by frog
As today is the last Sunday before the election, the Sunday papers have now had their last opportunity to make their endorsements for polling day. The Herald on Sunday has declined to declare a preference. The Sunday Star-Times and the Sunday News have both gone for Labour (albeit in both cases reluctantly).
Writes the Sunday Star-Times:
National’s race policy… is a disgraceful attempt to make scapegoats of Maori for political advantage. There is no evidence that vast amounts of taxpayers’ money is wasted on policies based on race rather than need. Abolishing the Maori seats despite Maori opposition is arrogant and anti-democratic.
But there is a deeper issue here. Brash is an educated man, but a desperately narrow one. He has little knowledge of Maoridom. Yet he has been content to front a profoundly divisive policy designed by much more ruthless and much less well-meaning political operators. It does him little credit.
It makes little difference … whether his statements about the Exclusive Brethren pamphlets are untrue or merely muddled. They are in any case a lamentable shambles and a failure of competent management. They leave a permanent doubt about his capacity to lead, just as the leaked emails raise doubts about his real economic beliefs and his political agenda…
Labour is not nearly as pure as it pretends. It deserves to lead a government because it is more experienced, more competent and more reliable than its National counterpart. But that is not saying a great deal.
Writes the Sunday News:
[National's] promises have never been convincing enough – just like the performances of their leader. Don Brash is likeable in many ways and the vision he has for New Zealand appears to be a genuine one. But he has done more flip-flops than an Olympic gymnast, whether it be on policy or his Brethren links. These uncertainties give rise to a concern.
How would Brash perform in the spotlight which rests on the Prime Minister? Have the sums been done properly? How many pronouncements would he backtrack on?
The obvious conclusion is better-the-devil-you-know … especially a cunning old devil who, in fairness, still boasts a number of ticks in the plus column.
It’ll be interesting to see if the dailies are prepared to make endorsements in the coming week. If they are, my pick of the big ones would be: the Herald going for Labour and the Dominion Post and the Press going for National. The Dominion Post especially has worn its partisanship on its sleeve in recent times – so much so that some Wellingtonians have taken to calling it The Don Post in favour of The Dom Post 
Published in Campaign | Media by frog on Sun, September 11th, 2005
Tags: environment
on the trolls and those who are unable to keep on topic
Otago Daily Times will endorse National. Like always.
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Of course, the SST is perfectly free to endore whoever it wishes – and I can’t remember a time it didn’t endorse Labour. But I have to wonder whether the folks who brought us the “Operation Leaf” debacle should lecture anyone on trustworthiness, competence or reliability.
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Heh. Quite.
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I enjoyed the description of Helen Clark (Sunday News):
… better the devil you know … especially a cunning old devil who, in fairness, still boasts a number of ticks in the plus column.
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Ewww. makes her sound like a particularly difficult case for a vet. Those ticks in her plus column can’t be comfortable.
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By “some” Wellingtonians you really mean “Chattering class lefties”, don’t you?
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I would be worried if the SST endorsed National.
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