National’s MPs might be considering spending the next two weeks in bed, dreaming of victory. Because it seems every day they go out, one of them accidentally speaks their mind, which is costing votes. They’ve managed to alienate an impressive range of demographics in the last month: 830,000 Kiwisavers, a half a million low income earners, half a million Working for Families parents, 250,000 beneficiaries, 350,000 union members (and hundreds of thousands more workers concerned about their work rights), 250,000 people on the Maori Roll, 300,000 Pacific Islanders, 400,000 Asians. The polls are wildly divergent but half of them now show a Labour-led government with the Greens, Progressives, and the Maori Party, with the effects of National’s Kiwisaver and toll road policies, along with Lockwood Smith’s racism yet to flow through. Add to that Labour’s belief that it has at least a couple of percent support that is not shown in the polls and National’s headaches grow. It has been a light week for policy, the most significant announcement was Clark’s decision to ditch some big spending Labour policies that are unaffordable in the current global crisis. Here are our favourite posts of the week:
Don’t dream, it’s over
Only Tariana Turia, deluded Nats, and the more excitable journos ever thought there could be a deal with National. Even they have now woken up…[more]
National’s redneck element
You do have an element of redneck that’s in there and that surfaces when you read between the lines…[more]
Spending ends
Helen Clark has declared there will be no more spending promises from Labour. This was unexpected and will mean that the focus will now be on National and whether they will follow suit….[more]
It’s your choice
The steady hand investing in the long-term for all or a short-term bonanza for the rich. It’s your choice…[more]
Guest post: the clever dealer
Key repeatedly conceded that dissolution of Maori seats was not a National Party bottom line in talks with Pita Sharples. Sharples made this public, and suddenly Key, the Hard-Nosed Operator from the business world was trumped…[more]
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