Plenty of complainers but no substance to oppose National

Kate Stewart Photo/File

Thinking back to this time last week, you could almost swear change was in the air. From observing columns and reading comments and posts left by readers, you could be forgiven for thinking a change of government was inevitable.

The media fuelled the flames, of course, selling it as a gripping neck-and-neck race that would require a photo finish. Nicky Hager stepped in, too, with another carefully-timed book release.

And the result was ... what?

National back in and stronger than ever. Over one million party votes - love it or hate it, you can't argue with it. Just as we couldn't argue them being voted in last time, knowing asset sales were top of the agenda. But we did, at great expense.

When the complainers get loud, that loudness is often perceived as being the voice of the masses when, in actual fact, it's not. They hope their shouting and yelling will give the illusion they speak for the majority. If the complainers were to put as much effort into deposing rather than opposing, maybe the outcome would be different.

We have more parties than ever in opposition ... anyone can oppose. To me, the opposition are little more than state-funded beneficiaries on a much better whack than me. Just opposing isn't good enough.

Labour - ironically the working man's party - isn't working at all. It's broken. It needs to focus on labour of another kind and re-birth itself, taking six months parental leave and growing some meat on the bones of the new baby. Both the party and its caucus resemble something more akin to a carcass.

The Greens were green to think they could grow to 15 per cent with their environmentally-friendly blend of fertiliser and, as for the Internet Mana party, well that crashed like a website.

Hone's need to feed the kids was derailed by his need for greed and the dollars of Kim Dotcom who, after exploding into a cloud (of smoke), stomped off like a petulant 2-year-old who had broken his new toy. The Internet party was hacked to death ... lucky Sue Bradford saw the postings on the wall.

I'm sure a Chinese fortune cookie could have predicted that Winston Peters gauged the mood and got it wrong. New Zealand First finishing anything but.

If this is the best opposition we can muster, is it any wonder National retained power? Despite all the bitching and moaning, there never was a viable alternative with the capability to depose. They were too busy decomposing, internally.

Maybe Parliament is a "Zombie Town" of sorts.

Speaking of which, I've listened for months now ... if not years ... to all the talk of Wanganui and its negative press and I have, for me, shown remarkable restraint and never commented on it. But with all the zombie cries, I just can't sit silent any longer.

Wanganui is my hometown; my grandfather was Jack Dempsey, funeral director and Social Credit candidate way back in the day. My point is, I know this town. I know its secrets and whether you want to hear it or not, some of the negative press is justified. Be hating on me all you like but the truth hurts.

For decades this city was held firmly in the grip of 10-plus families who decided everything.

It's only in the last 20 years or so, that this old boys network has died off or depleted to an extent that new blood now pumps through the city's veins. Gone are the cover-ups of the homosexual and wife-swapping scandals of the '60s and their orchestrated attempts to conceal the "big names" involved.

I can see heads at home, nodding in remembrance, thinking back to big-name sponsors this city lost because of them.

And the business and industry they said 'no' to - Massey University, Matchbox Toys and Cadbury, to name but a few.

You can only say 'no' so many times before people just stop asking - and that's what's happened here. We were struck off the business register, so to speak, and bypassed for other centres.

It's like the Treaty all over again - just as me and my kids are being held responsible for the acts of our forebears, so Wanganui is paying the price for the sins of its fathers.

It's great we finally have the will to change - let's just hope it's enough and we haven't left our run too late. Wanganui is a a great town. I've lived in bigger; I've lived in smaller, but I'm always drawn back to home.

With our central location and property prices we could start by marketing ourselves as the new Call Centre Capital - just a thought.

If you'd like to share your thoughts with me, please do so - investik8@gmail.com

Kate Stewart is an unemployed, reluctant mother of three, currently running amok in the city ... approach with caution or cheesecake.