The Press on Clark

The Press Editorial is on the Prime Minister:

A series of mis-steps and dud decisions has left her reputation somewhat tattered at the edges. Coalition partners, looking to the next general election, are showing the first signs of itchy feet. Above all, a resurgent National Party, under a new and effective leadership, has a fresh and appealing message that is making Clark and her colleagues look like yesterday’s people.

Some of it must be attributable to a string of political misjudgments in the last couple of years. Clark’s attempt after the last election to pass off the blame for Labour’s election overspending struck a sour note and her patronising description of the scandal as purely a “beltway issue” turned out to be well wide of the mark. Similarly, her protection of former Labour MP Taito Phillip Field long after it had become politically untenable was strikingly inept for someone who had been adroit at getting out of the way of looming trouble.

Since the election, Clark and her colleagues have clearly been searching for something to rejuvenate an administration looking very tired after eight years in office. Unfortunately for them, they do not seem to be able to find it.