South Island 25% of population…

Sooner or later our political leaders in the South Island are going to have to rise up and challenge this coalition government. This rests in the hands of our Local Authority leaders. The way we are being dismissed as an Island is appalling. Think about just about any topic and we are being dismissed and ignored by a stack of Ministers.

One recent issue has given me hope. I think we have Winston Peters to thank for this. I have often described Winston as a Conservative with a small “c”. I think he has taken the inter-island ferry debate off those who would like to privatise the process. His interview on Radio New Zealand on Thursday was a masterclass in political management. I wonder if he leaked the fact that an announcement was to be made about the fairies on the 11th of December prematurely. Did this force the government hand?

It was obvious from the body language of the Minister of Finance that she was performing a Pontius Pilate act when she announced that she had done her bit. Basically, she has failed hopelessly with this fundamental piece of infrastructure. It has been a cock up from the time of her initial announcement cancelling the ferry contract in a theatrical display with little, if any, facts behind her announcement.

Winston Peters on RNZ reminded the interviewer, who wasn’t born when this event happened, that the railways had been privatised before, and sold to Fay Richwhite, and they ripped off the institution.  Peters wasn’t going to let this happen again. I think as an Island we need to get in behind Winston Peters and support his commitment to our island. Next year the Tuesday club will follow this issue carefully.