Politician of the year?

The pundits have pundited and have determined who the politician of the year is.

Fran O’Sullivan thinks that it is Christopher Luxon and Todd McClay. For getting the India Free Trade over the line. The deal that was undermined by the start by Luxon’s open declaration he would get it done within the term, something the Indian negotiators noticed and stored away for bargaining purposes. The deal that opens up all New Zealand trade to Indian exporters immediately but only partially and over time and excludes dairy. The deal that is predicated by herculean investment by New Zealand interests in India. The deal that may sink the Government because NZ First has publicly stated it will not support it. The deal that Winston Peters described as a quick low quality deal. The deal that requires Labour support as otherwise it will be a significant loss of mana for National.

That deal.

O’Sullivan ignores Luxon’s polling failing, his inability to control Peters and Seymour, his wrecking of the economy, the overt corruption involved in the fast track system, the sustained use of urgency in Parliament to pass all sorts of outrageous laws, the undermining of the country’s climate change response or attacks on Te Ao Maori to name a few. Signing up to a compromised trade deal that has a major risk of failing is apparently a worthy thing to do.

Thomas Coughlan is not much better.

He thought that Brooke van Velden was a finalist for getting rid of pay equity. It is hard to understand what was good about this. With retrospective effect it dashed the hopes and aspirations of many working women. The way it was achieved or the consequences will not be forgotten or forgiven.

He praised Luxon for changes to Kiwisaver and described them as being a “boost”. This is a strange description for the halving of Government contributions.

His choice as politician of the year is Chris Bishop. He praises his work in RMA reform, before it is even passed and even though Bishop largely plaigarised David Parker’s work, transport for all of those unfunded roads of National significance, housing supply reforms that are causing havoc, and social housing policies for overseeing the final houses contracted under Labour being finished and then gutting Kainga Ora so that it cannot build any more.

The lauding of the RMA reforms in particular is frankly weird. The changes could have been affected by moving amendments to Parker’s acts. Also there is no commentary on the detail. Like Councils having to pay affected landowners compensation for imposing protections for indigenous biodiversity, outstanding landscapes and high natural character areas. Or limiting further the requirement to publicly notify consent applications.

And we should not forget the failed coup. Bishop may get a prize for being the best at playing political games but in terms of actual quality achievements his list is very short.

Newsroom thought that Winston Peters should be politician of the year. And there is an argument in favour of this. NZ First’s polling is strong and Peters has managed to give the impression that NZ First is railing against the status quo, not an integral part of a deeply flawed Government.

With the Government so messy and in such trouble it is strange that media would go to their ranks for politician of the year.

And it will not come from te Pati Maori which had a shocker of a year nor from the Greens who stabilised things but are lacking some of their former shine.

If you had said to me in December 2023 that 12 months out Labour would have a commanding lead over National and at least an even shot at winning the next election I would have told you that you are being far too hopeful.

And I describe myself as one of his smallest fans. I have major concerns that New Zealand Labour may morph into a Keir Starmer UK equivalent. And that this year we will have a small target strategy for the campaign where Labour talks about nothing but three polished policies that are focussed grouped within an inch of their lives and not about our future and the sort of world we want to develop.

But for bringing stability and discipline and focus to the Labour Party and for opening up the tantalising prospect of a one term National Government Chris Hipkins has to be the politician of the year.