Moving on.
For three decades the Odysseus of New Zealand politics has navigated the turbulent seas of electoral fortune. He fell to Helen Clark’s sirens touting the baubles of office, only to wrench himself free. He was caught under Ardern’s spell to spend three years trapped by his own Calypso before being tossed into the lotus island of obscurity.
He has glimpsed the underworld of irrelevance and calm seas before unleashing bag wind to propel his sails back into office. And like Odysseus, none of those who began his journey survived the voyage.
Tau Henare. Ron Mark. Doug Woolerston. Tuku Morgan. Tuariki Delamere. Peter Brown. Dail Jones. Tracey Martin. Fletcher Tabuteau. Brendan Horan. Even Brother Jim Peters was lost overboard at some point. There have been more than 30 party MPs since its debut in 1993. The revolving door installed at their parliamentary offices has been replaced more times than Hone Heke’s flagpole.
A chain-smoking individualist leading a party of malcontents who periodically falls out with his disciples. There is a psychology PhD in unpicking the complexities of the Peter’s psyche, but, given my own flaws, I am not the one to undertake it.
Winston Peters says election is a chance to reshape New Zealand
VIDEO CREDIT: Lawrence Smith
The party has been on a recruitment drive. Is this time different; are we seeing a party in transition or the beginning of another operatic calamity?
I am unsure if anyone has advised him, but the Right Honourable Winston Peters is mortal. He showed no signs of this limitation over the weekend. He was gregarious and funny, and when he saw me lurking around the margins, he chortled, “I don’t believe it”, perhaps assuming for a moment I’d converted rather than trolling for content.
Movements like the New Zealand Party, Opportunities Party and United Future struggle once their leaders depart the stage. Building something enduring requires placing the interests of the organisation ahead of the self, and, well, people who start their own political entities are not team players.
Tau Henare. Ron Mark. Doug Woolerston. Tuku Morgan. Tuariki Delamere. Peter Brown. Dail Jones. Tracey Martin. Fletcher Tabuteau. Brendan Horan. Even Brother Jim Peters was lost overboard at some point. There have been more than 30 party MPs since its debut in 1993. The revolving door installed at their parliamentary offices has been replaced more times than Hone Heke’s flagpole.
A chain-smoking individualist leading a party of malcontents who periodically falls out with his disciples. There is a psychology PhD in unpicking the complexities of the Peter’s psyche, but, given my own flaws, I am not the one to undertake it.
Winston Peters says election is a chance to reshape New Zealand
VIDEO CREDIT: Lawrence Smith
The party has been on a recruitment drive. Is this time different; are we seeing a party in transition or the beginning of another operatic calamity?
I am unsure if anyone has advised him, but the Right Honourable Winston Peters is mortal. He showed no signs of this limitation over the weekend. He was gregarious and funny, and when he saw me lurking around the margins, he chortled, “I don’t believe it”, perhaps assuming for a moment I’d converted rather than trolling for content.
Movements like the New Zealand Party, Opportunities Party and United Future struggle once their leaders depart the stage. Building something enduring requires placing the interests of the organisation ahead of the self, and, well, people who start their own political entities are not team players.
I met Taine Randell at the conference. He understands the values of the party he has joined and knows his own worth. Give him time. Photo: Damien Grant
The first thing you will notice at an NZ First conference is the diversity. It's ironic, really. A waka of different Pacific islands and iwi, serious young men wearing ties and Indian GPs debating with their Pākehā colleagues over the retention of the racial quota system for admission to medical school. Grey power was there but was not dominant.
And then there were the celebrity recruits.
Stuart Nash’s ability to land himself in trouble is endless, but let me say that, while I like Chris Finlayson, sharing private messages is a breach of etiquette. I am more disappointed in him for that than I am by the comments shared.
It is a tragedy he has been derailed. If you talk with him, you will find a serious individual with unfinished business and the weight of legacy that would have made him an excellent cabinet minister and, potentially, future party leader. I hope he remains involved in public life.
The other surprise was Taine Randall. An All Black tapped for name recognition. I looked no further. That was a mistake. He has a law and commerce degree, and after his last run on the paddock, he put his intellect to work in London as a trader and is now back in the Hawkes Bay, involved with substantial commercial and entrepreneurial ventures.
The first thing you will notice at an NZ First conference is the diversity. It's ironic, really. A waka of different Pacific islands and iwi, serious young men wearing ties and Indian GPs debating with their Pākehā colleagues over the retention of the racial quota system for admission to medical school. Grey power was there but was not dominant.
And then there were the celebrity recruits.
Stuart Nash’s ability to land himself in trouble is endless, but let me say that, while I like Chris Finlayson, sharing private messages is a breach of etiquette. I am more disappointed in him for that than I am by the comments shared.
It is a tragedy he has been derailed. If you talk with him, you will find a serious individual with unfinished business and the weight of legacy that would have made him an excellent cabinet minister and, potentially, future party leader. I hope he remains involved in public life.
The other surprise was Taine Randall. An All Black tapped for name recognition. I looked no further. That was a mistake. He has a law and commerce degree, and after his last run on the paddock, he put his intellect to work in London as a trader and is now back in the Hawkes Bay, involved with substantial commercial and entrepreneurial ventures.
Leader Winston Peters at the New Zealand First conference party convention in Manukau. Photo: Stuff
Randall is impressive. He knows why he is entering politics. He wasn’t tapped on the shoulder but went looking for the opportunity. He understands the values of the party he has joined and knows his own worth. Give him time.
Shane Jones is mocked, but he knows the game. Riffing about knee pads will lose him no votes and gain him attention, the only currency of value in the modern era, and Michael Laws performed very well on the stage. He is an asset.
The delegates themselves were great. They care enough to take a weekend away from their families and duties to be engaged, to meet with each other and debate. This is how democracy functions.
However, missing from the Convention Centre was sober economic policy. How do we tackle the structural deficit, anaemic productivity and perpetually underperforming social services? Silence. Instead, there were the crowd-pleasing slogans about men in women’s sports, relitigating covid and cash to fund exploring for the oil and gas that was lost when the party supported Ardern’s fatwa.
Peters remains the fulcrum and retains endless energy, charm and wit. He lifts the faithful and drives his opponents into madness. He is fun. Which is why we like him. And to his credit there now exists an organisation that has the potential to endure after he, eventually, takes his final bow.
Yet, this is not a party with an ambition to form a government, merely to remain the party to decide who does.....The full article is published HERE
Randall is impressive. He knows why he is entering politics. He wasn’t tapped on the shoulder but went looking for the opportunity. He understands the values of the party he has joined and knows his own worth. Give him time.
Shane Jones is mocked, but he knows the game. Riffing about knee pads will lose him no votes and gain him attention, the only currency of value in the modern era, and Michael Laws performed very well on the stage. He is an asset.
The delegates themselves were great. They care enough to take a weekend away from their families and duties to be engaged, to meet with each other and debate. This is how democracy functions.
However, missing from the Convention Centre was sober economic policy. How do we tackle the structural deficit, anaemic productivity and perpetually underperforming social services? Silence. Instead, there were the crowd-pleasing slogans about men in women’s sports, relitigating covid and cash to fund exploring for the oil and gas that was lost when the party supported Ardern’s fatwa.
Peters remains the fulcrum and retains endless energy, charm and wit. He lifts the faithful and drives his opponents into madness. He is fun. Which is why we like him. And to his credit there now exists an organisation that has the potential to endure after he, eventually, takes his final bow.
Yet, this is not a party with an ambition to form a government, merely to remain the party to decide who does.....The full article is published HERE
Damien Grant is an Auckland business owner, a member of the Taxpayers’ Union and a regular opinion contributor for Stuff, writing from a libertarian perspective
2 comments:
Winston’s last rodeo. He will do anything, say anything and jump into bed with anyone who offers him the PM job. So nothing new there then over the past 30 years.
There is a gap in NZ Politics for a conservative party and this is how NZ First can achieve continuity after Winston Peters.
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