Buyer’s remorse on both sides of the Tasman

Written By: - Date published: 11:17 am, June 8th, 2010 - 30 comments
Categories: australian politics, national/act government - Tags: ,

Aussies are looking more and more likely to elect Abbott. Terrible. Guy’s a chauvinistic prick who admitted you can’t trust a word he says.

Shows how poorly Rudd has done some things. People are thinking the Liberals weren’t so bad after all.

Likewise, Goff is in with a decent sniff in 2011. Solely because of what a useless government Key has run.

People remember having a job, wage rises, lower crime, better public services, and a real PM with Labour.

Doesn’t seem so bad now.

30 comments on “Buyer’s remorse on both sides of the Tasman ”

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  1. zimmer 1
    8 June 2010 at 11:20 am

    Rudd is just a prick. Killed several people with the home insulation scheme, Mr. Midnight Oil took the fall for this, Rudd should of.
    Also, he drives his staff too much and they quit in droves. Rudd, obnoxious man.
    At least Abbott tells the truth. Politicians lie, and the sun sets tonight as well.

  2. Fisiani 2
    8 June 2010 at 11:44 am

    Mr 6% has a sniff????? Really? What are you sniffing Zetetic?

  3. gobsmacked 3
    8 June 2010 at 12:04 pm

    Rudd is a safe bet to win the next election. We know this, because the Mighty Commentators said so, just a short time ago. He had a huge poll lead, so obviously the election was done and dusted.

    What’s that? Things can change?

    Wow! Who knew?

    It’s amazing! It’s like, time passes, and things happen, and people stuff up, and issues emerge, and voters complain, and … well, thank goodness none of that could ever happen here, with John Key. Otherwise even more Mighty Commentators could be … wrong?

  4. Santi 4
    8 June 2010 at 12:34 pm

    If you believe Goff has a sniff you also believe in Santa Claus and other fictional creatures. Goff is out of it, dead and buried.

    The sooner the socialists replace him, the better. Actually, no. Keep him until 2012.

    • Bored 4.1
      8 June 2010 at 12:56 pm

      Zet, There’s something a little distasteful with agreeing with Fis, Santi and the other RWNJs. I don’t see any buyer’s remorse in NZ, have a look at the polls and what it shows us is an electorate that has a very low regard for democratic principle, high tolerance of overt incompetence, and a blind eye for some dubious transactional events.

      In short, alls fine in NZ with Jonkey at the helm, no remorse at all as we head full speed at the iceberg. Only when we pick up the physical bills for what we used to pay tax for, and look around for support from our much corporatized formerly democratic institutions will the electorate understand.

    • Robb 4.2
      8 June 2010 at 12:59 pm

      ‘Santa Claus not real’ (gutted) 🙂

  6. gingercrush 6
    8 June 2010 at 12:47 pm

    Australia’s situation is rather weird. Here you have a leader that saved his country from entering a recession, meaning unemployment barely rose before falling again. The economy is moving along. One has to wonder whether Rudd and Labor were simply too successful. But their main problems besides the ETS has been their stimulus. With the schools funding become corruptable and their insulation scheme being scrapped because it unfortunately killed people.

    The ETS though has fundamentally killed the government. It gave the coalition something to celebrate and was the cause for Abbott becoming the leader of Liberals in the first place. It made Rudd be seen as u-turning just too many times. Rudd has also quickly become well arrogant. Meanwhile, Australia has seen interest rates rise and Australian voters seem to be very sensitive to such things (that was basically Howard’s argument in the 2004/2005 election that they’d stop interest rates going up they didn’t).

    Though just because the polls look good for the coalition Labor shouldn’t be panicking. Australia has had great with things turning round during the campaign. Howard did it twice. No doubt Rudd can do the same. The Coalition need to come up with policies and a real argument they don’t seem to have much of that and no doubt Labor will unveil some big policies.

    Despite what the polls say I’m still going with a Labor win. With Labor slowly overturning the deficit in the polls and overtaking the Coalition come election time. Though what happens in the Senate is beyond me.

    —–

    There are parallels to New Zealand. Like Rudd, Key is always seemingly u-turning. Goff like Abbott has been an MP for years and was a Cabinet Minister in a very long and enduring popular government. The differences are. Key and National faced a recession. Therefore they came into government when things were already difficult. For Rudd he came in while the economy was still doing well and the economy simply sailed away. There hasn’t been an issue such as the ETS for the opposition to do an all-out attack. Mining while being controversial isn’t that issue nor is the Auckland Super-city nor the hike of GST and tax cuts this government’s done. Therefore, there hasn’t been enough controversial issues for the Labour opposition here to grasp onto. The Liberals are also a huge political machine something Labour has lacked since 2005 at least. Rudd has a prickly personality, Key may well have a stupid personality at times but that hasn’t yet turned off voters in the process. The Liberals had a second change of leader and from that on-wards the Liberals were on the ups. There is little parallel here.

    The turn-around in the polls there began at the start of 2010. The Australian election is likely to be this year I believe. Rudd out-polls Abbott as preferred PM. The party gaps aren’t much and even tighter once its down to the two-party preferred system. If a turn-around was to theorectically happen in New Zealand you’re looking at February next year.

  7. kriswgtn 7
    8 June 2010 at 1:04 pm

    February??
    Wait until RB puts up interest rates and ETS kicks in and GSt rises kick in and then kiwis really find out what their tax cuts are.Apart from the rich and wealthy,the ordinary hard working kiwi wont be.

    By Feb I think the tide would have been turning by a good 4-5 months 🙂

    • gingercrush 7.1
      8 June 2010 at 1:44 pm

      GST and tax cuts come in October 1st. The first RB hike could be this week and ETS begins in July. But those things will take time to be reflected in the polls. I don’t believe they’ll be as dire as you seem to think they will be. I chose February quite deliberately because its essentially the start of Campaign 2011. December through January are always quiet politically. November is likely to be too early to take account of GST and Tax Cuts (there may well be flow-on effects and thus the polls may change at that time). But February to me will be an important month for what will likely happen come election day. Voters will likely be far more rational about where there vote will actually go.

      And unlike you I’m not optimistic that Labour (or the left) will find themselves in a far better position. Presently, the parties are about where they were election 2008.

    • the pinkpostman 7.2
      8 June 2010 at 2:08 pm

      I agree kriswgnt .The working people will have a shock at Xmas. That’s when the facts will be noted. Xmas presents for the kids will shake people up. Electricity ,petrol , and food stuff will hit the pockets of the workers. They are going to be in for a real shock. They will demand the return of “Nanny State,” .Remember under the Labour Government we had record employment , rising wages, better pensions , and extra holidays . Most of these have been slowly eroded but the Xmas period will wake the voters up.

  8. Sam 8
    8 June 2010 at 1:07 pm

    Loving how the wingnuts are becoming more and more panicked with their “Goff has no chance” slogans by the day.

    • the pinkpostman 8.1
      8 June 2010 at 2:26 pm

      Well Sam , we should remember how obssesed the Nats and the Right were with Helen Clark. Do not forget “Miss 2%. The ghastly insults she had to take from the Right.Remember sleazy creepy Wishart and his gang of scaries . It was non stop ,and the same thing is happening to Goff ,
      Who is behind this scare mongering voice. My natural antenna and savvy tell me the Nats/ Crosby /Textor and the Nats dirty tricks brigade are pushing the anti Goff message and just like the Helen Clark attack some Labour people fall for it. The straight facts are that the leader is only a small part of the Labour Party . What is important is good policy . Then, because we do not have the financial backing the Nats get, we to use all our members to the best of their ability and availabilty,

  9. Rharn 9
    8 June 2010 at 1:09 pm

    Goff in with a decent sniff? Not a chance. Sad but true. To much baggage from the Clarke years that Key and his ‘hollow men’ will exploit to its fullest. Labour has always had a historical problem with winning elections. They simply are not ruthless enough within their own ranks. Goff’s no doubt a nice guy and doing his best but the latest poll clearly shows that this is not enough. He is not making any traction with the voters. That this government can do what they are doing with ‘impunity’ shows, in my mind two things. The NZ voter has not got the brains to understand the implications of ‘current’ policy and the lack of ethical standards that this government has demonstrated on numerous occasions or Goff has not got the political acumen and clout to capitilize on Key and his ministers lack lustre performance.

    Either way Labour need to sit down and start getting serious on leadership issues. If they don’t they have consigned the country to another three years of Key. I’ve had enough trouble getting over their Rodgernomics catastrophe. This lack of balls to sort out their leadership is on par with that. Get ya shit sorted Labour before it’s too late

    • Draco T Bastard 9.1
      8 June 2010 at 1:30 pm

      Labour has always had a historical problem with winning elections.

      And yet Labour has almost always out polled National…

      Oh, that’s right – we got rid of the undemocratic FPP electoral system for that very reason.

      That this government can do what they are doing with ‘impunity’ shows, in my mind two things.

      That should be three things – the third being that the MSM isn’t reporting the real facts to the populace.

    • Bright Red 9.2
      8 June 2010 at 5:08 pm

      Jesus, Rharm, her name is Clark, not Clarke.

      Still, she was only PM for 9 years, Deputy PM in 1989-90, Leader of Labour for five elections, and current head of the UNDP. It’s hardly like you would have seen her name in print before.

  10. tc 10
    8 June 2010 at 1:40 pm

    GC makes alot of good points but omits a rather important one and that’s the msm and the role they play in shaping the popular opinions out there in swinging voter land…..the folk who decide each election which way they’ll vote.

    Rudd/Nelson/Garrett/Turnbull etc have all been hounded every step of the way on any weakness/flip-flop/porkys whereas here in contrast the msm, using the recent vascectomy example, fail to hound when questions aren’t answered, never bother to maintain a consistent line of questioning that may be uncomfortable (in Oz that’s a green light to persist) like say on blind trusts or broken election promises etc etc.

    It’s interesting in Oz because they’ve an active and alert media that have brought both sides of the house down a few pegs…..here on the other hand it’s ‘aww shucks the PM made a funny……awww cute..” Rudd will win easily (by default) as the Lib’s are a shambles going from one poor leader to another……3 since little Johnny now.

    Contrast the treatment Conroy in Oz cops over the broadband issue and compare to the lack of intelligent questioning any of our lot give Joyce who inherited $500mill ready to go, a plan and some execution strategies at election 08 and since has done jack shit aside from tell everyone he’s working on it, he’ll let you know when he’s ready with no transparency in the meantime…..NACT would melt under a decent media barrage over time……they’ll never see one though.

  11. Craig Glen Eden 11
    8 June 2010 at 2:57 pm

    tc is right the media continue with soft photo ops for Key, morning breakfast show is a joke with both hosts competing to give Key a lap dance when ver he is interviewed. Keys Government have performed badly but you wouldn’t think so listening to the journos.

    The wine Key gave them must have been good because he certainly is not. However if it continues with the media doing what they are doing he could kill small animals and still win the next election.

    • Bright Red 11.1
      8 June 2010 at 5:12 pm

      Did you hear! He’s going to watch the All Whites! Stop presses! Breaking news!

      Honestly, in what world is ‘PM to attend football game in a fortnight’s time’ breaking news?

      F*cken herald.

  12. I dreamed a dream 12
    8 June 2010 at 6:33 pm

    Can anyone tell me whether any government in New Zealand has ever been tossed out after one solitary term? Thanks. (Did some googling on it in vain)

    • Daveosaurus 12.1
      8 June 2010 at 6:42 pm

      1957-60 and 1972-75 are the post-war examples.

      Political groupings were rather chaotic in the early 1930s (I think the 1931-35 government also only lasted one term but it wasn’t completely different to the previous one) and before that I don’t think any government since the advent of party administrations (1890 I think) lasted less than two terms.

    • OleOlebiscuitBarrell 12.2
      8 June 2010 at 6:44 pm

      Norm Kirk’s Labour government in my living memory.

  13. theseeker 13
    8 June 2010 at 9:44 pm

    hopefully there will be buyers remorse here. is phil goff the right man to take over?

  14. big bruv 14
    9 June 2010 at 2:06 pm

    “Likewise, Goff is in with a decent sniff in 2011”

    Ha ha ha…that is genuinely funny.

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