Trotter praises Key
November 21st, 2008 at 12:48 pm by David FarrarYou know I sometimes wonder if Chris Trotter is bi-polar. He goes from calling the Maori Party race traitors one week, to calm and considered the next. Today’s column is the latter:
If it is not too soon to reuse the word “adroit”, that is certainly how I would describe Mr Key’s management of the 14-day political transition from Labour to National.
In addition to securing both his right and left flanks, Mr Key has also selected a Cabinet in which old and new (and, in the cases of Stephen Joyce and Paula Bennett, very new) faces are judiciously blended.
Some have characterised the new lineup as reflecting a greater step to the Right than the broader electorate had been given reason to anticipate. I disagree.
Indeed. The ODT called it this, and I can’t work out how they possibly could claim that in good conscience.
To my eyes, Mr Key and Bill English have allowed the National Party to assume the mantle of sweet moderation, and his Cabinet choices reflect not a betrayal, but a very fair reflection, of the public mood.
Had the prime minister been hell-bent upon a lurch to the Right, he would not have exiled Maurice Williamson to that wintry region beyond the Cabinet door. Nor would he have decked out Lockwood Smith in the Speaker’s wig and gown, and left him to the tender mercies of Phil Goff, Michael Cullen and Trevor Mallard.
If the National Party leader had really wanted to come over all right-wing horror-show, he would have allowed the nation’s beneficiaries (instead of the nation’s criminals) to fall into the sharpened talons of Judith Collins. And, with more than a nod to Night of the Living Dead, have appointed Sir Roger Douglas associate minister of finance inside Cabinet.
Trotter is one of the few commentators to note this. Lockie and Maurice (both whom I have immense time for) are definitely amongst the most right wing MPs so not having them in Cabinet, plus shifting Judith from welfare to law & order (where she will shine) and not even giving Douglas an Executive role makes any claims of a shift to the right, nonsense.
Personally I’m all for shifts to the right, but the mood of the electorate at the moment is for evolutionary change, not revolutionary change, and John Key has indeed judged that adroitly.
The confidence and supply agreements with ACT, UnitedFuture and the Maori Party place National not only theoretically, but practically, in the prime real estate of contemporary politics – the Centre.
When the war-horns of ACT start braying for privatisation and massive cuts to public spending, Mr Key can roll his eyes and reiterate his government’s unwillingness to do either. And, when Tariana Turia embarks again on one of her magical mystery tours into the outer reaches of Maori mysticism, he can furrow his brow, pinch his chin and, along with the rest of the Pakeha electorate, nod his head in complete incomprehension.
In practice, the prime minister has cast himself in the role of the voter-who-needs-to-be- convinced. If ACT can make out the case for privatisation; and if it can sell its taxpayer accountability bill, and its “three strikes and you’re out” penal policy to the wider electorate; then Mr Key can democratically respond by translating ACT’s passion into action.
That’s not a bad way of looking at it. Key as the to be convinced voter.
Likewise, if the Maori Party can convince New Zealand that it needs a written constitution, with the Treaty of Waitangi at its heart, then Mr Key and his clever new attorney-general, Chris Finlayson, will be quick to summon the Constitutional Convention.
I’m not sure it will be quick, but Chris will be an excellent guide as we deal with constitutional issues.
But, for my money, Mr Key’s most adroit move has been the appointment of a feisty, 39-year- old, former solo mum with a whakapapa as his minister of social development.
Ms Bennett and the prime minister both pose a formidable symbolic problem for the Labour Party. They speak to an ideologically unmoored working class about the power of aspiration and the possibility of self- improvement.
Yes they do.
Related posts:
- Trotter endorses Key for second term
- Trotter on National and Labour
- Almost overlooked it – Trotter on Friday
- Trotter on Bennett
November 21st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Go Paula
Vote:I hope King gets tongue tied and her knickers in a twist every time she stands up in parliament.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Trotter is an interesting one. He still likes to write his diatribes, largely designed to rally the political left based on the imagined horrors of a right wing government. But that is really campaign time stuff – there is little point to it in the first year or so after an election.
When he isn’t doing that he writes more thoughtful pieces.
I choose to believe that the more thoughtful pieces are what he actually believes, because I can’t believe that anybody could really believe some of that other tripe that he pours out.
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 12:58 pm
sometimes he hits it on the button.
Vote:others he’s off the wall.
I read him because when he’s on to it he’s very good.
but you never know.
it’s always good to read the other side too.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Turpin … that can’t be the Ms King of the ‘law of common sense’ fame can it? It mean the Labour Party aren’t so blind dumb stupid to appoint ‘her’ as Deputy Leader are they? … all Paula needs to do is to preface her answers along the lines of “in reply to the champion of the EFA now disowned by her own leader I say …… “
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
He’s got past the anger & denial stages perhaps
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Don’t be fooled by Trotter. He is simply making himself popular with the swinging voters so that he can convince them they all need to vote for Labour in 2011. If he appreas as reasonable and thoughtful then he has a better chance of forcing his failed ideology on people when it matters in a few years time.
A leopard can’t change it spots, but it can wear a costume from time to time.
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
What a good entry statement to answer with
well done.
or how about
Would the Hon members question based on the law of common sense?
not that I am biased
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
So moving Right is always wrong and inexcusable and Labour gearing up with the Greens to go far Left from the election onward, should they have won, is fine? You’re talking shit, man.
No it’s not. The majority asked for the right. It’s just the cowering media that plead for the left.
I’m sorry was there another general election and I missed it? When was it? Last Monday at 3pm? Adroit, nothing, it’s an act of cowardice wrapped up as political strategy at best and a betrayal at worst.
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
GG – You may well be right:-)
time will only tell if he’s Helen Lite.
Vote:Flip flop could become a permanent moniker if he’s not careful.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
The link provided goes to the New Plymouth story
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
“the voter who needs to be convinced”
a position of cowardice if you’re a PM, and not too far off the traits a person who likes to compromise even when he doesn’t have to.
…otherwise, Chris Trotter seems to think that if the general election runs to the the Right, voters need a second election or a moritorium on implementing policy “to be convinced”.
goddamn it, I’m wild as hell about this double standard crap written up here as if it’s a good thing.
Let me make this as clear as I attempted to yesterday:
If Labour were in power today, they would have released their mini-budget. They would have had a strategy ready to implement at the next sitting and, as one apologist for National suggested to me, they would not have hesitated to reconvene parliament for an emergency sitting. Take your pick for their excuse, they would have done it. Trotter would be braying that NZ had sent a firm message for continuing the series of social reforms of the last 9 years and that Cullen was indeed a competent AG and minister of finance. There would have been no doubt. Whatsoever. And DPF would be saying how close the margin was and that Labour were another minority government.
Wake up, boys. All of us need to drive National hard, and here you are pissing in your own pants, talking yourself down with these acceptances of condescension from Trotter!
Don’t accept this crap!
I don’t know what Key is up to, but it’s not firm leadership. I don’t know what strategy they have for implementing policy but it’s farting and popping just like pre-election already. I will not accept this state of political incompetence and reluctance to act from the only other option NZ has from Labour!
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:41 pm
DPF “You know I sometimes wonder if Chris Trotter is bi-polar”
By god, I think you’ve nailed it. That man is just off the planet one week and remarkably reasoned the next. If he’s not bi-polar there must be some other explanation. Perhaps he can only afford drugs every other week?
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
goodgod: yes, there is a mandate. Yes, under the rules of our govt, Key could now do absolutely whatever he wants. As did Helen. That doesn’t make it the right thing to do.
What Key needs to do is to show that he is a safe pair of hands, that in general NZ will perform better under a right wing govt, that he isn’t going to be passing legislation that is against the wishes of 90% of the country, that he won’t be cracking down on the social freedoms that many voters hold dear. In essence that you get all the things you got with Labour (or that people thought they got) without having the govt in your life, with better management of public services, with lower taxes and with higher growth.
Sure, that’s a pretty big ask. But when you look at the pack of idiots who were previously running things, surely you’d back yourself to manage to do better? And if he achieves that, he’s locked in a National govt for 9 years, and a slow march back towards the centre from the left, and perhaps over time even slightly out to the right. The intent is that the next Labour govt will only be able to become govt by promising to keep National’s policies, like Rudd had to do in Aus. That is what Key has his sights set on, bringing the country along with him rather than getting out too far ahead of them.
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Eh-up, I see someone’s been on to Pharmac and made sure Trotter’s got the right medication!
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I can understand people regarding Chris Trotter’s political commentary as indicating a bi-polar disorder. I too am often thrown from cheering on Trotter’s analysis to despairing for him. I used to wonder if there were actually “two different Chris Trotter’s” that each took turns at writing his columns!
But the explanation is probably a bit less dramatic. Trotter is actually very well aware of all his twists and and turns as a commentator. It’s deliberate. Wouldn’t it be a bit boring if he just had the same stance from week to week, decade to decade? Instead, he flippantly tries on different political positions and arguments in the same way as the clothing model wears different suits. This is partly what makes him so interesting. You can never be entirely sure what his columns are going to say about any given subject.
While most of us are very seriously shifting from cheering to despairing over his various provocative pieces, I think Chris Trotter is quietly having a bit of a laugh. We could probably all learn a bit from this.
Bryce
http://www.liberation.org.nz
[DPF: You're probably right]
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 2:58 pm
This is a man with one eye closed, and the other dewy in admiration for the communist glory days. I detest his political ideology and distrust his flurtation with anything centrist.
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 4:50 pm
“You know I sometimes wonder if Chris Trotter is bi-polar. He goes from calling the Maori Party race traitors one week, to calm and considered the next.”
That’s an ignorant and offensive thing to say Farrar. Bi-Polar is generally marked by depressed and elated pols – not anger and elation. Shame on you
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Is it possible that Chris Trotter sometimes can’t do his column and gets someone else to do it for him?
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Read all of the above.
Great highbrow analysis re: Trotters psych and his mental state not to mention his subtle twists and turns and use of metaphor and alliteration.
But still all I can see is waffle from a third rate leftie hack well past his use by who is desperate to try and keep his job as he needs to pay the bills.
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 8:52 pm
petal suggests:
Yes, but which weeks?
Vote:November 21st, 2008 at 10:02 pm
What’s Trotter on.??
Forgotten to take his rittalin???
He’s really off his meds with this benign switch. I’ll never trust the bastard.
Vote:November 22nd, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Has Chris Trotter finished crying into his beer yet?
Vote: