Smile: Plan put into action, next the proverbial uphill

Some Labour MPs are still said to be seriously shellshocked after accidentally winning the election last year.

No-one expected it, least of all them.

Some Labour MPs had forgotten the way to the Beehive and needed instructions from outgoing ministers, who themselves needed consoling, such was their grief at their shock loss.

But Labour found its feet quickly and its 100-day list of mustdo’s is a master class list of looking like absolute dynamite but achieving only vibe and momentum at best.

Banning foreigners from buying our homes hit all the right notes, it’s what the polls said was the right thing to do so Labour rushed it through.

A symbolic stroke of the pen confirmed Labour too had bought into the fear and loathing of some rich pricks in a far away land playing roulette with our suburbs.

Yet still we have no idea if one foreigner has been told to take a

Labour's best weapon by three country miles and then some is Jacinda Ardern.

hike. We may never know. It doesn’t matter. Labour fixed what National refused to do, problem or no problem.

With that ban banked, Labour and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern continued the 100-day march. Ardern all calm, cool, smiley and warm and by now secretly pregnant. That secret would come out later.

Inquiry after inquiry was proudly and sternly announced. Such is the upbeat feeling in a honeymoon period that even a short, sharp inquiry looking at how bad the last guys were at doing something is a celebrated victory.

Basically Labour kept its promises. Like John Key before this lot and Helen Clark before the Key mob. Clark set the rules, the rest are following. It’s called trust.

So Labour has gone from absolute Opposition train wreck to a new, trusted, inclusive and caring Government that has not yet been tested.

Its best weapon by three country miles and then some is Ardern. The baby surprise worried Team Labour but Ardern and her bloke pulled on the heart strings and the country collectively made baby noises.

And that’s Labour’s and Ardern’s biggest weapon. Empathy and authenticity. Ardern comes across as caring and the sort of person who regularly checks on the neighbours. I can’t see her doing mean things to people and if she did she’d be so alarmed that people would forget and hug her.

But the hard stuff will come. The 100-day targets were clever. They provided hope to the hurt and hurting.

The mental health inquiry is overdue and totally needed. But will anything be fixed and when? And who has a spare $500 million? At Pike River, a new office has been set up. It represents hope and recovery and maybe false pretences. Family incomes will rise soon but it’s anyone’s guess if child poverty will reduce. Legislation to end poverty should be mocked. People and their good life choices alongside a decent income ends poverty.

National couldn’t find and train enough teachers, build enough houses and we got the sense its blind spots were big.

Labour will attempt to outbuild and out-train and outspend National. 100,000 houses from Labour will still be a stretch. I really struggle to see this promise being met.

Labour will, in time, suffer similar evil as all governments do but until then, they’re new, shiny, smiley and pregnant. That makes a change from Nick Smith’s screaming red skull in our faces telling us house prices are fair.

In short, 100 days was easy, compared with the winter ahead when Winston will rule the roost. I predict he’ll be charming and statesmanlike. But will the economy hold up? Jobs matter and are employers hiring or holding off? No wonder Ardern is keen to race back to work.