Andrew Dickens: Misguided, naïve, or just plain timid

Andrew Dickens Afternoons

So last week we lost Sir Michael Parkinson, the great interviewer. His son interviewed in the weekend saying his father was proud of his working-class roots but hated politics. While he hated politics but loved policy. He thought most of politics was just an act, but policies are actions.

I thought about that watching the corny play that was acted out over the weekend. Hipkins ruled out Peters even though Peters had ruled out Hipkins ages ago. Then Dunne says great politics and that it snookers Luxon, but Luxon comes back and says he's not thinking about Peters at all.

Honestly. So much hot air over almost nothing.

Then Chippy calls National, ACT, New Zealand First a coalition of cuts, chaos, and confusion.

Virtually the same thing that Luxon has been saying all year. Could you be any more insipid?

I said last week that I fail to comprehend what Chris Hipkins actually stands for anymore, and there's more proof.

Then we have Paul Henry in the paper on Sunday. John Key's bestie and former National party candidate.

He’s seen no evidence that if a new government is elected in October, things will “dramatically” change.

He says National are paralysed with the fear of dramatically committing themselves to anything and that Luxon is too obsessed with not screwing things up, and not screwing things up is not success.

And he's right. National's policy planks seem to be just removing anything Labour has done and throwing tax cuts at the cost of living which is like using gasoline to put out a fire.

There's a lack of a vision thing in our major parties, and when they do have a vision then they fail to realise it.

The National Party's policy on cancer drug funding last week was the closest to vision we've had from them in years, but they didn't sell it very well.

It's a return to Bill English's social investment philosophy. Using the Community Card to target help those who really need it rather than splashing cash around universally on prescriptions for everyone including the rich.

At the moment all the politicians in all the parties seem either misguided, .

It's time the politicians figure out what they stand for. Stop complaining that New Zealand's lost its mojo and ambition and get some yourself.

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