Bridges: He Needs to Use the Other Mic

Pn55

If Opposition leader Simon Bridges would take some advice, I'd suggest he comes up with something positive about what National would do if it were in government (or perhaps explain why it didn't do it when it was) rather than repetitively criticize everything the Labour-led coalition is trying to do.

Today's comment was to criticise the announcement of a working group to develop a fair pay framework. Bridges called this "more talk, more slogans (and) the 153th working group." If this sounds like too much consultation to Bridges, it could in part be a consequence of  the lower level of consultations under National that has led to the need for redress under the present Government.

One  wonders whether tomorrow he'll be criticising the government's plan to establish a Business Advisory Council to be chaired by former Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon. The PM hopes the Council will provide Government with "high level free and frank advice on key economic issues and harness expertise from the private sector to develop government's economic.policies.' Free meaning open, not costless for, of course, the process is costly as ACT leader David Seymour has pointed out. Whether it would be more costly not to consult is another question.

An advisory council is different from a working party. It has direct, ongoing contact with Government while working parties are more typically one-off affairs with some ongoing contact, at the other end of the spectrum, that later may lead to the sort of relationship enjoyed by advisory councils.

Criticising Government is fine. That's a large part of an Opposition's job.  It keeps Government on its toes. . But it also needs to actually say something new. To show why it would be the better government. Repeated criticism is unlikely to have this effect..  

On what may appear to be a completely unrelated topic -- although an informed public is is an essential part of a democracy -- I had a quick check through today's 1 News Now items. Of the 40-odd listed, Simon Bridges was mentioned once, Jacinda Adern and Government four times -- the same as Australian mentions--,six were on crime, and 14 were on sports and sports personalities. Umm!
-- ACW