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Mike's Minute: Nothing like a bad poll to spur some action

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Tue, 3 Aug 2021, 9:40AM

Mike's Minute: Nothing like a bad poll to spur some action

Author
Mike Hosking,
Publish Date
Tue, 3 Aug 2021, 9:40AM

Isn't it extraordinary what a bad poll can do for you? We should be grateful to Newshub and Reid Research for Sunday night's numbers, because look what happens.

First up Monday, we get an announcement of an announcement. Next week we will finally, finally, finally get a plan out of this mess.

It's the Government's idea as to what we need to do, when we need to do it, and what the rewards for that activity will be. Obviously, the devil is in the detail, but even a hint of how they see this ending is better than this myopic hermit kingdom farce we are currently living in.

And then, if that wasn’t enough, wouldn’t you know it? All of a sudden, the RSE workers, denied access ever since this mess began, can arrive, no problems at all.

To be fair to the Government, they never completely abandoned the RSE programme.

But it is running at a fraction of what it once was, and a fraction of what it needs to be.

But as of next month, in they come, quarantine free, set to pick fruit till their hearts content.

Once again, the devil is in the detail. How many? Ah yes, how many? Well, we don’t know.

That's another Labour Party polling trick. Make an announcement of sorts. If you're making more than an announcement of an announcement leave the critical bit, in this case the numbers, for another day.

But you will note a couple of things here. The RSE decision is based on what? What's changed? Nothing.

Are the Islands safer than they were? No. Are we safer? No. Have we adjusted anything as regards the border? No.

So, why now? Answer, a bad poll. In that, sadly, is the cold, hard truth of this Government. They are about power; they are about fear, until the numbers shift as they were always going to.

The magic of Jacinda Ardern is wearing thin. The policies and promises aren't working.

Hell, the RSE call is admission their whole "employ a local for more money" hasn’t worked. It was never going to, of course, but you needed to be in the real world to understand that. Given they never have been, it's taken a while to work through the mystery of another theory versus reality exercise.

Upside, we can be stoked for agriculture and horticulture. At last, thank God, they get, at least, part of what they want.

All it took was a wakeup call from a poll that the status quo is no longer remotely acceptable.

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