Thanks for another term, Don

Don Brash has won the National party leadership, and in the process has handed Labour another term in government. Thanks, Don!

Seriously, the guy espouses policies that the electorate has strongly rejected in the last three elections. While the Auckland Business Wankers and ACT will love this, it will only further alienate National's already-alienated centrists, and it certainly won't win over centrist Labour voters (which is what they really need to do in order to gain power). The down side is that the votes are likely to go to NZFirst and United. Maybe Peter Dunne will get to be PM after all?

Despite this, I would have preferred an English win. I would rather have the chief opposition party be right-leaning centrists who are vaguely in touch with the political mainstream, than a bunch of ideological wingnuts anyday.

Still, Labour is now that much more likely to get a third term. now, if only we could convince them to actually do something with it...