Armstrong’s Politician of the Year

Few will be surprised that Armstrong gives it to new Prime Minister John Key. The commentary is interesting:

Had the election been fought under the pre-1996 first-past-the post system, the outcome would have been of the landslide proportions of Sir Robert Muldoon’s stunning victory in 1975 and Jim Bolger’s similar rout of Labour in 1990.

We see this in the electorates where Labour now only holds 21 out of 70 seats.

His opponents and critics had predicted he would falter as Leader of the Opposition, wilt under the pressures of an election campaign, and fail as Prime Minister simply through lack of experience. Wrong, wrong and almost certainly wrong again.

The really stupid thing is these critics lowered expectations for Key. So then when he casually strolls into the first Leader’s Debate and wins it, the impact is even greater.

Far more courageous was Key’s refusal to work with Winston Peters. It could have backfired. However, Key felt he was left no option after Peters’ appalling performance over Owen Glenn and donations to NZ First.

It was a calculated risk, but to some degree he had no choice. Up until the point where his lies were exposed by Owen Glenn, National had been keen to keep Peters in as an option. But they realised that he was so unstable, that any future Government that involved him would not be stable.

Key wanted his administration to be a clean break from the past. Having Peters on board would have tainted it from the beginning – as well as possibly harbouring the seed of its destruction.

Absolutely.