National lite
Every new poll seems to suggest that this election year’s going to be all about Labour’s potential coalition partners after the election, not about who’s going to lead New Zealand’s government.
This morning Herald’s poll has Labour at 47.7, a full 13 points ahead of National on 34.5. The Greens are the only other party above the 5 percent threshold (5.1%), with NZ First (3.6), ACT (2.2), the Maori Party (2.2), and United (1.9) all well off the pace.
Given Labour’s ascendancy, it’s very odd indeed that it keeps trying to steal National’s thunder by moving further and further right. The latest example? At a time when public survives are grossly underfunded (e.g. schools asking parents for donations because they’re not getting enough government funding; student debt rising inexorably; mobile dental services being so underfunded they need to ask McDonald’s for sponsorship), is Labour promising improved levels of public spending? Well, no. It’s following National’s catch-cry for public spending cuts.
No wonder Labour’s claiming not to be worried about National as it goes into its election year congress this weekend. It’s stolen all of their policies.
