Morgan will ‘auction off’ support
Gareth Morgan has launched his election campaign with a pledge to make sure his generation leaves the country better off than they found it – and hit 30 per cent support by 2020.
Morgan said he doesn’t care who leads the Government – but he does want to stop New Zealand ‘‘flicking an inter-generational hospital pass’’ to future generations.
‘‘The current generation, the baby boomers, may be the first to leave behind a New Zealand with less fairness and less equality than we were born into,’’ Morgan said.
‘‘We are leaving them loaded with debt for our education while we ask them to pay for our retirement. We are pricing them out of the housing market so that we can make tax free capital gains.’’
The economist wants his insurgent Opportunities Party (TOP) to enter Parliament, sit on the cross benches, and sell their support to whoever takes up the most of their policies.
A recent UMR poll put them at 3 per cent – far higher than ACT, Maori, and United Future – but without a safe seat they still would not enter Parliament on those numbers. They’ve amassed about 5000 members and 20 candidates.
In a blistering opening speech at their campaign launch in Wellington yesterday, Morgan railed against politicians ‘‘stuck in outdated Left versus Right ideology’’ fighting ‘‘not to restore the fairness in our society but to perpetuate their own political power in some vain belief that an ideology is what’s needed to get this country back on track.’’
Despite his branding attempt to transcend political poles, most of Morgan’s policies fit onto the left of the spectrum – particularly the flagship tax policy, which would tax all houses and other property as if it was producing wealth.
He promised media that the party would hit 10 per cent this election and 30 per cent by 2020.
‘‘It’s just common sense. The policies are basically just common sense. And I think people want New Zealand to go forward – and we’ve had so much same-old sameold already,’’ Morgan said.
When Morgan started the party last October he wasn’t sure what the response would be, or whether they would have a chance at making it into Parliament.
Following two tours of the country and a huge increase in media attention, Morgan said the support was there. ‘‘We’ve already moved the political mood in this country and we haven’t had a single vote yet.’’
If they do make it to Parliament Morgan says he will ‘‘auction off’’ his support to potential governments. Whichever party offered him the largest number of TOP’S flagship policies – which include $200 a week given to every 18-23 year old, rent-controlled lifelong tenures on property, and moving the alcohol age back to 20 – would get his support in confidence and supply, but he would not enter a coalition. These policies were not all or nothing and could be negotiated with the larger parties.