Peter Williams: Who's really dividing New Zealand?

Time for Chris Hipkins to assume some self-awareness

Before today (August 27th) we pretty much took it as read the way the political parties would coalesce after the election. But at least we have had it confirmed now after what Chris Hipkins has said about Labour’s relationship with New Zealand First.

It’s National, Act and NZ First on one team, and Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party on the other. Except of course if National and Act are so dominant they can govern alone and don’t want New Zealand First.

But I wonder if the Prime Minister has any sense of self-awareness after his comments when he ruled out New Zealand First. To quote Chris Hipkins “National, Act and New Zealand First are focused on dividing New Zealand.”

JC: The Unity Is a Façade

In light of Chris Hipkins’s “captain’s call” to stymie the prospect of taxing the ‘rich pricks’, he has put himself between a rock and a hard place. His choice was to try and capture the middle ground or not offend the loyal left. I think he made the wrong call. The middle ground, or swing voters, have options. The loyal left don’t. He needs them to be onside with his policies.

The other problem, as I pointed out in my last article, is that the middle ground in this election will be a lot smaller. Jacinda Ardern has seen to that. For instance farmers will return to their natural home on the right, be it National or ACT. Their strategic ploy last time came back to bite them big time. Voting Labour didn’t get rid of the Greens; it just rear-ended them with over-regulation.