Bill Dalton

Have you ever attended a funeral and listened to the minister or celebrant – who probably didn’t know the deceased at all – waxing lyrical about what a wonderful person dear old John was.  They never quite tell the truth do they!

And it’s like that with Michael Cullen.  Now at the end of his parliamentary career we are told that he had an amazing wit, he was sartorially elegant and that in the house he was wonderfully eloquent.

All these things are good to be remembered by but what about the finances of the county.  Rightly or wrongly we remember Nordy’s Black Budget, Muldoon’s think big, Douglas’ reforms of the economy without which New Zealand would be out the back door economically.  

And what will we remember Michael Cullen for?  Being a witty smart-arse who wore flash suits.
 
Cullen held the financial reigns in this country for 9 years – 8 of which were some of the most buoyant economic years we have known.  At a time when we should have been broadening the productive sector, the tax base, Cullen paid off debt and used the funds to build up an enormous army of civil servants.  I use the term army because the IRD alone musters more troops than the whole New Zealand army!

Clark and Cullen are gone and Phil Goff, one of the brightest politicians in the house, though no charismatic leader is in the hot seat. 

And he has had a cabinet reshuffle and brought Labour’s bovver boy Trevor Mallard back to the front bench.  I would have thought May was a good month for Mallard to keep his head down.

Some of the Labour members who have gained promotion I’ve never heard of.  Clearly due to lack of depth in the Labour party they are having to promote list MPs who are there because they brought the best scones for supper at the local branch meetings.

National faces incredibly difficult times – some of the most difficult times ever experienced for a government.  All I ask of them is that they be open and honest.  Take the people with you.

The last thing New Zealand needs now is to find out that another Government is not telling us the truth.

Related posts:

1. What has happened to personal responsibility?
2. Labour’s arrogance masks inadequacy
3. Tax cuts a long time coming