With John Banks confirming he won’t be standing at the next election, ACT, the party of ‘values over politics’—or so its brochures say—has once more leader down with self-inflicted injuries.
Which begs two immediate questions:
- who will be the next leader?
- why would they bother?
Cameron Brewer has been talked about as the “ideal” ACT candidate, and in many respects those suggesting him are correct. He is bright, personable, and completely disinterested in freedom and property rights—which makes him Banks’ perfect replacement. And as Orakei councillor elected unopposed only a couple of months ago, already popular with voters in the Epsom electorate.
But why would he be interested when taking the job of ACT leader when the position is so toxic it’s is the closest thing in local politics to swallowing cyanide washed down by broken glass? Rodney Hide helped make it so, and left under a cloud of his own puffed-up opinion of himself. Don Brash took over, hoping to lift the party from its position in the gutter to the levels he’d previously achieved as National leader— discovering instead that the party is so toxic that instead of lifting them up to his level of popularity, it instead dragged him down to its own.
Things have only gotten worse since then, much worse. Becoming head of public relations for the Fukushima Locally Caught Fish Company (slogan: “our fish cook themselves”)might be a more promising career move. So why would anyone, Cameron Brewer or otherwise, want to permanently contaminate themselves?
The stain, I’m afraid, is permanent.
8 comments:
Oi Pete, this Libz crusade against ACT has parallels with The Life of Brian skit ‘The Peoples Front of Judea’. In the bigger scheme of things: under the scheme of MMP what are Nationals options? Colin ‘Man On The Moon’ Craig? Or would you be far more happier with a Green/Labour/NZ First coalition? Sticking the boot into ACT does the Libz cause no good. Leave the nastiness to the left, they do a better job anyway.
@Paul You assume that libertarians have more in common with the right that the left. I can only speak for myself, but I don't care for labelling something left or right, communist of facsist, as if any of it really matters. There is ONLY central planning and the relentless advance of the state and its concomitant destruction of private planning and property rights. To suggest that other libertarians should share your enthusiasm for ACT/National central planning is, in my view, absurd and highly presumptuous.
Oh that will explain why this blog has twice as many anti-ACT articles as Greens. Hey, surprise, surprise, there’s yet another ‘ACT is crap’ article been added today (including Gerry Anderson cartoon) If you think by trashing ACT it will somehow translate into disenfranchised ACT supporters seeing The Libertarians as ‘a new home’ you are going around it the wrong way. Such a pity you guys are so bitter.
@Paul: I call trash 'trash.' What do you do?
Maybe it's implicit in this that Act people should know better. Or that at least the Greens don't hide the fact that they are lying thieving evil bastards, whereas Act came in preaching freedom and small government and delivered the exact opposite.
@Paul, you said, "... this blog has twice as many anti-ACT articles as Greens."
Welll, the blog has been going for nearly ten years, but in recent years (since Google starting counting tags the record here is nearly three times the reverse of what you suggest:
Posts on ACT: 80
Posts on Greens: 200
Posts on Russel Norman: 24
You can rest assured that very few of any of these are positive. But feel free to use that Search Box above to check for yourself...
It would have been nice if ACT had been consistent with their philosophies & policies, but they haven't.
Rodney Hide is best remembered for been a leader of ACT, which supposedly supports less government, but then creates the Auckland "super city", which could have reduced costs & therefore rates, but got turned into an empire instead. To make it worse, spending is out of control & I'm not going to even mention the other 'drama'.
B. Whitehead
Stephen Berry coming third for Mayor, ahead of well known (and well publicised) professional protestor John Minto and the often reported ironically named Penny Bright, is closer to the future.
ACT eviscerated itself with its combination of naked ambition and invertebrate attitude to arguing just about anything. Time for a decent burial and the decent folk within it to move on.
Stephen Berry's Mayoral campaign for Auckland showed the future IMHO.
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