What Could National Do To Win?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, July 16th, 2020 - 37 comments
Categories: election 2020, jacinda ardern, Judith Collins, national, same old national - Tags:

Ok sure, they won’t. You list why.

But here’s the top five things National could do to give themselves a better shot.

1. Cut Ardern Down

Get as many one-on-one Collins v Ardern matchups as possible. Collins is a highly experienced and combative politician and an excellent litigator. There is a reasonable chance that the same would occur in a tv debate match-up as occurred between Helen Clark and John Key: stolid competence got outmatched by charm and guile, and shifted 5% that got the win. Everyone’s afraid to go after the sugar-rush saint and wipe off her smile. Collins doesn’t need to be afraid to do so, and won’t be.

2. An Aggressive Plan For New Zealand

Labour don’t appear to have one except the aforementioned money-printing sugar rush and the smile. Promise that x jobseekers will get jobs by y date (it’s an election promise). Promise a timetable for a GST tax cut down to 10% or to 5% on the lowest bracket. Roll the Red Line test back to two years. 0% tax for export companies. Something with fresh-killed juicy red bleeding meat.

Also we are getting creamed by Australian taxes (the 29% Wine Equalisation Tax) on our wine imports. Take the fight to Australia. A headline of eradicating an alcohol tax would be Nordmeyer- massive.

Burn the ban on foreign investment. Regional tax havens for Southland and Whangarei.

Those will open the coffers of the donors through their trust-wrinsing outfits like magic. Leave all the covid negativity to this current lot: make mere survival Labour’s brand.

3. Aggressive Prosecutions

Simply support the Serious Fraud Office or any other office to hunt down political funding fraud wherever it is. Put a stake through the heart of the old Peters vampire. Crush a party if there’s not a car available.

4. Attack the Labour Urban Middle Class Support

Promise Something Green – like A Remarkables National Park to outflank both the Greens and Labour on a conservation. Steal Act’s Employment Insurance idea and integrate it into ACC’s income compensation policy. Wipe the Auckland Fuel Tax, and bring down fuel taxes to promise 91 below $1.80, and diesel down to a buck.

5. Promise to Make People Rich.

It’s the promise Labour can never make. Tell us we deserve nothing less. Tell them we want more and it’s a right. It’s the one chimera we should expect from National. It’s the Show Me The Money line, delivered from National right over the head of Ardern.

It won’t be enough. But it would be a recovery.

37 comments on “What Could National Do To Win? ”

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  1. Kiwijoker 1
    16 July 2020 at 7:28 am

    No 6. Join the Labour Party.

  2. Dennis Frank 2
    16 July 2020 at 7:38 am

    Well, the traditional bribe strategy would work to some extent, but probably not enough. Too blatant & voters decide their intelligence is being insulted, too muted it becomes insufficient. Better to own up to the non-viability of business as usual.

    Then present a realistic path forward that gives voters a sense of cautious optimism. If the framing lacks resilience and sustainability as keywords, opinion leaders in the community will know it's a sham. If the Nats fail to get them on board, they're doomed.

  3. cathy-o 3
    16 July 2020 at 8:24 am

    sshhh, don't give her ideas

  4. Tricledrown 4
    16 July 2020 at 8:48 am

    Give Winston, Shane ,Tracy ,NZ first a safe seat.

  5. Incognito 5
    16 July 2020 at 8:49 am

    6. Pave a viable path to forming a viable coalition.

  6. Muttonbird 6
    16 July 2020 at 8:52 am

    7. Release Coronavirus into the New Zealand population.

  7. Anker 7
    16 July 2020 at 8:57 am

    Yes I expect an anything for power approach.

    labour must remind people of their faultless covid response and the resulting V recovery to the economy. I think Jacinda thinks very well on her feet and can hold her own in a debate.

    first things first for National. They have to stop leaking and losing people. That makes them look unstable

  8. roblogic 8
    16 July 2020 at 9:01 am

    Claim to "fight for your rights", and attack cancel culture, woke identity politics in general (without going into specifics) to frame themselves as the party of freedom and democracy vs the totalitarian tendencies of the Left

    Attack "red tape" like the RMA, OSH, minimum wage, as a way to boost businesses and get people working again. Frame themselves as the party of hard work and enterprise vs the lazy Left that sleeps in 'til noon

    Claim to "optimise" Labour's border control measures by talking about a 3-day quarantine and strict contact tracing.

    Yes it's all bullshit but National has nothing to lose

  9. Dean Reynolds 9
    16 July 2020 at 9:15 am

    The Millenial vote will be equal to the Boomer vote this election & a majority from 2023 as the Boomers die off. How many Millenials are going to vote for a party led by 2 fat old farts in their 60's?

    • OnceWasTim 9.1
      16 July 2020 at 9:32 am

      " How many Millenials are going to vote for a party led by 2 fat old farts in their 60's? "

      Not even a skinny old fart who's just become a real person on the pension.

    • Corey Humm 9.2
      18 July 2020 at 4:53 pm

      Millennials? First my gen don't and won't vote. If Trump can't scare millennials to vote in primaries or Senate and Congress elections nothing can. NZ millennials may talk about politics but come election day most forget to vote. If we're your savior, good luck. Second we don't all agree at all , despite media saying we're super progressive we're not. I know as many left wing millennials as left wing boomers and as many right wing millennials as left wing millennials it's just they aren't socially consersative as much. Right wing millennials and left wing millennials both agree on taxing the church though.

      3. Gen Z is coming and they aren't woke and reject identity politics in fact gen z is the first generation where support for the LGBT+ has gone down in decades. The ok millennial memes from gen z are actually hilarious. The meme from the younger generation about how self obsessed and materialistic millennials are is gold.

      The left sees millennials as their saviours (even though millennials aren't monolithic just like any group) they aren't

      Conservatives see Gen z as their saviours (even though they aren't monolithic) they aren't

      People are people and will vote for what they like regardless of their age gender ethnicity sexuality and sadly socioeconomic status there is no monolithic group.

      However, a war on woke culture would split people from all generations, genders sexualities and ethnicities right down the middle and it'd clean up with the working class. Shafting the university elitist anti free speech permanently offended mobs who are usually a loud minority of white heterosexuals who wrongly think they are entitled to speak for and be offended for minorities and the lgbt+ would actually be incredibly popular with all kinds of people. In UK/USa about 3/4 are against hate speech but about 3/5 worry Political correctness and policing free speech has gone too far and minorities that PC claims to protect are more against it than the general population. A war on woke culture would be an interesting social experiment in politics. It's biggest advocates are the lefts traditional enemies, the bourgeoisie after all.

  10. Robert Guyton 10
    16 July 2020 at 9:18 am

    Jacinda will not struggle in debate with Collins; our PM has honed her skills keenly over her first term and has natural ability and agility, plus kindness of intent. Collins is empty of the milk of human kindness, despite her spin.

  11. AB 11
    16 July 2020 at 9:29 am

    Promise Waco-style siege and destruction of gang headquarters – helicopters, armoured cars, bazookas, flame-throwers, grenades, fleeing gang members gunned down on suburban streets, reporters bashed and shunted aside by anonymous, helmeted police, thick black smoke with Collins'cackling laugh broadcast over loudspeakers.

  12. Enough is Enough 12
    16 July 2020 at 10:22 am

    I think what the 2017 election showed us is you can actually get away with breaking election promises – so long as you try to fulfill them.

  13. roblogic 13
    16 July 2020 at 10:25 am

    Here's a radical idea, they could admit that National isn't actually a political party anymore, it's become a front operation for big business and foreign powers seeking to exploit NZ.

    Collins should call a press conference confessing that her MPs are only in it for themselves and would sell off their own grandmothers on TradeMe for a few bucks if they could.

    "We are the party of the rich, for the rich, and we don't give a fuck about the poorer 90% of New Zealand. In fact we aren't a party we are a Viking tribe plundering all of you morons. MuuaahahahahaHAAA!!"

  14. Patricia Bremner 14
    16 July 2020 at 10:53 am

    Judith and Gerry. That is why they won't win…. oh and the deserters.

  15. observer 15
    16 July 2020 at 11:48 am

    None of this matters. Messages don't work if the messengers are a joke. Not just disliked, but ridiculed.

    Every Nat move has had the same total disconnect, inexplicable in its unreality.

    Bridges rolled: "Totally united, strong team!". Bennett, Tolley quit: "Totally united, strong team!". Walker, Woodhouse, Boag mess: "Totally united, strong team!". Muller quits: "Totally united, strong team!'. Collins, Brownlee in: "Totally united, strong team!". Kaye, Adams out: "Totally united, strong team!". Bridges, Muller back: "Totally …

    For God's sake … just stop bullshitting.

    I may have missed it (please link if it has happened) but I have not heard/read a single senior Nat say "We've really stuffed up, we're sorry, we've got to change, the public deserve better." If they just showed a little contrition, awareness, humility, reality. But no. The laughable lie is repeated, and only gets worse each day.

    Comical Ali is a National MP.

    • Wensleydale 15.1
      16 July 2020 at 11:51 pm

      This.

      They're just dishonest shits and they routinely treat the public with contempt and disdain. Granted, I'm fairly left-wing, but I can't see why someone would vote for these arseholes, even if the last two weeks hadn't happened. They're like the bastard offspring of used car salesmen and real estate agents and have absolutely nothing to offer that's of any consequence.

  16. anker 16
    16 July 2020 at 12:09 pm

    What about a Labour Party add, with a boat (cue in Emimem music). The blue team springing leaks as more jump over board…………..strong and stable leadership…..yeah right.

    Just as well Amy Adams wasn't in charge of the borders…………yes they open, no they are closed.

  17. Anker 17
    16 July 2020 at 12:29 pm

    National could elect a Trump like leader and that’s what they have done. Listen to the rhetoric. Take the country back. Stop Ardern nonsense (like the crooked Hilary meme)

    we have to fight this we are on a war footing. Collins must be called out as NZD Donald Trump

  18. Herodotus 18
    16 July 2020 at 3:22 pm

    How about policies from all parties, except the greens I have seen little policy announcements to excite me as to where each party wants to lead NZ. As well as how any policy will be enacted. As we have seen easy to promise the world BUT what about delivery.

  19. Ken 19
    16 July 2020 at 3:59 pm

    To win, National would have to look like a credible government in waiting, instead of a bunch of naughty kids who Grandma and Grandpa aren't in control of.

  20. Richard D James 20
    16 July 2020 at 3:59 pm

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/15-07-2020/what-judith-collins-can-learn-from-the-jacinda-ardern-miracle-from-someone-who-was-there/

    Labour had a high functioning organisation – caucus wasn’t leaking, staff were working well together at same point in time leading up to 2017 Election –National needs to have this , without this a strong leader wont win an election

  21. millsy 21
    16 July 2020 at 4:25 pm

    These simple little things:

    1) Reinstate interest on student loans.

    2) Allow the primary sector to bypass New Zealanders and hire all the immigrants they want.

    3) Allow foreign owners to buy up land, houses, farms, companies, you name it. No OIO or anything.

    4) Evict all gang members and associates from Housing NZ properties.

    These 4 things will guarantee a National landslide.

  22. Fireblade 22
    16 July 2020 at 5:15 pm

    Q. What could National do to win?

    A. Find a new leadership team to replace the worn-out, vintage and toxic duo of Judy and Gerry.

  23. Stuart Munro 23
    16 July 2020 at 5:19 pm

    I think I'd choose a slightly different list:

    1) Pray.

    Though Baal prefers valuable cattle, Cthulhu is said to look favourably on mass human sacrifices.

    2) Pick a fight in the national interest – suspend travel with a country with a lousy Covid record. Oz is always a good choice for NZ, although the US would be more natural, the consequences might be rough. Duterte's Philippines though, has comparatively little clout and could be stigmatised with virtual impunity.

    3) Find a wedge issue that will divide Left supporters and make them look ridiculous to folk who might otherwise drift their way. Gold plating Cook statues might do the trick, or accusing Labour of floating a 3rd gender category for competitive sports teams.

  24. Shanreagh 24
    17 July 2020 at 1:08 pm

    Suspend the dirty tricks brigade – including Gerry Brownlee's intelligence unit. Make a big rah rah of it. This would mean getting rid of tricksters like Woodhouse & possibly Brownlee himself.

    Note 'suspend'……I don't think it can be done forever, just like going on a silly diet you/they can only do it for a short time.

    Get a younger and 'clean' deputy leader.

    I know Collins has said in one breath not into dirty tricks but then in great contradiction she appoints Gerry as her deputy. She dealt with Woodhouse in a very 'wet bus ticket' way.

    Say that National won't open the borders and will keep the current regime for the foreseeable future. This takes the response to Covid-19 as a health problem off the table and puts the focus on the future.

    Make clear that they will look at potential partners with an open mind.

  25. Shanreagh 25
    19 July 2020 at 9:37 am

    Well National has just announced it will be announcing today, Sunday, one of the policies that I think will be an attraction.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300060226/coronavirus-national-keen-to-charge-returning-kiwis-3000-for-their-quarantine

    Does Labour keep this in its back pocket and then enact after the election, assuming a win?

    Or, for now keep the issue quiet and only answer a question if directly put?

    Announce something tomorrow after the Cabinet meeting where apparently the issue will be discussed? Or something after 12/8 or 16/8?

    The issue seems to have been tamped down recently with the slowing of flights back to NZ to match places in quarantine facilities. Perhaps keep this slowing right until the election? If Govt is not keen to charge then perhaps another 'out of left field/obvious when you look at it policy', as the flights slowing was, could be a possibility.

    She is trying to set the/an agenda but Nat policy could be consigned to oblivion if not commented on, now.

    Parliament is dissolved on 12/8 and Writs are issued on 16/8