The promise of a warm winter's day

I drove to work today, and was on the way when I realised that I had left the Pentax at home. Disappointed, as I had intended to have a walk at Western Springs on the way home. Felt better when on the walk from the parking building I saw the still to rise sun was creating a lovely sky.

Our current Government continues to demonstrate contempt for due process. They are attempting to prevent hundreds of thousands from registering to vote by arbitrarily declaring that registration is closed two weeks before the election day. Their weak excuse for doing so is that it delays final counts as registration on the day has to be checked before the late registrant's vote will count. They may well be able to push this through as they have emasculated the opposition.

Fortunately, not all. The co-leader of the NZ Green Party, Chloe Swarbrick has become a thorn in the side of the Act Party in particular. Recently the Speaker lost his cool and demanded that she withdraw and apologise for suggesting that the National Party backbenchers lack spine. He then excluded her from the House for a week. There would have just been laughter if a man had said such as she did.

A senior member of the NZ Labour Party (Kieran McAnulty) has made a couple of strong speeches. He spoke without notes and never missed a beat. While Chris Hipkins has done very well to hold the Opposition parties together, he was absent when charisma was being shared out. McAnulty could well claim to have Hipkins' share as well as his own. Labour should consider who should lead the Party into the election in September next year.