After the first debate demolition of Jacinda Ardern at the hands of Judith Collins, Simon Wilson declared the debate for Jacinda Ardern. As every other pundit called the debate for Collins it showed just how far out of touch with reality he is.
After Wednesday night’s debate, Simon Wilson has declared the debate a draw. Which must mean that Ardern was simply woeful, especially after he declared the first debate a win for the Mary Poppins of New Zealand politics.
The public are seeing it differently with comfortable wins to Judith Collins.
What is not yet being said is that the Prime Minister’s tendency to waffle and say nothing, in the absence of any substance or achievements is being slowly but surely exposed by the smart wit and lived experience of Judith Collins.
When Ardern, a woman who has not yet presented any plan for “anythink”, as she would say, had the temerity to demand to know Collins’ plan, shrieking repeatedly “What’s your…plan?” She was poured into her bottle by a quickfire response from Collins, “What for, Dear?”.
Commentators have called that unforgivable, while the general public are howling with delight.
Why?
Well, because the Princess of COVID is a one-trick pony and has no plans of her own.
Constantly throughout the debate, we were met with a performance, a shabby vaudeville act, but without the music, from Ardern. She would grimace, frown or flap her arms or clasp them in a prayer-like manner.
It was all for naught, for she had nowt to say. An empty vessel making a great din. Hollow and empty platitudes and no specifics. Exposed for all to see.
She couldn’t even work out when Judith Collins was basically labelling her a show pony. She completely missed the point about how cruel her lockdowns were instead of the “kindness” she claims.
Judith Collins just kept up the fact-checking on Ardern’s sloganeering. Even the fact checkers at Stuff have had to concede that Ardern basically lied on some of her claims.
Why didn’t Patrick Gower ask about lying, like at the last election?
Where we got waffle from Ardern we got decisive answers from Collins.
On cannabis, Collins said no, Ardern just waffled. It was a pathetically weak response destroyed by previous leaders like John Key on the flag and Ardern’s own position on abortion and euthanasia. Why so coy on cannabis? I mean it’s not like legalising speed or letting people crush up Ritalin tabs to snort, it’s just weed. Why the weakness? Why should Kiwis read between the lines?
Ardern justified spending $13M on the Green School. Collins called it a waste.
Ardern stuck up for Phil Twyford, Collins described him as her “asset and Ms Ardern’s liability”, in what was the sledge of the debate.
Collins called out large employers as a pack of bludgers and Ardern justified her lax rules for the wage subsidy.
Ardern still claimed we went “hard and early” which Judith Collins shot down with pesky facts.
In the end we saw a sloganeer defeated by decisiveness.
And don’t you love the decisiveness? We saw it in the debates, contrasted against the fluff from Ardern. During a “crisis” people turn to strong leadership. Ardern has made the mistake of assuming that standing at a podium is strong leadership. It isn’t.
Voters have a choice, the default is the incumbent leadership which has been exposed as ineffectual, vacillating and results in absolutely no progress. Or they can choose the strength and resolve of Judith Collins that will be needed to fix the economic damage that Ardern’s decisions have caused.
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