Like everyone else, I was shocked when Todd Muller resigned as Leader of the National Party yesterday morning - and even more shocked when National picked Judith Collins to replace him. Sure, this is about desperation and salvaging as many seats as they can, but still. In case we've forgotten, Collins is a politician who has spent her career carefully cultivating a reputation for cruelty and viciousness. Crushing cars. Posing with guns. "Joking" about prison rape. She was neck-deep in dirty politics with Cameron Slater, and from that we learned that she was focused on revenge and "giving back double". By choosing her as leader, the National Party has basicly said "this is what we stand for": cruelty, viciousness, and sleaze. And they're pitting this against a Prime Minister who stands for kindness.
That's going to be one hell of a clash of values at the ballot box. And I guess we're going to find out just how many kiwis are vicious, cruel monsters.