Ed Said: Election? What Election?

Reluctantly, I suppose I have to write about our looming election. Yes, I agree with some political journalists and commentators – the election campaign has been a yawn. It’s open and shut isn’t it? Sure, there will be one or two curiosities and anomalies, but overall, even with a gigantic margin of error, the polls are telling us who the majority prefer in government, and who ticks the boxes as preferred prime minister.

The popularity in the polls of both Jacinda Ardern and the Labour party seems to be at odds with much of our mainstream reporting, which details how disillusioned we are with Covid and lockdown, that the country is staring into the abyss of recession, and general despair at what the future holds.

So what to believe? And do we really care? It’s like we know the All Blacks are going to thrash Romania, but there’s a curiosity value there so I guess we watch anyway.

In a February NZ Herald column, broadcaster Mike Hosking, following the death of admired politician and kiwi ambassador Mike Moore, lamented the ‘demise of the profession’ in this country. Said Hosking: “The profession deserves better and, as such, we deserve better. Politics and its art should be inspirational, aspirational, and certainly transformative. The modern Parliament is a pit of lifers, incompetents, apparatchiks, pretenders, and the odd diligent, hard working, well meaning local representative. But we have no rock stars, no players on the verge of the history books.”

That about sums it up. The lead up to the election has really just been one long, dull torrent of sound bites from one MP to another. But both the best and the worst came from Judith Collins. ‘National will crush the other lot’ said Crusher recently. Not the most inspiring vernacular by a candidate running for prime minister.

On the flipside, while campaigning in Kerikeri last week Collins was asked why National would rule out a coalition with Advance NZ if that party made it into parliament. Her response: “Because I’m not insane.” There is a sharp wit under that tough exterior.

Like many I am more interested in what is happening in the US. I’m amazed that in a country of 330 million people, Donald Trump and Joe Biden are considered the best candidates to be leader of the ‘free world’. Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush never looked so good. This impacts us more than does our own leadership squabble, and it should concern everyone that America’s engine is running, but there’s no one at the wheel.

While the Kardashian’s have called it quits with their reality show, Keeping Up With The Trump’s is running 24/7 on networks right around the world. Cleverly the show manages to lampoon itself and the guy in the lead role is a caricature of, well, himself, resplendent in his increasingly alarming Floridaorange tan.

At ground level locally, spare a thought for the beleaguered fairy tern as they head into their breeding season. The answer to their poor breeding success, I’ve concluded, is a serious case of coitus interruptus. Picture it: A cluster of DOC rangers and volunteers constantly observing an amorous breeding pair must affect the bird’s libido when their performance is under such scrutiny. I can hear the male chirping: “Hey, come on you guys, what’s a fairy tern gotta do to get a little privacy around here?”

That’s a lot of pressure to perform.

Rich Pooley
Editor
info@mangawhaifocus.co.nz
 

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