It's been an amazing, some would say, self-indulgent career for which we will pay for years to come. Many of the biggest losers in the end will be the same vulnerable people who attached themselves to Aunty Helen in the first place. She made them feel good for a time, but eventually they'll start to realise that Aunty came up short, and that the Fifth Labour Government cheated them.
NX-Files agrees that
There must have been a better way to distribute the economic spoils fairly that didn't burden future generations.
As for Helen's social agenda – there's no disputing she had one. I'm socially liberal so my annoyance with Helen with regards to her social agenda is how she framed the arguments. I think she did a lot of damage with the anti-smacking bill even though her intentions may have been good. I agree with the Civil Unions Bill but the way Helen played down the gay marriage issue seemed disingenuous considering what the bill actually did - why would a Labour Prime Minister shy away from arguing for equal rights? However, I'm not convinced by the merits of the Prostitution law reform – and having Georgia Buyer shouting at the top of her lungs in parliament didn't do the bill any favours in my eyes.
But as Michael alluded to – it was Helen Clark's anti-man agenda that annoyed me the most.
My hope for the Key lead National government is to promote tolerance & equal rights, but without introducing a plethora of nanny-state social legislation.
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