Twelve days without a post and I have mixed feelings about that. I enjoy putting finger to keyboard when there is something that amuses or infuriates me. One would have thought, then, that election time would be fertile ground indeed for material. And so I thought. Six weeks ago I was licking my lips at the prospect of an endless supply of subjects for ridicule.
Not the case however. I am finding the whole thing a big yawn and just wish it was all over. It is an endless procession of very predictable 'he said, she said' drivel. Not for me dissecting the minutiae of every policy announcement (not that there are many from the Labour side of the fence).
A few comments with less than three weeks to go, however.
I really cannot understand why the mainstream media are giving the government such a cushy ride over their appalling track record. Nine long years ago we were told that Labour was going to lead New Zealand to a new nirvana on the wave of a knowledge economy or some such tosh. We got a series of high profile talk fests and then nix. The result at the end of the last near decade of torture is a dreadful indictment. Our Standard of Living has slipped from 20th to 22nd in OECD. Annual labour productivity growth of 1.1% half of the 1990s and below OECD 1.8% average. NZ ranks just 25th in our ability to use innovation to develop new and unique products. Our infrastructure is a basket case but this is being upgraded with nineteenth century technology. Case in point is the power and communication side of things. We don't have enough of either. Power prices are going through the roof due to planning restrictions stopping the building of proper gas and coal powered power stations. Internet here sucks and the gummint are are extending the copper network when fibre is needed. And so it goes on. What are the great unwashed told of all this? Nuffink. All we get is endless coverage of John Key as an untrustworthy toad. Ring, ring. Kettle? Pot calling.
National are the party of secret agendas apparently. Well please. What details are we being allowed to see of the December minibudget that Labour would have to pay for the profligate lolly scramble? All these universal grants have to be paid for. Who would bet against not only rescinding of the tax cuts but tax increases in December?
Dear Leader announces the bank deposit guarantee scheme at the Launch of Labour's campaign. I just shook my head in resignation. This is what I would expect from the consummate politician. She has also sent round a pamphlet to the oldies outlining what a top job Labour has done for them over the past few years. This is apparently just legal under the gerrymandered Electoral Laws she forced upon us. Any bloody advantage even if it is blurring the margins of what is acceptable - and thus we drift into the area for which I no have interest or tolerance.
People who ring talkback radio have a vote that is worth as much as real people who have a brain. This is a pity.
I really don't want to live in a country that has Clark and Cullen at the levers of power for a further three years.
On the other hand if they are in the signal box for the next trienium they are probably gone thereafter for a very, very, long time as the prospects 2009-11 are pretty dire. Maybe it would be best if they had another go. Oh dear.
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