Kate Hawkesby: The theme at the Labour Party conference was taking potshots at national

 

I see a theme at the Labour party conference over the weekend was taking potshots at National leader Chris Luxon.

It was reported that Grant Robertson made “19 references to National” and 9 to Luxon personally. When asked if all this reference to the Nats meant they were worried about them as a serious threat, Robertson of course denied it. He added some extra potshots that the Nats were ‘out of touch and inexperienced’. Which in and of itself if laugh out loud irony if ever I heard it. Out of touch? This from a government who has never seen a bigger disconnect between the real world and their beehive Wellington echo chamber? Are you kidding me? No one is more out of touch than this government, and by saying the Nats are the ones out of touch proves it. As for inexperienced.. we could take that seriously if anyone inside the Labour government had any experience or had ever run a business or knew any facts or data around their own portfolios.

To top it off.. Robertson, who, disappointingly for Michelle Obama, only knows how to ‘go low’, managed to get a sneering personal dig in as well and give Luxon a nickname.. dubbing him ‘Liz Luxon’ after the UK’s ill fated tax cut PM Liz Truss. Given Luxon was out visiting an aged care facility and actually doing some work, as opposed to name calling, he didn’t hear any of this, but his deputy Nicola Willis did. She replied by saying that Robertson “should focus on his job rather than name calling and petty political attacks”.

One political editor said it was "embarrassing" of Robertson, and called him "panicked and petty".

But this is what we can expect more of. Hypocritical as it may be, it’s all the so called party of kindness is capable of.. bullying.  Even Queen of Kindness herself Jacinda Ardern, when challenged on the rudeness of Grant Robertson's name calling, said she stood by the approach. What does that tell you? It tells you to expect more of this gutter stuff. It’s all they’ve got. And if I was Luxon and the National party I’d take it as a compliment. In fact he did, he said he's flattered they're fixated on him.

Labour’s scared, they’re so on the ropes going into this next election, (and the latest poll proves it) that that’s all they’ve got. Potshots and name calling. Robertson will be attack dog in chief. The PM will smile broadly and back up everything he says, or at least won’t resile from it. I guess that’s all they can do when they can’t stand on their record. I mean they do have records, just ones in the wrong direction. Record gang numbers, record youth crime, record debt, record job vacancies, record truancy, record social housing queues. Nicola Willis said, “Labour should stop talking about National and refocus on delivering for struggling New Zealanders who expect the Government to do better for them.” Well that’s what an adult would say, but sadly it’s falling on deaf ears. The game playing from the gutter has begun, and I’d hazard a guess this won’t be the last of the name calling. Which at the end of the day is a contributing factor to what makes people cynical about politicians and puts them off voting entirely.

We deserve better than to be part of this sewer system of childishness… but sadly I don’t think we’re going to get out of it for awhile yet.

Kate Hawkesby is a political broadcaster on Newstalk ZB - her articles can be seen HERE.