RICHARD PREBBLE: The two Christophers
Regardless of the final result, this election has been a disastrous performance by both Christophers. On election night neither National nor Labour received 30 per cent of the party vote.
Labour has 15 list MPs only because it performed so poorly in the electorates.
Labour has paid the price for failing to replace Chris Hipkins.
National’s failure is even more extraordinary.
Christopher Luxon has been an exceptionally unpopular prime minister. A leader with self-knowledge would have recognised the reality and stepped aside.
Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith and Gerry Brownlee are out of Parliament because they failed to persuade or force a change of leader.
It has been obvious all year that Luxon was leading National to a disastrous result for the party.
Who doubts that if Erica Stanford had been leading National, we would have elected a very different Parliament?
Richard Prebble is a former Minister and ACT Party leader who writes at I've Been Thinking
Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
So true … Luxon has no self knowledge / awareness… no good at working out the lay of the land/ no good at reading the room
Correct.
When I arrived in New Zealand, just prior to the 1978 election all the pundits at the time said 'New Zealanders always get the government they deserve'. Clearly nothing has changed. But, harking back to Richard's earlier post this week, perhaps we should enjoy the interim whilst we have no government, and no media drivel. The only problem is the uncivil disservice which will carry on as usual confirming Wellington's true role as the septic tank of New Zealand.
The other obvious thing from this election is Wellington voted to protect its cushy Civil Service jobs. If National had got rid of 10,000 Public Service employees in the last term maybe Bishop would have won a few more votes.
BTW it's disgusting Luxon didn't acknowledge his senior MPs who lost their seats because of his appalling leadership. Good CEOs often have big egos - good Prime Ministers seldom do.