Bryce Edwards: Political news report – Autumn of discontent reflected in 1News زلزال earthquake poll

The country is advancing in opinion polls, Ukraine’s war is entering its third week of devastation and job listings are still at record levels in the latest News Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

Opinion:

Suddenly, the prospect of Labor being driven from power in 2023 no longer seemed so absurd. 1News Kantar’s latest poll shows Labor support dropping to 37 per cent – the party’s lowest since 2017 and a big change from the historic highs that saw Labor win 50 per cent of the vote just 18 months ago. Most importantly, National is ahead of Labor for the first time since the Covid hit – now at 39 per cent. This is the result of an earthquake that shattered all assumptions about the political scene. Meanwhile, small parties are faltering along with the Greens at 9 per cent and running on 8 per cent. Small parties, including Te Patti Maori (2 percent) could play a pivotal role again.

Labor has also been shocked by poll results showing national leader Christopher Luxon is on the rise, now seen as a real rival to Ardern. On the “preferred prime minister” question, it jumped by as much as 25 percent in support, while Ardern’s support continues its downward trend, to 34. But when the audience was asked which of the two leaders should be prime minister, it was on the verge of death. Heat, where 46 percent chose Ardern and 45 percent Luxon.

Christopheria or Labor Light?

Some see this as ‘Christophoria’ or ‘Luxomania’. True, the new national leader is an important factor in the poll’s shift. But rather than an enthusiastic vote of confidence in National and Luxon, it undoubtedly reflects more waning confidence in Labor and Ardern.

Luxon and National managed to pull each other together enough that they became a pot for swing voters tired of the status quo. Converted voters need not get excited about the new national leader and his party – not that the opposition offers anything new or substantial – but, crucially, they are no longer pariahs.

calamity? any crisis?

What drives voters away from work? A set of social, economic and political factors have developed over the past two years that will challenge any government. Ardern’s response thus far risks an “autumn of discontent”, as it did during the British Labor government’s winter of discontent in the late 1970s.

1 News-Kantar’s most recent poll put National in the lead, while Labor and Law fell.

In this case, British Prime Minister James Callahan has been known to be conservative and seen as far removed from the voters’ experience by refusing to view the rising cost of living as a crisis. He was famously phrased in a newspaper headline: “A crisis? What crisis?”

With the prime minister continuing to deny that the public, especially those at the bottom, are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis, Ardern looks increasingly distant. This provides an easy hunting ground for Luxon. As commentator Martin Bradbury quipped: “You know things are bad when Chris Luxon of 7 properties can make Jacinda seem out of touch when it comes to the cost of living crisis.”

Bradbury also looks at the government’s fortunes declining as awake chickens return home to stay. He argues that there is a tendency for Labor and the Greens to focus on politically correct issues rather than traditional left-wing issues that reinforce materialistic concerns in areas such as housing, inequality, health, or even climate change.

Inequality is a huge problem according to right-wing commentator Matthew Hutton, who writes today about the skyrocketing fortunes of the wealthy due to government policies in the past few years, saying “You don’t have to be some kind of communist to think that’s a problem.”

Here’s how Hutton puts it: “I actually did unprecedented damage, presiding over the trillion dollar transfer of wealth from the poor and young to the old and rich, the worst in New Zealand’s post-colonial history. And that’s after promising to end child poverty. and reduce inequality.

It’s not just about house prices and inequality, but the fact that Labor has made mistakes in managing Covid, after a successful first year in 2020. Even since the government failed to demand a vaccine in time to prevent nonessential Auckland, Hooton says, it has been Shutting down Delta for a month, then taking time off instead of preparing for Omicron, Labor was in serious trouble.”

The problem of governance during a pandemic cannot be underestimated, and Labor has made some difficult and sometimes highly questionable decisions about managing Delta and Omicron. As Stuff political editor Luke Malpass says today: “Labour has been sliding steadily since its exclusion strategy was abandoned during last year’s lockdown. Dealing with Covid turns out to be tough when you can’t just throw in the borders, push them away and let life go on here. Naturally. People are tired of changing rules and restrictions and just Covid in general.”

Then parliamentary protests broke out. The 1News Kantar poll showed that while 46 percent of the public agreed with Labor’s handling of the protest, 43 percent disagreed.

A Herald Kantar poll showed that “the vast majority of people opposed the protest – particularly in Wellington – but there was 12 per cent support among those surveyed. 72 per cent said they opposed, and 14 per cent did not support or oppose the protest.” protesters.”

Polls show that support for vaccine mandates has fallen significantly over the past few months, although a majority of New Zealanders remain broadly in favor.

What can the government do to offset its decline?

Labor will review some unpopular areas of reform such as Three Waters. There will be plenty of other areas to review – particularly on the cost of living and perceptions of non-essential government spending, but also income relief for those on the rocks. Like previous governments before him, he has been ineffective in dealing with spiraling housing costs, as the policies promoted have proven embarrassingly anemic in reality. All eyes will be on Grant Robertson’s upcoming budget.

No matter what Labor does, it must take into account the fact that National and Luxon are thriving with their strong focus on economics. That should be reflected in recent polls showing that National now has more confidence in housing than work.

But most urgently, it would now be wise for the prime minister to admit that the rising cost of living is a very real problem, especially for those on the lower incomes whom the Labor party claims to champion. Obviously waving this away doesn’t work anymore. Time is running out on Ardern’s previously successful strategy of claiming empathy, but it is making little change.

Dr. Bryce Edwards is a political analyst in residence at Victoria University of Wellington. He is the director of the Democracy Project.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos