Reviews of the 2012 year in New Zealand politics have been abundant in the last few weeks. Bloggers, columnists and political journalists have all been summing up the year and issuing their awards. What's particularly notable about the array of reviews from across the political spectrum and different parts of the media is that they all paint a picture of a very eventful year and they share a surprising level of consensus about the winners and losers. The following is a roundup of the various reviews, pointing out some of the more important and interesting observations.
For the Government Tony Ryall gets high marks from John Armstrong, the Fairfax parliamentary reporters, Trans Tasman, and Matt McCarten for not only doing his job effectively in the health portfolio, but for 'keeping it off the front page'. Armstrong puts this best in his comprehensive and insightful review, Gloom sets scene for tumultuous 2013. Armstrong also says that Paula Bennett 'deserves a mention' despite getting plenty of headlines. And blogger Joshua Hitchcock selects her as the 'Maori Politician of the year' - see: The 2012 Maori Law and Politics Winners and Losers List.
Another headline grabbing Minister impressed many, including Patrick Gower - see: Politician of the Year: Judith 'Crusher' Collins. Matt McCarten says that her Maggie Thatcher-like persona is lapped up by the National's hard right, and she's 'Probably National's scary next leader' - see: Best politicians hand out sharp lessons and wit. The Thatcher comparison is taken even further in Fran O'Sullivan's Collins THE force to be reckoned with, especially her willingness 'to make hard calls'. But Colin James' pick for the year has a lower profile and seemingly more actual influence: 'Only four years an MP, Steven Joyce is the cabinet's operator, across swathes of politics and policy' - see: Forgetting, fumbling and forging ahead.
The worst performing Minister is a no-brainer - the one true consensus view for the year. Hekia Parata was one of Sean Plunket's Twelve epic failures of 2012. Parata's failings were obvious for all to see, but Audrey Young has a good article looking at why the Education Minister seems so ill-equipped to handle the demanding portfolio, pointing out that she 'was never an opposition education spokeswoman, and has never spent a day in opposition'. Despite Parata's woeful year Young thinks the Prime Minister will be unwilling to demote her at the moment - see: Leap-frog minister in a class of her own.
As for the Prime Minister, there is agreement that he had a tough year, but the final judgment depends on whether you think the tough times will continue through to 2014. The final Fairfax Media-Ipsos poll of 2012 saw 40% of voters say their opinion of John Key had worsened over the past year, compared with just over 2% who said their opinion had got better - see Tracy Watkin's Parties buoyant despite tough year. Many, like PR professional Mark Blackham don't see it getting any easier: 'The negative frame will NOT go away. National now needs to work over the next two years with an expectation of a diminishing level of public support' - see: Political slate / Year ended 2012. That maybe true but the hard reality for the Opposition is, as Gordon Campbell wrote, 'More than anything, 2012 has shown the power of brand loyalty in politics, over and above the chatter and clatter of the weekly news cycle. After a year in which so much seemed to happen, the major political parties ended 2012 largely as they began it' - see: Political stalemate in 2012. Campbell also encapsulates the tone of most reviews of the political year, when he concludes that 'few around Parliament will be sorry to see the back of 2012'.
