Editorial: Opposition benches await the vanquished post election-2020

A pensive National Party leader Judith Collins on the campaign trail in Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Editorial

EDITORIAL

While much of this week has rightly focused on the resounding success of the Labour Party and similarly-minded cohorts the Greens, attention will eventually turn to the shape of the Opposition.

How can the diminished National Party and Act inductees possibly make some impact on a widely popular Prime Minister and her jubilant House majority?

While much has been made of more "inclusive" and less deplorable "dirty" politics, the Opposition's main role is to question the Government and hold it accountable to the public. This is all the more important during a crisis when usual check and balances have necessarily been overriden.

As Opposition leader, National's Judith Collins has to first "dampen caucus rage" as Herald political reporter Claire Trevett so succinctly put it, over a leaked email which the party, at least partly, blames for a substantial plunge in support.

MP Denise Lee's email, fatefully disclosed in the second week of the campaign, objected to a policy announced by Collins involving Lee's Auckland Council portfolio, but which she knew nothing about. Collins swiftly rounded up the usual suspects but failed to make the rat squeak.

Collins has since resiled from hunt-them-down vernacular to talk of a review, setting aside natural instincts for vengeance to more pragmatically preventing further leaks.

Should Collins succeed in pulling together some semblance of unity, she may well ride out the inevitable calls from grassroots level for the leader to be sacrificed at the altar of electoral disapproval.

One counterpoint to having been dismissed at the polls is there may be fewer dissidents among those who made it. It is also far from National's worst election result, which still stands at 21 per cent of the vote in 2002 - a mere 27 seats.

Senior Nats, notably the disastrously displaced leaders in the approach to the election, have made soothing noises about rebuilding the brand and supporting Collins. Recommital from senior MPs such as Gerry Brownlee and Nick Smith, and the arrival of much-touted leader-in-waiting Christopher Luxon among other new faces, also points to heft in ranks - if they can be brought into line.

National and Act have been in a tea party alliance since 2008, when John Key signalled over a symbolic cup of coffee for Epsom voters to give their electorate vote to then-Act leader Rodney Hide. Twelve years on, Act leader David Seymour retains the ordained Epsom electorate while also scooping up 8 per cent of the party vote, bringing nine MPs into Parliament with him.

Former Act deputy leader Heather Roy has already pointed out Seymour's challenge is getting the rejuvenated core party vote "to stay home". This requires herding his caucus into a cohesive Opposition voice which is consistent with the party's principles. In doing so, one hurdle will be being heard above National without diluting the opposing voice.

The 45 combined MPs of National and Act sitting to the left of the Speaker should be an ample Opposition over the next three years. If they can sheath the knives and paddle together long enough.