We might have had some problems with Winston in the past but right now we need him, and his right hand man, Shane Jones, more than ever. They are not afraid to tell it like it is. They are a rare breed in today’s political landscape.
I call it a budget suitable to the part of the election cycle we are in and it was presented with next year’s pre-election one firmly in mind.
Bishop and the coalition are to be congratulated for getting themselves out of a tricky situation.
It became increasingly obvious throughout the interview that, like the budget Rachel Reeves produced, it is based purely on ideology with no work whatsoever done as to what the consequences might be and how they might be mitigated.
This is a nightmare situation for the country, the majority of the people and Hipkins. In reference to the Greens’ budget, he says he won’t rule anything in or out. That doesn’t inspire confidence does it.
Labour lacks ability and a vision, the Greens are fruitloops and the Māori Party are a racist rabble not deserving to even be in parliament. Between them they are inviting Luxon to have another three years at the helm, when many of us think he doesn’t deserve it.
The journalists may not like it but, contrary to their beliefs, they are not the ones in charge. It is up to the board to decide the direction the paper will take and it is up to the journalists to put that into practice.
Those of us on the right might complain about the current administration, but who would risk the appalling and frightening alternative that exists on the left?
Recent experiences at the ballot box should be a wake-up call to conservative leaders everywhere. The road to victory is to take the people with you. Failing to do so is to invite electoral oblivion as Australia and Canada have found to their cost.
It has become increasingly necessary for the centrist parties to garner the support of the fringes and therefore have been forced to adopt positions on matters that they would otherwise consider incidental to their main priorities.
They preach growth on the one hand while taxing the lifeblood out of the very people who can make it happen. Their ideology says you can tax your way to wealth.
Protest groups, which is all they are, do have a place in a democracy but not in the halls of power. It is up to the voters to ensure this is the case.
Donald Trump was not elected to please the rest of the world. The bulk of Americans like what he is doing.
The Greens, Māori Party and Labour have all been on the receiving end of Winston’s acerbic tongue, with his political skills far exceeding their abilities.
The media provide the spin but the politicians need to provide the spine. The question is: will they?
