The preliminary results are in, and perhaps the best thing we can all do – me included – is take a deep breath and calm down.
New Zealand is feeling ragged and bruised. It has been a testing few years. We all need some recovery time.
The Covid pandemic had far-reaching consequences – I mean socially, politically and economically, rather than medically – that weren’t necessarily obvious at the time, but which played out in the election results.
On top of that we had catastrophic weather events of biblical proportions. These were not Labour’s fault, and to be fair, the government probably did as much as it could to mitigate the effects. But the damage and disruption caused by Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary Weekend storms had an unsettling effect on the national psyche and may have contributed to a mood for change.
Now the people have spoken, and in the words of the late Mike Moore when Labour lost the election in 1990, the people are always right. It may be over-optimistic to suggest it’s a time for the country to heal, but it’s a time for the smoke to clear and the dust to settle.
Here in the Wairarapa, where I live, ousted MP Kieran McAnulty set an admirable conciliatory example by turning up at the election night celebrations of his victorious National rival, Mike Butterick, and delivering a generous and sincere speech of congratulations.
A quietening of social media would be helpful. Nothing does more to create the feeling that New Zealanders are at war with each other than feverish 24/7 online agitation by mischief-makers from across the political spectrum. But that may be a forlorn hope, judging by journalist and professional attention-seeker David Farrier’s Twitter post reported today in the Herald.
And speaking of journalists, I wonder whether the Parliamentary Press Gallery will take heed of this morning's blog post by Barrie Saunders. That too may be too much to hope for.
9 comments:
I subscribed to David Farrier's substack for a while but revoked my subscription with time to go as I found the constant misanthropy with huge helping of misogyny tiring. The comments section of his substack is one of the most toxic forums I have ever seen. The people in it are even more out of contact with the reality of life for normal people than your average Wellington political journalist.
There is some confusion between David Farrar and Farrier out there. The latter really hates it as he regards Nats as trash. He sounds like an immature uni student ranting from what I can see .
See Shaw and Tamahere talking of ''Maori'' violence; I expect it from some. -Paul Peters
I'd like not a breather but a government that wants to govern and change things for the better. Get absolutely stuck in and change the direction of the country. Health, education, law and order, race relations, inflation, cost of living, everything is going downhill. We are declining in every measurable area. The new government needs to be bold and courageous and change everything.
Excellent posts by both Barrie Saunders and Michael Bassett over at the BBH blog Karl.
Some awful articles on Stuff yesterday, particularly headlines, and today plus NewstalkZb news bulletins have been flogging the Peters Coalition effect/outcome all day. Heather du Plesses Allan was non stop on that aspect for two hours this afternoon. I usually enjoy her programme while I am at work but she let herself down badly this afternoon. It almost seemed like an obsession for having Peters as part of the government so she could say `I told you so' to Luxon and anyone else that would listen.
I suspect things will not settle down until after special votes are counted and final result confirmed. By which time the by-election will be rearing its ugly head.
Yes I agree with you Scott
Added to change I would also say return to what has clearly worked before and education is a good example of this. Reading Alwyn Poole's posts over the years sets out the prescription for a lot that can be achieved by returning to the basics. I wish he was made the Secretary of Education.
Farrier's facile comment is like Clinton's 'deplorables' and Michael Woods' 'river of filth' that characterize the entitled and unthinking. How ironic that Elijah Wood supports Farrier. He owes Sir Peter Jackson and New Zealand both his notoriety and likely much of his wealth and it was a National Government that helped keep those films and all of the huge benefits in NZ via tax incentives.
To support what Barrie Saunders outlines and that the political media needs to grow up and recognise the wider and real NZ they have missed. This is a stuff article from yesterday
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/133123290/devastating-defeat-how-the-world-reacted-to-the-new-zealand-election-result
The third paragraph of the item starts "Papers across the world focussed on the slide back toward conservatism..." - just those 3 words "the slide back" betrays the writer's bias, regardless of what then followed in the article. Luxon, Seymour and likely Peters are the only ones who will be able to turn the MSM around by publicly, continuously and relentlessly calling them out on bias, non-reporting and mis-information.
I have been reading an article at The Platform and Professor Dutta's name pops up again this time it seems tweeting his support for the Hamas. Per the article when the Professor was called out on this tweet, his reflex was to make an accusation of racism.
Ha - Please don't allow yourself too long a breather, Karl! I rather prefer Don Brash's attitude in his latest input from Hobson's Pledge - where he states the exact opposite to you!
New Zealand will be forced to deal with some new global political factors over the next year, mainly re our NetZero legislation (climate change) - all of them needing sober, realistic assessments and responses from our new National government. I have absolutely no faith in Luxon's intellect to come out with valid conclusions or solutions. Seymour and his able, intelligent caucus (together with Winston's conservative common sense) will be a great help for Luxon.
And please - we very much need you, Karl, unabated to continue giving us your sensible opinions about it all.
We are all now into breather time. Something akin to a long rugby half-time break.
A few random comments.
Yesterday’s media chase of Winston Peters at Wellington airport yielded only silence. The seasoned politician knows when and when not to speak his mind.
If it was John Key suggesting Peters should be offered the Speaker’s chair then he is resuming insults from some years back. During one of his campaigns Key’s ageist throwaway line was that most of the Peters supporters were dying off.
If it turns to be a Nat/ACT/NZF government I would expect the combination to reverse the excesses put in place by Labour. I skimmed through a Herald article which suggests that the three have a lot in common.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/election-2023-whats-set-to-get-cut-under-a-national-act-nz-first-government/OWY2HSJ7LVFTBJTGRFRTHRSYB4/
I agree with some other commenters that Luxon sometimes sees the Prime Minister’s position as simply another corporate gig – a chairman of the board slot. He will need a lot of support and guidance.
Post a Comment