NZ Herald New Zealanders of the Year

• New Zealander of the Year – Emma Woods
• Business Leader of the Year – Chris Liddell
• Politician of the Year – John Key
• Sportsperson of the Year – Ryan Nelson

I broadly agree with all those picks. The story on John Key noted:

Within the deep recesses of the Labour Party and elsewhere on the left, there is a lingering arrogance saturated with an intellectual snobbery which blinds and deludes its sufferers.

The second anniversary of John Key becoming Prime Minister has been and gone. But the self-satisfied superiority and smugness exhibited by his critics continues unabated.

They cannot bring themselves to accept that Key’s occupation of Premier House follows anything but a terrible mistake on the part of voters who will come to their senses in time for next year’s election.

The left dismisses the most popular Prime Minister in New Zealand’s recent political history as Smile and Wave John Key, Do Nothing John Key and Lucky John Key.

The left’s fatal error has been to constantly underrate Key in terms of ability and the fact that though he is of centre-right disposition, he is firmly at the moderate end of that broad spectrum.

Absolutely nails it.

In short, Key’s critics on the left still don’t get it. Maybe the Mana byelection will remove a few scales from a few eyes. It should. That result was a gruesome preview of the slaughter that may well be inflicted on Labour at the end of next year.

A warning. Let us compare to the first term of the Labour Government. The final poll in 2001 was on 13 December had Labour at 45% and National at 39% – a 6% gap. What will be the gap in the final polls this month?