Fran O'Sullivan has a serious look at the new ACT Party (new since Roger Douglas decided to stand). She looks at the return to serious and credible policy (not just productivity but climate change also). Fran suggests that
Act will have no problem in scooping up at least 3 per cent of the party vote this year and could well go much higher if advertising guru John Ansell - who created National's billboard for the 2005 election - succeeds in differentiating Act's brand while his former client sits on its hands. Ansell has come up with the "Act to bring your children home" slogan to illustrate the party's push for a 20-year plan to overcome the big gap between New Zealand and Australia. Making the first $30,000 income tax-free for families, and, getting rid of the 39 per cent top threshold will have cut-through.
Fran also looks at ACT's attempts to encourage other prominent New Zealanders to run for Parliament and looks at Don "the rake" Brash, and Catherine Judd as possibilities. The Hive is not sure about Brash. We understand that National is planning to gift him to the women of Washington D.C. (should the Clintons be the next door neighbours - in the VP's Residence, we are sure that Don and Bill will get on like a house on fire. Many stories and tactics to share!!)Brash standing for ACT might cause a reconsideration of this posting.
Finally Fran looks at another possibility. Now that National has swung so far to the centre, would the new ACT necessarily want to support National in Government?
The more interesting question to pose is whether Act could get into bed with Labour. Douglas cites the "Helen Clark" factor (she has orchestrated the party list to drum out the Rogernomes) as a negative. But Act could work with a Phil Goff-led Labour.
Hide says from his perspective the issue is what policies Act could negotiate as part of a coalition agreement. Not with which major party.
Of course, for this theory to work, Goff would need to the the leader of Labour at the time of the election.......
