Under MMP, all elections are close elections. And they are not just about National versus Labour, but about the centre-right versus the left. And it's clear for everyone to see that Labour has hitched their wagon to the Greens, lurching the opposition to the far left.
Make no mistake, our opposition comes from the far left of politics. The Greens are leading Labour by the nose. It's important that New Zealanders understand what a Green-dominated government would look like. They want to tax you more, rack up more debt and make you work two more years before you can retire. They want a government department to run the entire electricity system, just like it did in the old days when we had blackouts. They want to stop oil, gas and mineral exploration that would create jobs and growth. They blame foreigners for all the ills of the country when our future prosperity lies in being open and connected to the rest of the world.
They even characterize businesses relocating jobs from Australia to New Zealand as 'deeply worrying'. And they take petty, opportunistic political positions on national security in the face of the obvious need to clarify the GCSB law - a law they passed in the first place!
The thought of a LabourGreen government after the next election is bad enough. But the prospect of a LabourGreenNZFirstMana government fills us with a sense of dread.
And it's a double-banger Quote of the Day today; here's John Key's message to David Shearer, Russel Norman and Metiria Turei:
The fundamental difference between us and the opposition is that we are about doing things, and they are about stopping things. As we prepare ourselves for the election next year, I can tell you that I'm as fired up to win now, as I first was in 2008.
My message to David Shearer and Russel Norman is this - get used to another three years in opposition.
Amen to that!
Footnote: The full speech, including the first home buyers announcement can be viewed here.
