It's a funny old thing being a centrist in these bizarre political days, post Brexit and the Aussie election.

I see myself as a capitalist. I have no problem with free trade and globalisation. But I also have sympathy for those people who lose out in the competitive world that neo-liberal capitalism has created.

When I say these sorts of things on the radio I get two opposite but similarly vehement reactions. Some phone and text and call me a loony lefty and others say I'm a right wing stooge. Of course I'm neither but these days many people can only see black and white and not the grey which is the real world.

So it was good to see an article yesterday written by Marnie O'Neill that says what I've been saying these past months. I've put a copy of it on my Facebook page if you haven't seen it.

It says there's a revolution happening. The rise of the "up yours vote", a protest movement that's brought Britain to its political knees, fuels the Trump campaign in America and has now emerged in Australia. Voters are thumbing their noses at the political establishment, en masse.

An unprecedented 25 per cent of Australians gave their first preference to parties other than the Labor and the Coalition - the highest primary vote for minor parties and independents in the country's history. Why?

It quotes Craig Emerson, a professor at Victoria University and a former cabinet minister in the Gillard government. He says, "People believe the system doesn't work for them; it might for business and the wealthy but it doesn't work for the young people.” Can I add the poor to that too.

And then he said something that struck a chord with me

"There's a post-war unwritten agreement in Western countries which said it was OK for the rich to get richer as long as the poor and the middle got richer too. But that agreement has been broken - the rich are getting richer and the poor are going nowhere and that's why Donald Trump has emerged as a candidate.” "There's another agreement, an inter-generational agreement in which we ensure that future generations will at least be able to afford their own home.”

I agree. Yesterday we saw evidence that there's been an orgy of investment property buying in the past 3 months. Some are going to blame foreigners but 90 per cent of the market are well off Kiwis.

The young are giving on the idea of owning their own home. We've had the rise of the working homeless. People with jobs who still can't afford accomodation.

We've had inequality statistics that show the top 10 per cent in New Zealand are doing very well indeed but the bottom 60 per cent are not and those statistics are even worse in places like England and America.

So yesterday I spent some time with Peter Garrett, the rock singer and former Australian Cabinet Minister. I'm interviewing him on Sunday morning on Newstalk ZB. He's definitely a lefty. But he said something interesting. He's pro free trade and capitalism and he reckons that New Zealand and Australia can lead the world as long as they make sure they look after the poor.

And I agree. Capitalism rewards winners. It's competition. It's a fight to the death in the markets. It makes you focused and efficient. It’s good.

But it means there will be losers. And you can't just throw them away. Eventually they rise up against you. That's why Brexit and Australia's political paralysis happened. And that's why New Zealand political leaders need to be wary before the same thing happens here.