Andrew Dickens: New Zealand is confused

Andrew Dickens Afternoons

So the political party that didn’t know what it stood for anymore and offered no real future lost the election to the party that offered tax cuts that are affordable only by increasing taxes on the wealthy and then claim that we’re back on track.

I’d argue that New Zealand is confused.

How else can you explain a nation that just 3 years ago so gratefully gave a red tide to Labour and now switches to a blue tsunami after a thousand days?

I think the theme of the election is more that it was time for a change than getting back on track.

It’s been an horrific four years of pandemics, cyclones, floods, fires. On top of that some ineptitude as Labour gave us slogans rather than policies. Exactly what they criticise National for.

It was decades worth of angst in just six years so we changed the one thing we could.

So National get their turn.

But the wholesale switcheroos we’ve seen in the past two elections are not a good thing for the country.

When Labour took an outright majority in 2020 we lost some of our best National MPs. The retirement of senior MPs like Joyce and English took the wise rudders.

Now the same thing has happened to Labour.

The upshot is a parliament full of newbies on both sides with no real depth of experience and knowledge in governance.

And governance is not like regular business. If you don’t believe me read Stephen Joyce’s book about his experiences as a newly minted Transport Minister.

Yes Minister is a documentary not a comedy.

Such dramatic flip flops smacks of a lack of core belief and that a lot of us will vote for whoever offers us the most moolah in the back pocket.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.