Delusions of grandeur

by frog

Peter Dunne has been described as the most pompous man in Parliament. With his party polling at one percent, his claims to be a potential kingmaker after the election have stretched credibility. However, it seems that his delusions know no bounds.

The United Future website now has a Powerpoint presentation showcasing Mr Dunne as the best qualified party leader Prime Minister. Titled, “We’ve been wondering who would make a great PM”, it marks Helen Clark, Don Brash, Winston Peters, and Peter Dunne against the following criteria for being a “great Prime Minister”:

  • Has experience raising a family.
  • Avoids late-night drunken brawls.
  • Decades of political experience.
  • Keen on rugby.
  • Married to the same person for decades.
  • Works constructively with others.
  • Does not have a wife who is from Singapore.

The end of the Powerpoint presentation reads: “Naah, there’s no-one like that in New Zealand politics. Is there?” Then Peter Dunne’s face appears, to thunderous applause.

Well, I guess we should cut the guy some slack, because he’s trying to be funny. But, let’s be clear what he’s suggesting:

  • Helen Clark is an unsuitable Prime Minister because she doesn’t have kids and doesn’t like rugby.
  • Don Brash is an unsuitable Prime Minister because he hasn’t been married to the same person for decades, he doesn’t like rugby, he has a wife from Singapore, and he doesn’t have decades of political experience.
  • Winston Peters is an unsuitable Prime Minister because he gets into late-night drunken brawls, he hasn’t been married to the same woman for decades, and he can’t work constructively with others.

Some of these criticisms are actually quite offensive. Slamming Helen because she hasn’t got any kids? Slamming Don and Winston because they had marriage problems? Slamming Don because his wife is from Singapore? I knew United was getting desperate to draw attention to itself, but really…

UPDATE: Oh, and in another United Future gaffe today, Bernie Ogilvy has released a press release about there being too many trained teachers in which he is quoted as saying:

Only 46 percent of 2003 graduates have found teaching job.

Perhaps Mr Ogilvy could employ one of those teachers who can’t find a job to give him a course in remedial English?

UPDATE 2: According to the Herald, United has now pulled the presentation from its website. This was probably the plan from the start: do something outrageous and ridiculous on your website, so people ask you to take it down, so you can then have a story in the paper saying that you’ve taken it down. Indeed, United’s not getting in the paper for any other reason these days, so why not concoct a story?

frog says

Published in Campaign by frog on Wed, July 20th, 2005   

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