Daft as a Brash (Updated)
I see Don Brash has learned no new political skills since ceasing to be a National MP. I don’t know who is advising him, if anyone, but the man really does need some significant help. What on earth possessed him to try for the leadership of ACT?
Much has been made of the fact that Brash is not even a member of ACT, let alone an ACT MP. It has been pointed out that this is a deeply strange way to try and take the leadership of a political party. Almost as if Brash thinks the leadership and the party are corporates, ready for takeover. But this is not what mystifies me.
What I find puzzling is why Brash would want anything to do with ACT at all? Let’s face it, ACT is a damaged vehicle with a dysfunctional caucus. It’s brand is tarnished by internecine struggles within the party and atrocious political management by Hide. It has completely lost it’s original purpose and is languishing in the polls. The chances are good that, either no-one, or just Boscowen and Hide will be all that is left after the next election, depending on whether Hide retakes Epsom. ACT is a dying party.
Contrast this to what Brash could acheive with a new party framework. Putting together a new party requires jumping through some hoops, but if Bill and Ben can do it, it can’t be too difficult. Putting together a creditable and viable machine is a little harder, but no harder than trying to stoke the moribund ACT back to life. And you then have a fresh new party (always an asset, if you have a clear vision) with none of the baggage of ACT and, hopefully, none of the flakier MPs.
Brash is right that a new right-wing party would seriously damage, if not destroy, ACT. He could syphon votes from ACT, National and, probably, NZ First (which would be a bonus, if it ensures Mr. Peters maintains his retirement). There is also likely to be a sizeable chunk of voters who were planning on not voting in November, who may well vote for someone like Brash.
Unfortunately, that nice, new party has now been placed in jeopardy by Brash’s corporate raid on ACT. The whole thing makes Brash look somewhat inept, politically. Backers for the new party may well be less enthusiastic about supporting a man who may not be able to navigate the political waters well enough to place a new party in a position of power.
Mr. Brash always seems to me to be his own worst enemy.
Additional:
It appears that Don Brash has successfully ousted Rodney Hide. This is all a little too “Pirates of the Caribbean” for my tastes. I can’t help feeling Brash is going to regret taking over the Zombie Party.
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Apr 27 11 10:39 pm
I note there has been a new right wing party formed, the Reform Party, but as yet there has been no mention of it in the mainstream media, or indeed who is behind it.
http://www.reform.org.nz/
Perhaps if Don fails with his takeover of ACT, he may like to have a go at this one.
Apr 27 11 10:58 pm
I agree with your opening – he’s done a terrible job.
What I find puzzling is why Brash would want anything to do with ACT at all? Let’s face it, ACT is a damaged vehicle with a dysfunctional caucus.
Well, there’s your answer, isn’t it? ACT is like a fixer-upper house that’s been trashed by the last lot of tennants. You purchase cheap, fix up and presto! you have a good house for a fraction of the price of a new one.
I think you underestimate the effort in starting a new party. In order to build a credible organisation, a lot of work is needed. I think Chris Trotter spelled it out for Bomber recently after Bomber was spending so much time promoting a “new left” party.
Apr 28 11 12:05 am
Its given him blanket nationwide media coverage for 5 days now, and a week more to come at the very least Its the smartest move by far. Every soft Right voter now knows they will have a choice at Election time, and thousands of NZers are now hearing, in some cases for the first time, that the Govt has been borrowing $250-$300 million a WEEK for the past two and a half years. The time will soon come when we must pay it all back. Don Brash is really no fool at all and we’ll see that reflected in the vote come election time, whatever banner he runs under.
Apr 28 11 12:29 am
“hopefully, none of the flakier MPs”
Brash decreed on TV tonight’s news that Rodney is to go. Roger is retiring. So which of the remaining MPs do you consider flaky?
Apr 28 11 11:32 am
I find both ladies rather strange, frankly. Boscowen is a very solid MP, but his preoccupation with the law and order push in ACT may not sit well in a Brash-led party. OTOH, he is reputed to be very loyal.
Apr 28 11 8:13 am
Quite simple MacDoc; Act will have an allocation of broadcasting time this election, paid for by you and I. A new party would not. By hi-jacking Act, he has all the structures in place to start campaigning straight away.
Inventory2´s last [type] ..Has Hilary switched sides
Apr 28 11 9:14 am
You say it yourself, exactly why Brash would want to take on Act rather than build a new party. Act has a significant party structure throughout New Zealand. All it needs is revitalising. Rodney has driven off a lot of long time Act supporters who will come back for Brash.
What is not recognised is when Act was originally formed it destroyed Labour’s infrastructure. A lot of experienced activists followed Roger into the new party. They are still there waiting to be revitalised.
The Reform party is a joke. There doesn’t appear to be any coherent philosophy behind their policy. They’ll never get the traction Act currently have.
For all of this I think it shows Don has considerable political nous. He understands the way Rodney works, as we saw with Rodney’s machiavellian genius in destroying Heather last year. Don knows the only way he could successfully pull this off is publicly through the media. To have tried to do it otherwise he’d be constantly fighting a rearguard action with Rodneys manipulation of the media.
Certainly the coverage gained for Act over the past week has been invaluable. To paraphrase – the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.
The 2011 election was looking a pretty forlorn and boring thing until now. It has now come alive.
Apr 28 11 10:10 am
The thing is, if Brash can effectively take over ACT, he not only has the infrastructure in place, but also will be allocated broadcasting time on TV. This he would not get as a new party as it’s too late to apply for it. I give him the credit of saying I doubt he wants taxpayer money to run his campaign, but under the current law, he can’t just buy TV time.
Linda Reid´s last [type] ..Are your problems big enough
Apr 28 11 10:23 am
The Reform Party is indeed a joke. If Brash started his own party he would be crazy to go with those misfits and Tashkoffites….
Clint Heine´s last [type] ..Nationals Brash Faction
Apr 28 11 11:28 am
I agree the reform party is a non-flyer. After all, that would have no advantage over starting a new party.
I had forgotten New Zealand’s peculiar rules around political TV but I am uncertain whether this is that much of a motivation. I would not have thought so, given ACT’s rather meagre allocation.
The wholly negative coverage of ACT over the past year has not all been centered around Rodney Hide, although, as leader, it all reflects on him. Consequently, it seems to me that ACT , despite its relatively intact party machine, is an extremely damaged entity. In politics this is generally bad. If there were more than seven months before the election and Brash was somewhat charismatic, this might be fixable, but I have my doubts. Clearly most commenters here think he can do it.
I am also extremely uncomfortable with the whole “corporate raider” ethos here, but that’s another story.
Apr 28 11 12:04 pm
Well, just heard that Rodney is on his way, so the corporate raid has been successful.
Apr 28 11 1:19 pm
Indeed. I still can’t help feeling that Brash is going to regret this.
Apr 28 11 2:17 pm
Come November I think that you may well have changed your tune and lining up to vote for a new invigorated ACT party
Apr 28 11 3:11 pm
It would not be the first, or the last, time I was wrong
However, even if Don Brash is successful, I am doubtful that I would be tempted to vote for him. I am a little too centrist in my outlook to be comfortable with Dr. Brash.
Apr 28 11 3:21 pm
I think most New Zealanders feel that way, but a surprising number may well see him as a counterbalance to National’s slide to the left. Brash’s “one law for all” policy will win him considerable support in light of the National/Maori Party deals that have been done during the current term.
Apr 28 11 6:12 pm
“I am a little too centrist in my outlook to be comfortable with Dr. Brash.”
I would be pretty sure that Brash will follow many of the recommendations in the latest OECD report on NZ.. indeed the report looks much like a rerun of the 2025 Taskforce report chaired by Brash but with more supporting data. The OECD recommendations are based on OECD averages and best practice of all those “socialist” European countries.. so hardly that extreme.
Where Brash could come adrift is in Maori issues.. but I take heart that he’s freely admitted he got parts of that wrong in his Orewa speech.
JC
Apr 30 11 11:50 pm
Brash will crash and burn. There is a wealth of material in the book The Hollow Men just waiting to be dusted off and presented to a public disconcerted by the unpopular policies Brash cannot stop himself talking about. In that well researched book his dishonesty is laid bare, and surprisingly all in his own words. 5% is a dream. And that is even before bumbling Brash makes an ass of himself which is also likely.
James