Dunne and National
The Herald reports on the increasing signs by Peter Dunne that he wants to work with an expected National Government after the election. This is no surprise – Peter has been a Minister in a National-led Government before.
It will be interesting to see what United Future announces as its policy for post-election negotiations. In 2005 both UF and NZF said they would give first preference for forming a Government (subject to negotiating an acceptable agreement) to the party with the most votes. NZ First have confirmed that is their policy again, but I am not sure if United Future have.
No TweetBacks yet. (Be the first to Tweet this post)
Tags: National, Peter Dunne, United Future
June 7th, 2008 at 9:23 am
At the risk of being accused of being simplistic, Dunne/UF seem a little to the right of centre, and a good fit with the image that National is currently projecting. In 2005 it was a different matter, and they probably didn’t look at the possible outcomes in terms of potential coalition partners with much sense of comfort.
June 7th, 2008 at 9:36 am
jafapete: no-one here would ever accuse you of being simplistic. we now accept it as a ‘given’.
David: did NZF say they would give first preference to forming a govt with the party that gained the most votes? or simply talk first to the party that gained the most votes? There is actually a significant difference here.
June 7th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Turn coat?
June 7th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Duxton – there’s more to jafapete than he reveals over here!
jafapete – Dunne to me is the ultimate centrist. He’s served as a Cabinet Minister in both right and left-leaning governments, he doesn’t go out of his way to upset the applecart (as Winston does), and I suspect that “Pragmatic” is his middle name! I would have no problem with him reaching out towards National if the voters of Ohariu-Belmont give him another chance – whether National wants or needs him is another matter.
My major reservation with Dunne is his support of the EFA. He had the opportunity to stop the legislation getting reported back by the Select Committee, but voted with the government. Then of course he grandstanded at the Third Reading, speaking and voting AGAINST the EFA, knowing that the government had the numbers to push it through with or without his vote. The EFA has already been shown to be seriously flawed, and Dunne had expressed reservations long before the Select Committee process drew to a close, yet his vote allowed its passage back to the House.
June 7th, 2008 at 10:16 am
I’ll bet neither of them want to go with a loser.
June 7th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Dunne is an enabler. His craven desire to be part of government allowed him to sit down with the anti family Labour party, in a direct contradiction of everything he professes to care about. He enabled the worst government in NZ’s history.
Inventory2 is perfectly correct with his comments on Dunne’s EFA strategy. Just more of the same gutless failure to make any real stand. Dunne is a traitor to Conservatives, a liar, a waffling dissembler and gutless compromiser who needs to go the same way as the Green Party. Into political oblivion. The sooner the better.
June 7th, 2008 at 10:27 am
What Redbaiter said. I weep for Peter Dunne. From having so much promise, to end up reknowned for so much relaxation of principle………
June 7th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Peter Dunne should have Revelation 3:16 quoted at him at every opportunity.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:14 am
So worm boy wants to get cosy with National. Well join the queue and don’t get your hopes up.
National isn’t really hanging out for minor parties to hold them to ransom this week. You’re thinking of Labour.
June 7th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Duxton is correct.
Peters says only that he will “negotiate first” with the Party which wins the most seats.
His demeanour and language have always demonstrated that his “preference” is to go with Labour.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I wonder how these people can live with themselves sometimes. Possom head and many others like him must think the peasants are but simple minded fools. Shit a lot of these MP’s have missed their true calling, prehaps an encyglopedia salesman or maybe insurance would be more in tune with their outlook on life cause you have to admit they are persistent buggars.
June 7th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Regardless of whether National secure enough votes to govern alone, they would be foolish to do so. They should take the opportunity to include some of the smaller parties because 2011 isn’t that far away and the politcal fortunes of Labour could be quite different then.
June 8th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Dunne is a total snake and the only position I would offer him is a mine clearance trainee in Afghanistan with free access to Cocaine so either way he had the chance to meet his maker.