Nats all in a tizzy
Poor old Don Brash just can’t shake those leadership rumours, no matter what he does.
Ever since his Orewa III speech last week, which was supposed to put paid to them once and for all, speculation that members of his caucus are seeking to topple him have done nothing but intensify. No sooner does he give a firm assurance that all is well than something else pops up to fuel the rumours.
Yesterday evening and this morning, it was the news that John Key, widely tipped to be Brash’s most likely replacement, knew of a National MP who was deliberately spreading rumours about a leadership coup. Apparently the culprit is a Brash supporter who is trying to spoil the chances of Key taking over. Got it?
Of course the practical effect of all this is that the Nats look fractured, scrappy, petty and lacking in unity and direction. Brash has now “demanded” loyalty of his MPs, but the more these rumours persist, the worse it looks, and the less he is likely to achieve on retreat with his caucus.
You can’t help but feel sorry for him really, can you? 
February 8th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
No, not really……
But my 2 cents of opinion is that it’s really not important at all. So the Nats are bickering amongst themselves. Maybe Dr Brash is replaced, maybe he isn’t. It’s two and a half years till the next election, plenty of time for them to get their house in order.
February 8th, 2006 at 8:17 pm
tane, agree.
better to have a shit fight now than 6 months out from the election.
Really, the issues are;
Greens, ever going to replace Rod? With who? MPs wise its only Nandor or Locke, not the best options either. But, better a co-leader inside parliamant than out.
Also, you really need to capture an electorate seat next time, very close run thing to being out of parliament altogethor this time. Looks like you have annoyed the good folk of Thames, which really should be your natural stomping ground.
secondly, while the good (and biased kiwi news) keep the focus on the nats, really, who is there to replace Helen? Cullen will be off before this term is out. From the rest of the party, who is left that either has potential and talent, and has not been involved with a scandel or blotted their copy book some how. By my thinking, really only leaves Phil Goff.
lastly, when does the report into philip field come back? Been a while now hasn’t it, almost thought we forgot.
February 8th, 2006 at 8:30 pm
no, not really. i feel sorry for your party ‘cos one of your co-leaders died and the other two remaining MPs who should be replacing him aren’t man enough to
February 8th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
brash will be ok for a while for a variety of reasons…
perhaps the strongest of which is that the nats need a body to nurse the party through the upcoming internicine warfare between their left and right wings…
‘cos the nats are a broad church..from the wild-eyed fanatic actites on the right to the old school nats…those of rob’s mob that didn’t leave and go to their new natural home..new zealand first…..(let’s call them nats with a social concience..shall we…y’know..those ones that don’t necessarily think widows and orphans should be driven into the gutter…and don’t necessarily want to strip-mine every national park…)
the right has been in supremacy for some time now….and the moderates reckon it’s time they had another go..(and they have strong arguments..the party has to move back to the centre to tear the crown from clark…)
once that internicine warfare thingy gets sorted…it’ll be a different story…’cos whoever is victorious…will be wanting dons’ job…then it’ll be ‘goodnight nurse…’
and anyway…brownlee will be the first to be rolled…
(he’ll be dons’ canary in the mine..tee-hee..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
btw..haven’t the nats been busy…?..sorting out those things that cobbled them last time out..?
namely ..relationship with the maori party back on course..
and hey..word up greens..!…
all national will have to offer is to revisit in some way the foreshore and seabed legislation..and they will be halfway to a coalition deal with the maori party..eh..?
and then today….the nuke issue has been put to bed for the forseeable future..
certainties come..and certainties go..eh..?
ya gotta roll with the times..eh..?..’cos they’s a changing…..
February 8th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
(Link broken…)
February 8th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Ah, Frog, I was really hoping you’d leave the Labour Party and the ‘have you stopped beating your wife yet?’ wing of the Press Gallery to make fools of themselves.
BTW, how is the whole appointment of a co-leader and the campaign review going? I’ve heard not all is well…
February 9th, 2006 at 12:07 am
link fixed, thanks exquire
February 9th, 2006 at 11:14 am
this story is such a beat up - somewhat to be expected because of the lack of real news and because the socialists love the diversion from the real issues - ie the faltering economy - go and get a life.
Please advise when keith Locke is to be appointed Co-leader of the greens - oh please make this happen - it would make my day.
the other point here is that at least National have very good and competant people available when such a day comes - unlike the Labour party - who have they got - so thin on the ground there.
February 9th, 2006 at 2:14 pm
I think there’s more to it. Key and Brash are the hard right of the National Party in terms of economic policy and welfare policy (not so much in terms of other social policy eg prositution). They want to restart the new right revolution of the 80s and 90s. Most of the potential replacements to those two are likely to be better.
February 10th, 2006 at 9:28 am
Jerry,
Not sure about Keys welfare policy. He’s an ex-currency dealer who’s stayed very focussed on his financial portfolio, so I’ve found it hard to tell what he really thinks about anything else. If he’s made comments on welfare I’d be interested to know abuot them.
Though I do remember Keys wrap-up summary of National’s policy in the party-financial-spokesperson debate on National Radio - loosely paraphrased it was “We’re not the Greens, ooh, they’re scary”. Which really did seem to be most of National’s finance policy last election - cut taxes and demonize the Greens.
On the deficit he’s oddly wet. But the devil lies in the details, and on details like the Reserve Bank’s attempts to bring the NZ Bank’s IT depts back into NZ he’s said nothing. Nor is it clear whether, for example, Keys supports or opposes Bollards desire to give the Reserve Bank more options to deal with currency changes.
February 10th, 2006 at 11:46 am
Jerry:
Really? I wish the left-spinmeisters would make up their mind (note use of the singular). Is John Key the illegitimate child of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman or so unsound it’s a miracle he hasn’t yet been sacrificed to Moloch before a cacus meeting?
February 10th, 2006 at 1:13 pm
As said earlier - a non-event - the real issue (and it’s gets that crap off the news) is the corruption shown by the labour party in their election spending - $400,000 more than they were allowed to, 17% over budget.. Labour and any party that supports them now has no mandate and no credibility. Oh I hope this has legs to carry on - I can hardly wait until next week - as Labour try and shut this down.
This goes to prove their arrogance, disregard for the law, corruption. They have no excuse. I would expect the greens to Join National in slamming this dishonest labour party.
February 10th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
Is “wet” currently:
- Favouring an excessive deficit so as to cause an interest rate rise, boost unemployment and hence bring down wages.
- Pretending to favour an excessive deficit to win an election, then failing to cut taxes due to a “black hole” conveniently found in the previous governments finances.
- Favouring a tight fiscal policy. (This was traditionally “dry” but might be now “wet”).