I do not think in all my years of interest in politics that I have ever seen a more disorganised week from National.
Last Sunday it started with a horror poll suggesting that Labour could conceivably not require support parties and National plunging to levels not seen since 2002. National’s response was a press release to suggest that it was yet another rogue poll and that National’s internal polling was much different. A better present for Jacinda on her 40th is hard to imagine.
Then on Monday there was another disastrous poll, this one suggesting that by a wide margin, 62-27 New Zealand thought that Labour were better economic managers than National. This is unprecedented.
Judith also chose to get into a fight with Reid Research and allege that it was engaging in push polling. Reid Research gave back double. She also got into a fight with a Kiwisaver provider. And Judith said that Hamish Walker and the teenage Palmerston North candidate were both victims of bullying. As if.
On Tuesday it was reported that Judith Collins said that under her watch as Corrections Minister no one escaped from prison. Narrator voice, this was not true. She then tried to suggest that because her eyebrow was raised when she said it people should have known that she was joking. Also on Tuesday it was reported that National’s 18 year old MP had a photo on social media where he pictured himself doing a Hitler impersonation. The two burning questions I have is wasn’t he vetted more carefully and which National faction leaked it.
On Wednesday Sarah Dowie gave her valedictory speech and said that she would claw at the windows or walk across hot coals to get out of the National Caucus. Talk about a vote of confidence.
On Thursday two of National’s urban liberal progressive female MPs, Nikki Kaye and Amy Adams gave their swan song speeches in Parliament. National is clearly heading towards being a country christian conservative rump party. This will hurt them in the cities.
Also on Thursday housing spokesperson Jacqui Dean falsely claimed that National built 30,000 state homes when last in power, and that National now backs rental standards they voted against and recently promised to scrap. Narrator’s voice, they didn’t and they won’t.
On Thursday night there was yet another rogue poll suggesting that National was well behind. They tried to spin this suggesting that it showed that they still had a chance to win.
Then on Friday the Heron Report was released and concluded that National MP Hamish Walker and former Party President Michelle Boag were were each responsible for the unauthorised disclosure of sensitive personal information. “Their motivations were political. Their actions were not justified or reasonable.”
Also on Friday Jacinda was ranked as the world’s most eloquent leader. The right wing response was predictable.
On Saturday, without proof, Judith Collins publicly stated that opponents were stealing her billboards and planned to put them up on election day to get her into trouble. The sense of weirdness about this allegation is high, especially when there has never been a report of this happening in the past to a National candidate.
And occasional Standard reader Matthew Hooton resigned his job from the leader’s office also to spend more time with his family.
Then today it was reported that National had taken all of its policies down from its website and all that was left were a few slogan filled discussion sheets. And it was also reported that National has major problems with its Auckland Central selection and that the details would emerge.
And where is National’s candidate list?
All in all if this is a strong National team I hate to imagine what a weak one would look like. And National will be praying that it does not have another week like the one that it has just had.
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