Wendy Geus: Attack Ad Puts Ball in Luxon’s Court

The preoccupied media largely ignored National’s conference in Hamilton at the weekend. Not to worry, Grant Robertson to the rescue, putting the spotlight firmly back on Luxon on the eve of Ardern’s White House visit, with his revealing attack ad on National.

Robertson spent an inordinate amount of time in an interview on morning TV this week trying to defend his move, and inadvertently reinforcing Luxon’s phrase the ‘cost of living crisis’ which he originally denied but now seems to have embraced with fervour and a frowny face.

Leave it to Grant to put National front and centre with their very apt line ‘cost of living crisis’. Luxon sets the agenda and the Government takes the bait.

This has been going on since earlier this year, with the media picking up on National’s catchphrases and words and, with repetition, the public adopts them. However, this is the first time the Government has officially joined in to aid and abet the Opposition in their quest for the Treasury benches.

I have noticed three of National’s catchphrases have become implanted in the media and public’s minds, and as we now know, the Government’s also.

Cost of living crisis

Squeezed middle

Outcomes

Robertson in his attack ad was accusing Luxon of ‘politicking’, with his declaration at the weekend that National will win the election due to the cost-of-living crisis. When caught in a bind Grant and Jacinda always fall back on the old line ‘you are making it political’, forgetting they are politicians and everything they do is political.



When Melissa Chan on am agreed with Luxon, Grant was snookered and left looking a bit forlorn. His weak excuse, that the ad is ‘holding the Opposition to account’, sounds just a little weird, when that is the Opposition’s job towards his Government; which they are doing extraordinarily well.

Sir John Key, also interviewed, said regarding the attack ad, “If you spend time talking about your opposite number you’re worried about them, right.”

Nicola Willis’s ‘squeezed middle’ has become a common expression and we know, effective, as clearly a budget last minute add-on of $350 for those earning less than $70,000 resulted from it.

Herald writer Simon Wilson became so enraged by its continual use that he shouted words to the effect, “Can we stop using ‘the squeezed middle’” in his Herald headline. More valuable promotion for National. Wilson is a little tone-deaf, as he does not have to endure hardship like ‘the squeezed middle’.

The use of the word “outcomes” (aka results, deliverables) should not be so earth-shattering but our media, entranced by this Government’s strategy of throwing money at problems to make them go away, have now realised we also need ‘outcomes’ or ‘results’.

Luxon and Willis, having grabbed the narrative and set the agenda, are re-educating the media (the public already knew) that it actually is results that we want and we don’t have much evidence of that with this Government so far. Just billions of wasted spending and excessive appointments of highly paid public servants, which National have promised to go through with a fine-tooth comb once they gain office next year.

I can’t wait!

Wendy Geus is a former speechwriter and generalist communications advisor in local government. She now writes for the pure love of it. This article was first published HERE