Opinion - Christopher Luxon is now being openly mocked and ridiculed by political commentators for his failure to achieve a coalition government, writes Bryce Edwards.
NZF said they wouldn’t work with Labor and Labor said they wouldn’t work with NZF. The voters would feel justifiably betrayed if they ignored those promises. And I see no reason why the left coalition would work together any better. Can you imagine NZF and TPM agreeing on anything?
I don’t understand why the parties play the game of ruling in or out. Surely it’s better to pretend they will work with any other party, it puts them in a much stronger negotiating position.
I think on the basis of this electoral result it just wouldn’t be tenable, setting aside that they all said they wouldn’t do it. NAct could try to get Te Pati Maori, but they already know what happens when you go into coalition with them and won’t want to repeat the same mistake.
There are only two possibilities here. Luxon somehow manages to form a coalition which will presumably fall apart sometime before the next election is scheduled, or will be a shambles throughout. Or he doesn’t and we have a new election that may, or may not change the parliamentary balance.
I’m pretty sure NZF said they wouldn’t work with Labour (not that their word is worth anything). I’d guess Winnie is also reminding National and Act they could run to Labour if they wanted to get more out of the coalition.
Plus, Labour are not popular right now. Winding their way back into power would probably damage their reputation longer term.
The best thing for Labour to do at the moment, in my view, is spend a term in opposition figuring out what they want to be as a party. They’ve strayed a long way from being the party of the working class, in my view.
Hang on… National has 48 seats, Act has 11. That’s 59/122. NZF has 8 and the balance of power.
So NAct needs NZF to form a majority government.
Why areLabour (34), Greens (15), and TPM (6); for a total of 55. Why are they not also courting NZF and just sitting on their thumbs waiting?NZF said they wouldn’t work with Labor and Labor said they wouldn’t work with NZF. The voters would feel justifiably betrayed if they ignored those promises. And I see no reason why the left coalition would work together any better. Can you imagine NZF and TPM agreeing on anything?
I don’t understand why the parties play the game of ruling in or out. Surely it’s better to pretend they will work with any other party, it puts them in a much stronger negotiating position.
Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face…
That is a question I have been asking too
I think on the basis of this electoral result it just wouldn’t be tenable, setting aside that they all said they wouldn’t do it. NAct could try to get Te Pati Maori, but they already know what happens when you go into coalition with them and won’t want to repeat the same mistake.
There are only two possibilities here. Luxon somehow manages to form a coalition which will presumably fall apart sometime before the next election is scheduled, or will be a shambles throughout. Or he doesn’t and we have a new election that may, or may not change the parliamentary balance.
I’m pretty sure NZF said they wouldn’t work with Labour (not that their word is worth anything). I’d guess Winnie is also reminding National and Act they could run to Labour if they wanted to get more out of the coalition.
Plus, Labour are not popular right now. Winding their way back into power would probably damage their reputation longer term.
The best thing for Labour to do at the moment, in my view, is spend a term in opposition figuring out what they want to be as a party. They’ve strayed a long way from being the party of the working class, in my view.
Both Labour and NZ first have ruled out working with each other.