Ralston on Peters
June 15th, 2008 at 8:43 am by David FarrarBill Ralston sees an end:
You can never write off Winston Peters. That well worn cliche is trotted out by commentators at every election. Except, this election, I believe at last we can write off Peters. I suspect even he is no longer confident of ever again being “happy as the MP for Tauranga” and at age 63, he is wistfully eyeing the prospect of retirement from politics in October.
I would just make the point that not winning Tauranga does not mean retirement for Peters if his party makes 5%.
National has just selected its candidate for Tauranga, Simon Bridges, the party’s electorate chairman and a Crown prosecutor. He is half Peters’ age.
Bridges’ youth neatly underlines the fact that Peters is a political dinosaur, a throw-back to the era of his mentor and role model, Rob Muldoon. Bridges was barely born when Muldoon was Prime Minister and Winston was first on the hustings.
That National is willing to put up someone more than just a lame stooge means it is serious about winning the electorate and it is confident Peters and New Zealand First are dog tucker.
National certainly is serious about winning the electorate. The outcome is of course up to the voters.
There is an air of desperation about the New Zealand First leader these days, as if he senses his old magic is no longer working. He and his party have repeatedly tried to pull the race card, particularly on immigration, but for once have found little response from the electorate.
However, it does not stop Peters having a knee-jerk reaction any time anyone mentions foreigners in a positive way.
Indeed.
Peters seems unable to comprehend the statistics that show migrants have a higher rate of employment, higher incomes, pay more tax and are less likely to go to prison or get a social services benefit than the average Kiwi.
His anti-Asian rhetoric, which was so politically advantageous in the 1990s, is increasingly falling on deaf ears. Over the past couple of decades, New Zealanders have come into much greater contact with their Asian neighbours and no longer fear them.
This is true, but remember unlike the big parties Peters is not worried by how much he offends 90% of NZ. He is targeting just 10% and needs half of them.
Tags: Bill Ralston, Simon Bridges, Tauranga, Winston First
June 15th, 2008 at 8:53 am
The nonsensical wonders of MMP when a repugnant drop kick like Winston can seriously annoy 90% of the constituents and still survive in the parasitic beehive gravy train of political incompetence.
Vote:June 15th, 2008 at 9:04 am
You must admit, Winston does have serious charm. He’s just out of date.
Vote:June 15th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Winston Peters on Agenda in 10 minutes…
Vote:June 15th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Zippy
Yep, and whats the bet that Comrade Espiner does not ask him where our $158,000 is.
Vote:June 15th, 2008 at 10:46 am
As a moron and thus presumably in the majority of the electorate what term best describes a Pooh First voter?
Vote:June 15th, 2008 at 10:54 am
David you did not include the following
Vote:“The eccentric Bob Clarkson won the seat last time only by the small margin of just over 700 votes but the fact Tauranga was willing to elect someone as weird as Clarkson shows how desperate locals were to get rid of Peters. Unless Peters can come up with compromising Polaroids of his opponent in flagrante delicto with some furry woodland critter, expect Bridges to win by a much-healthier margin. Actually, remembering that Bridges is a lawyer and Crown prosecutor I should hastily point out that I am not suggesting he has any peccadillos and any inference of the kind is sincerely regretted. Why is it that any media coverage of any issue involving Peters usually carries a vague whiff of potential litigation?”
Thought that is was Bill at his Night Line best . I had a good little chuckle
June 15th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
If I was looking to start up a new career as a pimp, Winnie would be welcomed into by stable of man-hos in a New York second. But, Gods, after watching Agenda I’m still wondering how the hell Winston gets away with the shameless bullshit he does — seriously, how many times does this guy get to look down the barrel of a camera and LIE with a smirk on his face, before he runs out of second chances?
Vote:June 15th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I can’t for the life of me undertand why the media waste valuable videotape on the tired old poser, I wouldn’t give him the steam off my piss.
Vote:June 15th, 2008 at 11:05 pm
And will National put up a credible candidate against Peter Dunne????? He is a bigger waste of space than Peters.
If they did, it would signal that National is serious about being a credible Government for the next 3 years. Otherwise we know exactly what they are telling us – loud and clear.
Vote:June 16th, 2008 at 1:02 am
He’s a plague on both their houses – the NZ Herald is ‘reporting’ Winston’s non-committal rantings from Agenda; stating he could work with National or Labour. He couldn’t possibly retire when there is a possibility of visiting present and future embassy sites (and with so many international sporting events approaching that coincide with state visits).
Vote:Winston Peter’s Agenda performance was pure Winston – who else could so vehemently espouse National’s 1990′s ‘neo-liberal’ policies and yet enthusiastically take credit for their achievements in the same breath?
I look forward to someone half is age and double his integrity kicking him out of parliament and into frequent-flyer retirement.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Winnie is a serious old schmarmer. He’s good, very good at personality. I still think he’s a clapped out old c*nt though.
Vote:June 16th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Ralston’s criticism of Bob the Builder was unwarranted. Bob has done more for Tauranga than any friends of Lambton Quay latte lappers ever will do for their communities.
Vote:Replacing Bob with a suave taxpayer funded lawyer will play right into Winnie’s hands. My mates in Tauranga now give the Maori gnome a good show, with Bob out of the way.
June 16th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Interesting that Ralston dwells on the man and seems to ignore the interesting and possibly valid nuggets Peters espoused such as – unemployment will reach 6+% and our dollar is overvalued by 30%, but then Ralston is another left leaning failure. Stitch together these points with the comment from the Goldman Sachs investment analyst on oil and a scenario of high inflation and unemployment emerges, which is a much bigger problem than Peters. His explanation of the $600m additional spending on overseas diplomatic representation leading to increased trade is a better bet than the $500m over budget cost of prison construction. As much as I dislike Winston for his lack of integrity and hope National oust him and his party, getting rid of snakeoil Dunne is critical as the only thing he can be credited with is the waste of $28m on the Families Commission.
Vote: