In response: you say only time will tell if National is good for NZ. I don’t think the election is a foregone conclusion due to MMP. The point of MMP is that parties which are able to form coalitions and thus represent the ‘majority’ of voters are the ones in power. I agree National has polled consistently high but so has Labour. National has no natural partners which the NZ electorate want to see in power, so Labour keep getting reelected. NZ is fundamentally economically left: capitalists who believe in workers rights.

Against National:
• they would have had us send troops into the Iraq war,
• they want to reform the RMA, which not only did they bring in, but is an excellent act for making sure that rampant development doesn’t destroy NZs natural beauty,
• their emphasis on not having policy, coupled with leaks about what they will reform/sell/cut back scares me. If you have read Nicky Hagar’s the Hollow Men, National is still populated by people who want to sell of our state assets. I know you have said that they wouldn’t, but they will in comparison to Labour.
• I vote Green because I want their environmental emphasis to be a part of the next NZ government, and the Greens and National will never form a coalition.

I think replicating the consumerist mistakes of England, the U.S. and Australia are not the way forward for NZ. I am not saying that this consumption and high standards of living shouldn’t occur in NZ as they patently do. Only that National stands for more inequality, more consumption and more environmental destruction. And potentially more hawkish foreign policy. No thanks.

National has always polled generally quite well and Labour has only continued to get into power by its friends on the left and centre. (Greens, NZ first, United and Alliance) Granted when Labour came to power NZ had swung quite far to the right with little regulation and red tape however many would argue that it was a time for change and that things should dirt back to the centre. However if you look at many of Nationals policies they intend to adopt many of Labours ideas such as keeping with the retirement fund and not selling kiwi bank or toll rail. There isn’t a huge difference between the two parties when you look just at policy.

In regards to current political trends, I think what you will see emerge is rather than right wing and free market ideologies as always seen as golden you will see an increased awareness for regulation especially in financial services where greed and unsustainable practices have continued for too long unchecked. Monetary policies have very recently been showed up as ineffective at tacking local economies and this has only highlighted how increased regulation will need to be applied to effectively safe guard the

I’m not a National supporter, and I do share your concerns with many of those long standing National MPs like Dr Lockwood-Smith for example but if they do come to power, NZ will continue to thrive.