A few months ago I asked National supporters who comment here what they wanted to see in terms of hard policy from National. What I got was a lot of Labour bashing but not much else.
Now National is in government there’s a lot of sentiment about how great it is that Labour is gone but nobody has said in any detail what they expect from the National/ACT government.
Interestingly neither have any of the right-wing blogs.
Prior to the election I had been thinking about what I would post on the first day of a Labour/Green victory if it eventuated and I decided it would be a list of what I would like to see done including:
Raising benefit entitlements
Universal student allowances
Strengthening workers’ rights with greater MECA protections and a commitment to a $15 minimum wage
More rehabilitation for criminals and a move away from the punitive model that’s filling up our prisons
Changing the Reserve Bank Act to focus on employment and economic growth
More state housing
Entrenchment of the Maori seats
Greater participatory democracy (including use of citizen juries)
Strengthening the EFA to remove anonymous donations
There were many more but, of course, this is now a hypothetical argument. My point is that we on the Left knew what we wanted and we were ready to push for it. Supporters of the Right don’t seem to know what they want. National talked a lot about ambition and vision during their campaign but never actually declared what that entailed.
Once again I invite those of you who voted National or ACT to explain what change you want.
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