Back to the future for NZ politics

An interesting year ahead methinks, a special date during which is September 23.

Firstly, it is my birthday, and the time I reach my allotted span of three-score and ten years and after which (as I hope to stick around for a while longer) I will then be borrowing from someone less fortunate.

Secondly, September 23 is the date of our general election. It’s the time when we enter a cubicle not unlike a portaloo and voice our deepest concerns about the welfare of our country with little more than a tick in a square on a piece of paper.

What do we expect of election year? This year we have begun with a new prime minister which is a first in this situation, and while Bill English exhibits an entirely different persona he has already moved in some different areas and made some decisions which possibly may not have happened under the Key watch.

Subtle sweeteners will no doubt be forthcoming in the May 25 budget – small wage increase, maybe easing the way for new homebuyers, a little here, a little there just to keep the polls in a positive state for National until the electioneering begins mid-year in earnest.

A number of National MPs have put in their notice but then so have a similar number of Labour and Green people, bringing a whole raft of new names and faces from which we have to choose.

Even those not politically minded have been moved, this past year, to comment, joke or show disgust at the American political circus, but those approaching senior status may recall New Zealand having a figurehead not too dissimilar to new president Trump.

Ours came in the form of one Robert Muldoon. Like Trump he often made rude and derogatory comments about other world leaders. He came to power on the slogan “New Zealand - the way you want it” when it was really the way ‘he’ wanted it.

Muldoon’s feisty, combative nature was set to turn the right wing party upside down. Obsessed with the balance of trade, his ‘Think Big’ initiative was to invest in fossil fuels and natural gas to nullify the trade deficit but this actually worsened the situation causing up to 15 per cent inflation followed by a wage and price freeze and leading to a downhill spiral and a massive loss to Labour in 1984.

The two leaders have parallels in their controversial racial views. Like Trump, Muldoon was no friend of free market thinking. He was sceptical of and re-negotiated NAFTA (NZ,

Australia Free Trade Agreement). Trump has scrapped the TPP but we have yet to see if he will revisit this issue.

Somehow Muldoon was not regarded as a threat to democracy and retained a steadfast following enough to see him serve three terms as Prime Minister. I would say that is where any similarities will end.

With this still fresh in our minds I wonder what future politics holds for us.

Rob