Parties gear up for September vote
English says NZ First an ‘unlikely’ choice of governing partner, saying Nats prefer to stick to their present allies English faces his toughest battle in months ahead
PHrime Minister Bill English has set out his future governing preferences well in advance of the election, describing NZ First leader Winston Peters as an “unlikely partner” but not impossible.
English yesterday announced the election would be held on September 23 — in keeping with Prime Minister John Key’s practice of setting the date well in advance.
It marks the starting line for English’s attempt to get a fourth term for National and a campaign in which he will focus on the economy and stable government.
He is to follow up his announcement with his first state of the nation speech in Auckland today and said that would contain new policy as well as a glimpse of his own background and priorities.
He would not give any hints on what policies he was looking at, but when asked if tax cuts or a “family income package” was still possible, English said lifting household incomes remained a priority and “something along those lines” could be expected.
English said National would be “taking nothing for granted” because MMP elections were always close.
If National was able to get a fourth term, his preference was to work again with Act, United Future and the Maori Party. “Together this group have provided stable and successful government which matters more now at a time of uncertainty in many parts of the world.”
While NZ First was not off the cards, it was an “unlikely partner” because of its “inward-looking views” on matters such as immigration and the economy.
That was likely to mean deals in Epsom and Ohariu again to try to keep Act leader David Seymour and United Future leader Peter Dunne.
But he said it was too early to say what form those deals would take.
English downplayed the prospect of immigration taking centre-stage in the campaign, as it had in Britain and the United States, saying record high net migration was forecast to slow.
Labour Party leader Andrew Little marked the election-day announcement in Dunedin, where he spoke to an audience of about 400 last night.
He said he was ready to go to the polls in September on a platform of housing affordability, access to healthcare and quality education, safer communities and a stronger economy. “Only by changing the Government can we do that,” he said.
“We’re well prepared . . . and we’ll be working hard to convince New Zealanders we can help give them a fair shot at the Kiwi dream.”
Peters kept his response short, simply saying NZ First had planned around that date — “it suits us fine”. But soon after he fired out a statement accusing National of letting immigrants take too many low-skilled jobs. To see video, go to nzherald.co.nz Bill English has faced many battles in his long political career but nothing as tough as the uncertain election he faces eight months from now in a bid to lead National to a fourth-term victory.
It is the fight of his life and in some ways it is John Key’s as well.
Earning the title of Prime Minister rather than inheriting it from Key will be a strong motivation.
If English wins, it will not just be redemption from his failed leadership of another era, it will also validate Key’s decision to quit.
It would turn what was possibly a reckless or selfish departure into an act of unparalleled foresight and courage.
The first thing English must do is to introduce himself and his family to the voting public in ways that reveal values, character and humour they can connect with.
The odd tweet at Christmas showed the English clan enjoying a game of backyard cricket under the pohutukawa of Karori.
Peters has refused to indicate whether he would prefer to work with National or Labour.
English used the platform of his election-day address to label Labour and the Greens as “increasingly farleft and inward-looking”.
But despite his 26 years as an MP, English has been a relative stranger except to pockets such as the Dipton stockyards, the Wellington beltway, company boardrooms, and the English clan.
As an ex-leader and then Finance Minister, it was his duty to lie low, be steady, boring and noncontroversial. That will change, and fast.
He has promised to start revealing more of himself today in his state of the nation speech in Auckland.
John Key was an open book, with a willingness to share his life from cats (Moonbeam) to vasectomies (just the one).
English is more straight-laced and is likely to be more constrained.
The second thing English must try to do is stop comparisons between himself and Key. To do that English must be bold and sharp all the time, as he was in his press conference when he was elected, as he was yesterday, especially in his attacks on Labour and the Greens.
He ridiculed the “vibe” of their increasingly close association, a
He said they offered nothing but a “vibe” after failing to present any new policy at the joint state of the nation addresses by Little and Green co-leader Metiria Turei.
Greens co-leader James Shaw said his party was more prepared than theme that will resonate for the next eight months as he suggests they are not fit to govern.
Winston Peters and NZ First were deemed more fit to govern as potential coalition partners for National in English’s ranking but the preferred partners were the current ones: Act, United Future and the Maori Party.
English’s credentials in steering the economy through the global financial crisis to surplus and relative stability will be a strong basis for National’s campaign.
But it will be held in a new era of global uncertainty and unpredictability. It is not yet clear how isolated New Zealand will be.
If Kim Dotcom and the Internet Party made up the wild card in the 2014 election, Gareth Morgan’s Opportunities Party looks set to take that role in 2017.
As Geoff Simmons, the party’s Mt Albert byelection candidate, said yesterday, the events of last year and Monday’s cricket result at Mt Eden Park showed “there is no such thing as a foregone conclusion”. any previous election and would offer “a credible, compassionate, progressive alternative” to National.
The election date is almost exactly three years after the 2014 election, on September 20.
English said it would allow the Prime Minister to attend two important global forums — the East-Asia summit and Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec).
Another unmentioned factor is that it falls between All Black tests on September 16 and September 30.