In the election campaign we have just had, the paying down of debt and the return to surplus were big issues. The “show me the money” moment was just one where John Key brandished his credentials to lead us to the promised land of surplus by 2014-15. It was a certainty, and it could happen even earlier. Yet, six weeks on, the dampners are on. Key now says its only a “reasonable probability”. Another $1 billion have been knocked off the forecast. Truth is little is different in the challenging global environment now from when the promises were made, except the PM is not campaigning any more, he is in office. Not for the first time he gave the public the message they wanted to hear about economic growth, but now its time to lower expectations.

The so-called State of the Nation speech from the PM yesterday was a dull and miserable affair. Gone is the brighter future we were all promised just a few weeks ago. What plan there is has at is centrepiece more cuts to the public service. Regardless of the wisdom of those, they will be a drop in the bucket of improving the government’s finances.

No one is underestimating the challenge in front of the government. But what’s happened to the sunny optimisim of our PM? Actually there is every reason to be optimistic about New Zealand’s future if the government is prepared to do things differently. The world has changed, will the government? There is opportunity to reset fiscal and economic policy, and make the investments that will support innovative growing companies, grow our skills base and ensure that everyone reaches their potential.

But there was none of that in the speech. Not just a lack of economic vision either. And as Pita Sharples (yes, he is a Minister in the government) points out nothing on dealing with poverty or inequality. Nothing on the issues that need to be dealt with to unlock the potential of thousands of New Zealanders.

It was a defeatist, sad and tired effort. A bit like an old joke.

so the campaign to which no one came

I’m going to accept Heatley’s word. He is the Minister after all. From Q + A.

  PHIL Well, yes, and the second step.  So the first step is for any new tenant from the 1st of July this year.  After the election if we’re re-elected, we’re going to be rolling this out for current tenants.  .

But it seems in a few short days, under the pressure of an election campaign, much of the good work has unravelled. This morning on Firstline Duncan Garner made some very interesting observations that John Key seems to have ” lost all the character of the past in showing spontaneity”, “never seen him like this in the past, starting to see the changing face of the PM”.

Key has, as other PMs before him, assiduously worked the media, and has made them his friends. Over the last few days he has shown the worst of a ‘politician’ response to a self made political disaster, all but accusing them of having a conspiracy against him.

John Armstrong sums it up in the Herald this morning. The PM has lost control of this issue and is trapped by his tactic of referring it to the Police. But more than that his approach is running totally counter to the brand developed over the last few years

Key’s abrupt ending of his press conferences looked like the pressure is getting to him. It made him look shifty and weak

And shifty and weak is not part of the brand strategy. As they say, a week is a long time in politics.

He made it very clear that he didn’t care about  privacy breaches.

He said :-

“Anyone who is innocent has nothing to fear”.

To see his views go here.

Or maybe it is just one of those things he says when he is not involved.

1.  Party aide seeks $6000 in gang case

In April this year, the owner turned to John Key for help. He wrote: “Black Power seizing back the property makes a mockery” of seizing assets from criminals.

He asked the Government to buy back the building, and included information about Cooper receiving cash.

An email back said the information would be sent to Justice Minister Simon Power’s office. A spokesman for Power’s office said it had no record of receiving the information. Key’s office did not respond to calls for comment by deadline.

See nzherald.co.nz

2.  PM blocks release of chat tape

See nzherald.co.nz

3.  Blogger shut down over Rena postings

See nzherald.co.nz

4.  John Key covers up the facts on minimum wage?

See 3news.co.nz

He is absolutely right when he says that any extra Act vote will come from National.

What he doesn’t say is that if Act get the 1 or 2% they would get without Key’s intervention and don’t get into Parliament then National on current polling would effectively get 50% of that wasted vote.

So he has decided to encourage two old racist codgers into Parliament, both surefire causes of trouble for no net gain.

And he will delay the development of a genuine modern party of the right by at least three years.

I’m glad he’s dating Banks but just don’t understand the logic. Maybe there is none.

Weird really.

I didn’t think he was that much of an asset but clearly their polling has him a a vital cog in their machine.

Go here to send some of your own.