Walt

You should have quit when you were well behind holy ravioli ....Thanks for highlighting the parts of your input that you obviously wanted me to take onboard. For expediency, I've joined them together. constructive sharing of perspectives..you did it..too!..I did not vote for Labour...You and the Chief would make a great tag team...substance

I don't recall ever claiming to be a "reasonable person". I'm just me and reserve the right to be unreasonable if I so desire. Haha @ "subjective assumptions"....virtually everything you say falls into that category. I couldn't possibly care less about copping a thumbs down. My dinner still tastes the same and I slept the same number of hours I normally do. The reason I mentioned it was due to it being you that delivered that first thumbs down. What a shock...haha. The other irony was what you gave a thumbs down to. That being my feedback on Chris Hipkins during the election campaign. Had you been paying attention you would have noticed the sausage roll muncher copped a spanking on election day. Clearly, many other New Zealanders shared my take on David Cunliffe part 2. I appreciate your butt is hurting after the election but just put some cream on it, learn which way is up and return with more of your scintillating repartee....aka... insomnia cure

You can believe Jesus Christ will return in November but that doesn't make it so. I didn't want National to be the new Government but very much wanted to see the back of Labour. What we have is a National led Government and with Labour sent packing. I got all of what I wanted and ironically, all of what I didn't want. The reason I didn't want National was connected only to their leader. I trust Luxon about as far as I can throw an elephant. We live in a democracy so I accept what my fellow New Zealanders have voted for even if I didn't want that. I'm not interested in fearmongering now the election has been won or lost. No sore or entitled losers. Let's just get on with making our beautiful country a better place for all of us. Labour did some good while in office but even a broken clock is right twice a day. Labour has left NZ more divided than at any time during my life journey. Some areas needed to be handled very carefully. Labour, arrogantly drove a far king bulldozer over and through those areas. Their priorities were so wrong. Many kiwi's celebrate Labour's departure and say goodbye to Labour in the same elegant manner Damian O'Connor said goodbye to Jenna Lynch last week. National has a big job on their hands. I wish them well. You are akin to debating with a tree so the claim (made only by you) that you're an open book on Politics must surely be in jest. I had the audacity to share my take on Chris Hipkins. It's a view shared by many but you gifted me with my first ever thumbs down on BOAY over my input. You are at least consistent. Anyone that shares your perspective must be right. Anyone with a different take on politics than you must therefor be wrong. That stands out like the proverbial dogs bollocks. ....so in terms of expanding why I believe you're a closed book is best done via paraphrase. "Everything"....Your bias oozes from every orifice.

As I said, not just the wealthy. Has anyone ever suggested you are a closed book when discussing Politics?

"parasitic landlord class?" Clearly, to you, any hard working New Zealander that has a second property or more is a parasitic landlord ? Do you think using a one size fits all does you and your input any credit? The funding for the tax cuts coming from taxing foreign house buyers was exposed as a "scam" which is outrageous for any political party, especially with a cornerstone policy. The fact this was ultimately overlooked by voters, such was their determination to send the inept and divisive Labour Government packing. I normally stay away from whataboutisims but we should always remember we are talking about politicians that make careers out of making numbers say exactly what they want them to say. Chris Hipkins told an outrageous lie about Primary Care Nurses during the second leaders debate that was contemptable and very deliberate. You can predict the end of the world .....or you can just accept the people have spoken at the election and we will have a new Government for at least the next three years. If they are as bad as Labour, they will need to be woefully bad. If that's the case, we can convict them at that time. The only blaming I'm doing is about Labour for throwing away their massive 2020 mandate and being so far king useless that they virtually forced the electorate to vote elsewhere.

What was the alternative? Labour has divided NZ by prioritizing Maori and beneficiaries etc and delivering virtually zero to everyone else.... except guilt and a less safe divided country. They have treated successful hard working New Zealanders as the enemy who are to blame for the state our country is now in. They haven't got a clue about balance and earned their exit visas big time. Voting for more of the same was always going to be a fail. Yes, wealthy successful people voted for National but as you know, NZ has a limited supply of wealthy successful people which means a lot of everyday kiwis also voted for them.

For me, it was Chris Hipkins. He set out to prove several huge things to New Zealanders. 1) He's light years away from being an actual leader. 2) Virtue signaling was his number 1 priority right until the end. 3) He lives and works in an echo chamber so has no understanding whatsoever of just how despised he and Labour really are. 4) He's ashamed of his own ethnicity. Virtually every photo I saw of him, he was surrounded by brown faces only. 5) He has contempt for NZ's biggest demographic and is only interested in serving up more guilt to them. 6) The most fired up Hipkins got during debates was about prioritizing Maori, beneficiaries and LGBT.....Very telling. 7) Hipkins believed he could win New Zealanders over by filling his face with sausage rolls FFS. Eight) Hipkins believes fighting in a debate and not being a weak push over is best achieved by talking over Luxon on the instruction of Helen Clark. 9) The performance of Labour after Election night was disgraceful. They confirmed yet again their arrogance, ignorance and petulance. 10) Hipkins and his tears and thanking his new partner, Toni with an "i" was truly nauseating. Please just fark off! 11) Hipkins highlighted just how inept and tone deaf he is with talk about "holding the Government to account" and Labour being in fine fettle. 12) Labour conclusively proved how desperately they need a complete reset. 13) Hipkins and Labour are very comfortable telling porkie pies. I could easily make this list up to 100 but you get the picture of my perspective.

One thing you can take to the bank.....Luck had absolutely zero to do with the result. Huge numbers of New Zealanders wanted Labour gone to a place far far away and that's exactly what they got. National and Labour are the two biggest parties so the dynamic created a mathematical inevitability. Labour out....National in. There will be social unrest but that is also inevitable in this time. There are large numbers of wokestars along with "other" entitled out there that have been demanding they get their way for the last six years and getting it. They will be incredulous at a Government being in place now that doesn't just roll over and play dead for them. We can expect more tantrums than ever. World politics etc should also not be discounted in the area of social unrest. Labour has left NZ well and truly divided. That will take decades to heal if it ever does. Political leanings have in many cases been pushed further to the right by intolerant lefties that victimize themselves and then blame anyone not sharing their bullshit divisive mantra. Blaming National for the ongoing social unrest we'll see is akin to blaming the victims of a cyclone for the damage that's been done.

The same person probably also came up with another brilliant idea to have cigarette lighters on the end of coat hangers. Next projects are a one wheeled car and a five wheeled motorcycle

Over the years I see a lot of punters questioning the tipping record of Craig Thompson. Two biggest critiques are the very short starting price of his tips that even blind Freddy doesn't need assistance to find and the other complaint is just how often his tips are rolled. Personally, I couldn't care less. If you need a tipster to find a $2 winner, you have nobody to blame but yourself. I find it satisfying to find winners using my own method so wagering on the perspective of another punter is a bit like fake boobs. What I dislike about Craig Thompson is that he's so far king boring. He's about as vanilla as a TV presenter ever gets. When I watch / listen to him it feels like I've found the cure for insomnia. If we want to entice more younger people into the game you need a person people want to tune in to. I love harness racing but the moment I see him, I hit mute. This shouldn't be happening. That's akin to a punitive deal around your dinner. You can eat you're fav meal but you first have to eat some toenail flavoured stale bread. Harness racing is good, but it isn't that good. I look forward to NZ Cup day every year but that is now lessened by the significant role Craig plays on the day. I generally enjoy the input and latest news from the other presenters. Part of the problem also is saturation coverage of "The Whale". It won't matter where the meeting is. Auckland, Cambridge, Manawatu, Nelson, Reefton, Addington, Otago, Invercargil, Winton, Gore etc etc. The Whale will be dominating every race at every meeting. Imagine how quickly you'd turn off if a younger Brendon Popplewell was used for Ruakaka, Auckland, Te Rapa, Manawatu, New Plymouth, Wellington, Marlborough, Reefton, Riccarton, Timaru, Oamaru, Wingatui, Invercargill and Gore etc. You'd soon get sick to the back teeth of him and it least Brendon has a personality. ...I think There is a role for Craig in the game but it should never be as a TV presenter.......unless it was for an informercial selling coffins.

I was referring to consultant specialists who are at the coalface. ie Consultant Anesthetist etc....not the consultant sitting behind a desk

That would have been more than a few years ago. Our health system has got progressively worse over the last 15 years as the population increased and Governments tried to cut corners resulting in the mess we have today. I have several family members in the health system mostly clinicians and consultants. Via them I come into contact with nurses on a daily basis.

That is also the mindset of Hipkins. I did actually preface my perspective on the diabolical pay inequity between Te Whatu Ora Nurses and Community / Primary Care Nurses by stating I wasn't just talking about GP Nurses who make up only a small percentage of Community / Primary Care Nurses which I also pointed out. It's been my experience that similar judgements are made by people unaware of the facts. Compare a Hospital Nurse working in the maternity ward dealing with child birth, obstetrics and gynecology etc. The nurse has had x number of years training. They are not a doctor. They assist with child birth. A very important role. Then you have another nurse that works in Hospice care. They will have had as much training if not more than the nurse in the maternity ward. They are dealing with the other end of the life cycle. This is a hugely important role. Who should be paid more? Should the maternity nurse be paid more than the Hospice nurse? Should the maternity nurse be paid 35% more than the Hospice nurse? If they were do you think that is reasonable, respectful and fair? If you answer yes, you could work alongside Hipkins. These nurses should be paid exactly the same. Plunket deal with a wide array of situations. They have a huge role when it comes to dealing with child abuse, mothers using methamphetamines, gang member fathers, fathers on electronic bail etc etc etc. Their priority is always the welfare of the child. Plunket nurses are routinely subjected to reprehensible abuse while attempting to help keep the child safe. Dealing with deceased babies with all the implications there is not rare. Concerning threats and assaults on nurses are becoming more common. I know of a Plunket nurse who was murdered and another that took her own life. I know of numerous Plunket nurses that have far more training, far more experience and far more qualifications than Te Whatu Ora nurses yet are paid between 15% and 35% less. Everybody I come into contact within the health sector believes this situation is not only unreasonable, it's obscene. Same situation applies with many other Community / Primary Nurses. Most have a pivotal role in the life and death process. They do everything possible to prevent hospital admission and death. Hospital nurses deal with some of the same patients, but just at a different stage and a potentially more acute situation. All of these nurses should be paid exactly the same as their equivalent role at Te Whatu Ora. For the record, Te Whatu Ora nurses can work extra shifts and be paid time and a half or double time. They deserve that and no community nurses begrudge them that. It's the base rates that should be identical. You should also factor in most community / primary care nurses are not afforded the opportunity to be paid time and a half or double time.

For many years I subscribed to the Billy Connolly ethos on voting. "Don't vote, it only encourages them"....in truth, I was busy elsewhere and never felt inspired by a politician. I wasn't inspired by Ardern but it was my son's first vote so I set an example there. If I was to put all my cards on the table, I'd admit the two big referendums in 2020 played a big part in getting me to the ballot box for the first time. If you watch the clip where the Chief Executive of Hospice NZ was interviewed in the link above, you'll see up in lights why myself and many others linked to Community / Primary Health care are so frustrated and disillusioned with Labour. You know the old saying, if you pay peanuts, you'll get ........... I've spoken to dozens that feel Labour have very deliberately underfunded community care nurses so they will leave that sector to fill the huge shortage of nurses in Te Whatu Ora. The nurses I've spoken to about this are dark on it. It's also false economy as it has only exacerbated the growing crisis in Community / Primary Care. On what planet is it reasonable and fair to pay Te Whatu Ora nurses a staggering 30% more than their equivalent in Community / Primary Care are paid? The fact this is occurring during a cost of living crisis is reprehensible. I obviously have a vested interest in this area. I've lost count at the number of wonderful nurses I've seen in tears and have had enough. For them, watching Hipkins misrepresent the true situation on such a vitally important issue is a pill they just can't and won't swallow. If they could, many would vote multiples times against Labour next month. How to lose an Election.....By Chris Hipkins

"Regurgitate" = vomiting "Platitudes" = moral content used too often to be useful Is that how you participate in the adult sharing of perspectives or are you only interested views from a left wing echo chamber .....ie exactly like Chris Hipkins? I don't believe I communicate like a politician. I'm a communicator that can talk the ears off a dead donkey , but you're the first in my 61 years to make such a comparison. As for being right leaning. In 2020 I voted for the first time aged 58 years. I voted Labour. Is that the action of a right leaning person? That had a lot to do with the way I view Judith Collins and her obscene performance as leader during the election campaign. I along with growing numbers of kiwi's are totally disillusioned with Labour. There is no doubt whatsoever they have caused more racial division via their prioritizing based on ethnicity rather than need. I live in Nelson, and our hospital has been calling out for help for years. Labour ignored those calls until three months out from election day when they suddenly found one billion dollars to redevelop our hospital. Nelson is a very marginal seat. Every person I've spoken to in Nelson is cynical about the timing that highlights being re-elected as their true priority. Teachers were suddenly gifted pay settlements in their long running dispute, once again approximately three months from election day. Te Whatu Ora nurses were also gifted a pay increase in their long running pay dispute....also approximately three months out from election day. These increases allowed Labour, as very deliberately planned to take the high ground on respecting our Nurses and Teachers which is exactly what they've cynically done. Hipkins has proved himself to be comfortable to look at cameras and misrepresent facts. Not a good trait and calls other statements he makes into question. You'll be aware of long running pay parity negotiations in the health sector. Unsure if you know much about pay equity and pay inequity in this process as well. There is a huge number of nurses working in the community. They are involved in the care from cradle to the grave. Most of these nurses have the same or better qualifications than Te Whatu Ora nurses. I know this to be factual. Community nurses have been in crisis for a number of years. They routinely must rob Peter to pay Paul to the point they can no longer do this. They are unable to retain staff and recruiting is a serious issue. I'm not just talking about the nurse that works at your local family doctor's clinic. Morale is low and nurses are stressed and disillusioned. It's causing issues now when they are expected to offer a high level of care to patients at exactly the same time zero care is coming their way from Government. They are devalued and disrespected via the pay arrangements. Te Whatu Ora nurses have received meaningful pay increases with the promise of more to come. Community nurses have received 0% pay offers in some cases and crumbs in all others. The gap between Te Whatu Ora nurses and Community / primary care nurses is now getting so bad, many nurses have eventually walked away. I know personally of numerous that eventually gave up and moved to Australia. Two months ago Community nurses were again treated disrespectfully by Labour. Chris Hipkins made a public statement that totally misrepresented the true situation. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/08/prime-minister-chris-hipkins-says-private-care-practices-responsible-for-nurse-s-pay.html Then more of the same from Hipkins. That occurred during Wednesday nights News hub leaders debate. Gower asked if he nurses in General Practices should be paid the same as those employed at Hospitals. Hipkins said "Yes and we've put 200 million in just this year to achieve that"...Hipkins is either very comfortable to misrepresent the true situation or has no clue about numbers. Interestingly, he did state in the debate he hated math's at school. Nobody is disputing the 200 million figure but everyone in the sector knows his statement about that amount achieving the goal is a complete lie. I can emphatically state the pay gap between Community / Primary care nurses and Te Whatu Ora nurses is now greater than it's been since Labour took over as Government. It's almost impossible to believe Hipkins is not aware of this fact. What a diabolical indictment on Labour. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/09/election-2023-hospice-nz-ceo-not-not-confident-in-political-leaders-pay-parity-commitment-to-nurses-in-debate.html I along with droves of others have turned against Labour due to their virtue signaling, their priorities, their incompetency and willingness to misrepresent truth. Nothing whatsoever to do with being "right leaning" I'd hoped we could have a constructive sharing of perspectives on the election even if we disagree with each other. Clearly, that's a bridge too far for some.

Education, advertising, health programs etc. What we have now amounts to allowing your whanau to make unhealthy choices and when that inevitably catches up, far too many refuse to engage with health professionals. There is a bowel screening advertising campaign on at this time. More of that is needed especially in areas our Maori brothers and sister are disproportionately represented in. There also needs also to be some personal responsibility with health care rather than the ongoing finger pointing at the system for their own failings.

In the first debate the Sausage Roll munching leader of the Minorities Party...aka Labour was as weak as cat piss. The only time he got fired up was when the subject of prioritizing Maori came up. Same deal last night but this time the LGBT crowd. Ironic to see today Hipkins on his soap box saying other parties are trying to get traction by being anti Maori. Hipkins is all about virtue signaling and has been trying to harvest votes by being pro Maori. A recent poll said the majority of New Zealanders think our country is on the wrong trajectory with Race Relations. They are right. This is a sensitive issue that Politicians need to tread very carefully on. Hipkins and Ardern have used a bulldozer. They have prioritized support people receive based on ethnicity rather than need. They've done the same with health care etc etc. This has understandably created resentment within the largest demographic in NZ. They've instead received extra helpings of guilt instead. I think we all agree that better health outcomes for Maori is a worthy goal but not at the expense of non Maori. Better health outcomes for everyone should be the goal. Find ways to encourage Maori in the right direction rather than push them up on the waiting list because they are Maori and shunt others down because they are non Maori. Hipkins and Labour are dividing NZ

I'd be keen to know how many people will cast their vote via either frustration or fear. I can't see why anyone would be inspired by Labour. Hipkins is just not the man to lead NZ and he's surrounded by virtue signaling Muppets. I've seen zero from Luxon to inspire me either and it's clear many people have fears of National and their coalition party or parties. There is also a serious trust issue with Luxon. He insists on controlling the narrative and swats legitimate questions away like flies. I trust him about as far as I can throw a family size fridge freezer

Hey Gammalite, I enjoy trolling through the old results. Memory Lane a lovely spot to visit. Cardinal King was just before my time but looking through the old results I see he won 10 here for Jack Behrns who stopped training in 1981. Famous harness family the Behrns. I'm assuming there is a family connection with Tommy Behrns from Canterbury and Irvin from the South Auckland area? You and your dad had a great ride together and have a busload of great memories. I've been to Meadowlands in New Jersey a few years back but it was on a non raceday. I just wanted to get a feel for it but did go to Yonkers for a few races and a few weeks later on our tiki tour when to Mohawk Park in Canada. Was snowing when we went and again only stayed for a few races on a low key day. I never got to see Cardigan Bay in the flesh which I very much regret.

won by ....Romulus Hanover. The number one horse was fairly decent

Hipkins is politically a dead man walking. I find it nauseating watching him farting around convinced he's on the right track, surrounded by a bunch of complete numpty's. The best things National have going for them at the moment are ......they are not Labour .....and can't be any worse....apparently

Two out of every three New Zealanders think Labour is on the wrong track. Hipkins answer to this highlights how dangerous it is for a political party to live and work in an echo chamber. He eats another sausage roll. Attempts to fearmonger with National and ACT, makes a lame joke to the camera while the morbidly obese Megan Woods laughs awkwardly next to him. He then trots off to have another photo opportunity with party faithful. He then spouts off some policy for a far away land entirely dependent on Labour getting back in. Even if the policy made sense, people would ask why was it not brought in six years ago. What Labour needed to do was own what they have got badly wrong and try to secure the votes of two out of every three people that despise them. Cementing the votes of party faithful will never get the job done. The fact Hipkins thinks his losing strategy will result in an election victory shows yet again he is the wrong person to lead NZ. Labour's answer to all the carnage they've created and dividing NZ looks like this. Remove GST off fruit and veges and save NZ families a whopping $4.50 a week. This could only happen if Labour win the election and only if unscrupulous Supermarkets pass on that $4.50 saving sometime in 2025. Hipkins then says National is out of touch. You can't make this shit up. Wake up FFS

I think National could arrange a policy to drown kittens and puppies. Labour have been so woefully bad that policy for National could get through.

I strongly believe Labour are mostly a bunch of divisive inept Muppets that are well out of their depth. It's difficult to nail down just what their biggest failures have been as there are so many. I'll have a go. Most concern ethnicity. 1) Dividing NZ. They've done that via their agenda of arranging support and health care etc based on ethnicity rather than need. That has encouraged a poor me and a sense of entitlement on one side and created disadvantage and resentment on the other side. Race issues sit on a balanced line. It's important Governments tread very carefully and slowly around them. Labour via their agenda have driven a D10 Bulldozer straight through the subject as quickly as possibly to fit their own political time frame. They have also further divided NZ via their Vaccine Mandates. 2) Virtue Signaling. Labour have led the way in this area. Choosing Labour candidates and Cabinet Ministers on ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation rather than merit has become their Modus Operandi. Poto Williams (Maori) was without doubt the worst ever Police Minister NZ has had to endure. She was never suitable for such an enormously important role. She stood there doing absolutely nothing while ram-raids got a foothold. Ardern spouted she had full confidence in Williams. Finally, well after the horse had bolted Ardern sacked her, stating Williams had "lost her focus". How is it possible for a Police Minister to lose focus during a crime wave? Truth is, Williams never had any focus from day one. Complete numpty. Nanaia Mahuta. (Maori) Asleep at the wheel at this hugely important time in the Pacific via her role as Foreign Affairs Minister. Architect of highly contentious and divisive Labour Party Policy that is now sinking them. Secured highly paid roles for her family members and did so without even looking elsewhere for far better and more competent people. Kiri Allan ( Maori and Lesbian) By far the worst and most unsuitable Minister of Justice NZ has ever been forced to endure. Carmel Sepuloni ( Samoan and Tongan descent) is now our Deputy Prime Minister despite being clueless. Everyone in NZ knew Motels were charging MSD far more for social housing clients than the public was being charged......except one person. Minister for MSD, Carmel Sepuloni. Grant Robertson. (Homosexual) Many believe he's easily the worst Minister of Finance NZ has ever had. etc etc 3) Being kind to Gangs / Maori offenders. Current Police Minister is on record as saying Prison is no place for Maori. Labour's agenda to hugely reduce Prison numbers has resulted in serious crimes being routinely downgraded so the offender qualifies for Home Detention. Judges are obviously complicit with this goal by gifting out pathetic sentences for serious offending. Discounts on sentences for Cultural reasons has now become the status quo. The Mongrel Mob especially are clearly very aware of this. NZ is now a less safe place for law abiding Kiwi's to reside. Meanwhile, the Mob is able to dominate the roads and intimidate others as some form of respect to a recently deceased fellow Mob member. The Police allow this to unfold and just shadow them instead. It's a farcical mess and Labour created it. 4) Our health system is in chaos. Andrew Little should not be in charge of a hamster, let alone our health system. It's now in a far worse state than when Labour took over. It does however now have a nice new Maori name. Labour are congratulating themselves over pay increases to nurses. I've seen this unfold up close. Andrew Little hated the Nurses Organization for having the audacity to seek better pay and condition for NZ Nurses and confront him over it. He took it very personally and as a result, a long drawn out impasse unfolded. Disillusionment and low morale with our nurses reached new levels. They left in droves. Andrew Little was an epic fail just like he was as Labour leader for almost three years and as the Pike River Minister. Only recently after Little was replaced and in the lead up to the election have nurses finally been partly successful with their pay claims but there are still huge numbers of community nurses with similar or better qualifications to Te Whatu Ora nurses being left out in the cold. I've seen nurses in tears and resigning just in the last few weeks. Meanwhile, Hipkins has absolutely and very deliberately misrepresented this huge issue by stating it only effects nurses at GP Clinics and they need to arrange their pay deal with the clinic that employs them. 5) We now have a PM that is suddenly unaware what a woman is and describes anything that isn't totally embracing the trans community as spreading hate. The implications of this are enormous. Hate Speech policy was always about controlling the narrative. Hipkins has again proven that. Despite what I've said above, Labour have got some things right along the way. Nothing to cancel out all of their fails but they do constitute positive results. 1) The lifting of the minimum wage. This was well overdue and something that has helped many Kiwis. 2) Boosted working for families. 3) Doubled sick leave from 5 to 10 days. 4) Introduced the ban on Foreign Buyers dining out on the NZ housing market and shutting out young kiwi families wanting to buy a home in their home country for their family. Most are still shut out due to high interest rates. 5) Banning the obscene trade of shipping live animals. I know a guy who worked this trade for six years and still has nightmares over what he witnessed on every voyage. .....despite what vested interest claimed about vet support on board and all care taken. He also witnessed what unfolded at the other end. Banning this trade was the right and ethical thing to do. The only regret is it taking so long. 6) Despite the waste and reported poor quality in places, the free school lunches has been successful. 7) Free GP visits for kids under 14. Eight) No prescription charges. 9) Set up Cancer Control Agency. 10) Built new and or upgraded classrooms. 11) ACC now covering birth injuries. 12) Providing period products for students. There are other success stories for them. That list should be ten times longer after six years in Government but it would be wrong to say Labour have not achieved anything in Government. I don't know what the answer is in terms of the best Government for NZ. One thing I'm certain of it's not the National Party. They already intend lifting the bans on Foreign House Buyers and the Shipping of Live Animals. There are good reasons why so many kiwis don't trust Luxon. I trust him about as far as I can throw an adult Elephant. They will use the state of the books to justify cuts and they will be the order of the day. The suffering and negative impacts as a result of those cuts will be hidden in clear view. National are about as inspiring as warm flat beer. They will be Government due to Labour's epic failures and their potential coalition partner (s) harvesting more votes than Labour's woeful options. Labour prioritized the bottom third and were often punitive toward the rest. National will prioritize the top third and often be punitive toward the rest. Regardless of what they are all saying, the middle third will continue sucking eggs as always. Our choices at the ballot box next month are the most stark I've ever witnessed. Voting out rather than voting in will be the staus quo. The only difference this election is the significance of "fear" motivating voting.

Impossible not to be cynical about this. It's clear Sausage Roll man knows now Labour has lost a ton of votes with their soft and fluffy be kind approach to crime, especially Gang Crime. We have a Labour Party perfect storm. First their desire to have 20% less inmates in NZ Prisons. This has obviously filtered through into the court system. Crimes are routinely downgraded so the offender qualifies for Home Detention. Then you have a Police Minister who is on record for stating "Maori have no place in Prison". No secret that the Mongrel Mob is pretty much all Maori. They have been huge benefactors of Labour's "be kind" to criminals. We could have another 1000 sworn Police Officers and it wouldn't change Labour's approach, in fact it would just highlight it even more. Add this to Three Waters, Hate Speech and Co-Governance and it's clear, Labour have gifted the election to National. I saw yesterday that two out of three Kiwi's now think Labour ins on the wrong track. I can't see how they have any hope of turning that around now. They are burnt toast. Labour have obviously done well in some areas but that good has been totally canceled out by the above.