[caption id="attachment_3755" align="alignleft" width="300"] FiveAA Australia’s breakfast show hosts Dave Penberthy, Mark Aiston, and Jane Reilly.[/caption]New Zealand Report: Evening Report.nz’s Selwyn Manning joins FiveAA.com.au’s Dave Penberthy, Mark Aiston and Alex Ward to deliver New Zealand Report. This week: National led Govt Surges in Poll + Rugby World Cup HQ Twickenham is labeled a Stinker! – Recorded live on 21/08/15.
ITEM ONE
Political Poll
The John Key led National Government has pulled ahead of its opponents in the latest Roy Morgan Poll, despite months of a sinking commodity markets and governance scandals.
The Nationals have notched up 50.5 percent support of those polled. That’s a lift of 7.5 percent support since early July.
The Labour Party has sunk down to just 27 percent, a drop of five percentage points, while the Green Party also shed 2 percent sinking to 11 percent. The centrist New Zealand First party was reasonably steady on 8 percent.
The balance of support is distributed among the minor parties that largely support the government.
The poll result comes as a surprise, especially considering the third term National Government does appear weak, bereft of ideas, and without solutions. Its legislative agenda has largely stalled. And, the Nationals have made an art form out of being a hands off government.
That’s especially true regarding the bloated Auckland housing market, the collapse of the dairy farming sector, the insolvency of once profitable state owned enterprises. When it is hands on, it is flogging off thousands of state houses, dishing out millions to a wealthy Saudi businessman, buying up New York real estate, and schmoozing some elements of the media with the best smile money can buy.
And then there’s the seriously weird health and safety legislation that the Nationals have put before the House. It ranks industries on a scale of how dangerous they are, and according to the Government, worm farms rank as more dangerous than dairy farms, cattle and sheep farms – that despite the latter group representing a third of workplace deaths in New Zealand.
But despite all of that, the Prime Minister’s popular appeal remains supreme.
It goes to show, voters need a strong opposition before they decide to exorcise us all of the John Key magic.
ITEM TWO
Rugby World Cup
If the Trans-Tasman rivalry in sport leaves an occasional bad taste in your mouth, spare a thought for what’s in store for players and spectators at the Rugby World Cup.
Media reports here in NZ suggest England’s Rugby World Cup HQ, Twickenham, is a real stinker… Literally.
Apparently, attempts to sweeten up the London suburb’s sewage processing plant are failing to get rid of an awful pong. The plant neighbours the park. It processes the sewage of around two million Londoners.
While players and spectators from all over the world are preparing to descend on Twickenham, the locals have taken to calling the park Stinkenham!
Despite all that, it’s shaping up as a great tournament, especially if the Wallabies and the All Blacks get to eyeball each other in another World Cup final.
New Zealand Report broadcasts live on FiveAA.com.au and webcasts on EveningReport.nz LiveNews.co.nz and ForeignAffairs.co.nz.
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