The new leadership of the National Party has had an epiphany that led to the rolling of the previous leadership because they were severely out of touch with the public mood during lockdown. The abysmal polls were like a nose swap swab that screamed ‘positive’ before it was even taken.
Despite not plotting the bloodless coup for months, they ceased seized the moment in a non-opportunistic but highly pragmatic way and pounced on the unsuspecting Leader and Deputy Leader and, to their surprise, they won. This has a ring of truth about it because the new leadership was completely unprepared for what came next as the hilarious errors and highly amusing media appearances showed so clearly. Media training was in order.
This was not caused by lack of talent. The National Party is brimming over with talent. Particularly, the front bench is oozing talent. They all are Pākehā. This is not a problem because they are the best team and there are only so many spots on the party list that are safe as houses given the internal polls. National MPs find out these poll results by going on Social Media, just like anybody else in NZ, which makes it nicely democratic; we’re all in the same boat together and there’s no preferential treatment – cauc-us but only sum-of- us.
Criticism that National’s front bench lacks diversity and Māori representation is unfounded. Many National MPs may have watched Once Were Warriors and understood the moral message: some people make bad choices and they have to live with it. Life is tough.
In any case, National has done some soul-searching and realised that they have a moral imperative, which is to win the Election. If they lose, many of the sitting and talented MPs will lose their jobs and become unemployed. NZ doesn’t need more unemployed; they are a blot on our society and bad for GDP. I can see where National is coming from.
Encouraged by the after-coup poll bounce and exciting honeymoon, and with a renewed zest for life, the new Leader is throwing mana from heaven whilst giving a sermon from a mountaintop. The symbolism is strong with this one. Symbolism is important, especially to the small and select flock of recipients devotees.
The mainstream media (MSM) in NZ have not yet realised the depth of National’s moral crusade. They are asking the new Leader impertinent questions about leaders of other nations. This is wrong! Judge not, or you too will be judged. Beneficiaries and other no-hopers know all about judgement, which is why they allegedly don’t vote. I shall not pass judgement on the wisdom of this.
I look forward to the details of National’s Economic Plan. I do appreciate that this is secondary to the primary imperative of not losing the Election and not again screwing up the coalition negotiations with the Kingmaker – the Kingmaker is not dead yet. Details are for academics, pedants, and Treasury boffins. Real managers of the economy don’t get bogged down in minutiae. They think Big and in terms of billion dollar holes, as Mr Fix-It, Steven Joyce, used to do. I miss that android man. Fortunately, the new Leader has almost as much business nous as Mr Joyce and there is even some physical resemblance between them. All is not lost.
The official start of the election period is almost upon us. I think it could be as nerve wrecking as the pandemic. I don’t dare to make any predictions as the future looks less certain every day. I feel drawn to parties that express moral certainty about which cause of action is best for our country. Yet I know that this is all just bollocks.
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