Barrie Davis: Stuff, the Media Council and the HRC

In the lead-up to the election, Stuff went quiet on the issue of Maori co-governance but after voting closed 14 October Stuff published a number of articles against the incoming government’s co-governance pre-election statements. Why? Did Stuff and the NZ Media Council participate to distort our election? 

 On 13 October, after the polls had shown that the Labour government was in trouble, the Herald published “Election 2023: Chris Hipkins addresses the elephant in the election - by Māori for Māori solutions”. 

NZCPR Newsletter: A Rejection of Woke

‘Oppositions don’t win elections, governments lose them’ has long been conventional Westminster wisdom.

What is remarkable about Labour’s election defeat is how significantly they lost. It was an historic turnaround from 50 percent support at the 2020 election to just 27 percent three years later. What caused them to lose so much support – and are there any lessons for the new government?

First of all, Labour’s defeat was Jacinda Ardern’s defeat. While Chris Hipkins was able to make some changes at the margins, by the time he took over as PM in January, the damage had already been done.  

In effect the election was a rejection of the radical woke ideology that Jacinda Ardern had imposed onto the country with complete disregard for the fundamental rights New Zealanders had come to expect from our democracy.  

Derek Mackie: Post-Election Reflections!

The election’s been and gone, but for those who voted, what does it mean? 

I’ll paint you a scene. Once every three years we play the only hand we get

But it’s not done yet. Because those specials need to be factored in 

Then the parties whirl and spin. Some entwine, some decline 

Deals are formed in the MMP turbine. You just have to hope it’ll turn out fine

Kerre Woodham: The election was a rejection of Labour

The weekend. Discuss.

No there's more than that isn’t there? What a weekend. I owe my texter Muz from Hawkes Bay a bottle of Pinot of his choice. He said that it would be a walkover, that it would be absolutely obvious that National would do well and that they would have partners to support them.

I thought the election would be a bit closer, a bit tighter. But ultimately, although it wasn't a complete rejection of the left, it was an absolute decimation of Labour. Not as bad as 2014, but jolly close, and with ramifications for years to come.

Chris Trotter: Labour In 2023 - No Place Left To Grow.

“I had been hoping that this election would resemble 2005 more than 2014. Clearly this was not the case.” So said the pseudonymous “Mickey Savage” on the Labour-leaning website, The Standard, the morning after. A spectacular understatement, obviously, but the observation also confirmed just how out of touch Labour’s membership has become.

NZCPR Podcast: Media Influence

It is highly likely that Labour will suffer a historic defeat on the 14th of October. 

Voters will be sending politicians a very clear message that they were elected to serve the public not dictate to them. It’s a message all politicians should heed. 

But there is another political player that is being sent a message – and that’s the media. 

Clive Bibby: Campaign promises rarely swing an election but deception certainly can

The history of NZ voting patterns suggests that, in normal circumstances, governments lose elections based on poor performances rather than winning on the rare occasions like last time, when the party in office was rewarded for what was perceived to be a meritorious effort during an abnormal time in our history - the Covid crisis.

Normally, the pendulum of public support swings only slightly, often not enough to remove the incumbent and defeat at the polls usually only happens when voters just tire of those who occupy the treasury benches and vote for change.

Ross Meurant: ACT’s Pathway to Power

Many amongst the masses will have missed the subliminal message of ACT offering National a “confidence & supply” only, coalition partnership.

In my view, David Seymour is right on the mark with this proposal.

Any Party entering into a collation agreement with another Party which holds the majority of seats, essentially relegates itself to a “poodle partner”.

Chris Trotter: Delirious Hatred - The Dystopic Tendencies of Twenty-First Century Progressivism.

I think I have worked it out – why writing about today’s version of “progressive” politics leaves me feeling so depressed. In the end, the reason I cannot bring myself to vote for either Labour or the Greens is very simple: it’s because they are joyless; because the logical end-point of the ideology they espouse is one of universal dissatisfaction and unending conflict. In other words, their direction-of-travel is dystopic. That’s why so many voters are pulling away from parties they’ve supported all their adult lives. They don’t like where Labour and the Greens are going, and they’ll be damned if they’ll go there with them.