New ideas are badly needed

There are different ways of considering policy announcements as New Zealand’s election draws nearer. One is whether or not they will be effective electoral bait and reel in votes. Another is whether they might be effective and useful. Then, what do they say about the country’s direction?

There’s also the wider political situation new policies are dropping into. What nerves are parties trying to tap? What kind of an election is this going to be?

That last one is clouded. The economic situation is difficult for the Government, and other issues concern and annoy people and make them fearful. But in a world which seems unstable and often incomprehensible, does that inspire caution when voting, or the throwing of caution to the wind?

Polling data gives different clues. The overall picture is tight, with growing pessimism over the economy. Yet Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is still the most popular leader and a known quantity.

For his part, Opposition leader Christopher Luxon is the captain of a steadier ship than he inherited. He has done enough to bring National to level pegging with Labour in readiness for the final sprint. He can still stumble under pressure, and was forced to clean up over clean cars last week.

National’s policy announcements on tax cuts, crime, gangs, and transport have been predictable.

The latest — sending the worst young offenders to military-style bootcamps for up to 12 months — appears to be a direct appeal to National’s base.

Experts point out that the causes of offending are nuanced, and while police data showed an increase in youth crime incidents this year, in recent years the trendline has been falling.

Highlighting ram-raids makes a connection with the public’s general disgust and impatience with crime in the community and their sympathy for victims — often small business owners, targeted repeatedly. Populist, emotionally loaded approaches can be effective: they speak to people’s fears, anger, and desire for something to be done.

Acting Prime Minister Grant Robertson said in reply: “It’s a policy that’s been proven to fail in the past, and all it will deliver is fitter, faster criminals. National is just reheating failed policies.”

With Luxon about 15 per cent behind Ardern as preferred prime minister, leaning into divisive issues could carry risk for the National leader.

Luxon lacks Sir John Key’s confidence-inspiring breeziness, which made swing voters warm to him.

As the parties spar over policies, they shouldn’t forget voters want hope, reassuranceand new ideas, rather than ones pulled from the past.

First of all, yes, this is a Christmas column. Merry Christmas.

Christmas now officially starts as soon as advertisers have cleared the decks after Halloween and Guy Fawkes, apparently.

The carols have been playing on TV adverts for at least two weeks.

Now the silly season news stories have also started in earnest.

Last week for example we had the first of what will likely be a series of news stories telling us what children want for Christmas.

According to The Warehouse, the toys topping kids’ letters to Santa this year will be family-orientated, sustainable and interactive.

I have my doubts. I’ve spent a lot of time around kids — I even was one once. That sounds suspiciously like woke corporate language rather than genuine “letter to Santa” language.

I’ll concede the interactive bit. Kids do love robotic toys — although usually only until the first set of batteries runs out (some time on Boxing Day).

But family orientated and sustainable?

“Ever since the lockdowns of the past few years, kids are leaning towards toys that encourage them to spend time with family — think board games, puzzles, or building a toy together,” a Warehouse spokesperson said.

Reusable water balloons, a Barbie made from recycled plastic and wooden toys made from FSCcertified timber are among the toys on the Top 10 list.

“I’m sorry daddy, unless I see the FSC certification I won’t be playing with that block set,” said no kid ever.

It was a relief to see a few toys on the list that appear to be there based on genuine childish demand.

The brightly coloured Zuru Smashers — with their evil-eyed pirate skull designs and angry lightup dinosaurs — looked the least sustainable and family-friendly, but the most like something a child would actually look forward to finding in their stocking.

Number one on the list — Squishmallows — also appear to have a demand-driven authenticity. “Squishmallows are one of the most asked-for toys at the moment thanks to the huge presence they have on social media,” The Warehouse said.

Being previously clueless about the Squishmallow craze, I did some research.

They are collectable. There are Squishmallow influencers.

A secondary market has developed and the rarest Squishmallows sell for thousands of dollars. There’s obviously still far too much cash in the economy.

The Squishmallow trend sounds a bit dystopian but actually, these are just soft toys which have made the leap out of the commodity bin of generic squishiness.

It’s a trend that harks back to riotinducing days of Cabbage Patch Kids, if not all the way back to the Elvis of cuddly toys — the Teddy Bear.

I can’t remember how the mania for certain toys spread in pre-internet days. But spread it did, and marketing departments have always been in the thick of it.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without the crass commercialisation of childhood joy and I’m okay with that.

The tone of this year’s Top 10 toy list got me thinking about a bigger question though — why are corporates so woke these days?

Why do they feel that need to