Editorial Claims Caucus ‘Shell Shocked ‘

If I hadn’t been laid low with a winter bug I would have commented earlier, the subject being the editorial in last Saturday’s Weekend Herald. These days the authors never identify themselves and, if last week’s effort was anything to go by, with good reason.

If anyone doubted that the NZ Herald was a ‘far-left’ newspaper that doubt would have been quickly dispelled on reading the editorial. Either the writer is unaware of what exactly is going with the National Party or didn’t bother to find out. The latter appears more likely as the article had all the hallmarks of being written by someone straight out of journalism school. We all know what’s taught in those establishments these days.

We were told at the outset that Judith Collins seemed to make light of her shell shocked caucus on Thursday. The opening sentence was completely wrong. The caucus was not shell shocked as they knew exactly the reason for the meeting being called and, like Judith, have had enough of the leaking. This was evident when, to Todd Muller’s surprise, his colleagues turned on him. The writer then used Judith’s comment that “sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make the omelette” to infer she was referring to disloyal colleagues as eggs. Very droll. In fact, that’s exactly what they are.

The person writing the article (no idea if it’s male, female, transgender or someone whose description might put me behind bars) went on to say the bulk of announcements this month were about what Labour is or isn’t doing. Quite right. It’s called holding the Government to account. The writer says Collins appeared to be suggesting she was working on some sort of recipe but the current state of the major Opposition party more resembles a morning meal for the family pet. If that’s the case then National talking about what Labour isn’t doing is akin to salivating over a Sunday roast.

The writer says (re announcements) the few exceptions have been: A five-point plan to help reduce the violence in prisons; a proposal to reverse interest deductibility changes; an intention to prioritise work on a second Auckland harbour crossing for cars, freight, buses and trains; and a call for the new history curriculum to reflect “what we’ve achieved together”. Evidently, according to the writer, little of this would galvanise National’s support base. How does one respond to that statement? I’ll give it a go. Not only would it galvanise National’s support base but a fair chunk of the electorate as well.

We then get the quote from Matthew Hooton bemoaning the Opposition’s inability to destabilise the Government. What the writer and Hooton don’t seem to realise is the Government currently needs no help from the Opposition on that score. They’re giving themselves all the rope they need to hang themselves. The bike bridge, determining what car you can drive, running out of vaccines, last in the OECD for rollout, hate speech, Oranga Tamariki, homelessness, child poverty, mental health: the list goes on.

The writer would have done a far more meaningful editorial had the failings of the Government been the subject matter.

Act, who the writer describes as a ‘far right’ party (thereby giving the game away as to his/her political leanings) is the winner from National’s disarray. Winston, of course, also gets a mention as a beneficiary of what’s left of National’s carcass. Now I am not suggesting in any way that money from the ninth floor of the Beehive paid for this editorial (unlike the One Roof deal) but it might as well have done. Journalism these days is more about prostituting itself for money than objectively presenting the facts.

It is a fact that National has sorely needed discipline, but now that they have this country’s equivalent of Margaret Thatcher in charge that’s exactly what the party will get.

I think this is becoming a worry to the ‘far left’. It’s not gone without notice how the number of anti-National media articles have ramped up since Judith assumed the leadership role.

The writer says currently, for a party that once so resolutely believed in its inalienable right to power, there appears to be no direction home. I say to the writer, watch this space and not just the one between your ears.

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