The end of the Helen and Cullen show

Last night I wrote a post that was since wiped when the computer froze on me. Here it is again.

If I were Helen Clark and Peter Dunne I`d be worried. Both have been trumped by John Key.

John key has taken over the preferred Prime Minister's spot as well as the MP for common sense. In fact it was Dunne that gave Key that label during the smacking bill saga. Dunne will be on his own after the next election - his electorate will still want him unless another party puts a high ranking candidate in an attempt to unseat him.

Now a word about the polls. Polls don't reflect dissatisfaction with the government. They only reflect dissatisfaction comnpared with the alternative. With Brash there was no alternative apart from one speech. Dissatisfaction with Labour started from the time of the decision to scrap the Privy Council and has waned since, but National has only provided a better alternative since Key took over, and that is reflected in the polls.

If the polls show a substantial lead against Labour by February 2008, Helen Clark will resign as PM. She will not be pushed. It doesn't matter what Cullen does, he`ll be known forever as the finance minister who refused to give tax cuts. He`ll also be known in some circles as the fiscal manager who refused to provide for a realistic reduction in both government and public spending at a time of investment growth.