NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

John Armstrong: Political match-making begins

NZ Herald
27 Nov, 2011 04:30 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

John Banks needs no reminding that Epsom voters have returned him to Parliament as a surrogate National MP. Photo / Richard Robinson.

John Banks needs no reminding that Epsom voters have returned him to Parliament as a surrogate National MP. Photo / Richard Robinson.

Opinion by

One o'clock, United Future; two o'clock, Act; three o'clock, the Maori Party ... it is politics' version of speed-dating.

It might take a bit longer than the three one-hour-long meetings John Key has scheduled for this afternoon to nail down the detail in the confidence and supply agreements necessary for National to continue to rule as a minority Government. But not that much longer.

John Key wasted little time putting a Government together in 2008. He seems determined to take even less time this time.

It helps that the political match-making - with the exception of Act's John Banks - involves the same partners National has been cohabiting with for the past three years.

Banks, though, needs no reminding that Epsom voters have returned him to Parliament as a surrogate National MP with the sole purpose of backing that party. The only question with United Future's Peter Dunne is which ministerial portfolio he will get.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Maori Party was playing harder to get yesterday, refusing to commit to backing National. However, comments by co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples indicated they will stick with National.

And why wouldn't they? They either join up with National - securing portfolios, policy concessions and the ability to push for the implementation of their policies - or they sit in irrelevance in shark-infested Opposition, their identity swamped, and outgunned by Labour and Hone Harawira's Mana Party desperate to get their hands on what's left of the Maori Party's votes.

It is no contest. The Maori Party also has more leverage this time. Unlike in 2008, National could really do with the Maori Party on board as insurance. National has a two-seat cushion with Banks and Dunne. But both are electorate MPs. If they fell under the proverbial bus, that would prompt byelections - rather than their being replaced by list MPs.

The Prime Minister was very keen yesterday to stress it was very much business as usual; that the Government would be as "balanced" and "moderate" as the last one.

Key can say that with confidence now. Saturday's result may have seen National fall frustratingly short of an absolute majority, which would have enabled the party to govern alone. But there were compensating factors.

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

Ex-mayor has super city debate on agenda

27 Nov 04:30 PM
New Zealand|politics

Select committee system will give us power, says Peters

27 Nov 04:30 PM
New Zealand|politics

Young Nats in mood to paint town blue

27 Nov 04:30 PM
New Zealand|politics

Election 2011: Greens weigh options

27 Nov 04:30 PM

While Key could have done with Act bringing a second MP into Parliament, that MP would have been Don Brash. Key will now be spared endless lectures from his right on why he should be adopting policies he considers to be anathema.

Key's other good fortune is that - barring some dreadful meltdown of National's partners - New Zealand First will hold no sway over National. Peters has marched his followers into his Promised (Waste)Land of Opposition. He was gambling on the numbers in Parliament falling his way. They haven't. Peters will have to be content with the baubles of Opposition.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Except there aren't any. Just ask Labour.

That party has suffered its worst defeat since 1928, shedding more than 165,000 votes compared to election night in 2008. The result is so bad that it is impossible for Phil Goff to stay on as leader despite his good performance in the election campaign.

The party may lack for an obvious successor who could do any better. But the chalice is now further poisoned. Whoever takes over knows Labour may well now be staring down the barrel of at least six years in Opposition.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Serious leg injury': Police probe after incident in Murupara

05 Jul 02:08 AM
New Zealand

'Systemic failings': Coroner criticises Oranga Tamariki after 14yo runaway's huffing death

05 Jul 02:07 AM
New Zealand|auckland

'I will f****n' smash you': Kāinga Ora tenant evicted after threats, knife incident

05 Jul 02:00 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Serious leg injury': Police probe after incident in Murupara

'Serious leg injury': Police probe after incident in Murupara

05 Jul 02:08 AM

A man has been taken to hospital after being found with an injured leg.

'Systemic failings': Coroner criticises Oranga Tamariki after 14yo runaway's huffing death

'Systemic failings': Coroner criticises Oranga Tamariki after 14yo runaway's huffing death

05 Jul 02:07 AM
'I will f****n' smash you': Kāinga Ora tenant evicted after threats, knife incident

'I will f****n' smash you': Kāinga Ora tenant evicted after threats, knife incident

05 Jul 02:00 AM
Emergency services scramble as vehicle goes off cliff in Auckland

Emergency services scramble as vehicle goes off cliff in Auckland

05 Jul 01:39 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP