NX-Files

The fact that Hide and Brash had a meeting at Burger King made me chuckle, mostly because it sounds like something I would do. I suspect it was Don Brash's suggestion.

Secret meetings at fast food joints aside, Dr. Don Brash is the new leader of the ACT party. Yay!

Couple of comments on Rodney Hide. He's been an effective minister in the National lead govt. He saw through the creation of the Auckland Supercity - probably the largest shake-up in local body politics since ever. In spite of criticism from some on the left who called the reforms 'anti-democratic', a left-leaning candidate is now major of Auckland City. I haven't heard a peep from anyone on the left or the right who advocates repealing the Supercity Act. If that's not a tribute to Hide's success, I don't know what is.

So while he's a successful minister, he's not an inspiring party leader - especially now that he's in government. So stepping down as ACT leader was the right move IMO. Where to now for Rodney? Given he's a good minister, perhaps he should consider standing for Epison as a National Party candidate.

Don Brash now has a real opportunity to craft a ideologically pure Classical Liberal party. Which means liberal on economic and social issues. Dr Brash is a great communicator & I believe he could carve out this niche.

The more people detract & denigrate him, the more his message will permeate. I've just listen to Matthew Hooten on Nine to Noon dating back to last Monday. Hooten, a seasoned political analysis, predicted Hide would hang on & Brash would form a new party. He coudln't have been more wrong, which shows how much stock one should put into what he says. Brash would be wise not to take advise from this guy (again!).

Asides from WhaleOil, I've been surprised how badly right-leaning commentators have read the Brash coupe - especially the usually astute David Farrar of Kiwiblog.

Lastly, a quick comment on MMP. It would be hypocritical for me to vote for Brash yet vote against MMP. But I can't ignore the fact that MMP is corrosive to minor parties in coalition with a government from the left or the right. I can't think of a single minor party which came out of government with more votes. The Alliance, NZ1st (twice), United Future, and now the Maori Party & ACT have all suffered. The result is side shows, & instability. The new Brash led ACT party will also suffer in coalition with the Nats.

While I like the MMP system because it creates diversity & is more representative of New Zealanders, if the system is going to be retained perhaps the rules around smaller parties needs to be refined.

Whether I vote for MMP, Brash or Key, I'm still undecided. But one thing is for sure, politics just got interesting again.

"remember, National lost 10% during the final five months of that race, too"
http://thestandard.org.nz/pagani-dead-wrong/

"In April 2008 – six months beforehand – Labour averaged a poll rating of 35.9 percent in polls conducted by the Digipoll, TNS, Colmar Brunton, Nielsen and three by Roy Morgan (which we have counted once, using an average of the three). This is 2 percent higher than their election day result.Using the same polls and methodology, National polled an average 51 percent – 14.9 percent ahead of Labour, and a massive 6 percent higher than what they achieved in November."

http://www.3news.co.nz/The-polls-dont-lie---Labour-needs-a-miracle/tabid/419/articleID/207477/Default.aspx

"I'd like to see the $110 billion dollars of subsidies for greenhouse polluters under National's Emissions Trading Scheme cut."
http://thestandard.org.nz/spending-cuts-id-like-to-see-no-2/

http://www.3news.co.nz/Don-Brash-urges-Govt-to-hurry-up-and-change-economic-policy/tabid/419/articleID/206543/Default.aspx

The NZ economy is really struggling at the moment borrowing $300 million a week just to pay the bills. 
While leftie blogs are jumping up and down that it's the National Govt's fault (in power 2.5 years), the reality is this is the continuing legacy of Helen Clark & Michael Cullen's government (in power for 9 years).

Helen Clark is to blame not just for her economic policies that cranked up entitlements and government spending which are very difficult to scale back, but the continuing political environment of denial. Helen could argue a rainy, stormy day was mere overcast and was actually sunny. 
Helen Clark cultivated this environment by not only being risk adverse, but by continually criticizing bold decisions taken by previous governments  i.e. the mother of all budgets, & Rogernomics.  The reality is that she did not repeal any of Ruth Richard's bold budget while in govt, and she was actually a minister during the Rogernomic era.  So while she understands the reality of these bold measures (and even voted for some of them), she presents a different view because it suited her politically (while some may consider this good politics, I actually find it disgusting & disingenuous).
The result is an opposition Labour Party which hasn't talked about deficit reduction once, and a timid National government. 
Don Brash is a great reality check.  Shame he never made it into government.  

Following that rather serious post, here's a joke about a Veterinarian:

"A veterinarian was feeling ill and went to see her doctor. The doctor asked her all the usual questions, about symptoms, how long had they been occurring, etc., when she interrupted him: "Hey look, I'm a vet. I don't need to ask my patients these kind of questions: I can tell what's wrong just by looking. Why can't you?"
The doctor nodded, looked her up and down, wrote out a prescription, and handed it to her and said, "There you are. Of course, if that doesn't work, we'll have to have you put down."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1369919/Veterinarian-shoots-dead-pregnant-mistress--wife-wont-affair.html

^ in the news article above, a thirty year old veterinarian murdered his pregnant mistress to stop his wife from finding out.  
The vet will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars.  This case is sad on multiple levels, but what struck me was the waste.
The guy obviously had passion given the hours of study and cost involved to become a vet, and at thirty he was just starting his professional career.  He probably would've gone on to service the community for the next thirty to forty years.  
So all that hard work, passion, and potential was overridden by sex and pride. 

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/even_a_manne_now_sees_how_deadly_labors_compassion_is/

"Since 2008, when Rudd and Gillard decided to pander to Manne and the progressive Left by dismantling Howard's painfully built but enormously effective border protection policies, almost 11,000 asylum seekers have arrived on more than 200 boats....While at least 220 people have died at sea and more than 1000 children have been put on boats, the number of special humanitarian visas provided to offshore asylum seekers has halved."

Many Aussie lefties used Howard's asylum seeker policies as a political 'call to arm'.  And it worked. 

I was talking to an Aussie lefty about this issue the other day.  He said without hesitation "let them in, they're not criminals" and in the same breath talked about population pressures with regards to water & transport.