It would appear from the events of last week that it is becoming increasingly obvious that Winston and New Zealand First are quite possibly on a hiding to nothing. He is being outmanoeuvred on the right and lacks support on the left. His decision to support the left could well come back to haunt him. I think his political nous is deserting him. It is becoming more difficult for him to work with either National or Labour.
National has made it clear, again under the new leadership, that they will not work with him. Some of the utu he likes to give out he is now getting back. Labour, I guess, would like to be well rid of him. I’m picking his post-election tango this year, in the unlikely event he gets the chance, won’t be as easy as three years ago. He may well find he’s not wanted by the left or the right which means the cross benches are his only option and there’s no leverage for screwing anyone in that scenario.
His main problem now is one he created all by himself. Installing a bunch of incompetents. So desperate is he to let us now know this, though most of us knew from the get-go, that at his party launch on Sunday he highlighted both Labour’s and the Greens’ inexperience. He probably doesn’t see it this way, but what he is doing is admitting that he has foisted three years of political inability on the country.
The man’s hypocrisy knows no bounds. In his desperation to get to 5% he is trying to have us believe that he, via his handbrake, has saved us from a bunch of losers he put there in the first place. His deception is breathtaking. Every election this man takes us for fools. This coming election something tells me it ain’t going to happen. I think Winston, over past elections, has managed to fool most of the people some of the time and for my money the game might be up.
The other big problem he has is winning Northland. Again, in my book, it ain’t going to happen. Shane Jones is up against a popular local MP in Matt King and the killer blow was delivered by Judith Collins last Friday with the announcement to build a four-lane highway from Whangarei to Tauranga including a spur to Marsden Point. Half the country’s population live in the Upper North Island so in that context it’s bye-bye Shane and probably New Zealand First.
This is where things get really sticky for Winston. Labour don’t want the road north that they have always ignorantly called the holiday highway. That tells you how much they understand or even care about the economy of the North. If Winston wants to back that promise he has to go with National. National don’t want him. Even if he was to end up the kingmaker his cards have now been dealt for him. In effect, he has nowhere to go. His bargaining power has been negated.
Winston really has become the Ancient Mariner, becalmed in a political sea where the hot sun is increasingly shining on Judith Collins. Winston shot the bird that made the breeze blow by putting in power a bunch of nitwits. Had he gone with National he would now be on the right side of history. Where he now finds himself, whether he gets back in or not, is what is commonly known as between a rock and a hard place.
You can only play the game Winston has been playing for so long. Eventually the game is up. People see through the untrustworthy strategies and won’t fall for them ad infinitum. Between now and the election expect to see much more of the combative Winston. I don’t think this will work to his advantage either.
Every dog has his day and this time Winston might end up, at best, being thrown the bone of the cross-benches. I can’t imagine him happily chewing on that for very long.
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