This is edition 2025/218 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Hi all,
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. The Cross Benches Beckon NZ First.
Chris Trotter
- 🏛️ Definition of Cross Benches — The term refers to seats held by MPs unaffiliated with either the Left or Right blocs, derived from the British House of Commons’ seating layout.
- ⚖️ Balancing Power — Cross-benchers vote variably for or against the government or opposition, giving them potential power to sway or block legislation.
- 💔 Democratic Breakdown Indicator — A strong cross-bench presence signals voter disillusionment with traditional Left-Right party blocs and their control over government spending.
- 🗳️ Electoral Frustration — Support for a “third force” reflects declining faith in mainstream parties and resistance to partisan dominance.
- 🧩 Cynical Remedies Risk Backlash — If major parties collude to dissolve Parliament or form coalitions to end stalemates, it could heighten voter cynicism and further empower the third force.
- 🌊 Potential Surge in Third Force — Public disgust with political manipulation could drive more support to cross-bench parties, reinforcing their influence.
- 😨 Fear of Grand Coalition — A coalition between major Left and Right parties would likely outrage loyalists and further erode ideological integrity, boosting third-party appeal.
- 🧠 Need for Reflection — Before calling new elections or forming grand coalitions, political leaders should consider how such moves would upend conventional politics.
- 🍎 Brexit Warning — Allowing voters to feel they can upend elite control risks unpredictable results, as seen with Brexit’s voter rebellion.
- 🛋️ Low Propensity Voters — Around 804,000 New Zealanders didn’t vote in 2023; engaging them could destabilize elite control if they believe their votes could truly change things.
- 🔥 Mobilising the Disengaged — Like Zohran Mamdani in New York, energizing first-time or apathetic voters can defy entrenched political and financial elites.
- 🧓 Winston Peters’ Strategy — Peters, a pragmatic conservative, now positions NZ First to occupy the cross benches as a stabilizing force amid growing disillusionment with both blocs.
- 🤡 Political Disillusionment — With “woke clowns” on the Left and “free-market jokers” on the Right, Peters’ centrist stance may appeal to voters seeking moderation.
- 🚢 Steadying the Waka — NZ First’s cross-bench role could act as a balancing outrigger for stability in an increasingly fractious political landscape.
- 💼 Future Possibility — If Left and Right incompetence continues, NZ First might move from cross benches to the treasury benches after 2026.
- 📈 Rising Opportunity — With more than 804,000 potential swing voters by 2026, the cross benches could become the decisive center of New Zealand politics.
