In the most important election in a century, New Zealand fell for a celebrity. They voted in an airhead of Kardashian proportions. In spite of the last government failing on all of their promises, they have just been re-elected in a landslide. Did those who hoped to buy a Kiwibuild house vote Labour? What about those who hoped for additional mental health services, or those who paid higher fuel taxes for better roads and transport in Auckland? What about farmers, disenfranchised by the government’s Zero Carbon Bill and water regulations? Did these people all vote Labour?
They must have done.
Many have commented on how Jacinda used the pandemic for her own political gain. There can be no doubt that this was true. Going right back to March, she capitalised on her daily TV appearances with Ashley Bloomfield. Yes, initially, she talked only of the virus, but gradually, other topics came into play. After a few weeks, she claimed she would discontinue the daily standups, only to resume them within a few days. She had obviously figured out, or been told, how powerful a political weapon these appearances were.
In August, she was quick to put us back into lockdown when the virus made a reappearance. There was no need to do this for a handful of cases, but it brought her back into the limelight. Fortunately, her timing was impeccable, as the Labour Party campaign launch had already taken place, ahead of all other parties, who were now unable to hold theirs. Once again, day after day, she appeared on the TV screens. But this time, the topics sometimes strayed from COVID. She used the TV appearances to campaign. She should not have done that. Nor should she have locked down the entire country into Level 2 for a handful of cases in Auckland. But this reminded everyone to be afraid. People queued to scan the COVID sign everywhere they went… in places that had not had a COVID case for months. And this was happening only weeks out from the election.
As the election approached, we were all let out, under Level 1, but the reminders of fear were kept with us. Even though the entire country was at Level 1, people were forced to social distance and use hand sanitiser at the polling booths. I voted in a busy mall, where all the other outlets were crowded with shoppers or diners and there was no social distancing at all… except in the polling area. Was this deliberate politicising of the election? I did what I was told, but wondered why, at Level 1, we were required to do this. The answer is obvious. Remind people of their fear. Remind them how Jacinda has saved us all. Now go and vote.
One talkback listener, who voted in Auckland, when asking why he should have to use sanitiser, was told that he had to be “one of the team of 5 million” to be allowed to vote. Clearly, those manning the polling stations were given instructions to force people to behave as if we were still at Level 2. Now tell me the election wasn’t deliberately politicised.
However, we are stuck with the result for the next three years. Hard working National MPs have been shunned by their constituents for their Labour counterparts who contribute nothing to their constituents. Think Damien O’Connor, Ginny Andersen or Glenn Bennett – all did little or nothing for their constituents in the last 3 years but won their seats over hardworking electoral MPs.
They say that a nation that has been through a crisis and survived reasonably well will always reward the incumbent, but one final thought. Any voter who could still vote for David Clark after his diabolical tenure as Health Minister seriously needs help. This is what happened in the Dunedin electorate and the margin in favour of Clark was over 13,000. There is something really badly wrong when a nation votes in droves in favour of idiots. The world really has turned upside down this time.
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