National no friends

Now that the dust has settled on the 2017 elections, it is interesting to analyse the result from a different perspective. A Patrick Gower article recently brought up the point about National’s lack of coalition partners and implications thereof. You will note from the inception of MMP that no party has ever been able to govern alone so a friend or two is needed. Right now, National is very short on them. The Maori Party and United Future are both finished, ACT has ‘‘done its dash’’ and NZ FIRST may never go back to the Nats. NZF and National have a sour history but policy difference may be the problem. We now have a bizarre situation where the National Party may never govern New Zealand again. Gazing further into the crystal ball … have we woken a sleeping giant here - The rise and rise of the Green party? These guys are ‘‘out from the cold’ and will receive a lot more media coverage from now on. Watch their party vote increase dramatically come 2020. All the young voters coming through have little or no allegiance with either National or Labour and look up to the Greens. As we old National and Labour supporters die off, the Greens may emerge as the main player in NZ Politics. What’s their attraction to the young? – Well; they are like a peaceful and loving religion only much better – human compassion without messing up on the Lord!! My prediction: Green led coalition 2029.

Bernie Askew New Plymouth