Dreaming

Claire Trevett in today’s Herald provides us with an insight into how much the right is missing the levers of power. Their banishment from the role of government makes them sick to the gut – to the extent that they must regularly reach for their lucky charm and for a recollection of better days.

In this morning’s piece, Claire Trevett withholds any credit from Chris Hipkins for his impressive response to the Cyclone Gabrielle disaster. The real credit, she argues, belongs to Saint John Key – Hipkins has merely copied the master’s response to the Christchurch earthquake.

It seems to have escaped her notice that the “response to disaster” playbook is not exactly a closed book; there are some steps that cry out to be taken – and Hipkins has surely shown himself to be well up with the required play. To call the ghost of John Key into the picture is gratuitous – as well as revealing.

It is a constant feature of the Herald’s political coverage that John Key is used as a talisman whenever (and that means often) National’s spirits need lifting. The average voter, however, is not so hopelessly enamoured – and is unlikely to be convinced that both the weather map and the political landscape would be much different and better if only John Key were still around.

Even if Claire Trevett’s wish fulfilment were granted, there is a still a teeny-weeny problem. National are lumbered with Christopher Luxon, not John Key. Dreaming will only get you so far.