Of all the significant and important things we need our politicians to be working on, would we the taxpayers consider blocking gang members from the dole if they can’t prove they don’t have illegal income or assets, at the top of the list?
National needs a sound reminder that we are just one year out from a general election. The National Party in opposition has been blessed with a coalition government (affectionately referred to in certain select circles as the Coalition of Losers), which is so disaster-prone that they need resuscitation units following them around daily. The disasters keep happening, and yes, they continue daily. Yet National has been unable to land even a half-hearted slap on the government’s wrist with a wet bus ticket.
If we’re governed by a Coalition of Losers, the only possible conclusion about the opposition has to be that they are award-winning, Hall of Fame inducted, gold medal-winning greatest losers of all time.
As someone with a passion for politics and history, I’ve wracked my brain and more than a few reference sources to find evidence of a less competent government than the present one. Unfortunately, it’s not just a matter of searching “incompetent NZ governments” and at the end of the day, it’s always going to be subjective to some degree.
Nevertheless, this government has struggled and continues to do so, and the opposition is achieving diddly squat in holding them accountable.
The National Party’s “Social Services Discussion Document” is the driver of this story. It’s 56 pages long with glossy photographs and thousands of words dishing up more of the same. There’s not a single new or innovative idea in there and absolutely nothing that would inspire even National voters to think that their party’s on the right track.
It’s clear that Bridges is not achieving cut through with voters. It doesn’t matter what his views may be or what he actually stands for (not that he’s made any of that clear). If the voters don’t get it, he becomes unelectable and that is very much the case after two years (in February) as leader. It’s also very much the case for the National Party.
There’s an old saying: “The speed of the captain is the speed of the crew” and that about sums up the entire story.
There’s plenty to be critical of with our government but they’re getting away with most of it because of the ineffectiveness of a very pedestrian opposition that shows no signs of lighting itself up.