That is the only way to describe the National Party's apparant U-turn on asset sales. We should remember that Don Brash has been advocating the wholesale dumping of state assets for at least the past 15 years (and probably longer) - and that just 18 months ago he was promising that if he were Prime Minister, the government's stake in TVNZ, Air New Zealand, KiwiBank, and our state-owned electricity companies would be gone by lunchtime. And now we're expected to believe that he's changed his mind? As the billboards say, "yeah, right"...
What we have here is an opposition calculatedly using the tactics of deceit, promising one thing to gain office, with the intention of doing exactly the opposite if elected. Labour did this in 1987, National did it in 1990, and this dismal pattern was one of the driving forces behind the switch to MMP. But National doesn't seem to have accepted, adapted to, or even learned from this public rebellion, and instead seems committed not just to reviving FPP, but also the worst of its tactics. Which is yet another reason not to vote for them.
Hmm my guess is htat a vote on asset sales would go to htose who want to keep the assets (so your pitching in the right place here)
ReplyDeletebut as to FPP vs MMP? Hmm Im not so sure - I think FPP might win. Not that it is a big enough issue for anyone to care about.
I am assuming htat if oyu are talking about peopel choosing ot vote national or not you would be talking to the middle ground swing national vs labour voters
I would have thought there is a big difference between changing your mind, and simply deciding not to do something.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Labour did not change their minds that they did not like the 1991 benefit cuts. But at some stage they decided it was not practical to reverse them.