The downside of popularity
It’s all very well receiving breaking-news notifications on the phone, but when you’re out on the bike, it’s a pain in the backside. Out of curiosity and a compelling need to be up to speed with what’s happening at every given moment, one has to dismount and fossick round in the back pack for the blower, before putting on the specs to read the latest.
I’m not saying that I’m one of Pavlov’s dogs, but I seem to have become increasingly unable to resist the silliest of alerts, eg Ping. ‘‘Breaking news . . . Black hole photo reveals burning orange glow to the gates of Hell!’’ Ping. ‘‘Breaking news . . . Winston Peters wears pants in CGT debacle!’’
Conclusion. Breaking news is something I can live without and is usually stuff we pretty much know already, eg the CGT outcome.
The Government is a coalition stitched together by Peters, who has been under attack from his base for being absent from proceedings since said coalition was formed.
With a poll showing that an overwhelming percentage of New Zealanders were against a CGT, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern dropped the controversial policy like a hot spud and pledged that while she’s at the helm that dog will never hunt again.
Result. Peters’ fan base is deliriously happy that he’s finally manned up to show who calls the shots; Simon Bridges has lost any bit of skin he has left in the game; and St Jacinda looks like a cynical politician unable to stick to her guns and exact core Labour Party policy.
The prime minister would have done her sums and realised that it was less damaging to be pragmatic and be seen to be listening to the people, rather than do a captain’s call and take on board water from a CGT backlash.
However, a diluted CGT was what the populace had been prepared for and now Ardern could be accused of being a show pony too distracted by international adulation to perform the tough tasks at home.
Or is this simply necessary pragmatism needed to shore up the mortar of MMP in order to prevent any shifting in the bricks of the coalition that could destabilise the whole building?
Most probably the latter is the case. However, her signalling that a capital gains tax won’t happen under her watch could mean that she might be thinking of decamping from the leadership before the next election to pursue a glittering career, possibly at the United Nations.
It would be a tough call for a young woman, who isn’t even 40 but has won the hearts and minds of the nation and the whole world. Who wants to hang around at home and play second fiddle to Peters, especially if he has it in him to go another round and will not go gentle into that good night?
Ardern wouldn’t be the first politician to fear the Winston effect, which, like a black hole, sucks in everything unfortunate enough to get close to it.
Up till now, Ardern’s force-field of kindness, and compassion has eclipsed Peters’ low-level megalomania. It seemed as if he had mellowed with old age, but now that he is the CGT defeater, he may want to do more flexing to get his ratings up.
It may suit the PM to use Peters as the excuse for the CGT buck stopping with him. Taking refuge in that myth could be wiser than implementing CGT in a first term and blowing Labour’s chances and a hefty chunk of her political capital.
Breaking news. ‘‘Popularity is addictive. You need it to become the leader, but it can be bad for leadership.’’