Winston rising

Written By: - Date published: 11:45 am, July 23rd, 2009 - 32 comments
Categories: nz first - Tags:

Like some bad horror movie, from beyond the political grave, it stirs again. Christine Rankin? Unbelievably – yes. Don Brash? Well yes, him too (fresh new thinking from National!). But these are but side shows to the main event. Winston Peters is back.

Ironically it is National that has opened the door wide for Winston with their dramatic triple backwards flip flop on the foreshore & seabed. For a brief heady moment there it looked like consensus and an enduring solution might be within reach. Labour was never going to stoop to National’s 2004 lows and play the “Iwi/Kiwi” race card. As Armstrong put it, Labour’s constructive position “opens the door to National building a cross-party consensus without fear that the current major Opposition party will exploit angst among Pakeha in the way National did back in 2004”.

Winston saw his chance. The angry mob drummed up by National is still out there. They haven’t got a voice in parliament any more, but Winston thinks he might just be the one to give it to them. He’s found the perfect vehicle to ride back in to power next election. So the positioning has started. The media attention has started. Winston has even apologised for his mistakes in 2008, which more than anything else convinces me that this is not just random posturing, it’s the start of a planned comeback campaign.

The devil on my shoulder thinks that there would be a certain justice in seeing National have to deal with the angry mob that they created as a political force. The angel on my other shoulder knows that the utu isn’t worth the ongoing damage to race relations in New Zealand. So go away Winston. Please. Just let it be.
— r0b

32 comments on “Winston rising ”

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  1. vto 1
    23 July 2009 at 11:53 am

    Good post r0b, couldn’t agree more, though for perhaps slightly different reasons.

    Bit of a change of heart for you no? I seem to recall in the heady election days of last year Winston was ok in your opinion. Because he was tied to labour of course I guess.

    Re angry crowds, two things. First they will find a voice such is the nature of our system. If its not Peters it will be someone else I’m sure. Second, they were angry for a reason. Which goes beyond simple racism as you imply. Until that reason is attended to then ‘angry’ will continue. That reason is to do with the idea of a system of apartheid.

    Anyway, Peters is toast. Forever a small man now.

    • r0b 1.1
      23 July 2009 at 2:46 pm

      I seem to recall in the heady election days of last year Winston was ok in your opinion.

      You recall incorrectly vto (and of course Tim Ellis below makes a similar mistake).

      I’ve never been a fan of Winston, I’m inclined to loath the man. I’m opposed to his racism, and I’ve tried to challenge him on it. I said that I’d be glad to see him out of parliament for racism and funding skulduggery.

      But that doesn’t mean that he isn’t entitled to the same due process as everyone else. If he gets 5% he has a mandate under our electoral system to be in parliament, however much I happen to disagree. And when accusations are made against him they should follow due process, not the National / media driven feeding frenzy lynch mob that happened last year. There are plenty of valid reasons for wanting Winston out of parliament, we don’t need the frenzied beat-ups, and I won’t join them.

  2. Tim Ellis 2
    23 July 2009 at 12:18 pm

    r0b, you’re a strong Labour Party man. Interesting you celebrate his demise after the fact, after Labour spent six months defending him as innocent, trustworthy, and a person Helen Clark in whom Helen Clark had confidence throughout the Labour-NZ First government from 2005-2008.

  3. Lew 3
    23 July 2009 at 12:39 pm

    Enjoying your posts, r0b.

    Winston will end up caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. If Labour side with him over the FSA, the wider left will abandon them. National won’t have a bar of it.

    The only hope I see for NZ First is if Winston gives the party a spark of life, and then someone competent like Ron Mark rolls him before the election. Even so, I don’t see it coming to much.

    That’s fine by me.

    L

  4. Quoth the Raven 4
    23 July 2009 at 12:43 pm

    The mummy returns? I thought it might be a reference to Scorpio rising. I think it more appropriate or maybe that reference could be saved for Brian Tamaki.

  5. gobsmacked 5
    23 July 2009 at 1:15 pm

    Winston Peters is a brilliant politician and a future Prime Minister.

    We know this because the Omniscient Order of the Oracle (a.k.a Political Commentators) told us so constantly, for most of the 1990’s. He was the anointed one. (Unlike, for example, Helen Clark, who was doomed and dismissed in countless columns over the same period).

    Now some might learn from this, and conclude that running breathlessly with the pack, and not stopping to question the received “wisdom” of the moment, does not form the basis of sound judgement.

    Or they might be members of the press gallery.

  6. torydog 6
    23 July 2009 at 1:17 pm

    I’ve never voted for him before, but if he stands next election my vote is his……….an I know alot of others who say the same now.

  7. Lew 7
    23 July 2009 at 1:21 pm

    TD, pity y’all didn’t come to this epiphany a year ago.

    On second thoughts … nah, not a pity, really.

    L

  8. burt 8
    23 July 2009 at 3:44 pm

    If Winston makes a come back Helen will be pleased that all her efforts protecting him and her lies of omission were not wasted. How nice for her that she wasn’t wasting her time.

  9. Tim Ellis 9
    23 July 2009 at 4:16 pm

    What we know is, John Key ruled out dealing with Winston before the election. I recall a post here at the Standard claiming it was a stupid move from stupid John Key.

    Helen Clark gave no such assurances. In fact she even refused to sack him even during his most appalling behaviour.

    I wonder if Mr Goff would be prepared to rule Winston out now?

    • r0b 9.1
      23 July 2009 at 4:29 pm

      What we know is, John Key ruled out dealing with Winston before the election.

      What we know is that John Key promised a lot of things before the election and then did the opposite afterwards. If Winston had made it back, JK would have been all over him.

    • burt 9.2
      23 July 2009 at 4:45 pm

      <history_rewrite>Yes rOb, and Helen Clark would have rather gone into opposition than go back into govt with Winston. </history_rewrite>

      • gobsmacked 9.2.1
        23 July 2009 at 5:01 pm

        No, because she didn’t say that, and Rob isn’t saying that.

        We don’t know what John Key would have done. We only know what he said, and we know what he says doesn’t mean much. We know that what somebody else said in the 1980’s is very important, but what John Key said the previous week isn’t.

        • burt 9.2.1.1
          23 July 2009 at 5:08 pm

          You are right rOb isn’t saying that, he’s just avoiding the question that Tim asked and diverting to what John Key might have done according to the gospel of rOb.

          At least I had the decency to specify that I was rewriting history rather than pretending what I was saying was fact.

          • r0b 9.2.1.1.1
            23 July 2009 at 5:14 pm

            Sorry Burt, sometimes I’m not quite sure what you’re on about, so I don’t respond to everything. If there’s a question you think I’m avoiding then by all means please restate it (simple language no jokes, so I can follow, ta).

          • burt 9.2.1.1.2
            23 July 2009 at 5:24 pm

            I wonder if Mr Goff would be prepared to rule Winston out now?

            • r0b 9.2.1.1.2.1
              23 July 2009 at 5:38 pm

              Well I’d be guessing at the answer to that same as anybody. But my guess is that he wouldn’t rule out possibly working with Winston if NZF was back in parliament after the next election – but that he would rule out supporting any kind of racist scare mongering on the foreshore issue.

              My guess is also that Key would say that he would rule out working with Winston, but that he’d change his mind quicker than you could say “tax cuts” if push came to shove.

              In short, my guess is that Goff is a lot more honest than Key.

            • Daveski 9.2.1.1.2.2
              23 July 2009 at 5:45 pm

              Although Goff could say one thing one day and then change his mind the next once the policy was finalised 🙂

              Sorry r0b, couldn’t resist it.

              Perhaps Goff is TOO honest and says whatever’s in his head??

            • r0b 9.2.1.1.2.3
              23 July 2009 at 5:51 pm

              Although Goff could say one thing one day and then change his mind the next once the policy was finalised

              You mean like the cycleway?

              Perhaps Goff is TOO honest and says whatever’s in his head??

              Isn’t it nice that there are things in his head to say?

    • Pascal's bookie 9.3
      23 July 2009 at 5:10 pm

      In fact she even refused to sack him even during his most appalling behaviour.

      I’d’ve thought Winnie’s most appalling behaviour was during his ‘Chowick’ phase.

      The National Party’s mileage obviously varies.

      • burt 9.3.1
        23 July 2009 at 5:24 pm

        Yep the ‘have you noticed the shortage of cats in Howick’ stage was pretty shabby.

        Still people voted for the racist old git.

        • Daveski 9.3.1.1
          23 July 2009 at 5:29 pm

          In another persona which is outside the scope of this I spent an afternoon with Minister Winston as my guest. His ability to connect with “the average kiwi” is scary in the least.

          It’s credible to say people will vote for him the man without thinking about his policies.

          Muldoon like if I can say that around here.

          Still very scary indeed.

          • Pascal's bookie 9.3.1.1.1
            23 July 2009 at 5:40 pm

            I’ve got a friend that worked quite closely for him at one stage. Friend at one point asked Peters what he actually stood for, what did he believe in. The winsta laughed and straight off the middle of the bat replied that he stands for and believes in what the NZ public stands for and believes in.

            So there you go, according to Peters, Winston is our fault, and he’s not entirely wrong.

            • Lew 9.3.1.1.1.1
              23 July 2009 at 5:49 pm

              PB, that means Chris Trotter is right.

              Right in terms of his analysis, I mean. Not right in terms of principle. But then, who needs principles when you’ve got populism?

              L

  10. Daveski 10
    23 July 2009 at 5:25 pm

    An easy one to agree with you r0b as Winston adds nothing to the parliamentary process.

    While I could rabbit on about Winston and Labour last year, you could return serve about the Treasurer days.

    Put it this way, Winston could fly solo in business class and still join the mile high club!

    Good to see you posting regularly now too. And the team really needs you at present … Goff and Labour has had a shocking week or two.

    • r0b 10.1
      23 July 2009 at 5:42 pm

      Put it this way, Winston could fly solo in business class and still join the mile high club!

      Ho – that’s two good laughs from you today Daveski, keep up the good work!

      Good to see you posting regularly now too.

      I’m not always able to do that, my schedule is “lumpy”, but I’ll post sometimes when i can.

      And the team really needs you at present Goff and Labour has had a shocking week or two.

      So all you righties keep saying – trying to bounce back from Mt Albert and Worth and so on, I quite understand.

  11. Tim Ellis 11
    23 July 2009 at 5:53 pm

    This is very inappropriate and very tasteless, I know, but when I read that the defence claimed that Clayton Weatherston suffered from a mental illness that prevented him from ever saying sorry, or ever admitting that he wasn’t right, I wondered if Winston was born with the same mental illness.

  12. burt 12
    23 July 2009 at 5:58 pm

    Tim

    Baseless allegations. You listen here sunshine….