12 Comments

The question should be: will he even finish half a term?

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I sense a movement building around that!

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I've always doubted if Winston will ever hand over to David, will engineer an election before that time comes. Amazed Luxon let him go first...

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Now there's a thought, Robin! I need to put an alert into my diary ahead of the supposed change-over date. (And thank you for the pledge!)

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Perhaps what this poll picks up on is a wider disillusionment with the way our politicians operate. Typically the left or right parties get elected, by promoting an set of policies that resonate with a particular cohort of voters but are often realistic. The Labour/Greens like to lead with a caring social agenda (and they make all the right noises here) but over the last 6 years they did little more than tinker round the edges and achieve little of substance. Whereas the current National/Act/NZF mob are trying to sell the idea that they can get things done. That (unlike the previous administration) that they are a competent and serious government. There are good things happening with Erica Stanford in education (although David Seymour is still operating as though he is in campaign mode and may tip the cart over here) but we are as yet to see the coalition government give the impression that they actually know what they are doing and that they will take the country forward. In part this is because h pushing things through under urgency does not provide the opportunity to listen to other perspectives or to win people over. Perhaps we will see a serious centralist party emerge in the next year or so (TOP?).

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Yes, I wonder, Mark, if politicians (not only in NZ) haven't figured how to govern in the new environment. Disillusionment seems to be a common theme. It's a pity TOP couldn't break thru in Ilam last year, if only for the sake of new voice. GD

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Grant, is there any constitutional way the CoC can be “dethroned “ apart from an election?

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Hi Stephen. I guess you're asking if the PM can be replaced mid-term without an election. Let me count the ways: 1. He can resign and be replaced by a caucus colleague, as per Key 2016. 2. He can be dumped and replaced by caucus, as per Bolger 1997. 3. He can ask the Governor General to accept the resignation of the government as a whole and then hand over to another coalition (take your pick of parties!). 4. In extreme crisis, the GG could use reserve powers to sack him and his cabinet and invite another leader to form a coalition. At the moment, I don't see a constitutional reason for any of the above. Unpopularity could spark 1 or 2. But who would replace him as PM?

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Nichola Willis. I don't have much time for her especially when she gets into her shrill mode during Question Time but at least she manages to answer questions in a fairly concise manner unlike her Leader who appears to be almost totally incapable of answering without either going completely off piste ,bagging the Labour Party or both using language which is totally incomprehensible to T C MITS ( the common man in the street).

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That's interesting thanks Cheryl. After all, TCMITS counts in any election. Perhaps Nicola is biding her time, waiting for her opportunity. Let's see how her Budget goes!

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