Posts by ScottY
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Though on that note: who's the local equivalent of Boris Johnson?
To be truly like Boris he/she will have to be:
1. an outright buffoon
2. a failed former politician from a right wing political party
3. prone to gaffes.Paul Henry, anyone?
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8. Gladiatorial combat.
Damn! I was about to say that
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There was never going to be too much for the Labour party to attack in Post though. Unless they're going to sell it I suppose!
An eventual sale of Kiwibank is always a possibility though, whatever denials Key may have uttered in the past.
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No surprises about Kiwiblog then. The last time I visited that site I felt like I had to wash.
It will be interesting to watch whether the Opposition is able to effectively criticice the performance of these SOEs without besmirching Cullen's good name. So potentially a master stroke by the evil genius Key.
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I've got a harder question:
Who owns the universities?The Government believes it does. The Universities disagree.
Universities and other tertiary institutions are "Crown Entities" for the purposes of the Crown Entites Act 2004.
The Government wins.
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Too many people underestimate Key's political abilities. He didn't become top dog by being weak and indecisive. But he can also work with other factions.The breathtaking speed in which he stitched up support deals with both ACT and the Maori Party after the election is proof of that.
This is not to give the man undue praise, because I still disagree with much of what he and his government are doing. But anyone who thinks Key will be toppled from within before the next election is indulging in wishful thinking.
The N.Z electorate sees Key saving babies, donating casts and hanging out with traditional non-national groups for warm fuzzy photo ops.
That's why more people voted for the Nats last year. Could you have imagined Don Brash doing any of these things? Again, it demonstrates political skill: Key recognised the image problem the Nats had under Brash, and resolved to try a different, more friendly, approach.
Politics is about perception. Not all voters are as politically engaged as PAS readers, and many people will vote for the person they like, rather than the person with the best policies.
Key does the "image" thing well. He comes across in interviews as affable and likeable, even if his language is garbled at times (but does the average punter care about his abuse of the English language?). His honeymoon with the voters is not close to ending.
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As other Nats begin to realise he's taking them to defeat, they'll turn on him. They always do. And English will be there to, reluctantly, pick up Caesar's laurel wreath after the rest have finished knifing John-boy.
A prediction or wishful thinking?
I would be surprised if that came true. Key's still popular with the voters. I know a lot can happen before the next election, but I suspect most people realise there's little Key can do to mitigate the effects of the current global crisis.
And if you look at NZ's post-war history the governments that tend to get chucked out after one term are the Labour ones.
If 3 strikes doesn't pass, Garrett will go feral.
I hope you are right. That would be very entertaining.
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But why would it be Key losing any internal battle, rather than English?
Agree. If it comes down to Key v English then English will be the loser, unless Key really loses the plot.
It's not like the Nats actually have ideology to hold them together, any more than Labour.
I personally can't see this government falling before the next election. Whatever we may think of Key's policies, he has demonstrated an ability to work with other parties.
The Nats may be divided on some issues, but they were in opposition for nine years, and there's no way they want to go back there in a hurry. They'll do everything necessary to hold on to power.
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Ah, but this assumes that Key and English are playing for the same team. Insider gossip suggests that the divide is as great as ever between the offices of the PM and Deputy PM. What better way to keep your face and name in the public eye than to constantly and gently undermine your leader?
The other possibility for why they're off-message is that they genuinely have no idea how to deal with the recession and are just making it up as they go along.
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Vettori looked barely interested; now, Harbhajan seems unplayable.
Or it could be that our players (unlike the Indians) don't know how to play good spin bowling.
I'd probably have more fun supporting England.
You're probably right. Not much chance of Vettori getting trolleyed and stealing a pedalo