"PM Hipkins’ romanticisation is of a provincial New Zealand outlook and expectation. We can’t even call it cultural nationalism; rather it is provincial populism."

"[Prime Minister Chris] Hipkins’ romanticisation* is of a provincial New Zealand outlook and expectation. Hipkins’ ‘New Zealand’ is really one of the small town, small minded New Zealand of the 1950s. It’s food, focus and values that are increasingly out of step with most urban, educated, ambitious , entrepreneurial New Zealanders living in a multicultural society.
    "It’s as if the past 40 years never happened.
    "We can’t even call it cultural nationalism; rather it is provincial populism. Hipkins’ sausage roll scoffing small town social democracy is one many New Zealanders increasingly want to leave behind, figuratively, societally and increasingly, literally.
    "As such this provides a problematic correction to Muldoon’s claim [in the 1980s that 'NZers who leave for Australia raise the IQ of both countries.'] Those who choose to stay in this country for Hipkins’ reasons probably lower the IQ of New Zealand – while we lose the best and brightest, the entrepreneurial, the innovators, the trained and talented, the ambitious, to Australia."

~ Mike Grimshaw from his post 'Lowering the IQ of One Country'

* HIPKINS: "I’m absolutely confident that New Zealanders living and making a life in New Zealand want to continue to stay with the home of the All Blacks, the true home of the pavlova and the lamington. There’s plenty of reasons for them to stay back home in New Zealand.”