In the Sunday Star Times Chris Trotter takes a different tack to McCarten. He sees the EFA as boosting support for Labour and restricting National's ability to campaign. He also has unkind things to say about Kiwiblog readers.
"The curbs on "third parties" imposed by the Electoral Finance Act will expose serious weaknesses in the campaigning ability of a National Party operating without the assistance of powerful extra-parliamentary allies.
Significant polling reverses for National will provoke elements of the news media especially the New Zealand Herald into taking up the role formerly played by third parties.
Extreme partisan media campaigning will provoke a backlash from left-leaning readers, listeners and viewers.
Labour and its allies will harness this "anti-establishment" backlash in a grass-roots campaign of "The People versus The Wreckers".
National receives more votes than Labour, but is unable to form a government Labour wins a fourth term in alliance with the Progressives, the Greens and the Maori Party. "A silver and a bronze beat the gold"."
As proof of the fact that we are non-partisan here at The Hive, we suggest to all Labour people that they take more heed of Moore and McCarten than Trotter. However, if we were campaigning for a National victory we would tell Labour to relax and believe Trotter's vision.
Update: From the mouths of babes...
One of The Hive team has a teenage son. He has just finished reading the Trotter article. His reaction: "Trotter is living in la la land".
