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Opinion
On August 21st, 2015 Donald Trump held a rally in Mobile, Alabama where he – to universal astonishment! – filled the local sports stadium, which has a capacity of 33,000 people. At the best of times, it is difficult to imagine the people of somewhere like Mobile having much time for a New York business tycoon, but to get such a turnout in August when southern Alabama is like a sauna was truly remarkable.
From that moment onwards I never doubted Trump would win the 2016 election; it was pretty clear that middle America was seriously pissed off and ‘something was happening’ out there.
Fast forward to last Tuesday evening. We have been in the Ashburton area for a couple of weeks ‘farm sitting’ for a friend and I headed along – on a freezing cold night – to a meeting hosted by David Seymour and Toni Severin for the ACT party. What struck me was the makeup of the audience.
For much of my life, I have been around the National party. My great-grandfather and grandfather attended the May 1936 conference to form the party, my family have been active in the party ever since, and I have attended numerous National party events, meetings, and electioneering activities for National over the years – albeit in country electorates. It should also be noted that until Don Brash became the leader in 2003, National was very much run by and for its rural/provincial support base, something city boy leaders Holland and Muldoon knew only too well (and idiots like Marshall and McClay never realised).
The people who turned up to the ACT meeting in Ashburton, and one presumes numerous other ACT meetings around the country, should be the backbone of the National party in provincial New Zealand. But they are not. In view of the weather, it was equally surprising so many turned up which, like Trump in 2015/16, may be an indicator that these folk are ‘all in’ and like you and me, dear reader, want their country back.
Toni Severin MP, who opened the meeting, seems to have an amusing gift for Dogberryisms (I did wonder if it was ‘all part of the show’ for a moment or two), which must make caucus meetings uproarious, but David Seymour was most impressive. He covered quite a range of topics; pointing out that every 40 or 50 years New Zealand tends to have a political revolution and we’re ripe for the next one, that there’s a long list of things which desperately require repealing and/or reversing – from property rights to Three Waters to productivity to reducing the bureaucracy to numerous other matters – and had the audience nodding their heads, very much onside.
He showed ACT has moved on from the glib one-liners of the Prebble/Hide era to more of a focus on actually governing New Zealand and getting things done. Seymour personally has improved dramatically from the days when he seemed nervous and uncertain. One can’t help but think Mr Seymour may well be involved in governing the country through until the 2041 election. Or even longer.
The contrast with Mr Luxon could not be more glaring. One knows his stuff, stands for something, has an agenda, and has the people onside; the other seems out of his depth and apologetic – lest he upset his opponents. It also begs the question as to why Mr Luxon isn’t crisscrossing provincial New Zealand holding public meetings too!
It is hard to imagine this crowd having much to do with National again with its toxically woke membership and officials.
Nothing lasts forever.
