Rodney Hide: Norman so (un)like Muldoon too

For Muldoon there were two types of doctors: the ones who made you well, and the ones who made you sick. Photo / Dean Purcell

Last week, Green co-leader Russel Norman compared Prime Minister John Key to Sir Robert Muldoon. Most Kiwis were left scratching their heads. Key? Muldoon? They are nothing like each other.

But having invited the comparison, you can't help but then compare Norman to Muldoon.

Norman was safe and secure in launching a personal attack on Key. It is Key's style and strategy not to fire back. But Muldoon would not have sat quietly by. Muldoon would have eaten him up and spat him out.

Muldoon also would never have shared his leadership as Norman does. He wasn't a touchy-feely, let's-sit-around-the-table-holding-hands sort of guy. He was leader and that was that. Muldoon would never have tolerated a co-leader.

And then there was Norman crying, "Give me back my flag. Give me back my flag." That was when he was attempting to stick the Tibetan flag in the face of Chinese Vice-President Xi Jinping. Muldoon would never have done that. He was polite and respectful to our guests, whatever he thought of their domestic politics.

And if Muldoon did get into a scuffle, he would not have come out second. Once a rowdy group of young protesters shouting "Heil Hitler" attacked Muldoon as he was leaving a meeting. They hit him in the face, kicked his leg and shoved him against his car.

The then Leader of the Opposition decked one and chased the others down the street shouting, "One at a time and you're welcome".

Muldoon was condemned for brawling in the streets. But everyday Kiwis liked the guy for his belligerence. They saw in him a man who would get on with the business and who could stick up for himself.

It's hard to imagine Norman, (a) bare-fisted defending himself, and, (b) not having a whinge about it afterwards.

Norman is Australian. Muldoon was a New Zealander through and through. In comparing Key to Muldoon, Norman gave us a very sharp reminder that he's a very recent arrival. No one who lived in New Zealand would ever think Key was in any way a Muldoon. The comparison is bizarre.

Muldoon knew New Zealand was a trading nation. He knew we needed to trade to make our way in the world. He got us free trade with Australia. Norman has opposed every trade deal New Zealand has signed.

Muldoon favoured developing and using New Zealand's abundant natural resources to provide prosperity and to generate jobs. Norman is against most resource developments that are ever proposed.

Muldoon backed New Zealand farming. Norman attacks it.

Norman has a PhD in political science. For Muldoon there were two types of doctors: the ones who made you well, and the ones who made you sick. He would have had a very clear view of what sort of doctor Norman was.

Muldoon fought fascism and totalitarianism in World War II. Norman was for several years active in the Marxist-Leninist Democratic Socialist Party.

They are two very different men. Muldoon was popular. His majority in his electorate was unassailable. The best Norman has done is come third.

They are men of different eras. Muldoon was minister of finance the year Norman was born.

But in other ways they aren't so different.

Muldoon's policies were to control the economy, fix prices, set the exchange rate, invest in hare-brained schemes, and print money to pay for it all.

He all but bankrupted the country.

In this regard, Muldoon and Norman are peas in a pod.

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