If National wins ...

[Joshuatree]

Paula Bennett is his smoking gun and Bill is a damp squib with credibility issues that like an escaping dream will forever elude him now; what a combo to have confidence in!!. Id rather have the ordinary honest guy from next door who may not have much charisma and has sideburns; but i trust him .

[BlackPeter]

LOL - just read this statement from Gareth Morgan. Not that he would be my personal favourite, but he makes some really interesting comments re Winston:

As we have mentioned before the most worrying party from an environmental and progressive policy perspective at this election is not National, it is NZ First. At the moment either prospective government looks to be relying on Winston’s support to govern. So far his plan to return us to the 1970s includes removing all policies that would improve water quality and climate, consigning our native birds to extinction and getting rid of the Youth Justice system. Let’s be clear, for progressive voters, the major issue this election isn’t #ChangeTheGovt it is #AnyoneButWinston.1 Right now the polls suggest the Greens are relying on working with Winston, which would be a total own goal.

http://www.top.org.nz/top_vs_the_gre...e=garethmorgan

Just wondering how NZF / Greenies and Labour really could work together without any common basis (other than hating National ....)?

Gareth could be a real alternative for Greenies who don't care about the economy (as they do). At least he wants to push policies instead of ideologies - i.e. he might even achieve something rather than the Green Party who indulge for ideological reasons in being the "eternal opposition"?

[iceman]

I think Andrew Little has more chance of being registered as a jockey than he has of becoming Prime Minister. After months of negatives against the current government he has moved on to the bulk funding mentality - x number of millions of dollars for this and x numbers of millions of dollars for that and so on with a silly number for anything that anyone brings up. There is so little creativity in any of it that it appears in the "my dad can beat your dad" class.
Now he has the problem of the Greens co-leader who appears to have thrown a whole boxful of spanners in the works. I listen to talkback during the night for no better reason than I am an insomniac but I am getting thoroughly bored With the Turia saga. Everybody wants their say and their say is just a repetition of the last caller. There is the odd support caller but the odds are ten to one against her. Now this must have a serious effect on the Green vote and I await the next poll with interest. It could also affect the Labour figures if some of their beneficiaries see her as a warrior for their cause and wouldn't that be ironic.
I would be very interested to know where there are good odds on the election outcome. I understand that the TAB are exclude for obvious reasons.

I don't think The Greens will lose from her coming out as a fraudster. They may indeed get more fringe voters that otherwise would not have voted or voted for the cannabis party. I suspect many (mind you not that many left) moderate and traditional Labour supporters will get scared and run over to Winston. Labour will be the losers from Turei's calculated call is my guess

[westerly]

Good thing is - with the current capable government you have plenty of alternatives. If you feel that you don't like one of Nationals politicians, than just go for ACT . David Seymour is clearly punching above his weight and just imagine how much greater ACTs useful contribution could be if it wouldn't be just him alone from ACT in parliament. Other options are the Maori party or even United; Lots of capable people who did prove that they are able to successfully run a government. Really - why would anybody vote for the opposition which seems to mainly indulge in smear campaigns if I measure tham at your posts.

BTW - it was ACT which kept Winston the last 3 times out of government. This alone makes them invaluable. I guess Winston is such a capable opposition politician (possibly the only capable opposition politician NZ currently has) that NZ can't afford to lose him to government. While in government Winston is immediately losing his focus and only indulging in playing with his baubles of power. Don't let's do that again!

If ever there was a small splitter (splinter?) group it would be ACT
A one man party, funded by a few wealthy neo liberalists, and propped up by a National party keen to quieten their extreme right faction.

westerly

[RGR367]

If ever there was a small splitter (splinter?) group it would be ACT
A one man party, funded by a few wealthy neo liberalists, and propped up by a National party keen to quieten their extreme right faction.

westerly

Be it may but ACT has an elected MP unlike the Greens. And also unbelievable that Andrew Little is the main opposition leader that cannot even win an electorate seat. MMP is really bad when you're not with the governing faction.

[Major von Tempsky]

So the criminal voters will switch from Labour to Green?

[craic]

Probably. the next poll published may shock the left more than they think. WP may gain a bit.

[BlackPeter]

If ever there was a small splitter (splinter?) group it would be ACT
A one man party, funded by a few wealthy neo liberalists, and propped up by a National party keen to quieten their extreme right faction.

westerly

... I give you the splinter - and you may keep it , but otherwise it appears you are not very well informed?

ACT comes from the "Association of Consumers and Taxpayers", founded in 1993 by Roger Douglas and Derek Quigley and formed in 1994 into a political party. They represent every day hard working New Zealanders, not just beneficiaries and unionists like Labour does. ACT won between 1996 and 2002 every time between 7 and 9 seats in parliament. In 2008 again 5 seats. Not such a small party - is it?

And yes, they lost for the 2011 elections their way and got hijacked by some outworn National politicians (John Banks and Don Brasch). Allowing them to take over and kick Rodney Hide out was one of the worst mistakes ACT ever made.

ACT completely refreshed their candidates and top brass for the 2014 elections - and they are again a credible liberal party. Sure, they managed to get in the last election only one candidate into parliament (David Seymour), but they very well might come back this time around - they did the trick before (2008).

I suspect from where you stand everything is "extreme-right", but calling them this way is like calling Labour and the Greenies communist. Both is wrong and shows just how bad informed a person using these labels is. Maybe you should use arguments instead of cheap (and wrong) labels.

[Joshuatree]

Tha national govt have stuffed up so many things and now NZ is officially one of the slave trade countries. Immigrants come here get their passports held by an "employment supervisor" and work for a pittance in the harvesting and pruning industry, fruit, seafood, farming/ dairying ; in the restaurant trade etc. Half the kiwifruit orchards in the BOP as i previously mentioned. Also they get abused in some cases sexually and physically!. all under nationals watch. just one of many things that have deteriorated and has been tacitly supported by this national govt. boy of boy things have to change; this govt has failed all new zealanders.

[BlackPeter]

Tha national govt have stuffed up so many things and now NZ is officially one of the slave trade countries. Immigrants come here get their passports held by an "employment supervisor" and work for a pittance in the harvesting and pruning industry, fruit, seafood, farming/ dairying ; in the restaurant trade etc. Half the kiwifruit orchards in the BOP as i previously mentioned. Also they get abused in some cases sexually and physically!. all under nationals watch. just one of many things that have deteriorated and has been tacitly supported by this national govt. boy of boy things have to change; this govt has failed all new zealanders.

Unfortunately it was Labour who started and fostered this practise by sending a fraudster and exploiter of slave labour to parliament. Did you forget already about Labour MP Taito Phillip Field? Ah - and just remember me about the most recent attempt of Labour to employ slave labour to support their election campaign ? People's memories are not that short ....

Look - is throwing dirt towards the government of the day really your only election strategy? Particularly stupid to throw stones while sitting in a glass house, but even if this would not be the case ...

Do you people have really nothing positive to say? Any good and realistic proposal how to improve the lot of New Zealanders we could discuss?

No wonder the standards are dropping by the day and the left is far behind in the polls ...