JC: Debating the Need for Debates

The Media Insider in the Weekend Herald contained a list of the election debates, when they would be held and who of the left-wing media (Newstalk ZB being the exception) stars would be hosting them. I will reference them in the latter part of the article so those with a masochistic streak can diarise them. I question whether we even need them and how many will actually watch them. If you are after a dose of fiction there are plenty of good books on offer. That to me is a preferable and more relaxing pastime.

JC: ACT Is in Tune With the Right

The release of party policy by David Seymour at the weekend showed ACT completely understands the wants, needs and desires of those on the right of politics. Not only was the policy itself impressive but David was too. Of all the party leaders, David is the best at enunciating clearly what the purpose of the policy is and why it is needed. There is no ambiguity about where the party stands on any given issue. Clear direction and choice is given to voters, especially those who might be still undecided when it comes to casting their vote.

JC: Media Love Snakes and Ladders

There are two reasons for buying the Weekend Herald. Both reasons sit in the Business Section and feature two contributors: Bruce Cotterill and Fran O’Sullivan. Their articles are always timely and many are related to politics. Fran’s articles are often more specific, while Bruce paints pictures with a broader brush. Both articles over two weekends were of the National Party debacle.

I first want to talk about the media, because it was Bruce’s article that gave me the idea for my headline, as it occurred to me that virtually none of the achievements he talks about are mentioned in the media. I am aware most prefer not to watch the six o’clock news and their reasons for not tuning in are pretty obvious, including having no interest in left-wing politics.

JC: She’s a Must to Avoid

Many reading this will be old enough to remember the Herman’s Hermits song, “She’s a Must to Avoid”. That is how the leader of the Opportunity Party, Qiulae Wong, presented in last weekend’s Q+A interview with Jack Tame. Mr Tame, who does not often inspire me, deserves credit for pushing to get to the bottom of what Opportunity stands for. This was no easy task, as Wong has an unflappable streak, where every criticism or query is met with a smile and is seamlessly brushed away. The interviewer therefore has to dig deep and press for answers that the audience wants. Tame’s ‘dog with a bone’ technique often frustrates me, but on this occasion it was necessary.

JC: Lose Your Principles, Lose Your Way

National, whether its MPs realise it or not, has shown the voters what utter brilliance they possess: a brilliance to engineer a situation where they have brought themselves down and, by association, the party. They are now in a sad and sorry state. Those involved in the debacle might be competent in their portfolios but that is not what they will be remembered for. They have portrayed themselves as lying cowards with huge egos. When voters go to the ballot box in November, that will be the picture that they have in their minds. They will be asking themselves what exactly National stands for. That is a very pertinent question.

JC: National Has Fouled Its Nest Big Time

The grossly unedifying spectacle of a failed leadership spill the National Party has just foisted upon the public is messy and stinks to high heaven; it makes Wellington’s recent problems with a large sewage spill look like a minor event. It is likely the this whole unpalatable debacle reinforces the perception among many voters that National is not fit to run the country.

JC: Media Have Got Their Man

The media in this country are a disgrace. There is nothing remotely professional in how they go about their business in respect of political coverage. They portray an unrelenting left-wing bias pure and simple. They might have the effrontery to tell us they are objective, but that is a falsehood and it is obvious to anyone with a masochistic streak driving them to sit through the six o’clock news hour that it is not the case. What emanates from the radio newsrooms is no better and a lot of what is written in the papers is nothing short of embarrassing.

JC: Time to Call a Spade a Spade

A couple of weeks ago I headlined my article ‘Mouthing Off is a No No’. Since then more examples have arisen. What is becoming very clear, at least among politicians, is that this is very much a generational divide. I wonder if the younger generation of current politicians in parliament have heard of the phrase ‘call a spade a spade’? They should have as it has been around since 1542. If so, they seem very reluctant to apply it to their everyday lives. The two politicians most likely to apply the phrase are Winston Peters (81) and Shane Jones (66). They are two of four politicians over 65 years old: the other two being Gerry Brownlee and Damien O’Connor.

JC: Fauci Forced To Plead the Fifth Amendment

Not once, not twice, not three times but 111 times. You read that correctly. It is not a typo: one hundred and eleven times. Through last week’s Senate hearing and his own self-incriminating diaries Dr Anthony Fauci has now been exposed as among the worst human beings ever to walk on God’s earth. The type of behaviour he engaged in is unbelievable on so many fronts. He makes Megan Markle look a saint by comparison. She might be a narcissist, but she cannot be held responsible for actions that led to the deaths of millions of people worldwide. Fauci can.

JC: Which Greens Are Good for You

The garden variety of course. They are packed with, among other things, essential vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre that support overall health. As my wife will be quick to tell you, they are not my favourite food, but she serves them up on a regular basis, bless her. I am regularly reminded a diet without them is not in my best interests. So, to ensure my good health I duly consume and, to be honest, my tastebuds are not averse to the flavours of most.

There is another variety of which the same cannot be said. These are the human/political specimens. The Green Party released their election manifesto over the weekend and a diet without what they are offering, I suggest, is in every sane person’s best interests.

JC: A Lesson Luxon Has To Learn

Christopher Luxon is not your consummate politician. Not by a long shot. And politics is nothing like running a business. The National Party, or indeed the coalition, is not Unilever. The MPs representing ACT and NZ First are not Luxon’s staff. They are more like suppliers adding products (ideas) to help sustain his business (government) and keep it profitable (in power). Unlike business, which vies with competitors for market share, in politics it can be an accommodation with competitors (ACT and NZ First) that attains and keeps the market share (percentage of votes). Luxon has failed to discern the difference.

JC: Impey Looks the Goods at RNZ

There is an app where one can rate a headline for, among other things, readability. Negative headlines do not score well. Positive headlines do. Finding a positive headline for an article with negative connotations requires some thought. The headline for this article reads, at first glance, as though the new chair of Radio New Zealand will do well in navigating the future of the organisation. Far from it. What I mean by my headline is that Brent Impey is ‘one of them’. He seems to think that RNZ, in its present form, is perfectly positioned to carry all before it. I don’t think so.

JC: How Can the Left Improve?

The answer is – they can’t.

In many ways that’s a nonsensical question, because the answer to bringing about the changes needed are not policies the left believe in. I will give you examples. The first is the fact that they have removed themselves from political reality. Their playbook restricts them from making the changes to once again become relevant. They don’t even run themselves – their outside paymasters, like the trade unions, do. “He who pays the piper calls the tune”.

JC: Labour Is in Free Fall

Labour is in ‘free’ fall. Any hope of them being parachuted into power on the basis of the nonsense we’ve heard so far is about as good as discovering fairies at the bottom of the garden. Maybe they did. They are certainly ‘away with the fairies’. Every policy they have released so far is FREE. Can you believe it? Three FREE GP visits, FREE maternity scans, public transport fares capped then FREE rides, FREE prescriptions. I have no doubt this is just the start and there will be plenty more from where these moments of brilliance emanated.

JC: Driver’s Seat, Back Seat or Boot

I note the Electoral Commission is highlighting the discriminatory nature of the election process, whereby people of a certain colour and ethnicity are offered a choice of either of two rolls on which they can register. How is it that this archaic piece of nonsense is allowed to exist? The only purpose it is serving is to remind the rest of the residing ‘peasants’ that in 2026 we have still not attained ‘one country’ status. It serves to remind us that, in the area that defines what a democratic country is – the rights of the individual – we are a country divided by race. It serves to remind us that a certain minority get a political choice the rest of us are not entitled to.

JC: In Truth Nothing Is Free

This is one of the most basic facts you should learn in life. But, amazingly, some people honestly believe that if they are told something is free then it is. They seem to lack the power of comprehension to understand otherwise. Everything has to be paid for by someone, either through direct purchase or through a subsidy. Unless you’re bartering an exchange of goods then money must come from somewhere to complete a financial transaction. It’s a fact of life.

JC: A Budget for the Times

I started to write about the budget a week after its reading in parliament but scrapped it, deciding it was too late. Then, in the Weekend Herald, an article appeared on the topic from Bruce Cotterill. A lot of what he said reflected the points I was making. Bruce described it as a boring budget, but boring in the right way. I agree with his reasons: this boring budget is reflective of the current economic climate.

JC: Which Way Will Winston Jump?

Winston will stay where he is and not jump to the left. You might think its gone off track to concentrate on the Labour Party but my purpose is to highlight the policy differences between NZ First and Labour which will contribute to the decision Winston makes.

I note on Backchat and elsewhere there are some still not trusting Winston not to veer left post election and put the left block of chaos and mayhem into power. Despite his categorical statements that he will not do so, a level of distrust persists. This is perfectly understandable given the man’s history but I do not subscribe to it. I agree it is hard to forgive him for his horrendous betrayal of the right in 2017 by giving power to the Morrinsville fish and chips wrapper. The country paid a heavy price for that but so did he.

JC: How to Win Big Revealed in Poll

Immediately after the Australian budget Roy Morgan ran a snap poll across 2,348 voters Australia-wide to see where the parties sat in terms of popularity. The poll revealed some staggering numbers. The reasons were listed in detail and many of them could apply equally to the political situation in this country. If National, in particular, want to win big they should take heed of the reasons given for the increased support shown for Pauline Hanson's nationalist party One Nation.

JC: ‘Family Feud’ Will Be a Good Watch.

Electioneering on the right of politics has begun. Winston Peters, not shackled by the responsibility of being deputy prime minister, is basically a free agent. He is free to create dissent in the coalition and is laying out the policy differences between NZ First and National, some of which pertain to the economy. There is nothing unusual here; it is the politics of MMP.

The media, in their mischievous way, would have you believe otherwise as we observed recently over Winston’s email leak. ‘The coalition is in crisis: it’s about to end,’ they mindlessly and, no doubt hopefully, shriek. One of those shriekers, the Herald’s Thomas Coughlan, thinks the war and its effects, not to mention Winston, mean Luxon has a very difficult path to victory. That might be but Hipkins’ path resembles a dirt track, while Luxon’s looks a more comfortable walk.