That is one the key aspects that voters backed National for and, I think for those voters, they are now very frustrated. Not only a lack of progress but continuing aspects of this e.g. Three Waters but by another name.
Leadership in the current era where sound bites get traction and detail gets lost must be very difficult when trying to operate a turnaround program at country level.
Luxon has made slip-ups that have clearly made his list MPs anxious, however this is not the reason I'm no longer a National Party supporter. I can understand the need to focus on an economic plan to be able to service the massive debt run up by the previous administration, but in the process the vitally important restoration of social cohesion got lost, along with a powerful vision of strength and unity to counteract years of racial division.
Luxon failed dismally to deliver on the policies that would have arrested the maorification of this country. The turning point for me and anyone I know speaking honestly about it was his woke attitude towards the Treaty Principals Bill and lack of any alternative program to replace it. Instead gun-shy Luxon left it to ACT and NZF and is now wondering why his popularity is Hipkins level; or less.
Strength of leadership is what we need. I'm hopeful that Luxon will learn from the rinse & repeat pattern and we as a nation can breathe easy knowing that we have another reprieve from the ruinous left bloc parties after this election.
Your views are those I hear echoed but others a lot; there is a lot of frustration. For all that, if the other side wins again ... heaven help us - it will be a mad rush to the airport!!
Great article Simon. I've noticed that in the last few years National have been purging Conservative voices from within the party, you most likely felt that directly. It looks like the coup wasn't against Luxon after all. I hope Chris will find his own voice soon, NZ needs to regain that balance.
There has certainly been a change. The old 'tension' or marriage between the conservative and liberal is gone, or broken. If National and it's leadership spoke clearly to the Party values and aligned policy, they'd be doing a lot better.
Problem is New Zealand has a very poor standard of comprehension, people snap at flies and miss the worms underneath. They only read the first sentence or 2 and do not grasp the whole picture
Thanks Jim. As an ex-politician, I can say it was a great role and one I loved doing (well, mostly loved doing - always some challenging aspects). But equally, I'm really loving being out now as well! We just need to keep encouraging good people to get involved.
I was very interested in your mention of scapegoating and I followed the link to your earlier article. I hadn't heard of Girard but can very much take on board his explanation of scapegoating and the concept of mimetic desires. So interesting, and I'll follow up with further reading. I was somewhat familiar with the concept of scapegoat via Jungian psychology (though I am no scholar of this) and am prompted to revisit this reading also. I'm now pondering the current upswell of antisemitism throughout the West in the light of Girard's thinking. Thank you for your writing.
I'm very influenced by Girard; I did my Honours Dissertation around his thought. His take on mimetics is somewhat different to Jung and yes, the rise in antisemitism is very much explainable via Girardian thought. Thanks for the comment.
“Many appear ready to scrutinise every Luxon misstep while showing less interest in the difficulties facing political opponents.” It always amuses me reading various political blog comment sections around the perceived MSM bias towards the other party. It could just be (as it has always been) that that media will always report on what will garner the most eyes/clicks. So if you’re going to make a gaffe, you can bet your bottom dollar it will be reported.
I think those in more senior positions, and very much whoever is PM, will get far higher scrutiny. I think you are right too about clicks and gaffes; it is just the nature of media and of us being human (we respond to such things). The scrutiny and bias however remains present, and one need only think of polling. The likes of National drops 1% and there are doomsday headlines. Labour has been slipping week after week, and not a squeak. Add the media promotion of TOP to that mix, or the relative ignoring of the Maori Party all of a sudden (granted a little coverage last night) and it doesn't look particularly balanced.
Agreed. My point was mainly an aside around my amusement regarding comments from either side accusing the other of MSM bias. Agree on the reporting re polling, and I think there will be a real hunger in the media to see how polls track post last weeks events. I find it really interesting re TOP polling, and expect (hope) there will be some scrutiny in coming weeks. I am yet to watch the Q+A with Jack Tame, but apparently he gave Qiulae Wong a good grilling. Going to be a very interesting election.
You're right Dan in that every side will always claim bias; goes with the political territory I suppose including always easier to blame the other side than take responsibility! The TOP polling doesn't make sense to me. I can see them hovering around 5% or even a little over, but 8% doesn't make sense. What does, is Labour votes moving - it is almost one for one. I've seen snippets of Jack's interview and well worth watching the whole thing I'd say (as I need to do!!)
The media are not reporting objectively, they are left wing activists posing as journalists!
Their whole focus has been on tearing down the Coalition, in particular Luxon as the Prime Minister!
I'm no fan of Luxon's, but as a matter of fairness goes, he's being shafted, bullied!
Yes he's made mistakes, what political leader hasn't?
It reminds me of how Pres Trump is treated by the press in America!
There should be fines or censures when the media continue to be biased & deliberately misinform & mislead the public about events!
Journalism has become rhetoric, opinion pieces with ideological agendas!
The media is now just a mouthpiece for 'progressivism', left wing Marxian propaganda designed to undermine Western Judeo-Christian culture & principles!
It truly is a 'culture war', between the godless left & those who affirm God's existence & His Word!
Dan 11:32 "He shall 'seduce with flattery' those who 'violate the covenant'*; but the people who KNOW their God shall 'stand firm and take action'.
*God's Word, & thereby His agreement/contract with us!
I think Luxon means well, but National were voted in on a promise to address He Puapua and they have most decidedly not done that.
That is one the key aspects that voters backed National for and, I think for those voters, they are now very frustrated. Not only a lack of progress but continuing aspects of this e.g. Three Waters but by another name.
Leadership in the current era where sound bites get traction and detail gets lost must be very difficult when trying to operate a turnaround program at country level.
Luxon has made slip-ups that have clearly made his list MPs anxious, however this is not the reason I'm no longer a National Party supporter. I can understand the need to focus on an economic plan to be able to service the massive debt run up by the previous administration, but in the process the vitally important restoration of social cohesion got lost, along with a powerful vision of strength and unity to counteract years of racial division.
Luxon failed dismally to deliver on the policies that would have arrested the maorification of this country. The turning point for me and anyone I know speaking honestly about it was his woke attitude towards the Treaty Principals Bill and lack of any alternative program to replace it. Instead gun-shy Luxon left it to ACT and NZF and is now wondering why his popularity is Hipkins level; or less.
Strength of leadership is what we need. I'm hopeful that Luxon will learn from the rinse & repeat pattern and we as a nation can breathe easy knowing that we have another reprieve from the ruinous left bloc parties after this election.
Your views are those I hear echoed but others a lot; there is a lot of frustration. For all that, if the other side wins again ... heaven help us - it will be a mad rush to the airport!!
Great article Simon. I've noticed that in the last few years National have been purging Conservative voices from within the party, you most likely felt that directly. It looks like the coup wasn't against Luxon after all. I hope Chris will find his own voice soon, NZ needs to regain that balance.
There has certainly been a change. The old 'tension' or marriage between the conservative and liberal is gone, or broken. If National and it's leadership spoke clearly to the Party values and aligned policy, they'd be doing a lot better.
How many National MPs are reading this blog, I wonder. I'd be keen to know who before casting a vote soon.
That I can't easily tell, but a few ... as I often get messages on what I've said 😝
Problem is New Zealand has a very poor standard of comprehension, people snap at flies and miss the worms underneath. They only read the first sentence or 2 and do not grasp the whole picture
I really like that analogy!
Enlightening and thought provoking- who’d be a politician, thanks Simon
Thanks Jim. As an ex-politician, I can say it was a great role and one I loved doing (well, mostly loved doing - always some challenging aspects). But equally, I'm really loving being out now as well! We just need to keep encouraging good people to get involved.
I was very interested in your mention of scapegoating and I followed the link to your earlier article. I hadn't heard of Girard but can very much take on board his explanation of scapegoating and the concept of mimetic desires. So interesting, and I'll follow up with further reading. I was somewhat familiar with the concept of scapegoat via Jungian psychology (though I am no scholar of this) and am prompted to revisit this reading also. I'm now pondering the current upswell of antisemitism throughout the West in the light of Girard's thinking. Thank you for your writing.
I'm very influenced by Girard; I did my Honours Dissertation around his thought. His take on mimetics is somewhat different to Jung and yes, the rise in antisemitism is very much explainable via Girardian thought. Thanks for the comment.
“Many appear ready to scrutinise every Luxon misstep while showing less interest in the difficulties facing political opponents.” It always amuses me reading various political blog comment sections around the perceived MSM bias towards the other party. It could just be (as it has always been) that that media will always report on what will garner the most eyes/clicks. So if you’re going to make a gaffe, you can bet your bottom dollar it will be reported.
I think those in more senior positions, and very much whoever is PM, will get far higher scrutiny. I think you are right too about clicks and gaffes; it is just the nature of media and of us being human (we respond to such things). The scrutiny and bias however remains present, and one need only think of polling. The likes of National drops 1% and there are doomsday headlines. Labour has been slipping week after week, and not a squeak. Add the media promotion of TOP to that mix, or the relative ignoring of the Maori Party all of a sudden (granted a little coverage last night) and it doesn't look particularly balanced.
Agreed. My point was mainly an aside around my amusement regarding comments from either side accusing the other of MSM bias. Agree on the reporting re polling, and I think there will be a real hunger in the media to see how polls track post last weeks events. I find it really interesting re TOP polling, and expect (hope) there will be some scrutiny in coming weeks. I am yet to watch the Q+A with Jack Tame, but apparently he gave Qiulae Wong a good grilling. Going to be a very interesting election.
You're right Dan in that every side will always claim bias; goes with the political territory I suppose including always easier to blame the other side than take responsibility! The TOP polling doesn't make sense to me. I can see them hovering around 5% or even a little over, but 8% doesn't make sense. What does, is Labour votes moving - it is almost one for one. I've seen snippets of Jack's interview and well worth watching the whole thing I'd say (as I need to do!!)
The media are not reporting objectively, they are left wing activists posing as journalists!
Their whole focus has been on tearing down the Coalition, in particular Luxon as the Prime Minister!
I'm no fan of Luxon's, but as a matter of fairness goes, he's being shafted, bullied!
Yes he's made mistakes, what political leader hasn't?
It reminds me of how Pres Trump is treated by the press in America!
There should be fines or censures when the media continue to be biased & deliberately misinform & mislead the public about events!
Journalism has become rhetoric, opinion pieces with ideological agendas!
The media is now just a mouthpiece for 'progressivism', left wing Marxian propaganda designed to undermine Western Judeo-Christian culture & principles!
It truly is a 'culture war', between the godless left & those who affirm God's existence & His Word!
Dan 11:32 "He shall 'seduce with flattery' those who 'violate the covenant'*; but the people who KNOW their God shall 'stand firm and take action'.
*God's Word, & thereby His agreement/contract with us!
Unfortunately Chris Luxon is the former!