On relieving cost of living pressures, National's commanding 23-point lead before the election has swung to a 16-point deficit. Just 31% of voters now trust National most on this issue, down from 48% in August 2023, while Labour has surged from 25% to 47%.

Hardly surprising. Cost of living isn't something a politician can hide: it hits people's wallets directly.

Also, of the large volume of news covering what the government is doing, it's mostly been bullshit that doesn't affect most people as directly or as obviously: treaty principles (thats just the Murrays), speed limits (on other peoples' roads), NCEA renaming, etc.

[–] BalpeenHammer@lemmy.nz 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Culture wars have always been the tool of right wing governments to distract from economic woes. You just blame economic suffering on the immigrants, the dark skinned people, gays, trans, communists, or whatever enemy you deem is a threat to the ignorant and slumbering population.

In NZ we don't have illegal immigrants coming over the border or on boats so National has decided to blame everything on the Maori and unions and trans people. I believe this strategy will ultimately work in NZ just as it has worked in Europe and the USA. We too will embrace the right wing as they promise to rid us of those uppity Maori and pesky unions and the ungodly trans people.

If you don't believe me look at the results of the local elections.

We as a population are no better than the Americans and the Brits and the Europeans.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 month ago

Exactly. Our right don't actualy have any plan beyond enriching themselves.

At least our left says "perhaps people should be paid wages".