Monday 14 April 2008

Yet another reason not to vote National ... (updated)

Outflanking Every week brings another reason to realise that if you want any real change at the next election, then Labour-Lite are not the answer.

This weekend Flip Flop Boy has confirmed that his party will not be running on even the relatively timid freeing up of factory schools that is bulk funding -- which three years ago the Nats said was "the first step towards providing the flexible education system that parents wanted."  Apparently they now think that the Ministry knows much better than schools and parents how to provide "flexibility" in the state's factory schools.

And he's also confirmed that getting the government's $30 billion worth of dinosaurs off the taxpayers' hands is also off the agenda, by announcing that selling assets will be no part of a National Government's work under his spineless leadership -- not even the "pretty timid" partial asset sales floated by Bill English "as a way of raising capital for new infrastructure."  Reports The Press, "Key overturned years of National Party policy by making the U-turn on asset sales, saying preparing state-owned enterprises for sale would 'not be a good use of our time'." One wonders what a better use of their time could be, since at this stage there's nothing on National's horizon?

Their time won't be spent overturning the anti-smacking law, which Key personally insisted his MPs vote into law.

They won't be spending it overturning Michael Cullen's "No Bloody Foreigners" legislation, as they all but confirmed during the Auckland airport negotiations.

It won't be spent getting the ogre of the Resource Management Act off property owners' backs -- this is, after all, law that National itself introduced, and from which it has never resiled.

They won't be spending it gutting the NZQA -- they introduced that one too.

They won't be spending it getting rid of the Maori seats -- that's another one they've rolled over on.  Or slowing down the Waitangi gravy train that they themselves helped to kick off.  One law for all'?  Not with this mob.  Too busy bending over and saying "me too."

They won't be spending it reinstating a credible defence force -- "we've lost that argument too," they've effectively said.

They won't be overturning the interest-free student loans that Don Brash called "an irresponsible election bribe" -- a policy National once promised to oppose with "every bone in our bodies."  If they had any.

They won't be doing anything to overturn Labour's Welfare for Working Families programme that has made beneficiaries of so many of the country's middle classes.

On every point that Labour stands for, National just says "me too" -- which means they won't be doing a damned thing to work towards their party's purported goal of minimising the government and keeping them out of our lives -- which means there is no reason that National is seeking power, beyond the reason that National would quite like power -- which means there is simply no reason, no reason at all, for any freedom lover to vote National, and no way in hell that anyone who does vote National can pose as a freedom lover. 

If you want any genuine alternative, then National are not the answer.  They have no answer. Every week just reconfirms that.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said Peter.
They want power - end of story. This is what makes them so dangerous. To hell with principles, morality or a backbone.

Julian

Anonymous said...

As I have said before, there is a lot of dissention in the ranks of National supporters and the Roger/Rodney show is looking good to many of these people, (you heard it here first, folks).

A little bird tells me the National party polling 10 days ago showed Labour 1% ahead, so they asked the pollsters to do it again last week, with a similar result!

Once TV3 and One News show polling with Labour in the lead (probably in early June) then Key's "inevitability factor" has gone and he will be in deep, deep trouble.

Mind you, he is a fairly young man so plenty of time to 'repent at leisure'.

Suddenly the $20,000 bet I made a while back, that Labour will win a 4th term, is looking very safe! ha ha!

Berend de Boer said...

on the other hand, going into the election with selling a tiny stake and opening yourself up to huge attacks isn't a winner either.

The problem is of course that the man has no core principles. See DPF's blog on how Hong Kong had a lower GDP than Cuba 50 years ago.

Anonymous said...

Keys first priority is to get into power.. we already know that a National Govt will get no latitude from the media and public for the sort of corruption allowed to Labour, so there's the first win for the country.

From there, even a piss weak conservatism is better than a strengthening socialism; and from a position of some strength more sensible policy sets can be put in place.

MMP is simply organised and legalised corruption that victors of wars impose on Nazi and Arab dictatorships.. it's designed and favours weak govts and UN worship.. and it is very difficult for strong right of centre leadership to establish and thrive. After 9 long years of failure, Key is hardly in a position to gamble electoral success on the wishes and dreams of purists.

Key is the one on trial here because he has no experience of leading a coalition.. only Clark has that.. and he needs to prove to the public that he can work within the confines of MMP before he will be allowed into power.

Blame MMP for Key's maneuvers, or accept that Labour will be returned this year if he frightens the electorate.

JC

Waymad said...

It's really a foreign-policy type situation wot we 'av 'ere, innit. No good choices, only bad, worse and much worse ones.

So I think your lettle rant is just the perfect getting in the way of the good.

Labour's bad. National's not much better. ACT is far below critical mass. NZ First is imploding xenophobically. The watermelon Greens, anyone?

Who ya gonna vote for?

Hold your nose and vote National, shurely. Because they're the least bad choice.

Anonymous said...

And this is the real tragedy for our country. Even with the government change nothing will change in principle. Only people, not laws and rules to increase opportunities and prosperity. Because these new government people they already have houses, boats and substantial savings, so they do not care to make them more affordable to other people.