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Monday, April 21, 2025

Mike's Minute: We're essentially at the halfway mark for the Government


At the halfway mark, can we suggest things are starting to turn for the Government?

This week we have seen the Prime Minister at Ruakura with a multi-billion dollar investment that sells the Māori economy and showcases large amounts of foreign money, as well as the potential for huge productivity gains and economic growth.

On Monday there was more money for tourism. Tourism is coming back, it's too slow, but the tourist spend is up to post-Covid levels.

On Tuesday, Education Minister Erica Stanford was pumping more money into classrooms with savings made from the bespoke design nonsense and waste that the Labour Party trainwreck was in charge of.

Then the Prime Minister is back with the police and Justice Ministers, spruiking very good-looking numbers around victims of crime.

This comes on the back of three polls all of which show the Government being returned to office if an election was held today.

Slowly but surely specific bits are starting to fall into place. Things like the fact we had good GDP in the last growth stats.

Clearly from Tuesday's numbers, crime, which was as big an issue last election, is looking very much in a box. The gang patch laws are working with even the critics saying they're working. Surveys say people feel safer on the streets and the victim numbers look very good indeed.

Health remains an issue and there seems a determination among the unions especially to keep it on the front page.

But the key bits that sink or support Governments —the economy, education, crime and justice— look solid. If they can get health under control they will be rolling.

Obviously, the economic side is fragile and open to a lot of stuff that is beyond our control, so counting chickens is pointless.

On that note, you then come to this idea that’s gaining traction that the Trump fiasco could well be the making of our Prime Minister.

A bloke who has struggled to connect might well have settled nicely into his wheelhouse with an economic mess that could see the best of him shine when it's needed most.

If the polls play okay for them they way they do now, with glimmers of light, by the time we get to the end of the year momentum might well be theirs and an election may well be theirs to lose.

Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Luxon has still got a long way to go to sort the elephant in the room- The Waitangi Tribunal and ongoing issues of giving away all NZers assets to Māori.

CXH said...

Wow, can I have some of what you are having Mike.

mudbayripper said...

Reality check Mike, the only reason the current government will probably make its way back to the treasure benches is that the alternative would be to horrendous to imagine.

anonymous said...

That is already the message:
1.Luxon is not perfect - but still the best available and the Left would be a disaster
2. So do not shift votes to ACT because of the outrageous rigging of the TP Bill - though this insulted every decent NZer . Once again the Maorification issue is sidestepped politically so as to continue apace under the radar. National is beyond cynical and may get a nasty shock.

Anonymous said...

Amen to that. Has Mike been drinking the Kool-Aid or did he find some rose tinted specs?

Anonymous said...

Halfway through the term and Luxon is still deliberately ignoring the Maori issues.
Not good enough - is he asleep at the wheel while NZ is crashing over a democratic cliff ?
Wake up, and think about thd impending disaster.