Selwyn MP Amy Adams is the third National MP to throw their hat in the ring for the party’s leadership, following Simon Bridges and Judith Collins declaring their candidacy earlier on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, flanked by MPs Chris Bishop, Maggie Barry, Tim Macindoe and Nikki Kaye, Adams said she believes she has the leadership skills to lead the party well.
She says that bringing the four MPs along with her was signalling that she had “very strong support” within the Caucus.
On what sets her apart from the other candidates, she says her “urban and rural blend” is a “rare and unique capability that I bring to the job.”
Adams also touted her political experience, saying the 10 portfolios she held while in Government demonstrates she has proven she can “tackle the hard issues.”
All the MPs with Adams ruled themselves out as possible deputies, while Adams herself threw her support behind Paula Bennett.
“We have an excellent deputy in Paula Bennett, she has my full support. I think any speculation on a change in deputy is, frankly, no more than speculation.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Bennett said on Facebook she was not seeking the leadership, as she believed it is her role as deputy where she has the most to add.
"Our new leader will need help from an experienced, loyal deputy and I offer that," she said.
Adams says the first time she had any conversations about taking over National’s leadership was after Bill English resigned on Tuesday morning.
In fact Adams “pretty much begged [Bill English] to stay” on as leader and, on a number of occasions, told him that staying on was “the best thing for the party.”
Collins and Bridges
Adams is the third National MP to announce they are in the running to replace Bill English as leader of the Opposition.
Collins was the first to declare her intent, taking to Twitter on Wednesday morning saying National will need “strong and decisive leadership if we’re going to win in 2020.
“I’m that person,” she continued.
Hours later, Bridges held a press conference confirming he was standing for the leadership.
"I think I offer the right blend of generational change and experience," he said.
Bridges, 41, held senior portfolios in the previous National-led Government, including Labour, Transport and Economic Development. He was also the Leader of the House.
“All of that gives me the experience and the drive to try and do this job well.”
He says since Bill English announced his retirement, “many” of his colleagues have approached him about standing for leader.
He would not, however, say who the MPs were, or how many had approached him but says he has “strong support” within Caucus.
Bridges says the party needs to “renew and refresh” before the 2020 election.
“That means in policy terms, [as well as] in terms of our people – blending that experience we have got that makes a real difference, but also the bundles of talent that we have in the National caucus and ensuring that continues to come through.”
Nikki Kay ruled herself out on Wednesday morning.
Bridges says he has the “highest regards” for Adams. “Whatever happens, I look forward to working with her.”
He had similar words for Collins, calling her “a star” and someone who brings a lot to the Caucus.
The Tauranga MP would not be drawn on who he would prefer to be his deputy but says he would be happy to work with Bennett, noting that the position is “not actually vacant.”
Rodney MP Mark Mitchell is also tossing up a run at the leadership, telling reporters this morning he was considering running but will think about it over the next four of five days. He ruled out a run at deputy.
National finance spokesman Steven Joyce has not yet made up his mind if he will stand or not.
He says a number of his colleagues have asked him to run but he at the moment he is “considering his position.”
An ‘interesting’ race so far, PM says
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was not giving much away in terms of what she thought of the declared candidates, saying only the leadership race is “interesting.”
“The issue for us is to make sure the Government is operating as successfully as possible; who I’m up against is ultimately up to them to decide.”
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters says National needs someone who is intelligent, popular, seriously good on their feet and charismatic as it’s leader.
“The last time they had someone like [that] was 25 years ago,” he said.
The leadership bids come after Bill English revealed on Tuesday he was stepping down as party leader and leaving politics.
English would not say who he wanted to take up the job, only that it was “a decision for the caucus.”
“I’ll just have a vote, like everyone else in the process and I expect I might enjoy them coming to ask me for it, after years of having to go ask other people for their votes,” he said.
164 Comments
... true .. but the next election is a foregone concussion anyway ... the Gnats are gonna get their lights punched out ..... except for unusual circumstances , NZ doesn't have single term governments ... and the Jacinda crew seem to be well intended folks ...
The Gnats need a crusher to keep the Labourites on their toes ... and they need to establish friendships with allies ... give TOP or the Conservatives a leg up ...
... 2023 ... post the crushing 2020 loss Judith leads them through ... a new Gnatty leader ( Kaye , Bridges , or Muller ) ... may beat the Jacinda team ...
Amazing how quickly things change really. A year ago Labour were complete disarray now look at National.
All stems from the same thing - no succession planning, i.e. a complete inability to prepare for the future.
Seeing it everywhere these days, companies, rivers, water, etc.... Suck the trough dry now, don't worry about tomorrow.
But you could see the writing on the wall - National were clinging to their short term thinking policies like it was do or die - now that we're moving past the short term, we now have to start dealing with reality and they're not equipped to do so (or at least they have no friends in government that want to play that short term - self licking ice cream game with them).
Really where have you been for the last nine years. Look what they have had to put up with and what they achieved. The coalition are now trying to spend the hard won fruits of Nationals policies. The country was in a deep recession when National took over, plus they had to clean up the mess of failed finance companies, because the Labour Govt did not regulate the finance industry properly. Some people have very short and biased memories..
True enough but whoever steps up will soon be put down & deservedly so because she or he will be a proven mug. Go back in history. Marshall, McLay, English, Goff none of them survived until the next election. Cor blimey you don’t need much of a brain to work that one out.
In one of my very rare moments of agreeing with Ex-Expat, I'm not sure how much affect NZF will have on the next elections, there'll be some natural die off, some will head to National, some will head over to Labour, they might struggle to get over the threshold. If Labour push through the residency loophole closing then that will keep many NZF voters happy.
The Greens and Labour, I reckon will have enough to lead alone, I think Chloe Swarbrick is an immense talent, Jacinda is relatable to the young, James Shaw is solid, Gareth Hughes is a good bloke, Julie Ann Gentner is fantastic. With the Metiria debacle behind them, and the farmers a bit more aware of what they're actually trying to do - which is to make them future facing, then there will be less reason for people to fear.
National will not get to 51% by themselves, ACT are done, no-one else will work to them for fear of being Maori Partied, or any other National coalition partied.
At least Teflon John knew how to smile laugh slur and stutter while turning the country into a brothel for "GDP growth" from you know where. A good parasite knows how to calm the host. Good luck wooing the masses with this monster. The only angle she really has is tough on crime. Would you have a beer with Collins?
I love it. How exciting. Collins isn't the most likeable, but she might be a good choice for that very reason.
You get "Bossy Woman who Gets Things Done" versus "Caring Woman who doesn't".
So you shift the goal posts to "Getting Results" rather than "Saying The Right Things". Instead of playing their game and choosing someone likeable like Nikky Kaye, you attack their weakness.
It's sort of Pit Bull versus Jack Russell. Judith's strength (dare I refer to her as Judith?) is also her weakness and the essential choice becomes the person who backs her up and supports her. Now if she had Joyce as Finance Minister, you have the makings of a tough pair to beat. Pit Bull plus Mr Capable versus Jack Russell plus Mr Nanny. Competence and Experience against Fashionable Ideas.
It is politics, not marriage, we are talking about here.
No I don't need MMP explained......maybe you need left and right politics explained......It was Winnie who jumped religious ships and changed his beliefs not a solidperformance......and his vent on capitalism is a direct hit on all the Joe Bloggs trying to make a living off self-employment or private enterprise and this is not something that goes down well with his voter base.......
Justifying what has happened because that is the way MMP works is like justifying theft because you can muster a majority of people who think theft is acceptable.......
I think you do -
Let's imagine it's a child's game - everyone wants to play in the sandpit, one boy keeps throwing sand in all the other little boys' and girls' faces, no-one likes this little boy - except maybe his mother. That little boy is told to go and sit in the corner and think about what he's done, while the other children who could play nicely get to have the sandpit all to themselves.
The naughty boy in the corner maybe should stop throwing sand, but apparently he believes he's being bullied by all the other mean children.. Maybe one day that little boy will reflect not on why people are so mean to him, but why he thought it a good idea to throw sand in the first place.
Winston Peter's vent if I recall correctly was on laissez-faire economics not on capitalism itself - in fact he said this
"Far too many New Zealanders have come to view today's capitalism, not as their friend, but as their foe. And they are not all wrong. That is why we believe that capitalism must regain its responsible – its human face. That perception has influenced our negotiations."
Sounds like a story of one capitalist against a raft of socialists/communists to me.........the one wee boy throwing the sand most likely owned the sandpit of which the others by force stole it from him, as you state, to get to have the sandpit all to themselves.........the thing is with bullies they are deceptive and manipulative and lacking a moral compass.
NZ does not have laissez-faire economics system!
If you understood where the term laissez-faire originated you might understand why it can't be applied to economics.
Given the issues that have arisen throughout civilisation there will always be a requirement for regulations, therefore, there can never be "free markets".
Funny I would have thought all the negative issues that have arisen throughout civilisation always came from the authoritarian regime of the day.....every catastrophic economic, environmental and social ill that has beset man came from some authoritarian regime somewhere.......but there you go in regime we must trust....not never in my house!
Are you stuck in 1955 or some kind of relative of Joe McCarthy? Because in the year 2018 you come across as a bit of a nut bar.
Labels are used in primary school - either to bully other kids or preferably to stick on their exercise books. They have no place in informed debate.
Hmm, or maybe the one wee boy throwing sand was the original inhabitant of distant islands of which the others by force stole it from him, as you state, to get to have the sandpit all to themselves. Those bullies sure are deceptive and manipulative and lacking a moral compass!
I thought the spoiled brat throwing sand was the National Party, and the sandpit is the electoral system. It's not his, it's meant to share, but he feels entitled to have it to himself forever and ignore the rules because he thinks he's special and will throw an extended tantrum if he doesn't get his own way. Then whine that the other kids are mean, while they ignore his tanty and get on with building sandcastles.
NZ First is not particularly right wing - https://www.politicalcompass.org/nz2017
Their billboards gave no sign they were campaigning to cozy up with National -https://static3.stuff.co.nz/1506189302671-b66cb786.jpg
The National Party Government releasing private tax details about Winston Peters, did not seem like they wanted to work with NZ First.
Not hard to see why things happened the way they did.
I'd disagree with that political compass. IMHO NZ first is consistently center right, and anti-neoliberal. You know Winston Peters is the only politician I can think of who would ever stick his neck out defending the NZ tax payer from the big fish who’re evading tax (think winebox inquiry). Today you’re more likely to find politicians neck deep in it helping money launders to buy NZ assets. In that context Winston Peters is a rare animal, I like him.
Getting things done? - How many cars exactly were "Crushed"?
or do you mean getting things done like
- Corruption
- Pandering to Chinese companies
- Oozing contempt for the locals (you know the actual voters)
- ensuring her private business always comes out on top.
If Crusher Collins takes the leadership then Labour get another three years. A female Muldoon is not what National needs - Amy Adams would be the best bet with Simon Bridges as deputy. They also need to get rid of Jian Yang, drop Joyce, Brownlee, Smith and Bennett well down the rankings and have a good ole cleanup.
Yes. That's what I thought at first. Get young. Get trendy. Move left. Take ground from Labour by moving to the centre and saying what people want to hear. The danger for National is they become Labour Light, a sort of plastic imitation party. Think Bridges for Northland. Spending for votes. The party policy becomes "Look Good and Say The Right Things". Which is Labour's policy.
At the moment Collins looks like the wrong choice. Hayek observed that a government that talks about action but does not actual deal to the problems of the day in a decisive manner tends to get replaced with a more authoritarian and action oriented one.
National can either move left and become an unconvincing Labour Lite that no one believes, or move right and destroy New Zealand First, who will self destruct anyway when Winston retires, which could be any day at his age.
National defeated Labour decisively in the election. They were beaten by New Zealand First, not Labour. The swing to Jacinda was presumably fickle youth who will get more cynical as they age. They will stop listening to what politicians say and instead try to figure out what they will do, or not do. If Labour don't satisfy their expectations (which is a well nigh impossible task after all) the fickle voters will at some point swing to the alternative. That's why they are called the swing vote or floating vote.
At a guess Expat you're in your late 50's or early 60's. In 25 years time, your time may or may not be up. National have been great to you. But to those in their 20's and 30's, they've been a nightmare. In 25 years time, the 20's and 30's will be here in large numbers, running the country with clear memories of the neglect and the sell out that this National crowd have been to them - I know I certainly will. Unless there is a significant culture shift, I won't be voting for them again in a hurry (even though I have voted for them before - a number of elections ago).
Too much crony-like activity around Adams, is about as genuine as a $3 bill and I don't think anyone will warm to her. Collins is still tainted by corruption, so its the spiv I guess, Bridges.
On a serious note, very glad that Nikki Kaye bowed out, I think given what she's been through and how so little time has passed since, it is a wise move, cancer thrives on stress and as I have said, I would not wish a rerun of that on my worst enemy. She would be the only one I could think of who could make me give National a second look.
As an older Gen Y I'm not particularly engaged with any of the current senior National line up, why? Because I can’t really relate to them. On average National Party members own 3.43 properties each, I own one with a hefty mortgage.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/92409698/the-many-houses-of-o…
That is the single biggest issue within my peer group and a topic that gets brought up every time we meet. Some have very little handle on current politics but know too well the housing issues with their wives / partners going back to work 6 weeks after having a child to keep up with mortgage payments. This often leads to frustration (and probably a bit of jealousy) to the boomer generation who had a much different time when they were 30 with a young family)
If National bring in Bridges to woo the younger crowd, apart from coming across as arrogant, it’s hard to have respect for someone who will preach about housing when he own 3 properties himself.
National do have to go down the younger path, whether they do it for 2020 or 2023 who knows. But the longer they leave it the larger the age bracket 25-35 gets.
http://archive.stats.govt.nz/tools_and_services/interactive-pop-pyramid…
In 2023 the age with the largest population is 30. There will more voters 25-34 than 55-64
55-64 : 317,000
25-34 : 347,000
I don’t see the housing topic going away but National need to put someone in that’s relatable to run of the mill under 40’s
Agree. They've been systematically screwing over and alienating the people who would have been their future natural constituency.
Have been reading up on the UK situation, and it's similar. Very strong generational dividing line as to votes, with Conservative party membership dropping off a cliff because the average age of card-carrying members is something absurd like 70, and they're not being replaced as they drop off their perches.
Tories there, like Nats here, seem to have had a complacent belief that they'd maintain a constituency because people naturally get more conservative as they get older, while missing that it's dependent on making it possible for people to build up assets and security. Take that away from young families, and you lose them.
Aha, I get it. National were complacent about housing and immigration. They also fell for the stupid bull their Bureaucracy fed them, that immigration is good and low interest rates don't matter.
To me, the the cause of the housing crisis was primarily falling interest rates coming out of the US, where the need for large financial backing of all politicians means the finance world writes the rules and buys the academics and politicians it likes. So the economic orthodoxy believes in impossible things that serve to disguise the facts from the populace.
The mechanism is simple. Falling interest rates increase asset prices. So, you can afford a bigger mortgage on your present pay packet. That is the cause of the higher house prices.
Compounding this was the physical supply was overwhelmed by excessive demand due to immigration, and foreign money poured in looking for a cash box which it found in Auckland housing.
I just don't expect Labour to make much difference in three years and I expect them to get blamed for the next recession, due in 1919/20. We are in the final phase of the credit cycle where interest rates have started to rise in the US. This is causing inflation to rise and at some point the authorities will put interest rates up too much and cause a short but dramatic collapse in asset prices. We have just had the left shoulder event.
Rising interest rates will cause house prices to fall, and Labour will get the blame. They are in a tough place.
Rising interest rates will cause house prices to fall, and Labour will get the blame. They are in a tough place.
Substitute the word "credit" for the word "blame" and you will be on the money for many of the younger generations. If they can drop house prices by a significant amount without NZ suffering a full on depression they will have done well and shored up their support from the younger generations for a decade or more.
Whether we suffer a depression is probably entirely out of their hands, but they will still get the blame if they are in power when it hits.
Come on now Mr Pragmatist. Isn't hoping house prices will fall without a full on recession rather a case of learning to believe in impossible things? The nature of the US Empire regime we live under is a modern version of a Banker's Ramp. It is called the Credit Cycle or the Business Cycle, both of which are ways of pretending it is not the Debt Trap Cycle. Interest rates are lowered "for our own good", so people can borrow more, which pushes all asset prices up and pushes goods prices down. Once the people are fully indebted then interest rates are raised "for our own good". Asset prices are thus reduced and the indebted keep needing to turn up to work to service their debts. A percentage are sacked to keep everyone in line. Rinse and repeat.
We are told this cycle is not planned, but the fault of irresponsible "bad apples", so a few poor sods are chosen to be ritually humiliated and locked up. The authorities intone seriously about strengthening oversight and tightening rules and so forth. A few years later the rules are either relaxed, or not enforced because the responsible authority is abolished, or underfunded, or staffed with incompetents. The process repeats over a long enough period that it is not too obvious to those under about 55, ie a 30 year cycle, but the first time around you are only in your twenties, so not at all aware of how the rigged system works.
Yes, is suspect we are in for a full blown recession, if not a depression, hence why I am exiting all debt and looking for safe places to stash what I can save.
But if Labour somehow manages to swing it so we avoid a severe recession then they will have done extremely well.. I'm not holding my breath on that one though, we are small fish in a very large pond.
A Bond is issued at a face value and fixed coupon.. so it has a baseline value that it won't go below.. Unlike equities and property who's value in $$ is determined entirely by the market, and when things go deflationary anything that is standing still is making headway against all those things going backwards .
You are kidding right? A bond is a series of cash flows. The net present value of those cash flows changes based on the discount or market determined rate of return. A bond can absolutely trade at less than face value if the market rate is higher than the coupon amount.
And what silly level of market rate would it take for $10k of bonds to be sold for $9500? Property or equities can realistically fall 20 or 30% below current values in a market collapse, but I cant see govt bonds falling below face value when the crapola hits the air circulator.
Maybe do some reading. This is Finance 101. The market rate required depends on the maturity of the cash flows. Basics are here https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bond-valuation.asp I used to do the calcs on a HP12C with RPN.
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting we have a replay of the last crisis. Those big ones that strike at the heart of the US/UK banking system don't happen often. More of a short sharp shock that hits some "peripheral economies" (read - those people who live a long way from the US and are portrayed as backward) very hard but doesn't last long in New Zealand. New Zealand is not badly run when compared to other countries. Like the Asian Crisis, or the Tequila crisis, or the Latin American crisis, or the Russian Default, but different, and given a suitable name so it looks like it's the fault of the inhabitants of that country, not their banking overlords. You know, "The Greek Crisis", not the "French/German/Euro Banking Stupidity Crisis". Think where is the Whittaker's? What should this be called?
BL _So why did Labour not cross the floor and vote with National on the RMA changes that would have allowed people to build more freely?......National didn't have the numbers to sort the housing crisis out and many on the supporting bench of the left will wake up to this issue very soon when house prices keep escalating leaving Labour and it's coalition buddies looking like the impotent fools they really are.
I agree - National need to become relevant in quick fashion - with Bill (supported by Collins, Coleman, Joyce etc) they were rapidly looking old and out of touch....
Think they need a fresh look to become relevant at the next election - with some type of policy other than we'll all be happy when we're rich from selling houses to foreigners (and each other) while the banks make record profits and we'll put band aids on anyone or any part of society that gets cut in the process.
Bridges has spent too much time under John Key - the smugness has rubbed off on him...Don't think that will fly long term. It's only ok to be smug if you're in your 50's and have millions of dollars - babyboomers admire that sort of stuff within their own generation - they don't admire it in any other generations (they like themselves too much). But its not ok to be young, a career politician and smug....
You're right Didge - but there must be an element of truth to that - otherwise I fail to see why John Key was so popular. It certainly wasn't because of his honesty and integrity. He would make a fine snake oil salesman - and yet 40% of the population loved it and you have ask yourself the question......why?
Compounding that, see also Bridges' exploitation of a loophole similar to that used by the Double Dipper from Dipton, but not yet closed (as the Trust loophole was) - putting your house in a private superannuation scheme and getting the taxpayer to help out:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11154765
Are you sure that's the same man?
Ripping off the taxpayer - that's the job of the left, remember.
Actually, on second thoughts..
Quoting Bridges from the video..
"I think we have the best values in the National Party, for this country. Whether it is individual freedom, personal responsibility, competition.."
My wife's mother was preaching to me the other day about dole bludgers and our PM having never had a real job and that National were the strongest party and so should be in government. Told me Bill was robbed of being the rightful PM.
She also never went to Uni stopped working ever since having her first child at 25 and...wait for it...owns 5 properties with her husband most of which are mortgage free.
Exactly and while there are one or two other factors none are as helpful as being born at the same time, take her situation into being a stay at home mother now and she will have to have married someone with a very high paying job, I will wager that was not the case in her actual time.
1. Bill English was a career politician.
2. They got access to affordable housing in great part because of public policy efforts over much of the 20th century.
It's that old canard of believing one's done it all on one's own two feet through sheer blindness to the leg-up society has provided.
The blindness to Bill English's career in politics...well, that's something else again.
In fairness, not all Boomers fit the stereotype. There are plenty who are aware of how much assistance they received from NZ society and previous generations, and don't mind contributing back in their turn. I was having dinner with some good friends the other weekend, both in their early 60s.
"We were so lucky in our day," they said. "Our parents loaned us the deposit for our first house, and we were able to get a Housing Corp loan on the strength of our combined student allowances while we were studying to be teachers. Young people today have it much harder."
Two young married folk at university, able to buy their first house and afford to eat, all off their student allowances. I am not endorsing NZ doing exactly the same thing now, only endorsing that folk who received a great leg-up from NZ society at least have a measure of self-awareness and a healthy dose of historical awareness.
Haha RS....maybe you should take up creative writing!
Studying to be teachers at University but in their early 60's now?
Student Allowances started in 1989.
Those cheap govt housing corp loans were funded by others.
Taxes in NZ were rediculous as the people were paying off war debts.
You need a healthy dose of history or health salts or both!
You mean they may have used the term allowances to represent to today's audience what were known as bursaries then? Shocker. How terrible of them. I shall duly castigate them.
You need a healthy dose of history, perhaps.
https://teara.govt.nz/en/tertiary-education/page-4
No one has ever said that funding education or bolstering housing doesn't require funding. Rather, what's abhorrent now is folk who want to reduce services to others so they can have lower taxes, claim to have done everything on their own two feet thus feel no obligation to contribute, and squeal at any suggestion they themselves should receive less from the state - that should be strictly for those who follow.
The next Colmar Poll, etc, will be interesting. Judith is talking about getting 61 seats to rule alone. More like they'd need 63/64 to have the confidence to see out a by-election, someone gets cancer etc. So, Judiths has just sent a massive signal that National have conceded defeat at next election, since no mates. They are locked into a fortress mentality.
Very shakey stuff.
Sounds like Bridges is kidding himself about himself and the "loads of talent" he's got in the back burner.
They only option is to revert to a bona fide Troy Party. Problem is NZers are over cut, cut, cut, cut, do nothing economics. That horse has bolted - NZ has massive headache on its hands - we know that the former working class and now middle class is steadily eroding into a Working Poor. An extra prison will get built to house them.
Appeasing and delighting existing National supporters with her “style” may be entertaining but ultimately of little value if it does not extract the required additional votes National are looking for.
I don’t see the youth vote flooding her way, certainly don’t see much of any swing from Labour or Green but maybe NZ First.
Would her style and dirt from the past alienate some support from National – probably not I would assume – and where on earth would they then go politically if so alienated – nowhere, so then take the fight inside – not a good look.
I would be very surprised if they go with her – she may put on a great sideshow in the House – but come election time she may come up short on, for the want of a word “charisma”.
You may not need it to do your job – but it’s pretty helpful if you want to win an election.
I like Judith Collins. She always smiles to me whenever I see her on Goddon Cres in Mission Bay. I quite often stop my car and let her out first.
Well, that sounds...oddly disturbing, coming from our very own DGZ.
“It puts the lotion on its skin or it gets the hose again, ” says DGZ. Then, “It puts the lotion in the basket.”
The first couple of notes of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me-VhC9ieh0 is what I hear in my mind whenever Judith Collins name is mentioned.
Just maybe!, there are stacks of new blood in the National caucus now. Amy's promotion advances them, since she's that little bit closer to them in the pealing off of the older heads. Maybe. Otherwise they will just have to wait even longer for Amy to rise and rise for much longer.
bridges is backed by kiwiblog, Collins by whaleoil, adams needs to find a national party blogger to back her.
had to laugh at boag,
Boag says: “I think it will be clean and tidy, because that’s the way we do things
what a load of tosh, you can already read some of the negative campaigns being run online discrediting some candidates
Those low end bloggers will be part of the transition of power. Their stars will necessarily wane. Even Boag will be increasingly marginalised. Adams only needs the self interest of the MPs to get over the line.
Whaleoil? Didn't he die...? Guys like him get replaced by a new one who is privy to the current key politicians. Collins is too old, Key has long gone....
Surely, these shake ups go deep deep. Power is jealous of her brood.
Seriously, Crusher Collins I beleive will lead the National Party for the next year or so!
It is a strategic move by National to show the coalition up for what it really is!
A very unprepared coalition of airey fairy politicians with absolutely no business acumen or life experiences.
Judith will be able to do this far better than Bill English because he was too nice!
Crusher has got nothing to lose and has the experience to really show them up.
Prior to the next election when people realise what a bunch of nillers that we have in power then the new leader will be put in place for the election which will be won by National.
Maybe I am wrong, but that will be a first!!
First, an intellectual command of issues that concern the world.
Second, wit. She'll show it more as time goes on. It's not quite Lange yet. But she has wit.
Deep in our national psychology is an admiration for Kirk and Lange, Clarke had it a little, for their performance as personalities that can sweep the Nation along with them. She's got it. Powerful drug.
The time of service by safe hands is passed its used by. Good as Bill was.
It all could be over and done with by this time next week. Collins's baggage allowance was busted long ago. It's not feasible for her to lead.
If it goes the full 2 weeks, then i suspect anything is possible. Including a major public spat emanating from Collins own corner.
Something for Bill to go out to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT4RainY-lY
Crusher Collins would be a massive mistake - just another Chinese puppet like Key with Jian Yang holding the strings. Amy Adams is the best bet but don’t take that Paula on as deputy - maybe Nathan Guy as deputy. Whatever happens they are toast at the next election - Labour will surprise many and convert quite a few National voters during the first term of their nine years in power.
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