I feel the next few weeks will be very revealing about the how robust the coalition is, it will be tested.

I look forward to having Winston as our PM. A 7% Party Member, telling 93% of the country what to do. Democracy in action.

/Popcorn anyone.

Wiggum:

 

I look forward to having Winston as our PM. A 7% Party Member, telling 93% of the country what to do. Democracy in action.

 

/Popcorn anyone.

 

He's not "president".  Can't do anything much at all without support of the house.

Fred99:

 

Wiggum:

 

I look forward to having Winston as our PM. A 7% Party Member, telling 93% of the country what to do. Democracy in action.

 

/Popcorn anyone.

 

 

He's not "president".  Can't do anything much at all without support of the house.

 

Have you told HIM that? 

MikeB4:

 

I feel the next few weeks will be very revealing about the how robust the coalition is, it will be tested.

 

It has already been tested and has failed. It is a joke.

In the words of Hosking today..."This is a Labour Party that's a mixture of out of its depth, delusional and inexperienced." Add that to a dishonest person like Peters and its crackers with no sparkle.

I see Shane Jones can't seem to control his yap yet again. 

It's one thing to be critical, it's a whole other thing to carry on the way he does. If he could JUST show a MODICUM of professionalism that would be fantastic. 

PM has some special 'the buck stops here' powers when it's very urgent for a decision to be made. For example, I believe it was PM Muldoon, not Minister of Defence, who made the decision to send a Skyhawk to stop a Russian fishing trawler by firing its cannons just in front of the ship.

amiga500:

 

PM has some special 'the buck stops here' powers when it's very urgent for a decision to be made. For example, I believe it was PM Muldoon, not Minister of Defence, who made the decision to send a Skyhawk to stop a Russian fishing trawler by firing its cannons just in front of the ship.

 

Not sure what you are referring to, but she should definitely use those power every time a NZF minister considers opening their mouths! :)

networkn:

I see Shane Jones can't seem to control his yap yet again. 

It's one thing to be critical, it's a whole other thing to carry on the way he does. If he could JUST show a MODICUM of professionalism that would be fantastic. 

 

 

MikeB4:

networkn:

 

I see Shane Jones can't seem to control his yap yet again. 

 

 

 

It's one thing to be critical, it's a whole other thing to carry on the way he does. If he could JUST show a MODICUM of professionalism that would be fantastic. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think Winston Peters needs to bring his colleagues into line or demote him. I think Jones is trying to raise his profile but with very bad advice to maybe try a leadership challenge on Peters.

Agreed, I see him as top contender for the Peters job when Peters retires soon. I liked Shane Jones, his "scandal" never bothered me, but recently he has really dropped his whole game. 

I am not surprised in the slightest to see that housing prices are up 5% despite Labours promises to "fix" it. Where is their ban on foreign buyers? 

After more than 6 months, I feel they have had a chance to make an impact, and I don't think their impact has been positive esp re housing.

Peters last hurdle, the thing he wanted more than anything all along, was to be PM. I suspect he will pretty much be done after that. . 

What I find interesting, that traditionally there have been periods of both primary parties in lots of countries having a lot of support then none with voters. IE This time Republicans get in, a few terms then Democrats. Lately in pretty much every election people are really split. Clear majorities are rare. 

In NZ we are the same. There is very little between National and Labour/Greens/NZF about half the country support either. I worry about this. 

networkn:

 

There is very little between National and Labour/Greens/NZF about half the country support either. I worry about this. 

 

It could be worse actually. Personally as much as I dislike Winston, I would rather have him there as part of the coalition. Imagine a Labour/Green majority government.

Wiggum:

 

networkn:

 

There is very little between National and Labour/Greens/NZF about half the country support either. I worry about this. 

 

 

It could be worse actually. Personally as much as I dislike Winston, I would rather have him there as part of the coalition. Imagine a Labour/Green majority government.

 

That's a good point. I do think that would be a 1 term only option for them.

networkn:

 

Peters last hurdle, the thing he wanted more than anything all along, was to be PM. I suspect he will pretty much be done after that. . 

 

 

 

What I find interesting, that traditionally there have been periods of both primary parties in lots of countries having a lot of support then none with voters. IE This time Republicans get in, a few terms then Democrats. Lately in pretty much every election people are really split. Clear majorities are rare. 

 

In NZ we are the same. There is very little between National and Labour/Greens/NZF about half the country support either. I worry about this. 

 

 

 

We are different to the US scenario in as much as we don't have just two very dominant parties with minor parties failing to get over 5% , we have two parties that tend to split their support given that they generally reside on the same section of the spectrum and they split their support not between themselves but between second tier parties. This results in messy election results. Some say this is the true form of democracy but is it? when parties with just over the threshold dominate the policy decisions in order to ride one of the first tier parties to the treasury benches. If it were true representative democracy the two parties in the last election that formed a coalition should have been Labour and National given that between them they polled 81.3% of the vote.