Reti’s running

Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, September 18th, 2020 - 62 comments
Categories: election 2020, jacinda ardern, Judith Collins, leadership, national, Politics - Tags:

In this election campaign like no other one thing is clear.  Judith Collins is not getting traction.  She is looking tired and grumpy and pitted against Jacinda Ardern looks second rate.

Which makes you think what happens after the election?  Judith may hang in there as National leader and I am sure she will try.  But it is likely the conservatives will dominate National’s caucus and there is nothing more likely to finish your career than to lose an election.

Reti has had a meteoric rise.  He was ranked number 42 in National’s caucus at the beginning of the term.  He is now ranked number 5.  His calm reasonable responses to Covid contrast markedly with Collins’ and Brownlee’s shrill and conspiracy laced offerings.

He was asked yesterday if he had leadership ambitions and said this:

I think that’s a decision for the National Party caucus, the people in the Whangarei electorate, and the people in the party. That’s a call they would need to make. If they wanted me to step into that position, that would be a privilege.”

He cannot have received the memo.  The first thing you always do when asked if you want to be leader is to express support for the current leader.  Anything less is a vote of no confidence in the leader.

National is preparing for a big loss.  The leaks against Upper Harbour candidate Jake Bezzant are clearly an inside job and a sign that they know the writing is on the wall.

To have a chance in the future National will need a leader with a kinder face and someone willing to debate intelligently the future of the country.  That person may be Shane Reti.

62 comments on “Reti’s running ”

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  1. Tony Veitch (not etc.) 1
    18 September 2020 at 8:27 am

    Ah, but isn't Luxon, the anointed one, lurking in the leeches?

    • Robert Guyton 1.1
      18 September 2020 at 9:13 am

      It's Reti who's the leech (I mean that kindly).

    • AB 1.2
      18 September 2020 at 9:35 am

      Maybe there'll be a realisation that a nostalgic yearning for Key 2.0 in the form of Luxon is regressive, and likely to fail – because no-one can ever be so great as he of the sainted memory. Reti may be more forward-looking and a better choice, though possibly a bit too Maori for some of National's base.

      • Anne 1.2.1
        18 September 2020 at 9:48 am

        Reti may be more forward-looking and a better choice, though possibly a bit too Maori for some of National's base.

        My bold.

        Which is why he was placed at 42 on the list.

        Both Luxon and Reti have conservative religious backgrounds. One some fundie type religion and the other Mormon. Don't fancy either of them having forward looking progressive views.

        Ardern had a Mormon background but she rejected the conservative thinking and left the church years ago.

        • Bearded Git 1.2.1.1
          18 September 2020 at 10:47 am

          Anne…but Jacinda won't say which way she will be voting on the marijuana reeferendum. This is pathetic and probably means she will vote against because of those (partially still active) Mormon beliefs.

          • bwaghorn 1.2.1.1.1
            18 September 2020 at 11:36 am

            Na shes right to not say which way shell vote for several reasons.

            It's none of our business

            Close to half are going to disagree so why hand them a bat to hit her with.

            Shes right not to say people on a conscience vote

          • Anne 1.2.1.1.2
            18 September 2020 at 12:38 pm

            I know Jacinda well enough to know she isn't likely to have any residual beliefs based wholly on her Mormon background. I imagine she will vote for the liberalising of the marijuana laws based on common sense and compassionate grounds.

            Whatever, bwaghorn is right. Its a personal matter for each individual voter and is nobody else's business.

          • woodart 1.2.1.1.3
            18 September 2020 at 1:35 pm

            no, whats pathetic is trying to link her religious upbringing with a personal vote .

          • Fred Retter 1.2.1.1.4
            19 September 2020 at 12:15 pm

            Who cares ? Is it really all that important which way JA votes on Cannabis. Just at the moment we seem to have far more important issues at stake and yes, it's none of our business which way she votes. It is a private ballot is it not ?

        • Michael who failed Civics 1.2.1.2
          18 September 2020 at 12:07 pm

          Even though Reti is a pale-skinned Maori, his skin pigmentation is too dark for the Nats. They're racists. Always have been. Always will be. Any leadership ambitions this guy may have are doomed to failure.

          • Wayne 1.2.1.2.1
            18 September 2020 at 12:22 pm

            Of course that explains Bridges and Bennett. In contrast to National, Labour is yet to have a Maori Leader. Obviously that means Labour are racists.

            • Robert Guyton 1.2.1.2.1.1
              18 September 2020 at 12:32 pm

              John Key wore a t-shirt with a tiki on it – he was pretty-much Māori.

            • Patricia Bremner 1.2.1.2.1.2
              18 September 2020 at 1:25 pm

              Wayne…Kirk?

            • newsense 1.2.1.2.1.3
              19 September 2020 at 9:29 am

              Man I'd love to read about all the ins and outs of what happened just from a spectator stand point. The truth is often much more intricate and interesting than fiction.

              But when those two got dumped the man who was a part of Kiwi/iwi came in as advisor and we got Judith's not apologising for being white dog whistle.

          • greywarshark 1.2.1.2.2
            18 September 2020 at 12:37 pm

            The tortuous ways to power are hard to discern Michael. Never say never.

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2
    18 September 2020 at 8:31 am

    nat infighting. Awesome : )

    • halfcrown 2.1
      18 September 2020 at 12:47 pm

      +1 I do think this guy appears to be a decent guy. Two other National guys I have time for is David Bennett and Tim McIndoe. Always struck me as fair players, National has to get rid of the toxic waste they have been saddled with since the Spivs days ie Collins Brownlea and this lastest mouth almighty called Goldsmith just to name a few Get rid of them and we could end up with a decent opposition that will be needed to hold the next government to account.

  3. Patricia Bremner 3
    18 September 2020 at 9:06 am

    Judith thinks she is doing well, but the men she uses in her current stand ups are Brownlee… and Goldsmith, which shows the paucity of her choices.

    Reti "seems" reasonable by comparison, but has hubris.

    Luxon will sit in the safe seat of Botany, collecting his salary while eyeing other opportunities.

    However their nasty narrow dirty politics approach is dangerous in these times. We can't afford them.

  4. tc 4
    18 September 2020 at 9:48 am

    'a kinder face..' in a party built to serve the elite that's placed 2 of its most polarizing MP's up front making mischief during a pandemic.

    He'll need more than a few smiles and a great stand up routine to make it past the announced one from botany.

  5. Tiger Mountain 5
    18 September 2020 at 10:13 am

    Not sure what Mr Reti’s path to the leadership would be given Mr Luxon’s apparent anointing. But I guess given Bridges, Muller, Collins, “Merv”, Falloon, Walker, Boag, Kaye, Adams, all in one year, who knows what is possible with the motley crew that is the NZ National Party of 2020. Mr Luxon maybe a bit of a loose cannon too with discipline, going on some of his public statements immediately after being fingered as “Keysie” MkII.

    Mr Reti is certainly smarmy enough for some, and urban myths persist that he pays for some poor peoples prescriptions, as John Key donated his salary…

    Encountered him in Whangārei over a situation where middle class residents of Maunu ran a campaign to stop 37 state houses being built in their precious suburb. Oh! but what about our property values!… Reti backed them, at a large public meeting, which instigated raising $60,000 to fund stopping other citizens from having a warm, dry, house. Not exactly a “be kind” approach for a would be party leader.

  6. Stuart Munro 6
    18 September 2020 at 10:35 am

    National's flailing attempts to scrape together enough shambling morons to form a government would be hilarious if it were some other country they meant to misgovern. Throw enough crap at the wall, the reasoning seems to be, and sooner or later some of it might stick.

    "Applaud us when we stick, console us when we fall." Fungus the Bogeyman.

    • Red 6.1
      18 September 2020 at 12:22 pm

      Agree to a great degree it’s an election of 2 parties full of morons I would argue Nationals morons are of a slightly higher caliber than labour’s, kelvin, Chippy, Nashy, Claire, Willy…hardly full you with confidence, even Jacinda when off script, selfies and slogans not really to much to her

      • Gabby 6.1.1
        18 September 2020 at 12:57 pm

        Go on then, put your case for Brownee, Slick, McIndope, Todds 1, 2 and 3 et al. Rockstars one and all.

        • Red 6.1.1.1
          18 September 2020 at 3:10 pm

          Agree not superstars but we are talking relativity here

          • georgecom 6.1.1.1.1
            18 September 2020 at 10:16 pm

            sadly for your contention Red, much of the talent has retired from National this year. Finding "strong" in the national party "team" is not a lengthy or strenuous exercise

      • Uncle Scrim 6.1.2
        18 September 2020 at 12:58 pm

        Red:

        even Jacinda when off script, selfies and slogans not really to much to her

        … still with the stardust thing huh? No substance? A PM who has had to contend with the two biggest crises/tragedies/threats – 15 March and COVID – faced by any NZ Prime Minister since Peter Fraser when Singapore fell in 1942. How else do you suggest we determine whether a leader has 'much' to them other than when they face extremely difficult tests – and perform exceptionally well in those circumstances.

        • Red 6.1.2.1
          18 September 2020 at 3:20 pm

          Sorry still don’t see much in her beyond being a a good retail politician, Not much grunt, intellect or substance beyond that, to a degree these 2 crises have been a benefit to her as plays to her strength, comms, photogenic and Felz, likewise provides a veil to her weaknesses Without these crises the question would be her record of failed promises and non delivery beyond working committees and throwing money at stuff with no outcomes

          National been pretty devoid of talent or a similar retail politician is also a being it to her

          • Uncle Scrim 6.1.2.1.1
            18 September 2020 at 3:47 pm

            I get what you're saying, and think that is even more true of John Key with the GFC and Canterbury earthquakes – a good retail politician who had a couple of crises to make him look more substantial. But I also think there has been far more to Ardern's crisis leadership than good comms. These two crises were not like, say, the Canterbury earthquakes or even White Island, where the response is pretty standard – express sadness, focus on recovery/rebuild, eventually an enquiry and maybe make some longterm changes. March 15th and COVID required making big decisions, often without much information, and by all accounts in each case Ardern was key in deciding how to respond. A leader then has to front and sell those decisions, which as you say she is accomplished at.

            The framing of the mosque attack as an attack on 'us' and the othering of the perpetrator was a very quick decision, taken in a matter of hours. It was a decision that salvaged NZ's at-risk reputation in much of the world and even helped ensure the safety of thousands of NZers in Muslim majority countries. Missteps could have been very serious.

            We can all imagine a NZ PM and government that, with access to the same experts and information, would have made serious COVID mistakes – indeed, like the majority of governments in the world have.

      • Stuart Munro 6.1.3
        18 September 2020 at 2:20 pm

        I would argue Nationals morons are of a slightly higher caliber

        Well Nick Smith certainly evokes that line from Reginald Perrin "Praise the Lord for small bores, for small bores get bigger every day."

        Nor would many here dispute that Gerry is the Opposition's Schwerer Gustav – better for the Krupp's balance sheet than it was at any real-world function.

  7. Weasel 7
    18 September 2020 at 10:53 am

    Why not let him take over before the election? Crusher is completely unanimated and looks like she wishes she was somewhere else. I was impressed by Reti on Q&A a while back when he took a far more reasoned approach to dealing with Covid than his party leadership had. I won several decent bets Todd Muller wouldn't last till the election and while I'm not that confident they will change horses yet again Reti couldn't do worse, remembering Bob Hawke's aphorism that the best time to take on the leadership is a few weeks before an election (although possibly not following two previous leadership changes).

  8. Ad 8
    18 September 2020 at 11:08 am

    Ardern should invite him to be Minister of Health.

    How Labour failed to pick up this kind of candidate for themselves is a mysterious failure.

    Seriously we need a practitioner in this role, or Reti is going to have the new Minister for lunch.

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 8.1
      18 September 2020 at 12:41 pm

      Oh yeah?….nats had Dr "Private Health" Coleman. And "Lunch" ?

      I wonder what MP Dr Reti thought of the nats running down of NZ's Health system?

      And he is maybe not all as he seems…

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Reti#Political_career

    • Janet 8.2
      18 September 2020 at 12:44 pm

      Yes pity that "party affliliations " rule over who gets what cabinet portfolio. Dr Reti would be perfect as a Minister of Health – who cares what his part is. Under the Swiss political system he could be so it is not an unknown situation!

      Have had first hand dealings with Dr Reti . He was pro-active , and energetic and he is a modern man as Jacinda is a modern woman. A refreshing change ! Maybe they could make it happen.

    • Gabby 8.3
      18 September 2020 at 1:00 pm

      Surely his principles wouldn't allow him to work with godless communists.

    • Graeme 8.4
      18 September 2020 at 1:22 pm

      If he's an electorate MP then what are the constitutional barriers to this?

      I'd imagine there'd be some internal Party issues on both sides but the minister would still be bound by Cabinet collective responsibility and confidentiality.

    • woodart 8.5
      18 September 2020 at 1:43 pm

      no, falling down the 'need a doctor to be minister of health" line is as simplistic as saying a bussinessman should run the country. whats next, a truck driver as minister of transport?

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    18 September 2020 at 11:23 am

    She is looking tired and grumpy and pitted against Jacinda Ardern looks second rate.

    Probably the stress of being leader and she's always looked second rate hence the Crushless Collins moniker.

    But it is likely the conservatives will dominate National’s caucus and there is nothing more likely to finish your career than to lose an election.

    I always figured that putting Collins and Brownlee in as leaders was their going away present that they can stick in the CVs after the election. After all, at their level in society, it doesn't matter that they've failed in those positions – just that they had them.

    • tc 9.1
      18 September 2020 at 3:08 pm

      Agreed DTB. What does Hooten stick on his CV for the no doubt highly paid cameo in nationals ranks then back to his granny blanket.

    • Stuart Munro 9.2
      19 September 2020 at 7:54 am

      In the natural course of events, Collins would have had a crack some time after Clark, but Key was parachuted in to steal her spot. She could've been a contender – but now she's a bit tired, the Gnat brand has been hollowed out, and she's stuck with the lemons who wouldn't quit because they'd never get a job anywhere else. It's tragic really, to see what was once a major party so threadbare it's losing its voters to ACT and the NZPP. I'm crying into my mocchacino.

  10. Ad 10
    18 September 2020 at 12:35 pm

    If he doesn't want to be a Labour Minister of Health, appoint him to Chair his health board.

    He must surely be persuadable.

  11. observer 11
    18 September 2020 at 3:13 pm

    An MP's true position is the one expressed through individual conscience votes. As opposed to supporting the party line, which is going to be dictated by the policy platform of the time (see countless back-flips by National and Labour over the years).

    Shane Reti has voted for the conservative option on every issue that has come before Parliament. He is, in fact, less "liberal" than Judith Collins.

    • woodart 11.1
      18 September 2020 at 4:14 pm

      well spotted observer . in the rush to anoint dr shane the new brian, many on here fail to look behind the bedside manner.

    • Andre 11.2
      18 September 2020 at 5:52 pm

      He is, in fact, less "liberal" than Judith Collins.

      Considering how much hating on liberals goes on here, that should make him quite popular with some of our regulars.

      • Draco T Bastard 11.2.1
        18 September 2020 at 11:07 pm

        Depends upon which type of liberal that you're talking about. The US kind, the Brit kind or the Aus kind or, perhaps, the ACT kind.

  12. Robert Guyton 12
    18 September 2020 at 3:53 pm

    He doesn't look reliable.

  13. Treetop 13
    18 September 2020 at 5:43 pm

    Reti is untainted by National infighting, he actually knows something, is visible in the National Party and appears to be genuine compared to most National MPs.

  14. Andre 14
    18 September 2020 at 5:48 pm

    What do his eyebrows tell us about him? Particularly in comparison to JuDarth's? Inquiring minds want to know.

    Giacomin and Rule then used those photographs for a series of studies in which participants were asked to rate each of the faces in terms of how narcissistic they thought they were. Eyebrows are among the most expressive features of the face, and the researchers found that people rely on eyebrows to accurately pick out grandiose narcissists…

    https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/09/bellowing-alligators-and-frozen-poop-knives-the-2020-ig-nobel-prizes/

  15. peter sim 15
    18 September 2020 at 9:26 pm

    Reading all of the above makes me feel like a virgin bride.

    Where is the election?

  16. Vigo 16
    18 September 2020 at 10:32 pm

    Dr Shane Reti was a member of the Northland DHB through the years of the National Govt. Recently the Whangarei Hospital was listed as one of the worst in the country and seriously needs replacing.

  17. PsyclingLeft.Always 17
    19 September 2020 at 8:08 am

    The running down (literally) of NZ's Health System had been happening for years. And I'm absolutely sure there was a Private Health "care" option to have come if the nats had won. The nat Minister Dr "Private Health" Coleman himself went to it ….

    And as I posited previously, I wonder where "caring" Dr Reti was through those long years?

    Whangarei Hospital ….

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2018739692/doctors-at-whangarei-hospital-worried-by-state-of-buildings

    Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the issues at Middlemore were a symptom of chronic under-investment in the health sector.

    "Obviously the issue of mould in the walls of Middlemore Hospital has not just happened. This is an ongoing infrastructure problem. I think to squarely place it on our shoulders … doesn't resolve the problem and that's what we need to do, but also ignores the fact that we've had significant under-investment in our health system for a consecutive number of years," Ardern said this morning.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12025362

  18. peter sim 18
    19 September 2020 at 9:23 pm

    The natz are facing the consequences of deliberate running down of health and housing over nine years of natz rule. No wonder so many retired.

    Covid 19 has focused their wealthy business backers to re-evaluate priorities.

    An Ardern led govt (coalition or not) looks like a safer pair of hands than the rag tag and bobtail of what is left of the natz in parliament.

    Reti, Collins, and Brownlee have a very big challenge. Credibility.

  19. Hanswurst 19
    20 September 2020 at 8:17 am

    The title of this post sounds like some obscure form of diarrhoea.

  20. John 20
    22 September 2020 at 8:57 am

    Has everyone forgotten how he tried to intimidate a lady who was complaining about the dust from an unsealed road and the detrimental effect it was having on childrens health. This was during the 2015 Northland seat by election which Winston won. DR Reti adivised her to stop complaining. The complainant taped the conversation. I can't recall all the detail but am sure it will be on public record somewhere. Is that the sort of person they want leading the Nat party. Probably is

  21. Heather Tanguay 21
    12 October 2020 at 3:45 pm

    Reti and Luxton are like jackals fighting over the still warm carcass.

    Reti is like a wolf in sheep's clothing, conservative with a big C. Luxton an even bigger sheep, he has a huge C for being conservative.

    The audacity of them both, with such limited political experience has to be seen to believed. If Reti had so much potential where has he been for the last three years.