Armstrong says Labour becoming a cot case
John Armstrong writes:
The most that can be said this far out from Election Day is that this year’s edition makes it more unlikely that National will lose office.
In Labour’s case, that document swiftly turned out to be yet another hurdle tripping up the hapless party.
To put it bluntly, the major Opposition party is in such a parlous condition that the Budget may turn out to be an irrelevance.
Labour is fast becoming a political cot-case. Labour’s priority at this election may well be ensuring the party emerges from the coming scrap still the major Opposition party.
Strong words from a very insightful commentator.
The Budget has simply served as another stage for a yet another episode of Labour’s continuing Comedy of Errors.
The decision made by the Greens and New Zealand First to vote in favour of the legislation enacting the Budget’s centrepiece $2 billion package of tax cuts, increases in Working for Families entitlements and major boosts in the accommodation supplement left Labour in not so splendid isolation.
It was all somewhat bizarre. Labour’s intended allies pulled the rug from under Labour’s criticism of a policy package which would slot comfortably into Labour’s manifesto.
Joyce’s Budget has been described as “Labour-lite”. It would be more aptly termed as “Labour Extra Strong Special Brew”.
Ha, I like it. Probably the most left wing budget in a decade and Labour still vote against it! Cullen’s 2008 tax cuts package was more favourable to high income earners than this one was.
Proof of Labour’s muddle caused by the drastic narrowing of that party’s revenue-raising options was the declining of an invitation to appear on Newshub’s Saturday morning politics programme The Nation. When was the last time any Opposition party opted not to front on television following a Budget.
The answer is never.
Things are bad in opposition when you turn down TV opportunities.