Cartoon adapted from The GuardianJohn Key dances to the real tune at last.
The National Party this weekend revealed the lack of real future focussed policy they are entering the election period with. Key, in perfect engkeylish, outlined the Party's back to the future policy on electoral reform with a promise to ditch MMP (with the opening to dodge out if it so suits by suggesting a referendum ).The political gaffe that is perfect political spin demonstrated the lack of discipline of thought that is typical Key. He has said what the National Party really thinks while the spin miesters, who put high value on poll driven spin and hypocrisy during the election campaign cringe.
However, when one discovers that the anti-MMP - back to the dictatorship of FFP campaign and policy drivers (we should all remember the arrogance of the numerous minority dictatorships of Muldoon and other National Governments for reasons why NZ voted to adopt MMP.) are the money men- Graeme Hunt and Peter Shirtcliffe - who have poured thousands of dollars into campaigns to stop New Zealand adopting MMP as a means of ensuring a more democratic process and greater proportionality in Government we should not be surprised.
This policy statement advocating a resolute march back to the future is an indication of the paucity of policy development within the National Party and a demonstration of the influence of the selfish interests of of those for whom tax breaks mean huge advantages over the ordinary voter for whom democracy is designed to help.
2 comments:
Interesting development. How would one feel about voting for National now? Doing so might be the second-last time you ever cast a vote that actually counts.
Never mind any other policy.....does the average voter want to risk starting a process that could see them a few yeas down the track with a vote that is a waste of time....like in the old days?
I'm thinking of National Party voters in places like Porirua and Labour voters in places like the King Country. MMP has given them a reason to trude to the polls. Under FPP, they never elected anyone and the whole thing was a waste of time for them.
Policies like this reveal National's anti-democratic tendencies. For a party offering itself as the alternative to arrogance and coersion, it's a bit counter-productive to be seekig a return to one-party rule under FPP - the very essence of arrogant government with absolute coercive power.
Just one more example of how their actions seem to constantly conflict with the values they claim to uphold.
More democracy through less choice. Vote National?
A friend sent me this response to my comments on Key's MMP "policy" I thought it worth sharing.
Irascible.
"Key policies" take on a different hue to what one normally expects leading up to an election. Instead of the profundity of detail and sharpness of focus that should be the hallmarks of well-thought-out ( even idealistic ) policy statements, we are subjected to Key’s announcements which are either knee-jerk critiques or envious blandishments in the form of promised higher tax cuts. How can the electorate possibly vote for a party with hollow or no-existent policies?
Never has so little been offered by so few to so many!
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