thinking he’d change that*
My Favourite:
-”Cleaner Waterways” [A Most Definate Cross]
That’ll be a breeze with a more ‘streamlined’ RMA…. ohhhh Really?
Streamlined RMA is a euphemism (with respect to waterways) for an increase in irresponsible point source discharges, waterway diversions and irrigation schemes.
clamp down immediately on all the remaining dweebs who are running their cars with no mufflers
New Zealanders are entitled to peace in their environment and if Key and his cronies cant do this then they aint worth nothing!
clamp down immediately on all the remaining dweebs who are running their cars with no mufflers
New Zealanders are entitled to peace in their environment and if Key and his cronies cant do this then they aint worth nothing!
the labour party gave up on the run up to the election now it is up to National to finish the job
get on to it immediately else your promises are garbage
Although I cant tell how serious you are randal. if ‘Gettn Tuff on Crims’ involves limiting the power of boy racers. Then that would probably add to the Very Small List of Things National Did That I Applauded.
Good fine Sod, hahaha what a laugh
Start a poll on how long it will take for National to start backing away from their election promises.
‘Under a month is my opening bet. (Tick)
Will be interesting to see that list again in 3 years time to see which ones have ticks and crosses against them.
So National is going to be held responsible for doing things voters incorrectly thought it was going to do, e.g. Section 59?
Key never once suggested the party would do reverse the repeal of S59 (unless it was failing, which he says it’s not), so it’s unfair to hold him accountable for uneducated people.
The rest seem fair (albeit presented baldly)
Let’s bring this up every three or six months to see how they’re going.
You saying that we should keep the Nanny state Scribe? You the PC police?
They have to Scribe.
Two more
Disabled children have fully funded school support.
NZ getting to the top of the OECD.
(just heard both of these from National voters in last couple of days)
By the way how do you measure what ‘better’ means eg better education?
Janet – A National Party standards report card since they like testing so much
too many photo ops with kittens in class must try harder…
add – record low numbers of kiwi’s heading to aus
Diddums Scribe.
Man got elected based on perceptions, gonsta get judged by them too. We didn’t make the rules, and it’s not our fault the National party has been dogwhistling a discordant symphony in bleugh.
So suck it up, and stop calling Key’s base uneducated ya fncking elitist!
Scribe
Fair comment on Key’s overall Section 59 position (although there were some mixed signals to Family First at times).
But in 2009 there will be a referendum, by law. He’ll need to take a position on (a) how he will vote and (b) how he will respond to the result, which will almost certainly be interpreted as a rejection of the current law.
He made great play of Clark delaying the referendum until after the election (and we all know that was predictable politics on both sides). He said that Clark was “suppressing democracy”.
It’ll be interesting to see which way he jumps. Either way, he will disappoint people who voted for him.
There will be a lot of pressure on Nat MPs from their constituents when that referendum with its incomprehensible questions returns an 87% yes vote. Will be very tricky for Key.
He will have to explain to the UN why NZ is going against the declaration on the rights of the child.
Does he want international headline: NZ government passes law to hit children!
Getting elected is easy if you promise people the world and tell different audience different, contradictory things. It’s especially easy when you’ve got the media whole-heartedly on your side.
You’re taking this quite badly, aren’t you, SP. I hope you will not shortly embark on a “New Zealand sucks” campaign.
I struggle to see how people can put crosses against things that National promised but haven’t achieved in their first term, when John Key’s government hasn’t even been sworn in yet.
It would be interesting to put up a list of things that various left wingers said John Key would do, and judge the Labour Party according to how accurate those predictions turned out.
For starters, Labour said National would:
Sell Kiwibank
Sell Kiwirail
Sell SOEs
Appoint Roger Douglas to Cabinet
Deal with Winston
Rather than have a To Do List for what John Key and his government should do, will do, can’t do. How about making a To Do List for what Labour can do during these three years to get themselves back into office. Because the way you lot on the left are taking it. Seems to me, you think this government will fail and that is how you get back into government. Go down that track and you’ve set yourselves to fail. Because you have nothing for why people should vote again Centre-Left you just have a hope that the new government will fail.
Chris G: “Streamlined RMA is a euphemism (with respect to waterways) for an increase in irresponsible point source discharges, waterway diversions and irrigation schemes.”
Over the last 8 years in the USA, those rules were taken out so that for instance the huge piggeries set up as vast units, could dispose of the effluent anywhere, and usually into rivers. Let alone the vast smell stretching to distant towns. Freedom you see. No more Nanny USA State.
“randal
clamp down immediately on all the remaining dweebs who are running their cars with no mufflers
New Zealanders are entitled to peace in their environment and if Key and his cronies cant do this then they aint worth nothing!
the labour party gave up on the run up to the election now it is up to National to finish the job”
I didn’t really want to have to go into the topic of boy racers, i’m not sure too many people here care, but since this is the second time in two days its been brought up i’ll explain a bit.
Car exhausts cannot be be louder than 95dB, at 4000rpm (3500 for v8′s or rear engined cars) as measured from 2 meters away.
The main police enforcement tool for this is a “green sticker”, if you get one of them, you are only allowed to drive the car straight home, and to a pre arranged appointment at a VTNZ testing station.
A police officer can give out a green sticker when he ‘thinks’ your exhaust is over 95dB, and that it is modified.
The first problem here is most police wouldn’t have a clue what the standard exhaust that came on car is, some times it can be obvious that an exhaust has been modified, other times not so much. For example my car, which used to have a ridiculous exhaust, and i’ve spent a large amount of money putting a standard exhaust back on the car.
The second problem here is sometimes a police officers opinion of what is 95dB isn’t entirely accurate, some would suggest its cause they know they can get away with beating up on a marginalized section of society, others would say its ridiculous asking a human being for an objective noise measurement without the proper tools.
Once your car has a green sticker, it costs $150 dollars for a noise test to have it removed, and in most cases they pass, you still have to pay $150 though. Imagine if they did that with breath tests:
Officer: “I think your drunk” starts writing out ticket
You:”I am not! you can’t prove that!”
Officer:”ohh, well, if you like you could pay $150 dollars for a breath test to prove you aren’t”
I’m sure that would go down great with the public.
As usual when there’s a crusade against some part of society, there is two things to remember. First it’s a small number of people ruining it for every one else. Secondly, there is plenty of rules in place as it stands, they just need proper enforcement.
Lastly, you wouldn’t believe how much it fucks me off when a cop pulls me over, claims I was speeding (when I wasn’t), tells me he’s just going to give me a warning but I should probably go home. That kind of behavior destroys any respect what so ever that I have previously had for the cops, and it used to be a lot.
Anti smacking: last week a survey showed that
65% of those who supported S59, understood the Act.
30% of those who were “anti-smacking” Act did not understand what it was.
“- fewer core public servants”
I wonder if in between the kiwiblog commenters self mastubatory bleatings about the “real world”, whether any of them have ever worked in a government department and actually have a clue what they do?
Scribe:
“So National is going to be held responsible for doing things voters incorrectly thought it was going to do, e.g. Section 59?”
Absolutely. people definately thought he would repeal it. Plus, if your going to run an ambiguous, rhetoric fuelled campaign, you deserve your riches (albeit fools-gold)
“Key never once suggested the party would do reverse the repeal of S59 (unless it was failing, which he says it’s not), so it’s unfair to hold him accountable for uneducated people.”
No, but as SP said:
“Let’s have a look at that list of expectations National has created, based on both what National has promised and what most National voters believe National will do, based on comments in our ‘a change to what?’ posts”
People THINK he will, and those people Voted for him, Therfore they will hold him accountable regardless of them being “Uneducated people” or not!
He has no grounds to step back and say ‘thats not fair’. As far as I’m aware he was ambiguous in his stand on s59 (Other than voting for it, of course) during the campaign.
“Chris G
Repeal S59 (Cross) – *Roll on the horrified looks of the old voters/Spare the Rod Spoil the Child voters who voted for Key thinking he’d change that*”
You should come down south, down in Timaru it’s Spare the rod, use the 2 by 4 instead
Didn’t Labour win by a bigger margin in its 2nd term than its first term ? I guess people judged they did what they said they were going to do on their pledge card in the first 3 years.
So IanMac, you’re telling me that 65% supported the rights of those responsible for Nia Glassie to claim “reasonable force” under s59 – thereby meaning that body slamming a defenseless 3 year old, throwing her in a 65 degree tumble dryer, and pegging her up to the clothesline and spinning her around – is entirely acceptable?
BTW – those people sicken me. Kuka should have a taxpayer funded operation to get her tubes tied, and Wiremu Curtis should have a vasectomy to spare any children they might ever have. I hope Kuka gets her just desserts at Arowhata.
Or did you mean to say that 65% of those who supported the repeal of s59, understood the act?
I must say, I was most disappointed to see my name on the list of signatures that McKroskie presented – even though I never actually signed the damn thing.
Jasper,
” I was most disappointed to see my name on the list of signatures that McKroskie presented – even though I never actually signed the damn thing.”
Really? that is shameful, I hope that twit never gets in parliament.
Lastly, you wouldn’t believe how much it fucks me off when a cop pulls me over, claims I was speeding (when I wasn’t), tells me he’s just going to give me a warning
Forgive me if I don’t believe you when you say you weren’t speeding, that sounds a lot like “Oh, the speedo must be reading wrong”. Anyway, I bet it annoys you a lot less than if s/he gave you the ticket…
Believe me Chris, I’ve already complained to the electoral commission – but seeing as they’ve done their “10%” check, it’s deemed to be a valid representation of the people requesting a referendum
Um – but its quite obvious McKroskie (yes, I know its C) just fudged quite a few signatures and names to get his self serving ambiguous question onto the plate.