1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Welcome back Opportunity. I think I've got that part right. 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: Opportunity is the former the Opportunities Party. They've dropped the 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: V and the party and now it's just opportunity, a 4 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: new leader, new tax policy. They've been looking for a 5 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: leader for ages, even advertised if you remember. None of 6 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: this is a good sign, of course. Their biggest problem, 7 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: as far as I can work out, as the market 8 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: is full, there is no room for another political party 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: right here in this country. There's no room ten years ago. 10 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: There's even less room now. You could argue. I don't, 11 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: but you could that as the MMP environment evolves and matures, 12 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:35,279 Speaker 1: some nuance is sought by a frustrated electorate, a boutique operator, 13 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: if you will, as the major parties fade, and that's 14 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: already happened, of course, the days of National and Labour 15 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: cracking forty are well gone. The days of even a 16 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: two party government might well be gone as well. So 17 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: as it all fragment, surely there must be room for 18 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: a small operator wedging its way in between, say National 19 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: and Labor, as a sort of midway, subtle alternative. Trouble 20 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: is and I argue this years ago when Gareth Morgan 21 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: was running the joint. Five percent is actually a lot 22 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: of votes and very few of any cracket. Look at 23 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: acts journey for years. They needed a deal in EPSOM 24 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: to work the system in that coattail. There's a reason 25 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: United had vanished. What they should have done is run 26 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,080 Speaker 1: Morgan in an electorate. Name recognition would have helped. He 27 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 1: may have got the seat, got two percent had a 28 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,320 Speaker 1: party of two or three MP's. Being in and staying 29 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: in is easier than getting there in the first place. 30 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: And here's the other issue. Nuance is not what we 31 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: do anymore. That's why radicals are gaining support all over 32 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: the world, from Hanson and Australia to the minor players 33 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: who make up governments and places like Holland and Germany. 34 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: You need to be more left or right than center. 35 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: Could we also argue, actually that New Zealand First is 36 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: centrist given they're the only party that can legitimately at 37 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: the moment anyway claim the ability to deal with either 38 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: national or Labor. So the field's taken. So good on 39 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 1: them for keeping the opportunity dream alive. I guess still 40 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: here after a decade. I guess either visionaries whose time 41 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: is yet to come or dreamers who can't read the 42 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: room for more from the Mike Asking Breakfast, Listen live 43 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: to news Talks at B from six am weekdays, or 44 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.