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6/6/2014 — Economics, Politics and Government
John Key emulates Muldoon?
By Dene Mackenzie
New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters is taking Prime Minister John Key to task for apparently pulling out of a planned television debate.
This could be a bit of history repeating itself as former National prime minister the late Sir Robert Muldoon issued instructions to his MPs in the 1970s, which included Winston Peters as fate would have it, to not turn up to joint meet the candidates’ evenings.
Sir Robert correctly surmised his MPs were drawcards for the protest element so rife in his time as a polarising leader of the government. Without the National MPs, there was not much point in holding the meet the candidate evenings in the National-held seats.
Instead, National held its own meetings in school halls, shearing sheds and draughty rural community halls, attended mainly by true blue supporters with the occasional protester who got shut down quickly.
Peters said the planned TV3 debate would have included himself plus representatives from the Labour and Green parties.
“Typical John Key - the chance of a fair, robust debate about the future of the country and he runs a hundred miles. The people of New Zealand are entitled to see how Mr Key performs under pressure. Well, they've seen how he performs. He does a runner,” Peters said.
Being no fool, but sometimes being mistaken for one by the Opposition, John Key will be well aware his presence on a televised debate would give credibility to Peters and the other party representatives.
Rather than indulge the Opposition in a shouting match, Key is wise to leave the debates until the election proper when he will come up against only Labour leader David Cunliffe. No contest.
*Dene Mackenzie is the political editor of the Otago Daily Times.
Perfectly fair, says Dene Mackenzie. If John Key was proud of his record over the last few years, there would be no problem with him turning up. Just lately, the Stockton mine is back in the news with more job losses in the offing, and Postie Plus demonstrates just how tough the retail sector has become. These are all symptoms of a much bigger malaise.