If National wins ...

[fungus pudding]

W69, I for one, don't want to wait until 2020. It's in the numbers, plus previous right-wing commentators are starting to pick major holes in National's leadership, I think the chinks in their armour are rapidly showing.

Andrew "Cut the Crap" Little is shaping up really well.

Yes, yes. Of course he is eZ. Besides there's no-one left to threaten him, given that Stuart Nash isn't quite ready yet.

[fungus pudding]

W69, I for one, don't want to wait until 2020. It's in the numbers, plus previous right-wing commentators are starting to pick major holes in National's leadership, I think the chinks in their armour are rapidly showing.

Andrew "Cut the Crap" Little is shaping up really well.

Yes, yes. Of course he is eZ. Besides there's no-one left to threaten him, given that Stuart Nash isn't quite ready yet.

[BlackPeter]

Like that quote of yours ----"Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future" (Niels Bohr)

Must be variant of what Yogi Berra said “It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

Yogi also said “The future ain't what it used to be.” ....that's promising for 2017

Not sure about the causality here - Niels Bohr was born 40 years earlier (1885) than Yogi (1925), so I would assume its more likely that Niels Bohr created the original and Yogi the variant - but never mind.

Re the second quote: Sure - the future is always different than the present and the past (it always will be), but it doesn't really predict in which way it will be different.

Might be a 4th term John Key government (not sure, whether I would bet on it, but its certainly possible - and 4th term is different to 3rd term)
Might be a National government under a different National PM (and I think, there are a number of good and at least one terrible option available)
Might be a National led coalition under a different National PM (as above)
Might be a National / NZ First coalition with Winston Peters as PM (might not be the worst possible scenario)
Might be a Labour / Green / Mana / whatever coalition (not likely looking at the current polls, but who knows what happens in 2 years)
Might be something else (not sure, why everybody is discounting the idea of a grand coalition - works fine in Germany ...)

So yes - "the future ain't what it used to be" ...

[Daytr]

No one has mentioned the "beware the ides of March" possible outcome, where a leader is knifed by his own aka Julius Caesar, or the modern version 'The Jenny Shipley'. John Key, learn from Bolger & don't go on an overseas trip or Crusher Collins may be holding an ice pick on your return. Maybe styling a ponytail, just to soften the blow a little... ;-)

[elZorro]

Yes, yes. Of course he is eZ. Besides there's no-one left to threaten him, given that Stuart Nash isn't quite ready yet.

FP you're repeating yourself - I don't think the quip is that good. Stuart Nash used Simon Lusk for advice, I don't think that would go down too well with the rest of the party. He was very keen to win, and he won a seat, with a bit of help from financiers and the other contenders.

[elZorro]

No one has mentioned the "beware the ides of March" possible outcome, where a leader is knifed by his own aka Julius Caesar, or the modern version 'The Jenny Shipley'. John Key, learn from Bolger & don't go on an overseas trip or Crusher Collins may be holding an ice pick on your return. Maybe styling a ponytail, just to soften the blow a little... ;-)

That's great Daytr, even to think that this is slightly possible, it's part of the sea-change happening in our political arena.

[craic]

As a Napier voter, I am not sure that Stuart Nash is the man. I was very impressed with him in the lead up to the election but Garth Mc Vicar spoiled the party for National and I am still waiting for Mr Nash to deliver. He jumped on two or three popular bandwagons but none that might be a success. The Napier/Gisborne rail link was truly dead in the water regardless of the party in power. The HB Councils Amalgamation issue isn't going anywhere because the government will dictate the outcome and that is amalgamation. I still wait for something impressive from Mr Little - he will need to produce something more than the slings and arrows that have been thrown so far. QUOTE=fungus pudding;572322]Yes, yes. Of course he is eZ. Besides there's no-one left to threaten him, given that Stuart Nash isn't quite ready yet.[/QUOTE]

[elZorro]

As a Napier voter, I am not sure that Stuart Nash is the man. I was very impressed with him in the lead up to the election but Garth Mc Vicar spoiled the party for National and I am still waiting for Mr Nash to deliver. He jumped on two or three popular bandwagons but none that might be a success. The Napier/Gisborne rail link was truly dead in the water regardless of the party in power. The HB Councils Amalgamation issue isn't going anywhere because the government will dictate the outcome and that is amalgamation. I still wait for something impressive from Mr Little - he will need to produce something more than the slings and arrows that have been thrown so far. QUOTE=fungus pudding;572322]Yes, yes. Of course he is eZ. Besides there's no-one left to threaten him, given that Stuart Nash isn't quite ready yet.

[/QUOTE]

Craic, that's another post where you (sort of) agree with me!

ikeGPS, this firm recently listed and obtained $25mill from the sharemarket. Losing money still, but wants more funds to expand in the USA. The proud recipients of an R&D grant from NZ taxpayers, of up to $15mill over 3 years.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/n...ay+16+May+2015

Joyce heralds the ICT sector, fair enough, but Grant Robertson on our wider economy.

http://www.sharechat.co.nz/article/1...ay+16+May+2015

[BlackPeter]

No one has mentioned the "beware the ides of March" possible outcome, where a leader is knifed by his own aka Julius Caesar, or the modern version 'The Jenny Shipley'. John Key, learn from Bolger & don't go on an overseas trip or Crusher Collins may be holding an ice pick on your return. Maybe styling a ponytail, just to soften the blow a little... ;-)

Would fall under 2 or 3 of my scenarios. Unlessit's is really crusher Collins - in this case it would be number 5 of my scenarios (i.e. I'd expect a Labour / Green / Mana / Whatever government). Seriously - if Judith Collins comes only close to the Leadership role in National, than I promise to vote for Labour until the danger is over - no matter how long it takes.

[slimwin]

"Andrew "Cut the Crap" Little is shaping up really well. He's completed a proper politically-centred apprenticeship, unlike Key, and he's still 'one of the people' in man"

Mate, he was head of our union and pretty much everyone in it would find the last bit factually incorrect. And as for a political apprenticeship, people generally can't stand a politician who hasn't actually had a real job. John Key was successful in his, and did well. People don't hate that anymore, they want to be it. Labour needs to cop onto this to grab any of the center.