National - FFS!

[ynot]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/opinion/1222...democracy?rm=a
National's identity crisis is bad for NZ's democracy.

Labour’s brand is that of a party that essentially is prepared to spend more on the less well-off in society. The leader represents the brand and in Ardern Labour has hit the jackpot. She is competent and compassionate.

But what does National stand for? We know it’s a conservative party. Conservatism is about putting a brake on radical change and scepticism about any grand ideas to alter human nature. It represents (over others) the doers and producers – farmers, business, the self-employed, property owners, professionals – who rely on clarity, order, prudent spending and efficiency in government.

Because it believes it represents substantial people, National presents itself as the natural party of government. It sells itself as the best team to be running the country, better than the other lot anyway. But the party is failing on all counts. The team it suggests should be running the country looks decidedly clueless and splintered.

National has been caught out by a shift in public thinking or attitude. The country has joined the world in a shift towards the Left’s view on race, equality and the wrongs of the past. It may not be much of a shift but there is no going back.

Although National promotes itself as the party of growth, growth has also lost a lot of its magic. Growth at what cost, comes the cry.

Like most parties, it is in favour of everything that is good and against everything that is bad. Labour would have no argument with a single one of its listed values except maybe with limited government. And limited government doesn’t look particularly pertinent at the moment. The pandemic has called for the sort of government intervention in the economy and elsewhere that the country hasn’t seen for generations.
Governments around the world are spending like crazy to prevent their economies from falling into depression and keep people employed. National can hardly go to the people saying it will rein in government spending and activity because that offends its founding values.
Restating National’s reason for existence is no easy task.

You make some good points I must admit, but believe you have missed some glaring omissions also.
Like how are we going to finance this spend up.
This govt is big on throwing money about and given the circumstances some of these actions are justified but I don't think they have two clues on what drives an economy or how to manage it.