Thursday 29 September 2005

ACT join National?

The National Whig proposes that ACT join National. In my opinion, they might as well; as long as ACT stays at the softcock end of the principled spectrum their policies will continue to be picked up by the Nats, so they may as well just merge and be done with it. There's bugger all difference between them now anyway.

My question for ACT's libertarians still applies: if ACT can't support the five measures I suggest, why support the party anyway? What's its raison d'ĂȘtre anymore?

PS: Isn't it time for Dick Prebble to realise he's a retired MP now? How about he shut the fuck up with the incessant post-election commenting and just shuffle off the stage gracefully. Or has he found now he's stepped down that he just can't bear to leave the limelight behind?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's very simple:

ACT fulfills two requirements more consistently than National or Libertarianz.

1) We are in Parliament and we influence New zealand in a non trivial way. The Libertarianz can't claim this.

2) We have a set of principles that we are prepared to stick by even though we know our appeal will never reach beyond 10-15% of voters. National have shown throughout history they'll adopt positions from across the political spectrum in order to garner support.

Hence ACT has a reason to exist and it does. Further, supporting ACT is a better proposition for advancing freedom than either of the other two.

Anonymous said...

David said: 'We have a set of principles that we are prepared to stick by ..'

No you don't. You call yourself the Liberal Party, when in truth you're the Sometimes-Liberal Party.

Until the day ACT comes to its senses and realises that, I, in order to remain principled, have no choice but to remain a card-carrying member of Libertarianz.

'The true danger is when Liberty is nibbled away - for expedients'. Edmund Burke, 1899.