Today's NZ Herald editorial looks at the potential return Sir Roger Douglas to Parliament and the implications for National
The return of Sir Roger Douglas to active politics has put a cat among the pigeons, particularly those in the National Party. Sir Roger's ambitions have been the subject of much pointless conjecture as to whether he means to take over leadership of the Act party, or hopes to sit in a National-Act Cabinet. His motives are probably what they have always been - positions do not interest him as much as policies.
The policies he believes the country needs are particularly unwelcome to the National Party at this stage. If National wins the election, as sustained polling indicates, it will probably need Act's support to govern and Sir Roger wants the next government's direction to be clearer than it seems at present.
National has been in no hurry to spell out what it might do in power, and probably hopes to keep contentious commitments to a minimum from now to election day. The policies it will be keenest to declare are on those like the $50 criminal fee announced yesterday - superficially impressive but essentially meaningless.
>
