John MacDonald: Does the Govt deserve another three years?

I’m no fan of the current Government. In fact, I’m no fan of any of the political parties at the moment. That said, you’ve got to give the current lot credit for what we saw in yesterday’s Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU). Is it enough for them to get another term? I’ll tell you what I think shortly. But the overarching result is that the government’s finances are better than expected. The books could be out of the red a year earlier than forecast. With a $4 billion surplus, $1.5 billion higher than was forecast just a few months ago, expected within three years. When I first heard those numbers, I thought, “Why would you change course now?” For me, there is a lot not to like about the current government. Despite what it says, I think it has a general disdain for people who are down on their luck. ACT, especially. And that doesn’t sit well with me. Then there’s all the culture war nonsense pushed by NZ First. Making English an official language. Laws to define what a woman is. Proving you’re Kiwi enough to live here. So there’s a long list of all the things I don’t like about the current government. But you’ve got to give them credit for the state of the books. So do I think they deserve another term? Based on yesterday’s results, I would say yes. Reluctantly. But there’s another reason too. I think Labour has blown it and doesn’t deserve to be back in government. I’ve got no idea what they’ve been doing these last three years. It seems that Chris Hipkins thinks all he has to do is start swearing in speeches and get fired up during interviews and he’ll be Prime Minister again. He’s dreaming. And the state of The Government’s books could be the final straw. LISTEN ABOVE