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John Key -
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A lot rides on the cycleway - literally, figuratively, politically.
In fact, the idea of a cyclist pedalling a path from Kaitaita to Bluff is almost a perfect metaphor for John Key's premiership: sunny and relaxed in the good times, but with the ever present chance of an embarrassing fall.
The idea of course was borne out of the Jobs Summit in Auckland a month ago.
That morning Key sauntered up to a small group of journalists lurking around the entrance and began dropping a few gems of what was planned for the afternoon. "One of the more out-there ideas," he confided, "is a national cycleway the length of the country. I quite like it actually."
From that moment there was no turning back. Once the Prime Ministerial backside had been placed firmly on the seat of this idea, it simply had to be done.
To fail will be a humiliating climb down. Physical monuments and politicians have a certain symmetry - sometimes celebratory, often awful.
Consider why the US military staged pictures of Saddam's stone likeness being toppled in Baghdad. Statues have a symbolic power. Buildings and other physical structures are also often linked with the successes and failures of the leaders who commissioned them.
The cycleway will either be a triumph of optimism and pragmatism or a humiliating display of impotence and naivety.
And if you're looking for polar opposites, look no further than the Prime Minister and his deputy.
While Key rattles off bright ideas with casual charm, it's his Finance Minister who actually has to make the numbers add up.
English once described Key as someone who bounces from cloud to cloud.
But as any weather watcher knows, clouds come in many shapes.
There are the fluffy white ones where New Zealand's banking system, relatively low government debt, and the fact that we still produce goods the world needs, see us move out of recession within the year.
Then there are the dark clouds Bill English must occasionally see glowering over the green farms of Clutha Southland, where deficits rain down for 15 years.
At its best, the relationship between the optimistic Prime Minister and his pessimistic Finance Minister will work itself out in some sort of Ying Yang harmony.
At its worst, the tension will rise as Key keeps the bright ideas coming and leaves it to English to actually fund them.
Some experts are already predicting the price tag for the cycleway will go from $50 million to $300 million.
But that is one project Bill English simply cannot touch. There is too much riding on it.
What do you think about the issues Guyon is discussing? Share your view on the messageboard below.
Add a Comment:
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.