Seven ways for National to face the future

1 Climate change

National supports the creation of an independent Climate Change Commission but it’s unclear how much the realities of climate change will inform its policies, especially on land use and transport.

National talks about alleviating poverty just as much as Labour, especially in relation to housing and education. But it has offered no commitment to a higherwage economy.

3 Crime and corrections

We now know that most prisoners are Maori, have mental health and/or addiction issues, have suffered head trauma and are functionally illiterate. National knows this as well as anyone. But at the party conference Bridges framed crime in the old way, as a law and order issue. Do the crime and you do the time was the extent of the thinking he revealed to delegates. It’s not very grown-up.

4 Regional development

It’s not tenable to let the regions fail. And it’s not tenable to suggest more motorways will fix the problem. National has a long way to go on this.

5 Workforce fit for purpose

It’s to the shame of both parties that we don’t have a workforce better able to take up the challenges of the modern economy, because it’s a crisis that’s been building in education, industry, regional development and more for decades. National could own this if it wanted to.

For economic, environmental, health and social reasons, the internal combustion engine is not the future, nor are the roads it requires. It’s peculiar beyond all reason that National has not grasped this yet.

7 No lies

Seen the rest of the world? Good ethics in government are more essential now than ever.