Just earlier this year, ACT was telling its loyalists, "New Zealand is deeply in the sh*t."
And in 2023, Newsroom reported:
"ACT weaponises astro-turfs – groups that masquerade as concerned citizens but actually push the interests of large corporates.
McLachlan told RNZ the Taxpayers’ Union “did a lot of the groundwork” for the Act Party in the 2020 election campaign through its Campaign for Affordable Housing. “It was actually a contrived problem that the Act Party told them to create.”
Big dollars were wasted in the character assassination attacks on Jacinda Ardern. She neatly sidestepped them by resigning. She is still a force on the world stage.
I have lived in blue electorates most of my voting life and am used to living with the perception of my fellow citizens that there is only party that is qualified to govern the country because it is “the party that supports business”.
I understand why owners of small businesses in rural areas vote for money parties but I am still trying to understand what happened in the cities.
I believe you are absolutely correct Tui. It's a scam of the first order. To do something positive, The Opportunities Party is forming policy around social issues and looking for comment - https://www.top.org.nz/priorities
Thank you Alan, I don't know much about TOP. I think the real challenge for the party will be how to differentiate itself amongst all the other parties. I know someone on Reddit who I respect is a part of the party and I trust his judgement is sound. I will take a look.
I'm beginning to see TOP as a real alternative here. Labour are still on holiday :( and I'm not sure they will budge on some of their policy stance which, quite frankly, lost them the election. (not that I personally want them too, I'd just rather have them as the government).
It seems Labour focused too much on staying in the centre to retain power, constantly polling to identify the centre. And they're still married to neoliberalism. The latest lot seem to be changing as much as they can as quickly as possible and hoping by the time an election comes around we'll see the sense of it. Good luck with that.
TOP sit between Green and Labour and I think if they were more visible, would get a lot of support.
Everything always comes back to that one line “Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change."
Indeed.
Just earlier this year, ACT was telling its loyalists, "New Zealand is deeply in the sh*t."
And in 2023, Newsroom reported:
"ACT weaponises astro-turfs – groups that masquerade as concerned citizens but actually push the interests of large corporates.
McLachlan told RNZ the Taxpayers’ Union “did a lot of the groundwork” for the Act Party in the 2020 election campaign through its Campaign for Affordable Housing. “It was actually a contrived problem that the Act Party told them to create.”
Note the phrase above: "contrived problem."
David Seymour.
Big dollars were wasted in the character assassination attacks on Jacinda Ardern. She neatly sidestepped them by resigning. She is still a force on the world stage.
To those on the right, she remains a lightning rod to raise funds and incite anger. Example, Taxpayers Union.
Thank you for writing with remarkable clarity!
I have lived in blue electorates most of my voting life and am used to living with the perception of my fellow citizens that there is only party that is qualified to govern the country because it is “the party that supports business”.
I understand why owners of small businesses in rural areas vote for money parties but I am still trying to understand what happened in the cities.
Perceptions, and successful attack ads from the then opposition party and their people like Taxpayers Union
I believe you are absolutely correct Tui. It's a scam of the first order. To do something positive, The Opportunities Party is forming policy around social issues and looking for comment - https://www.top.org.nz/priorities
Thank you Alan, I don't know much about TOP. I think the real challenge for the party will be how to differentiate itself amongst all the other parties. I know someone on Reddit who I respect is a part of the party and I trust his judgement is sound. I will take a look.
I'm beginning to see TOP as a real alternative here. Labour are still on holiday :( and I'm not sure they will budge on some of their policy stance which, quite frankly, lost them the election. (not that I personally want them too, I'd just rather have them as the government).
It seems Labour focused too much on staying in the centre to retain power, constantly polling to identify the centre. And they're still married to neoliberalism. The latest lot seem to be changing as much as they can as quickly as possible and hoping by the time an election comes around we'll see the sense of it. Good luck with that.
TOP sit between Green and Labour and I think if they were more visible, would get a lot of support.
I think there are a lot of labour voters that couldn't quite do green but will do TOP.