Collins crushes caucus vote

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 pm, July 14th, 2020 - 155 comments
Categories: Judith Collins, national, same old national, uncategorized - Tags:

Twitter confirms that Judith Collins is now National leader.  She is the perfect candidate if your goal is to stem the bleeding of support.  She is not the candidate if you want to win the election …

Update:  And Gerry Brownlee is deputy!  Happy days!

155 comments on “Collins crushes caucus vote ”

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  1. James 1
    14 July 2020 at 9:09 pm

    Yes!!!!!!!!

    Great News. This will be interesting.

    • Robert Guyton 1.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:15 pm

      James! This is great news! You might win!!!

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2
      14 July 2020 at 9:19 pm

      If true then its awesome.

      Collins is likely to see National support plummet below what Blinglish achieved in 2002.

      • James 1.2.1
        14 July 2020 at 9:21 pm

        Yeah – confident that won’t happen.

        • Stuart Munro 1.2.1.1
          14 July 2020 at 10:56 pm

          Certainly Judith is a more coherent choice – Bill was not a natural leader. Gerry as number two is an interesting choice – quite a lot of Christchurch people think Gerry is number two already.

      • Enough is Enough 1.2.2
        15 July 2020 at 9:35 am

        You really don't understand National voters if you think that Draco

        • Draco T Bastard 1.2.2.1
          15 July 2020 at 9:56 am

          It's not really the National voters that I'm concerned with. They'll vote National no matter what.

    • francesca 1.3
      15 July 2020 at 7:36 am

      Evil stepmother and Billy Bunter yaroo vs Jacinda .It's like a fairy tale

      And still they're on about cutting taxes.

    • Cinny 1.4
      15 July 2020 at 8:01 am

      Really happy for you James, you'll be fizzing 🙂

  2. Byd0nz 2
    14 July 2020 at 9:13 pm

    Sick party, sick choice no doubt a sick slogan will follow.

  3. Anker 3
    14 July 2020 at 9:13 pm

    She was the predictable choice for National. Possibly didn’t have finger prints on Boag leak.

    she may stem the tide and pinch that 4% back from AcT. enjoying living in a covid free country James? All thanks to Ardern and labour

    • Robert Guyton 3.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:16 pm

      ACT? Goneburger!

      Sad.

      • georgecom 3.1.1
        14 July 2020 at 9:53 pm

        Not sad at all. James is correct. National will hold on to enough votes to make ACT need to win Epsom to get back in and not enough to promote Goldsmith to parliament n the party list. She is a perfect candidate to see National v Act fighting for the scraps. She will stop National slipping into oblivion but is anathema to enough people that she wont save them from defeat. The perfect leader ay James

    • James 3.2
      14 July 2020 at 9:16 pm

      Yep. I’m all good. But jacinda and co are going to have more than that to hang their hats on.

      crusher is going to hammer home all the mammoth failures of this government- of which there are plenty.

      • Just Is 3.2.1
        14 July 2020 at 9:27 pm

        What dimension of reality do you live in?

        Collins is no different from Bridges and how did that end

        • James 3.2.1.1
          14 July 2020 at 9:31 pm

          Just is – if you can’t tell them apart – just shows your lack of political knowledge. Bless.

        • Cinny 3.2.1.2
          15 July 2020 at 8:04 am

          Just Is, James has adored judith for a long time. He's been telling us for years she is the only choice.

          I don't agree with him, but I respect his adoration, it's quite cute.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.2.2
        14 July 2020 at 9:29 pm

        crusher is going to hammer home all the mammoth failures of this government- of which there are plenty.

        You truly are delusional.

        1. This government hasn't made any failures. Mistakes that they've learned from, sure. Failures – No. Only National and their sycophants have those because they invariably fail to learn from their mistakes.
        2. NZ really is sick of National's Dirty Politics and its really starting to show. Continuance of that Dirty Politics, as you obviously want, will just drop the support even further.

        At the rate that things are going for National ACT may actually end up out-polling them

        • James 3.2.2.1
          14 July 2020 at 9:34 pm

          “You truly are delusional.This government hasn't made any failures.”

          tour first two sentences are the funniest thing I have ever seen on this blog.

          nice to see that there is someone that doesn’t see kiwibuild as a failure. (Are you sure your not Twyford)?

        • Herodotus 3.2.2.2
          14 July 2020 at 9:55 pm

          If things are the same in 2022 – We know that not only did NZ wasted another 3 years but I suspect that we will have gone backwards. I hope that isn't the case But I can see Labour being risk averse and like 2002 and 2011, the sitting governments did what was required to maintain power and with weak opposition didn't want to do anything more than "MANAGE"

          https://www.newsroom.co.nz/is-the-pm-a-transformer-or-just-a-manager

          When she was campaigning to be Prime Minister in August and early September 2017, she was reasonably clear about being transformational. She wanted a capital gains tax, an Auckland Light Rail Line, 100,000 Kiwibuild houses, real climate change action to respond to her generation's 'nuclear free moment', and welfare reform.

          • Bearded Git 3.2.2.2.1
            14 July 2020 at 10:18 pm

            Sounds like Jacinda would love a lab/gr government then.

            • Herodotus 3.2.2.2.1.1
              14 July 2020 at 10:43 pm

              Only capital gains lack of delivery could be due to NZ1, the others perhaps lack of understanding on how to implement ? And we have lost 3 years to see any delivery of results. Fine for a politician to see 3 wasted years but the rest of us to have to wait at least another 3 years that is if they are ever to be delivered on.

        • Paddington 3.2.2.3
          14 July 2020 at 10:35 pm

          Oh come on. All governments have failures. Your claim is just silly. Beyond silly.

          Kiwisaver is arguably the greatest public policy failure in NZ's history.

          Then theres the failed promise to house all the homeless within 4 weeks (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/04/jacinda-ardern-pledges-shelter-for-all-homeless-people-within-four-weeks).

          The promise to reduce child poverty. (https://www.cpag.org.nz/news/latest-child-poverty-stats-a-wake-up-call/)

          …and so on…

          • Drowsy M. Kram 3.2.2.3.1
            14 July 2020 at 10:45 pm

            "Kiwisaver is arguably the greatest public policy failure in NZ's history."

            And that's a 'fine line' to take when you choose to focus on failure.

            I would rather focus on what is arguably the greatest public policy success in NZ's history. "We don't know how lucky we are…" – well, some of us don't.

            This latest choice of a Nat 'leadership' team shows that, amazingly, the caucus really still doesn’t have a clue as to why their brand is so badly tainted. Either that, or they just don't care anymore.

            • Paddington 3.2.2.3.1.1
              14 July 2020 at 11:02 pm

              I mentioned failure because I was responding to Draco's claim that "This government hasn't made any failures". Are you suggesting Kiwibuild was not a failure?

              Now if I had been responding to a post about successes, I would have said "all governments have successes" (which is true) and then listed some of them.

              • Drowsy M. Kram …
                14 July 2020 at 11:29 pm

                "Are you suggesting Kiwibuild was not a failure?"

                Your comment @3.2.2.3 (that I replied to @3.2.2.3.1) didn't mention "Kiwibuild", so at the risk of getting into an argument, could you indicate clearly why you asked if I was suggesting that? I mean, Kiwisaver is a success in my books – Kiwibuild not so much.

                “We don’t know how lucky we are in this country“

                • Paddington …
                  15 July 2020 at 11:08 am

                  No, but my comment focused on 'failure', because I was responding to Draco's commment about failure. You seem troubled that I would repsond to a comment about failure by discussing failure.

                  • Drowsy M. Kram …
                    15 July 2020 at 11:58 am

                    No, I'm troubled that you (@ 3.2.2.3.1.1 ) would ask me "Are you suggesting Kiwibuild was not a failure?", when I patently suggested no such thing.

                    My reply to your comment asked if you could indicate clearly why you had asked me that question. Maybe even a little honesty was too much to hope for – pretty much sums up the Nats when you think about it.

                    “We don’t know how lucky we are in this country“

                    • Paddington …
                      15 July 2020 at 1:33 pm

                      You said " And that's a 'fine line' to take when you choose to focus on failure. " in response to my comment, which was replying to a comment about failure. Why would you question my focus on failure in replying to a comment about failure?

                    • Drowsy M. Kram …
                      15 July 2020 at 2:23 pm

                      I'm frankly amazed that you (still) don't get this – it's very simple.

                      In response to my first comment in this thread (where I said I would rather focus on success), you asked me "Are you suggesting Kiwibuild was not a failure?" There's no wriggle room; that was your question to me.

                      I responded with "…could you indicate clearly why you asked if I was suggesting that?" I asked that question (of you) because that was patently not what I was suggesting – I hadn't mentioned "Kiwibuild" in my first comment, and neither did that word appear in your comment (@ 3.2.2.3, criticising Kiwisaver) which had prompted my first comment. You were, in effect, putting words in my mouth, and that's dishonest (get ready for heaps more of the same folks).

                      Maybe I could say it more clearly than that, but I can't be bothered. You're commenting here in bad faith, IMHO, and I'll have no more to do with you, except to say:

                      "We don’t know how lucky we are in this country" – had a haircut this morning and no-one was wearing a mask – OUTSTANDING!

                      Mind you, if Labour or National or the Greens made a good (faith) case for wearing a mask, then I’d consider it.

          • Craig H 3.2.2.3.2
            14 July 2020 at 10:52 pm

            Kiwisaver? That's a Cullen policy, and is one of his finest achievements.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.2.2.3.3
            14 July 2020 at 10:59 pm

            All governments have failures.

            I'd say that all governments make mistakes. The failure only comes if they fail to learn from those mistakes.

            Kiwibuild is a learning opportunity. Now lets see if Labour learns from it or not before it becomes a failure.

            National doesn't learn from their mistakes and will package the same ideology up in new language to get elected and then do the same thing again.

      • observer 3.2.3
        14 July 2020 at 9:34 pm

        A good guide is always the "Right/Wrong track question".

        FYI: 72% say NZ is on the right track (Morgan poll, today).

        Take a look outside the echo chamber, listen to the voters.

      • Brigid 3.2.4
        14 July 2020 at 10:11 pm

        Mammoth failures?

        Care to list Nationals? We'll see how they compare.

        • Paddington 3.2.4.1
          14 July 2020 at 10:36 pm

          Yep, we could list failures for both major political parties in government. To claim otherwise isn't very bright.

      • RosieLee 3.2.5
        15 July 2020 at 6:40 am

        Please be specific. Where's the evidence?

  4. Anker 4
    14 July 2020 at 9:15 pm

    James latest Roy Morgan has labour greens on 65%. Just saying

  5. McFlock 5
    14 July 2020 at 9:16 pm

    And so it comes to this: "be kind" vs "dirty politics".

    Oh well, at least it will stem the flow of nutbars towards ACT. She might lose a few in the other direction, though.

    • James 5.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:20 pm

      Also substance (Collins) vs slogans (Ardern).

      looking forward to Collins holding her to account for all the bullshit like kiwibuild, light rail etc

      • Incognito 5.1.1
        14 July 2020 at 9:25 pm

        I see, you’re listing National’s policy platform: crush them, crush them hard, crush them so hard they don’t know what crushed them. You’d be a shoo-in for Matthew’s job.

      • In Vino 5.1.2
        14 July 2020 at 9:26 pm

        What substance? How many cars did 'Crusher' actually crush? None. Then she got into Oravida, etc, and was deservedly demoted. No substance, only empty bravado.

        • Veritas 5.1.2.1
          15 July 2020 at 7:35 am

          Ann Tolley crushed one. Another national party disastrous, catastrophic, homophobic, profifa failure!

      • Sean Carroll 5.1.3
        14 July 2020 at 9:26 pm

        More Oravida dirtiness coming up I guess.

      • Just Is 5.1.4
        14 July 2020 at 9:32 pm

        James, the only people who listen to Collins are people like you, sorry to tell you this, but you're in a very small minority at the moment and Collins is likely to shrink it some more

        • RedBaronCV 5.1.4.1
          14 July 2020 at 9:43 pm

          I'm not sure that the people who like Collins listen to her. I've always felt that they appreciated the photo's more – like the ones standing on the car in high heels.
          I think they’re crushin’ on Judith

          • woodart 5.1.4.1.1
            14 July 2020 at 10:50 pm

            yes. collins appeals to the same sort of men that go for women like pauline hanson , margeret thatcher. like the strict women, its a real conservative hangup.

            • RedBaronCV 5.1.4.1.1.1
              15 July 2020 at 12:21 am

              Yes hang up is a good way to put it. But I do wonder if Judith should accessorise a little more to increase that appeal.

      • McFlock 5.1.5
        14 July 2020 at 9:40 pm

        Kiwibuild is obviously the most memorable and important policy or event over the last 2.5 years, yes.

        Lucky there are such scandals – any discussion of character leaves Collins looking like a kauri log exported as a finished piece of furniture.

      • anker 5.1.6
        14 July 2020 at 10:00 pm

        James that is possibly the most ridiculous thing I have every heard. Why do you think NZders are outrage when people abscond from isolation??? Because we are determined to keep our covid free status, we are proud of it and it has allowed our economy to recover quickly. This is what matters most to people now……they don't really give a flying f..k about kiwibuild……….Anyway Labour have built more houses in this term than any other govt since the 70's……

        Really James you are not worth replying too.

      • anker 5.1.7
        14 July 2020 at 10:09 pm

        Collins "only National has the skills and experience to get us through this". First lie.

        Do they think NZders are dumb. Labour and Ardern have just got us through the biggest crisis this country has ever faced. They have done so spectacularly well. Even the WHO praises us. Has Judith been asleep for the last few months?

        I would have thought they realized how ridiculous "the best team" sounded. They have looked like the very worst team ever throughout the Covid crisis. And they are

      • Gabby 5.1.8
        15 July 2020 at 12:51 am

        How many car sdid Joodee Covid crush?

  7. mickysavage 7
    14 July 2020 at 9:21 pm

    Spare a thought for occasional Standard reader Matthew Hooton. His parliamentary services career is no more.

  8. Lettuce 8
    14 July 2020 at 9:22 pm

    "All aboard the Oravida Express! Next stop Beijing."

  9. Tiger Mountain 9
    14 July 2020 at 9:24 pm

    JuDarth!

    Nicky Hager’s “Dirty Politics”, and a few pics of Crusher with her once bestie Mr Slater should prompt a few memories-and not of the pleasant kind.

    Labour just needs to stay on message-“we will keep a lid on Covid, do you really trust National to do the same?”

    • Robert Guyton 9.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:29 pm

      Judith & Cameron, up in a tree…

      Those photos are damning…

      Slater, Slater, Slater!!!

  10. Treetop 10
    14 July 2020 at 9:29 pm

    Probably will be the pinnacle of Collin's political career.

  11. Dennis Frank 11
    14 July 2020 at 9:30 pm

    Don Brash just told Newshub "I'm very pleased." He also told listeners to the live stream that Judith's parents were both Labour voters.

    Tova has just confirmed Brownlee is deputy.

    • lprent 11.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:36 pm

      Ok – so we have the very old guard…

      I can’t see a better contrast to put on the idiot box.

    • weka 11.2
      14 July 2020 at 9:38 pm

      wow. They really haven't learned their lesson.

    • Incognito 11.3
      14 July 2020 at 10:30 pm

      So, it is Judith with Gerry, Tova doing the PR & marketing, and David the internal polling and Social Media. Does that make Tova the emotional junior staffer?

  12. observer 12
    14 July 2020 at 9:30 pm

    Don Brash on Newshub, delighted with Collins.

    What an endorsement, he's got his finger on the pulse of 2020 NZ. (/sarc)

  13. Sean Carroll 13
    14 July 2020 at 9:34 pm

    I am concerned that she will be caught with her hands in the till again.

    • RedBaronCV 13.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:38 pm

      Well she won't resign and now there is no one to fire her. She will just brazen it out.

      But I can see this being the last straw for a lot of women voters who are likely to quit national. Rather as women voters disliked Brash.

  14. Robert Guyton 14
    14 July 2020 at 9:34 pm

    "That’s Concentration Camp Guard mentality: bringing someone into the Leadership now such as Collins, who always played Dirty Politics at as much arms length as possible, to appear by default more “responsible”, is utter lunacy if that’s what the Party is actually contemplating at this point:"

    https://exhalantblog.wordpress.com/2020/07/14/get-a-grip-nz-muller-imploding-the-national-party-in-on-itself-is-utterly-predictable/

    • Just Is 14.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:38 pm

      It looks very much like the party are going to double down.

      This appointment of Collins is a clear indicator of why Muller has retired.

  15. Robert Guyton 15
    14 July 2020 at 9:36 pm

    It's the China connection that'll sink her. Jian Yang pulled out for a reason…

  16. observer 16
    14 July 2020 at 9:36 pm

    I'm not much of a believer these days, but I'm thanking the Almighty for Gerry Brownlee.

    What were they thinking?

    • Robert Guyton 16.1
      14 July 2020 at 9:39 pm

      Gerry's solid. And Christchurch owes its very existence to him (he's magic at airports).

      • Patricia Bremner 16.1.1
        14 July 2020 at 9:50 pm

        Best laugh of the day Robert.

      • Herodotus 16.1.2
        14 July 2020 at 9:59 pm

        Airports are dangerous places, not only for Gerry 🤫

        https://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/transport-minister-fined-using-phone-plane

      • vto 16.1.3
        15 July 2020 at 7:31 am

        Robert, I think you will find a lot of Christchurch people do not have pleasant memories of Gerry's time at the helm here… nup…. failed insurance processes loom most large, something he let wallow in the deep muds … plus he demolished probably 5x more central city buildings than he needed to, stripping away the very fabric of the city… plus the 'anchor projects' are delayed delayed delyaed and now forgotten…

        Nup, Gerry wont win votes because of his Chch performance – he will lose them.

    • georgecom 16.2
      14 July 2020 at 9:58 pm

      National, the party of fresh thinking and promoting exciting new talent

      Never fear National supporters, Chris Luxon is on his way

      • anker 16.2.1
        14 July 2020 at 10:19 pm

        It will be a shit fight next term with Judith still leader and Luxton wanting the leadership he is entitled to

  17. Drowsy M. Kram 17
    14 July 2020 at 9:40 pm

    The Nats will stay their ‘partisan politics‘ course under Crusher's leadership – BAD losers. Amazingly they really don't seem to have a clue as to why their brand is so badly tainted.

  18. In Vino 18
    14 July 2020 at 9:52 pm

    9 weeks are a long time in politics, especially with hostile news media.

    • Incognito 18.1
      14 July 2020 at 10:33 pm

      Good one, I had to think about it.

      • weka 18.1.1
        14 July 2020 at 10:42 pm

        how so?

        • Incognito 18.1.1.1
          14 July 2020 at 11:12 pm

          The media are not hostile towards JC at all, they love and adore her. The fawning is nauseating.

          • weka 18.1.1.1.1
            15 July 2020 at 12:50 am

            ah, so interpreting In Vino's comment as being about the left/Labour?

            • Pete George 18.1.1.1.1.1
              15 July 2020 at 7:52 am

              It could as easily be said 'The media are not hostile towards JA at all, they love and adore her'.

              Nausea is in the eye of the partisan.

              Media tend to reward competence with handling the media.

              • weka …
                15 July 2020 at 12:04 pm

                Competence being a good reason to love her esp this year of course, but I don't see it as being too different from Key. Nearer the end of her term as Labour leader I'm sure they will be going after her too.

                The value in what IV said is that left shouldn't be cocky right now. We saw how fast things changed for Labour in 2017.

              • Incognito …
                15 July 2020 at 11:53 pm

                Nausea is in the eye of the partisan.

                No, Pete, non-partisans are also nauseated by it. I thought you were non-partisan but maybe I did get that wrong!?

            • Incognito 18.1.1.1.1.2
              15 July 2020 at 11:49 pm

              yes

  19. Dennis Frank 19
    14 July 2020 at 9:55 pm

    JC: "I think it's important to give credit where it's due" – and earlier mentioned that she started out as a Labour voter. GB: thanked Newshub for announcing he'd got it before the caucus voted, "I found that encouraging." Got a big laugh.

    JC: "We are here to support Todd and his family." She said `we're going to take back the country' twice. "Our team is better than their team." "She's got three ministers who she's got confidence in, and that's it."

    • I Feel Love 19.1
      14 July 2020 at 10:01 pm

      So Attack Attack Attack.

      • Dennis Frank 19.1.1
        14 July 2020 at 10:07 pm

        Yeah, looks relaxed & comfortable with the gung ho attitude. Will rally the troops, may pull back some of the drifting centrists, but it's whatever substance she can provide to back up that attitude that really counts.

        Partisan stances just aren't adequate really. No problem with her pointing out Labour's mistakes & inadequacies, but voters actually want more than just that, and I haven't seen any evidence that she has learnt that lesson.

        • I Feel Love 19.1.1.1
          14 July 2020 at 10:10 pm

          Least there's a contrast, she's like a cartoon character, she's gonna say some barmy things, already "we're going to take back the country!", well that sounds inclusive doesn't it?

        • Paddington 19.1.1.2
          14 July 2020 at 10:43 pm

          Never underestimate the fickleness of NZ voters, Dennis.

    • Incognito 19.2
      14 July 2020 at 10:34 pm

      Never thought Gerry was a leaker!

    • Craig H 19.3
      14 July 2020 at 10:58 pm

      Not sure who the three ministers are since the PM clearly has confidence in more than three – she is probably referring to Robertson, Hipkins, Woods, but Little is clearly another (for example).

  20. Just Is 20
    14 July 2020 at 10:06 pm

    Wasn't Collins on 2% in the leadership stakes a few weeks ago.

    Nothing like having a popular leader

  21. Ovid 21
    14 July 2020 at 10:06 pm

    They say,
    Todd Muller's yielding his power and stepping away

    Is that true? I wasn't aware that was something a person could do

    I'm perplexed. Are they going to keep on replacing whoever's in charge?
    If so who's next?
    There's nobody else in their party who looms quite as large

    [whispers]

    [Spoken]
    Judith and Gerry?

    I know them
    That can't be
    That's that pair I saw on TV all those years ago
    Where was it, the Beehive?
    That poor party they'll eat them alive

    Oceans rise, empires fall
    Next to Ardern they all look small
    All alone watch them run
    They will tear each other in to pieces Jesus Christ this will be fun

    Da da da da da
    Da da da da daye da
    Da da da da daye da
    [laughs]

    [Spoken]
    Judith & Gerry
    Good luck!

  22. Pat 22
    14 July 2020 at 10:06 pm

    back to the future it is then….there will be no unpleasant surprises that those two havnt anticipated to cause them to question themselves.

  23. observer 23
    14 July 2020 at 10:08 pm

    That Collins press conference was weird.

    She repeated the line "take back the country". And I'm sure she knows what that phrase represents. Yuk.

  24. anker 24
    14 July 2020 at 10:12 pm

    The country is not there's to take actually………..

  25. Ben 25
    14 July 2020 at 10:15 pm

    Fascinating. I just wandered back through this alley again and the usual resident suspects are still reinforcing their entrenched tribal views. A comforting space for some, although it must get a tad claustrophobic.

    • observer 25.1
      14 July 2020 at 10:18 pm

      O wise one, we await your sermon of enlightenment.

      • Ben 25.1.1
        14 July 2020 at 10:28 pm

        What topic would enlighten you, young student?

        • observer 25.1.1.1
          14 July 2020 at 10:36 pm

          The foolishness of us mere mortals who in our shameful ignorance, think National are self-destructing … on the basis of, you know, all the evidence, every day.

          • Ben 25.1.1.1.1
            14 July 2020 at 10:42 pm

            Please do not feel shame “observer”. An observer should not feel shame.

            • Drowsy M. Kram 25.1.1.1.1.1
              14 July 2020 at 11:15 pm

              Ben, "You must go to the Dagobah system", AKA Kiwiblog.

              "Game On!" "This will excite a lot of National supporters and activists."

              laugh Hahahahahahahahahaha laugh

              Seriously, perhaps could you enlighten me as to why the Nat caucus don't seem to have a clue about why their brand is so badly tainted. Or are your 'lessons' pay-to-view only?

    • Incognito 25.2
      14 July 2020 at 11:22 pm

      Yeah, I wondered how you wormed your way back here. You said some nasty stuff when you were banned for two days and yet here you are trolling again. Nobody is enforcing anything here but we do like to keep the place clean & tidy and pest-free especially with the election looming. How long is a piece of string?

  26. bloke 26
    14 July 2020 at 10:31 pm

    its a win for Beijing and milkpowder, its a win for slater too but RX-7’s all over our fair isles are worried

  27. Brian Tregaskin 27
    14 July 2020 at 10:35 pm

    Id rate Collins/Brownlee chances of improving Nationals fortune in the next few weeks as practically zero . Two old school Nats from the old guard whose time has come and gone. The day after the election we will see the headlines "Its Ardens Time"

  28. Bloke 28
    14 July 2020 at 10:52 pm

    Great to see fresh thinking, new faces and a vision of 1963 (with a milky eastern light shining upon fogeys both young and old)

  29. Peter 29
    14 July 2020 at 10:52 pm

    I get it. Kurt Taogaga has been removed from the Labour's Party candidate list after tweets he made seven years ago resurfaced.

    Judith Collins, guilty of unethical scummy behaviour while a Minister six years ago gets to be the leader of her party.

    Yeah, I can see how that's reasonable. We need a Lincoln Project series of ads about Collins.

  30. Anker 30
    14 July 2020 at 11:01 pm
    • By the way Ben is not worth engaging with imo everyone
  31. Fireblade 31
    14 July 2020 at 11:08 pm

    Judith and Gerry will invigorate the National Party with their fresh faces, youthful exuberance and exiting new ideas.

  32. Descendant Of Smith 32
    14 July 2020 at 11:13 pm

    My fascist right wing friends are going hooray when they were pretty meh about the last two leaders so Collins clearly appeals to a certain group of mainly male party supporters. They've been quiet for a while but are posting all over the place now. Clearly excited.

    After the collapse of the Boag faction within the National Party (remember she ousted John Slater as National Party President) playing loose with citizen data then the Collins faction had to be the dominant group within the Party.

    Neither is any cleaner than the other but both factions have hated each other for years.

    I'm picking National will pick up in the polls – Collins was much more aligned with that nice man John Key and National voters will appreciate that and see her as a return to normality and away from experimentation with lightweights. After the last two leaders Collins with all her experience will be seen as solid. Any lift in the polls will encourage a further lift.

    Collins is the only choice they could have made to stop their slide. The two previous leaders have cleaned out some of the more toxic MP's from the public perspective so she won't have to do the same bloodletting.

    I may dislike all the individuals concerned but I'm not a National voter so my mates opinions are more likely a better indicator than the bad taste in my mouth at seeing these two back.

    • McFlock 32.1
      15 July 2020 at 12:16 am

      If they're really right wing, it means they'll be less tempted to vote for the gun-totin' ACT.

      Collins tried to put on a nice face for a couple of years, but I don't think it'll stick. Your fascist friends don't seem to believe it.

      Stuff that attracts flies tends to repel bees, sort of thing. I doubt it would increase Labgrn vote, but it might make nats less likely to vote.

    • RedBaronCV 32.2
      15 July 2020 at 12:24 am

      Yes unlike the Uk we don't need a Boris and a Dom when we have Judith.

      Women don't like Judith – she's likely to turn out about as many of them as ACT does. namely none.

  33. Maurice 33
    14 July 2020 at 11:23 pm

    They know that with Arden leading Labour/Greens the right are on a hiding to nothing

    This means that they know that they MUST "knobble" Jacinda ….

    We have not seen "dirty politics" ….. yet …

    It is about to get very very ugly.

  34. Incognito 34
    14 July 2020 at 11:28 pm

    I take it Judith has cancelled the remainder of her book promotion tour?

  35. UncookedSelachimorpha 35
    14 July 2020 at 11:38 pm

    Draining the swamp! Of kauri.

  36. Fireblade 36
    14 July 2020 at 11:39 pm

    National is still a shambles. Contragulations Judith.

    https://www.twitter.com/danielfarrellnz/status/1282972806922158080

  37. Incognito 37
    14 July 2020 at 11:59 pm

    I think the Nat Party website is under construction.

  38. lurgee 38
    15 July 2020 at 1:15 am

    Mickysavage has – of course – a long an ignoble history of being pretty much wrong about everything, so we might as well start practicing saying "Prime Minister Collins."

    Collins makes me nervous. She's got nothing to lose and the scruples of a rabid wolverine. She can say pretty much anything and promise pretty much anything in the knowledge she'll either succeed in preventing a National wipe out or it won’t matter in the slightest.

    Either way, it’ll be brutal.

    And then – if the wipe out is averted – she can sit back for three more years, sniping at Labour, exploiting every stuff up and failure (and they will come, oh boy will they come) and generally have a great time being Leader of the Opposition on a mission to wreck Labour's second term.

    And if she – and her ilk – ever gets hands on the levers of power, God help us all.

    • swordfish 38.1
      15 July 2020 at 8:44 am

      Mickysavage has – of course – a long an ignoble history of being pretty much wrong about everything, so we might as well start practicing saying "Prime Minister Collins."

      I'd forgotten you were a barrel of laughs, lurgee.

      Still, lifelong support of Partick Thistle must induce a certain grim fatalism in the psyche.

  39. Brian Tregaskin 39
    15 July 2020 at 6:31 am

    "

    Mickysavage has – of course – a long an ignoble history of being pretty much wrong about everything, so we might as well start practicing saying "Prime Minister Collins."

    Collins makes me nervous. She's got nothing to lose and the scruples of a rabid wolverine. She can say pretty much anything and promise pretty much anything in the knowledge she'll either succeed in preventing a National wipe out or it won’t matter in the slightest.

    Either way, it’ll be brutal.

    And then – if the wipe out is averted – she can sit back for three more years, sniping at Labour, exploiting every stuff up and failure (and they will come, oh boy will they come) and generally have a great time being Leader of the Opposition on a mission to wreck Labour's second term.

    And if she – and her ilk – ever gets hands on the levers of power, God help us all."

    Unless there is Judithmania for the remainder this week (First 48 hours is critical) you wont see a dramatic lift in the polls for National (if any) between now and September. All that is likely to happen is some Act voters will return to National and those middle ground voters will stick with Labour.

    But…..If Judithmania happens in next 48 hours its all on!!! You heard it first here first baby!

  40. Plc 40
    15 July 2020 at 7:36 am

    You sound scared….welcome to the jungle!

  41. Brian Tregaskin 41
    15 July 2020 at 7:56 am

    Most like instead of "Judithmania" we will see the mantra "Granny State" with a Collins/Bownlee duo with those two old farts

  42. Cinny 42
    15 July 2020 at 8:07 am

    If gerry and judith are the answer, the question must be…who plays dirty politics?

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