During the election campaign, the Maori Party complained vigorously about Labour Party ads claiming that they had voted with National 227 times and that a vote for them was a vote for a National-led government - and even had a complaint upheld in principle by the Broadcasting Standards Authority. Now, Tariana Turia seems to be doing her best to show that Labour was right after all. Tariana should do the decent hting and admit her complaint was bogus - but I'm not holding my breath...
4 comments:
Oh please... Anyone with half a brain can see that a vote against Labour policy is not the same thing as a vote for National policy.
The raison d'etre of the Maori Party was the foreshore and seabed legislation. Everyone knows this and if Helen is not willing to give ground but Don is then she has nobody to blame but herself if the Maori Party continues to talk to National.
Besides, most pundits agree that it is no more than a negotiating stratagem. True hypocrisy would be to present themselves as a real alternative to Labour and then meekly sign up to Labour policy with a few minor concessions just to get a cabinet post.
Posted by JamesP : 10/11/2005 07:51:00 PM
Yeah I think it is just negoptiating - of course if national bends over entirely it would be rational for them to act in the interests of their suporters and back national (although I think that is almost impossible).
I think national is trying to help the maori party screw labour also.
Posted by Genius : 10/11/2005 09:07:00 PM
JamesP: Of course the Foreshore and Seabed legislation is their reason for existence - and if they can screw that kind of deal out of National, then all power to them. But at the same time, in retrospect their complaining seems a bit rich, to say the least.
Posted by Idiot/Savant : 10/11/2005 11:34:00 PM
I'd say she had every right to complain because the argument was always based on a demonstrably false premise. The fact that, just maybe, the conclusion might turn out to be correct does not validate the argument.
Posted by JamesP : 10/12/2005 12:05:00 AM
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