Tuesday, March 4, 2014

The honeymoon is over, Mr Cunliffe. (Election 2014, Part 2)

I have no doubt that David Cunliffe has the ‘goods’ to lead Labour to victory and this year’s general election. I can see the intelligence of the man and I believe that he a vision for a better and fairer NZ society, where the massive gap between the rich and poor is recognised and acted upon, without driving those who have skills and money out of New Zealand.
I do wonder though at the series of ‘gaffs’ he has made in the time he has been in his new role. The simple fact is that he does not have the time, between now and the election (Don’t be surprised if his canny for—John Key) calls for an earlier election, just to take advantage of what can be seen as Labour in ‘turmoil) to get settled in his job and to build his reputation as an alternative Government. He has to do it now and the silly, possibly naive situation re his ‘trust funds’ does nothing to help his cause. He knows it and he quickly made the right moves to dissipate some of the damage. Is it enough?
Time will tell and there is precious little of that. David needs to get ‘out there’ and enunciate the policies of the Labour Party and answer the perennial question that his political foes will and have always thrown up; ‘where is the money coming from?’
Perhaps his new ‘sidekick, Matt, will play a hand in that. At least now we have a clear differentiation in policy position between the two main parties.
To those in the Labour Party who would use this to denigrate their new leader; I say this: Pull your heads in and get behind your leader. You too, have little time to make us believe that you are a tenable Government in waiting. Now is not the time to snipe and ‘publicly’ pick holes. Surely you have learnt the lessons of the past decade of damaging infighting? Nothing turns us, the electorate off more!

No comments:

Post a Comment