In the face of total public opposition, Kerry Prendergast has backed on down her stupid ‘Wellywood’ sign with the airport passive-aggressively asking Wellingtonians if they have any better ideas.
More importantly, it looks like National is headed for a back flip on whaling. Chris Carter has revelaed that the pro-commercial whaling stance was a spur of the moment call by John Key to match his rhetoric of a ‘solution’ to whaling. It was an jaw-dropping decision made in total ignorance of how diplomacy works – both the pro-whalers and our allies were amazed that we were proposing to give away our long-held position with nothing in return from the Japanese. Now, it seems that National is preparing (probalby on the back of some negative polling) to quietly can the idea.
Steven Joyce has backflipped on security cameras in taxis. Only months ago he refused to act saying “making cameras compulsory was simplistic” and it was an issue that the market should decide. A string of attacks on taxi drivers has changed his mind. Too late for the victims, of course.
Key is hinting that a flip-flop might be coming on mining too. Which is pretty incredible when you consider that he and his ministers have been saying (without a shred of evidence) that it is essential to our economic future.
You can say this much for the Key Government – they’re idiots but half the time they’re also cowards. If an issue generates too much public disquiet they’ll flip-flop. It’s easy when they don’t have a real plan or real principles. Of course, that hasn’t stopped them being pig-headed on other things like national standards and spending cuts.
The lesson for the Left is that we can win when we’re organised and vocal, and rally public support.
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