Follow the leader
When Britain declared war on Germany, New Zealand’s Prime Minister said, “Where she goes, we go.� Well, National is about to say the same thing with respect to Helen Clark.
National has been stunned by Labour’s student loan policy, and is now reacting in kind. National’s much talked-about tax policy is reportedly being re-written so that it looks attractive compared to Labour’s student loan scheme. The murmurings around this place in the last few days have been that National is worried that its tax cut policy will fail to impress voters in the same way the student loan interest write-off has, and so is spicing it up. Voters are saying, “Show us the money!� and National is obliging.
All of which illustrates quite how much the race has changed in the last week. Up until recently, National was setting the political agenda and Labour was merely reacting and batting off the attacks. Now, for the past months – with Iraq, anti-nuclear policy and student loans – their roles have dramatically reversed.
July 31st, 2005 at 10:14 am
this good for us beficiaries fwwog,
July 31st, 2005 at 11:41 am
Who is reporting it is being re-written? Apart from you?
July 31st, 2005 at 12:07 pm
David, frog says “murmurings around this place” which should make it clear that it is Bowen House gossip. If it had been reported anywhere then frog would make that clear too.
July 31st, 2005 at 5:06 pm
Oh so Trevor told Frog to say it. Now I understand.
July 31st, 2005 at 6:34 pm
Frog:
You know, I used to respect this blog for being partisan but, if not spin-free, at least spin-lite. Perhaps you could talk about the Green Party’s policies and campaign rather than (to be blunt) just making shit up like Mallard on P. (At the very least, perhaps your “whispering” voices have names?)
July 31st, 2005 at 8:03 pm
anyone else noticed how the change in fortunes for the right has brought a certain shrillness/panic/despair to the rhetoric/attitude from the right..?
i mean..the farrar/frog relationship has been notable for the ‘gentlemanly guffaws floating across the drawing room’ tone of their exchanges..that all appears to have headed south..along with nationals’ poll ratings..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
July 31st, 2005 at 11:35 pm
Phil U:
Ah, yes, the shrilness of the right. You mean the allegations that Labour’s policy is being written in Havana, and it’s campaign funded by Chinese bagmen? Or the anonymous smear sites of very questionable origin?
August 1st, 2005 at 7:56 am
David: I don’t know that you *always* reveal your sources for information. I’d be surprised, however, if you hadn’t heard anybody in National talking about re-jigging the tax policy in light of Labour’s student loan policy. Are you saying you haven’t overheard (or taken part) in such conversations. The “re-writing the tax policy” rumour seems to have spread so far that the Herald on Sunday mentioned it in its editorial yesterday. But, if you’re telling me there’s absolutely nothing to this, then I’m prepared to take my word for it