What’s in the political wind?
CHRISTMAS EVE GENEROSITY
My 77-year-old mother and I were shopping for barbecue ribs at Preston’s on Christmas Eve. Customers were delightfully surprised when the talented ladies from Black Rose Florist came into the store handing out bunches of flowers.
My mother received a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses, white anthurium and gloriosa lilies and was absolutely blown away by their generosity.
The flowers took pride of place at the table for Christmas lunch.
Thank you so much to the Black Rose Florists for making our day. Oh and by the way, the ribs were spectacular!
BUSY YEAR FOR BRASS BAND
On behalf of the Trust Porirua City Brass Band, I would like to sincerely thank the citizens of Porirua and surrounding districts for their support of the band in 2015 and particularly during December.
It has been a very busy year with the band providing the music for the very successful Anzac show, Voices from the Front, produced in conjunction with the Porirua Little Theatre to capacity audiences.
The band also achieved a highly commendable fourth place at the national brass band championships in Rotorua in July.
December was an especially busy month – the band entertained with Christmas carols at a senior citizens Christmas lunch at the police college, at a Pukerua Bay community service and at the Porirua Club’s Christmas function.
The band took part in the annual Tawa Christmas parade and the Porirua Children’s Christmas Carnival. It also spent countless hours playing carols on the streets of Porirua and Tawa and outside the Porirua Warehouse premises.
The response to the band’s performances was wonderful and we trust that we contributed something to the Christmas spirit for residents.
We would particularly like to thank the Warehouse management for allowing us to perform outside their Porirua premises. And a big thank you to the people of Porirua who supported the band with generous financial donations.
DAFFODIL DAY THANKS
As Daffodil Day co-ordinators for the North City Plaza area of Porirua, we would just like to thank once again our 40 or so volunteer collectors and the generous contributors of Porirua for their wonderful help for the Cancer Society last year.
LARGELY UNCHANGED
Has anything changed in the Middle East since the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem about 2015 years ago?
At that time battles raged across the Holy Land, corruption ruled. Baby Jesus and his family became refugees, and fled to Egypt where they lived until it was safe to return.
War is still raging across the Middle East, and refugee families are still searching for safe and peaceful home lands. The oncepeaceful city of Bethlehem is now encircled by a mighty wall and armed guards.
If the so-called virgin birth of baby Jesus had failed would the history of the Middle East be any different today? Probably not. Corrupt rulers still use religion and politics to gain power. But one thing is certain. It would be a world without Christmas. Only the New Year celebrations would be there for us to enjoy.
So, happy New Year everyone, and may dreams of peace on earth and good will towards all nations one day, become a reality.
It’s risky to predict what could happen in any year in which Donald Trump has a chance of becoming the next President of the United States. (Let’s hope not.)
Similarly, we have to assume that Islamic State won’t attack Middle East oil facilities and send oil prices through the roof, cyber attacks won’t cripple the global banking system, Britons won’t vote to leave the European Union, China’s economy won’t collapse under its mountain of debt, and Prime Minister John Key won’t leave politics and become the next host of Seven Sharp.
Theoretically, all those things could happen in 2016, but the more likely prospect – in domestic politics at least – is a cautious convergence on the centre ground, as the major parties begin to position themselves for the 2017 election.
Given that economic growth will be minimal, National will be warning against change and portraying itself as the safe pair of hands best able to preserve hard-won gains.
Under Andrew Little, Labour will continue to avoid any social policies that might be used against it to frighten the electorate in 2017. Similarly, the Greens under new co-leader James Shaw will continue to gravitate towards the nonthreatening centre of the spectrum.
Assuming Phil Goff wins the Auckland mayoralty, aMt Roskill by-election could prove awkward for Labour, because any reduction in Goff’s majority will be taken as a negative judgment on Little.
This year, the post-2017 intentions of Key and Winston Peters will probably be revealed.
All up, 2016 seems likely to be a year in which diversions take the place of any substantive policies that could be construed as bold, imaginative or risky. Chief among those will be: 1. Our signing of the TransPacific Partnership trade deal, tipped for early February, despite the US Congress giving every sign it will not vote on it until 2017.
2. The extradition of Kim Dotcom, who may struggle to win leave from the courts to pursue any further legal delays.
3. The security services review now under way, and which will probably recommend added surveillance powers for the SIS/ GCSB (to deter foreign cyber attacks and Islamic State activities ) when the review team reports to Parliament next month.
None of this has an impact directly on the bread and butter issues facing ordinary punters.
So far, the decline in the New
Politics 2016 is unlikely to bring greater job security, pay rises, or improved public services.
Zealand dollar hasn’t hit households badly, given that the price of imported oil has been going down steadily in tandem with the dollar.
Luckily for the Key Government, this trend should continue in 2016.
Global sanctions against Iran will be lifted shortly, allowing Iranian oil to pour on to global markets, and thereby pushing the price even lower than the current US$33 a barrel. Good news for motorists in 2016, if not for climate change.
If economic growth has so far passed you by, 2016 is unlikely to bring greater job security, pay rises, or improved public services. If anything, household purchasing power may well decrease, as small rises in interest rates (and mortgage rates) bring the inflation bogey back into the political debate.
In 2016, belt-tightening is set to become a permanent condition.