Tag: Kris Faafoi

Will New Zealand politics in 2019 be characterised by policy substance or issues of leadership, personalities and political manoeuvrings? Every year the political journalists at Stuff put together a long list of predictions for the year. This year's list has the usual mix of policy and people-focused forecasts – see: 2019 Political predictions: Big calls for the year ahead. They include a rebrand for the Act Party (to become the "Freedom Party"); deputy Labour Party leader Kelvin Davis to be replaced, another government minister will go, and any proposed new capital gains tax will fail to get enough parliamentary support. On the left, David Cormack presents more of a wishlist than forecast, particularly on issues like climate change: "let's just do something. Some of the more interesting forecasts are: Phil Goff to win the Auckland mayoralty again, Simon Bridges to remain as National leader, National will continue to have no political party allies, and the New Conservative Party wins a bigger profile but doesn't actually take off. It sounds like you have Winston whispering in your ear; Bullies; KiwiBuild scandals; Brexit updates; The Prime Minister missing question time." The Spinoff surveyed fifteen political pundits on what the three biggest issues of the political year would be – see: 2019 in politics: What will the big issues be?. It's tax reform that many are pointing to as the big issue of 2019, and Peter Williams has an excellent discussion on this in his column, Tax set to become major political issue. Even if Peters does agree to all the proposed changes, which is very unlikely, Labour will have to take its new tax platform to the electorate in 2020.

Ministers were ill-prepared for government or ill-suited to it. She has managed a coalition with the Greens and New Zealand First. But the biggest challenge for Labour? The same challenge it always has: tax. National has had significant challenges this year. The Greens looked swamped by New Zealand First at times but can also be happy with 2018. It wasn't a big bang approach, more of a big ban approach. Well it's only in Parliament because National lets David Seymour win Epsom. In 2020 National lets Act wither. You'd be back to an FPP style, two party Parliament of National and Labour.