Friday, November 14, 2008



Our anti-democratic business community

Well, that didn't take long. Less than a week after National won the election, our anti-democratic business community is already calling on him to abandon the centrist policy and status quo platform he ran on and instead move hard hard right. In a piece in the Independent yesterday entitled (chillingly) "Unfinished business", editor Jenni McManus called on Key to "man up" and break his promises:

If forced to choose between breaking election promises and the country's economic survival, voters' intentions are clear. Key wasn't elected simply to implement his manifesto but to manage and lead the economy out of the crisis.
According to McManus, its all about business confidence. And the quickest way to boost it is to give Roger Douglas "a place in the inner sanctum". She also quotes approvingly from Douglas' infamous blitzkrieg strategy of ramming controversial policy through under urgency before anyone has a chance to object to it. Democracy? Clearly its a weakness, and a barrier to "necessary" "reforms".

If Key follows McManus' advice, the business community may very well be pleased. But at the end of the day, it is people that vote, not businesses. And we expect our politicians to be straight with us and keep their promises. If Key follows the 90's playbook, and treats his commitments like pretty lies for children, told simply for the purpose of securing election, he will not only suffer for it in 2011 - he will likely make his party unelectable for another decade.