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John Key is a bit like the Japanese economy in the 1970s.
He hasn't got a lot of original ideas but he learns at staggering speed and what he produces he does so with great efficiency and to mass appeal.
Watching him at the post-Cabinet press conference on Monday, it was obvious just how far he's come in the couple of months he's been Prime Minister.
Key still mangles his words and overdoes the cheesy humour at times, but he now speaks with increasing authority and, more importantly, is showing considerable political acumen. His judgment calls in the last few days have been bang on.
Like the Japanese copied the computers and cars developed in America, Key has watched and learned from Helen Clark.
Despite Labour's protestations, Key's announcement on the minimum wage on Monday is exactly what Labour would have done had it remained in office.
Raising the minimum wage from $12 to $12.50 an hour was the middle ground response and the right one politically and economically. Sure, it can't be easy living on $500 per week but it's a $20 increase, as much as many are getting in April's tax cut.
Set the minimum wage too high and you risk forcing some businesses to lay off staff.
But politically, Key could not afford to leave the rate unchanged. Delivering tax cuts which disproportionately advantage the rich - as National's do - and ignoring the lowest paid New Zealanders would have looked heartless and out of touch.
Those who believe Labour would have ignored the severity of the economic down turn and hiked up the minimum wage significantly should cast their minds back to 2000. Faced with a faltering economy, the dollar plunging to 39 cents against the US currency and business sentiment souring, Clark stomped on a number of worker-friendly labour laws promoted by her collation partner the Alliance, knowing that to lose the confidence of wealth creators is perilous to any government.
Key's response to the Security Intelligence Service showing an unhealthy interest in Keith Locke after he became a Member of Parliament also took a leaf out of Clark's book. He didn't actually criticise his department, more took a jibe at them for updating their files on the Green MP, saying they were a little over-zealous and over-paid to be clipping newspaper articles. He also called a review to satisfy himself of the agency's procedures. Again his response was measured and balanced.
But Key is learning from Clark's mistakes as well as her successes.
Take Waitangi. He could have made a huge meal of the attempt to attack him .
I was a few feet away from Key in the media scrum and like any brawl it was tense and unsettling. Not surprisingly the news went around the world - thumping the Prime Minister, or damn near to, just isn't something that's supposed to happen in respectable democracies.
When Clark was verbally and physically intimidated at Waitangi she lashed out at the whole of Ngapuhi, saying that until they got their house in order she wouldn't return. To use the foreign affairs lexicon, it was what is called a "disproportionate response" and had a sustained and negative impact on race relations.
Key has watched how Clark handled Waitangi - or more accurately avoided it - and took the opposite tack.
He brushed off the incident and refusing to punish Ngapuhi, or indeed Maoridom, because of the actions of a couple of idiots, swore he'd be back next year and the year after that.
Apparently Clark sent Key a text saying no Prime Minister should be subjected to the roughing up he received at Waitangi.
Key thanked Clark for her concern.
He could also have thanked her for showing him the way - with her many victories and her few failings.
Got an opinion an the issues that Guyon is discussing? Have your say on the message board below.
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Post new commentGeoff Keey said on 2009-08-14 @ 01:47 NZDT: Report abusive post
Guyon, I was surprised to see you citing the Government's climate change cost estimates so uncritically given the extent to which they have been discredited.
stephen6565 said on 2009-08-13 @ 22:15 NZDT: Report abusive post
Another very poor article. You are part of the fourth estate and should be asking the hard questions of the govt. Making the govt accountable is not just the oppositions job. This whole article is just rubbish 'feelings' centred around your personal political views. Stick to policy and 'news' items.
geekypolitics said on 2009-08-11 @ 19:34 NZDT: Report abusive post
Mr. Espiner has some good advice for Labour especially on the environment, but the idea that Goff should "cuddle" up to Key is appalling. It is always difficult for the opposition to take a stance on matters that are of an international nature, as the reputation of the country as a united entity is at stake. Democrats in the U.S. had the same problem with regards to the Iraq War. I'd hate to see Labour make the same mistake in the name of "solidarity behind the troops."
Andrew Nichols said on 2009-08-11 @ 14:17 NZDT: Report abusive post
"Polls in Britain showed, counter-intuitively, that support for their troop deployment increased even as casualties mounted. " You're flat wrong! Current polling in the UKs major dailies actually shows majority and growing option to Britains involvement in Obams purposeless war. Not that that's ever bothered the govt there, who in time honoured fashion enjoy perpetuating "Britains post WW2 role as the Greeks to the US Empire" (Harold McMillan 1943)
Kereama said on 2009-08-11 @ 13:39 NZDT: Report abusive post
Of course Labour need to find their direction! They lost the election and they lost touch with grassroots NZ - National did too once, and it took them years to get back on track - but they did. The point is, the "road to nowhere" isn't permanent (unless you're Winston Peters... let's hope anyway). While it may be the opposition's role to critique the Government, the media has an obligation to do so also. Let the opposition "find" themselves and focus instead on the ones that count.