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Mike Hosking: It’s never been a better time to be the Opposition

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Thu, 25 Feb 2021, 8:46PM
National Party MP Simon Bridges went head-to-head with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. (Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone)
National Party MP Simon Bridges went head-to-head with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster. (Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone)

Mike Hosking: It’s never been a better time to be the Opposition

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Thu, 25 Feb 2021, 8:46PM

I was slightly disturbed at reportage that Judith Collins was trying to bring Simon bridges into line over his Coster ‘wokester’ comments

I hope it’s not true, because what this country needs - all countries need - is strong opposition.

Not opposition for opposition’s sake, but well thought through critique.

The trick to good opposition is not just that the government are wrong, it’s why they are wrong and what is the alternative.  You have to give people an “out” or an “idea”.

Collins herself did well over this nutty person refusing a Covid test in MIQ, calling to deport them. It’s something the government hasn’t done and it’s a good idea,

Simon Bridges on Coster, there is no question gangs are a major issue and a concern to many new Zealanders, and there is little if any doubt that once Coster appeared to support Māori-led road blocks that kind of thinking at the top might just be a problem.

National have been suggesting MIQ out of down town Auckland, a purpose built facility. It’s a logical sensible eminently doable idea, and that is what opposition is about, the contest of ideas.

ACT too has carried on where they left off pre-election. Their revelation that Matariki is a $400 million proposition not $200m as stated is the sort of information the government were never going to tell you, if left to their own devices.

Opposition is hard. It is well known that most of the time the wider public are not hyper tuned to the minutiae of political life.

It’s been made even harder these past few years with the increasingly partisan role of the media who refuse to look for balance or anything that isn’t officially headlined as a press release by the government  

But let us never forget, that half the country didn’t vote for the incumbents.  The concept that labour romped to victory is an out working of the electoral system.

the same way it was from 2017 to last year - cobble together three parties or one party gets all the spoils - the fact remains only half want the outcome, the other half don’t.

Both halves though deserve service and good service at that.

This is a weak and lazy government that is being found out daily on its Covid response.  They refuse to change, they refuse to listen, they refuse to be pro-active and, most sadly, they refuse to want better for us all.

That’s fertile ground for those charged with looking out for the interests of half the country. It’s never been a better time to be the Opposition. More please.

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