Election battle lines are slowly being drawn
So, it's no wonder they've pulled out all the stops after a few weeks of shaky results and a fair amount of time spent on defence.
The problem for Labour with crime is simple: nobody trusts them. The facts are as follows: crime went nuts. Labour's policy? Cut the prison population. Sure, there's more to it than that, but this is clearly how voters feel.
Which is what is making this such a hard week for Labour, not the Greens and TPM, who sing a different song on law and order, and for Chris Hipkins.
How do you credibly stand up and argue against longer sentences for thugs who bash first responders? How do you oppose getting tough on coward punches? How do you oppose on-the-spot fines for people stealing booze from the supermarket?
The answer for Labour so far has been to continue to oppose these things. They have come out against almost every single change.
And that plays into the perception they're still weak on crime.
That they haven't been to the gym to get stronger, tougher and meaner. They've been at the salon painting their nails, feeling sorry for all the misunderstood baddies who just need a big wraparound hug.
Of course, this problem could be solved if we knew anything about what Labour is planning, policy-wise.
But Chippy's strategy is going to be one of shock and awe – holding cards very close to the chest until the election.
I asked Hipkins on my Herald NOW breakfast show this week about Labour's record on crime and he was adamant they were on the right track but Covid simply got in the way.
The problem for Labour with crime is simple: nobody trusts them. Photo / Getty Images
I wonder how this level of accountability will go down with voters?
I asked Chloe Swarbrick this week whether it was okay to steal food if you're hungry. She refused to answer the question, instead saying that she would not give 'soundbites'.
Meanwhile, her colleague Tamatha Paul, the MP singularly most likely to re-elect a coalition Government, was happy to dish out soundbites promoting food theft like it was some sort of God-given right.
Put these pieces together and you can understand why National's picking this scab. It's fertile ground.
Cost of living is proving a much harder dial to shift for the right. Not because the numbers haven't returned to more normal-looking levels – they have. Inflation is 2.5%. The Official Cash Rate is near neutral at 3.25%. But recent surveys show voters aren't feeling it yet. The onset delay is hurting National, with Labour overtaking the leaderboard on a king-hit issue.
The battle lines are slowly being drawn and we can expect to hear a lot more from National on crime and a lot more from Labour on the cost of living.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
1News
an hour ago
- 1News
'Constitutional adventurism' in Treaty settlement sovereignty clause
Treaty Minister Paul Goldsmith says he was uncomfortable with what he called "constitutional adventurism" after negotiations over a Treaty settlement were halted over an "agree-to-disagree" Crown sovereignty clause. Goldsmith, a senior National MP, sat down with Q+A for a wide-ranging interview across his ministerial portfolios this morning. He was asked about the settlement with East Coast iwi Te Whānau-ā-Apanui that was halted at the final hurdle after Goldsmith said he became uncomfortable over a clause to "agree to disagree" over whether sovereignty was ceded between the iwi and the Crown. "All of those settlements up to now have not referred to this issue. They've been silent on this issue. They've focused on historical claims," the Treaty Negotiations Minister said. "The Te Whānau-ā-Apanui one was the first where it was directly responded to with an agree-to-disagree clause. I didn't feel comfortable with, ultimately, constitutional experimentation through a Treaty settlement, or constitutional adventurism, in a sense, and so that's why we didn't go forward." ADVERTISEMENT The Treaty of Waitangi (Source: 1News) He added that the "novelty" was introduced during the previous government. "This is the first time that it's been done, and we weren't comfortable going forward on that basis," Goldsmith said. "If you're doing a full and final settlement, handing over money to a group that, in the deed, doesn't accept that the Crown actually has — the way you could read it was the Crown doesn't have the authority to do this, because they've never ceded sovereignty and they're still sovereign. And so there's a disjuncture between those two things." In a landmark 2014 ruling, the Waitangi Tribunal concluded the rangatira who signed the Treaty of Waitangi did not cede sovereignty to the Crown. When asked specifically about the issue, Goldsmith said: "It's impossible to know, of course, what was in the mind of somebody in 1840. And so historians can argue about that all day, and what people were actually thinking in the moment." Opposition party leaders support the view that iwi did not cede sovereignty when signing the Treaty, with Labour's Chris Hipkins noting "that doesn't mean that the Crown doesn't have sovereignty now" during controversy over the issue last year. ADVERTISEMENT 'Pressure' on public sentiment about clause - Goldsmith In the Q+A interview, the minister was also questioned about the Crown's stalled efforts to strike a Treaty settlement with Ngāpuhi, and whether the Government would meet a goal aiming to have all settlements finalised by 2035. Goldsmith conceded that he believed the sovereignty clause could put "pressure" on public support for settlements, and that it was part of his decision-making. "That's one of the key factors I've got in the back of my mind everywhere, is that we want to maintain public support for the Treaty settlement process," he said. Asked if he had been worried about a revolt in public opinion to the process, he replied, "it puts pressure on public support. New Zealanders have been broadly supportive of the Treaty settlement processes, and I want to keep that, and we want to get to an end. Shane Jones' has proposed forcing New Zealand's largest iwi into a single commercial for a Treaty settlement. (Source: 1News) "Everybody's impatient. We've been going for 30 years. We want to see a resolution to this, so that we can move together as New Zealanders." ADVERTISEMENT In his Q+A interview, Goldsmith was also asked about his Cabinet colleague Shane Jones' plans for a member's bill to force Ngāpuhi to the negotiating table. "I get on very well with Shane, and we work very collaboratively. He's impatient. He wants to see things happen for Northland," the minister said. "It's all part of coalition politics." Watch the video above for the full interview Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
Scoop
11 hours ago
- Scoop
Fresh Push For Four-Lane Highway From Rolleston To Ashburton
Article – Jonathan Leask – Local Democracy Reporter A local woman is renewing the campaign for State Highway 1 between Rolleston and Ashburton to be increased to four lanes. A woman fed up with seeing near-misses is campaigning for State Highway 1 between Rolleston and Ashburton to be increased to four lanes. Rachel Gillard-Tew launched a petition this week calling on the government to reconsider four-laning the 63km stretch of road. 'State Highway 1 is the lifeline connecting communities across New Zealand, and the section between Rolleston and Ashburton is crying out for attention. 'Despite its importance, it remains a single-lane hazard.' Her motivation stems from a personal connection to 'a catastrophic accident on SH1' and, as a regular traveller along SH1, witnessing plenty of close calls. With Rolleston and surrounding towns continuing to develop, traffic would only increase, she said. 'The potential for devastating accidents increases by the day. 'It's time SH1 is also prioritised.' With the range of vehicle sizes and speeds, it creates a stressful environment where people lose patience and take risks, she said. 'There is no room for error at all with no protection from oncoming traffic. 'The lack of safe intersections and an adequate median barrier makes this highway section particularly perilous. 'The need for immediate action is clear and compelling.' Creating four lanes between Rolleston and Ashburton would save lives and reduce the unnecessary risks faced by commuters and holiday travellers, she said. The major hurdle is, and has always been, the cost. Adding two lanes from Rolleston to Ashburton will require the extension or construction of new two-lane bridges at the Selwyn and Rakaia rivers. Four-lanes 'unaffordable' Former Selwyn District councillor Mark Alexander said that four-laning between Rolleston and Ashburton is 'unaffordable for our region and country'. He said a second bridge at Rakaia is needed for resilience and 'more maintenance of the existing roadway is needed'. 'We need more schools and better healthcare, more than a motorway between Ashburton and Rolleston.' Alexander sat on the Greater Christchurch Partnership and Regional Transport Committee during his time on the council, between 2010 and 2022, and said the 'cost-benefit ratio was not favourable' for four lanes. He was referencing a business case looking at traffic solutions on SH1 between Christchurch and Dunedin, which was ready for the NZTA Board in 2017. Instead, the National-led government announced its roads of national significance policy that included four lanes from Christchurch to Ashburton. National lost the election later that year, and the roads of national significance were scrapped by the incoming Labour-led coalition Government. The business case, released under the Official Information Act, shows the preferred option was not four lanes. It included a second bridge in Ashburton and a series of '2+1' lanes, essentially alternating passing lanes between Christchurch and Ashburton. What's NZTA planning? NZTA hasn't ruled out four-laning in future, but it is not part of the National Land Transport Plan 2024-27. Regional manager for system design Rich Osborne said NZTA is investing in safety measures on SH1 between Lyttelton and Timaru ports. He said NZTA is aware of safety concerns about the busy State Highway 1 corridor, as raised in the petition. Safety improvement works are being planned and undertaken, he said. 'Providing for wide centrelines has been a recent focus of safety improvements. 'This creates more space between lanes and keeps vehicles further apart, which can reduce serious crashes resulting in death and serious injuries. 'Recent work has included widening of the southbound shoulder of SH1 south of Rolleston, between Dunns Crossing Road and Burnham Road, to install a wide centreline.' Further improvements over the next few years include building a second Ashburton bridge, the Rolleston access improvements project, and a new roundabout at the Burnham Road/Aylesbury Road intersection. A stretch south of Hinds and 2km at Rolleston have had centre line widening and more is being planned, but not until the next three-year land transport plan. 'Pre-implementation work, including detailed design and some property acquisition work, is underway for wide centrelines and some widening works for sections of State Highway 1 from Burnham Road to Selwyn River, south of Selwyn River to north of Rakaia, and south of Rakaia to north of Ashburton. 'As part of its long-term forward planning, NZTA is exploring future options for improving the SH1 corridor between Lyttelton and Timaru ports, and this includes looking at replacement of SH1 bridges, the role of rail and the potential introduction of four-laning.' National's vision on hold National first proposed four-laning the highway ahead of the 2017 election, and the policy was resurrected at the 2020 election. The party had promised to investigate its viability in the lead-up to the 2023 election. When it released its National Land Transport Plan in 2024, National's Roads of National Significance were back, with 15 new four-lane roading projects across the country – including the Woodend Bypass, but not between Ashburton and Rolleston. Rangitata MP, and South Island Minister, James Meager said the idea needed to be reevaluated. 'We need to do the work to see how it stacks up – the last time anyone looked at it seriously was in 2017, before Labour came into government. 'My main focus is getting construction started on the second Ashburton bridge and making progress on our other major South Island roading projects.'
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
Fresh Push For Four-Lane Highway From Rolleston To Ashburton
A woman fed up with seeing near-misses is campaigning for State Highway 1 between Rolleston and Ashburton to be increased to four lanes. Rachel Gillard-Tew launched a petition this week calling on the government to reconsider four-laning the 63km stretch of road. "State Highway 1 is the lifeline connecting communities across New Zealand, and the section between Rolleston and Ashburton is crying out for attention. "Despite its importance, it remains a single-lane hazard." Her motivation stems from a personal connection to "a catastrophic accident on SH1" and, as a regular traveller along SH1, witnessing plenty of close calls. With Rolleston and surrounding towns continuing to develop, traffic would only increase, she said. "The potential for devastating accidents increases by the day. "It's time SH1 is also prioritised." With the range of vehicle sizes and speeds, it creates a stressful environment where people lose patience and take risks, she said. "There is no room for error at all with no protection from oncoming traffic. "The lack of safe intersections and an adequate median barrier makes this highway section particularly perilous. "The need for immediate action is clear and compelling." Creating four lanes between Rolleston and Ashburton would save lives and reduce the unnecessary risks faced by commuters and holiday travellers, she said. The major hurdle is, and has always been, the cost. Adding two lanes from Rolleston to Ashburton will require the extension or construction of new two-lane bridges at the Selwyn and Rakaia rivers. Four-lanes 'unaffordable' Former Selwyn District councillor Mark Alexander said that four-laning between Rolleston and Ashburton is "unaffordable for our region and country". He said a second bridge at Rakaia is needed for resilience and "more maintenance of the existing roadway is needed". "We need more schools and better healthcare, more than a motorway between Ashburton and Rolleston." Alexander sat on the Greater Christchurch Partnership and Regional Transport Committee during his time on the council, between 2010 and 2022, and said the "cost-benefit ratio was not favourable" for four lanes. He was referencing a business case looking at traffic solutions on SH1 between Christchurch and Dunedin, which was ready for the NZTA Board in 2017. Instead, the National-led government announced its roads of national significance policy that included four lanes from Christchurch to Ashburton. National lost the election later that year, and the roads of national significance were scrapped by the incoming Labour-led coalition Government. The business case, released under the Official Information Act, shows the preferred option was not four lanes. It included a second bridge in Ashburton and a series of "2+1" lanes, essentially alternating passing lanes between Christchurch and Ashburton. What's NZTA planning? NZTA hasn't ruled out four-laning in future, but it is not part of the National Land Transport Plan 2024-27. Regional manager for system design Rich Osborne said NZTA is investing in safety measures on SH1 between Lyttelton and Timaru ports. He said NZTA is aware of safety concerns about the busy State Highway 1 corridor, as raised in the petition. Safety improvement works are being planned and undertaken, he said. "Providing for wide centrelines has been a recent focus of safety improvements. "This creates more space between lanes and keeps vehicles further apart, which can reduce serious crashes resulting in death and serious injuries. "Recent work has included widening of the southbound shoulder of SH1 south of Rolleston, between Dunns Crossing Road and Burnham Road, to install a wide centreline." Further improvements over the next few years include building a second Ashburton bridge, the Rolleston access improvements project, and a new roundabout at the Burnham Road/Aylesbury Road intersection. A stretch south of Hinds and 2km at Rolleston have had centre line widening and more is being planned, but not until the next three-year land transport plan. "Pre-implementation work, including detailed design and some property acquisition work, is underway for wide centrelines and some widening works for sections of State Highway 1 from Burnham Road to Selwyn River, south of Selwyn River to north of Rakaia, and south of Rakaia to north of Ashburton. "As part of its long-term forward planning, NZTA is exploring future options for improving the SH1 corridor between Lyttelton and Timaru ports, and this includes looking at replacement of SH1 bridges, the role of rail and the potential introduction of four-laning." National's vision on hold National first proposed four-laning the highway ahead of the 2017 election, and the policy was resurrected at the 2020 election. The party had promised to investigate its viability in the lead-up to the 2023 election. When it released its National Land Transport Plan in 2024, National's Roads of National Significance were back, with 15 new four-lane roading projects across the country - including the Woodend Bypass, but not between Ashburton and Rolleston. Rangitata MP, and South Island Minister, James Meager said the idea needed to be reevaluated. "We need to do the work to see how it stacks up - the last time anyone looked at it seriously was in 2017, before Labour came into government. "My main focus is getting construction started on the second Ashburton bridge and making progress on our other major South Island roading projects."
