1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: As I watch Chris Hopkins presumably gleefully mess about with 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: the India Free Trade Deal, I was reminded this is 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: not the Labour Party that did the FTA with China. 4 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: Hipkins is no Helen Clark. And then that is a 5 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: great sadness. And for all those who occasionally contact me 6 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: and ask the possibility of a so called grand coalition, 7 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: a relationship between the Labor and the national parties, next 8 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: time before you ask, look at the way Hipkins plays 9 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: these games, and there's your answer. Even in areas of 10 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: broad agreement, they still can't act like grown ups. It's 11 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: also a lesson in name v. Substance. The Labour Party 12 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: of the past few years is nothing like Labour of 13 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: the late nineties and early two thousands that was a 14 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: centrist version. I mean, yes, they still hand it out 15 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: free money to people like students to bribe them an 16 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: election year, but the rest of the time they actually 17 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,280 Speaker 1: ran the economy and growth they I mean, compared to 18 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: Edmonds Cullen was a conservative Our. Labour in the early 19 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,639 Speaker 1: part of eighty four with LONGI was similar. And here 20 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: is your irony that Hipkins fails to recognize Labour when 21 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: they are broadly speaking, middle of the road are actually popular. 22 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: Ask Bob Hawk or Paul Keating or Tony Blair. Centrist 23 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: labor is successful Labour. By the time you take modern 24 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: labor with Hipkins and zeppalone, you add the Greens in 25 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:09,040 Speaker 1: the mix, you've seen the left wing group think that 26 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: not only keeps them out of office but leads to 27 00:01:11,240 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: the sort of game playing we've got with the FTA. Yes, 28 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 1: the government probably shouldn't have to rely on them, and 29 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: for all the games that Labour plays, New Zealand First 30 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,440 Speaker 1: is just as bad with their xenophobic nonsense. But Labour 31 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: once had a global view. It's not like the Chinese 32 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,760 Speaker 1: think back to it. It's not like the Chinese weren't 33 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,039 Speaker 1: thought of with great suspicion prior to two thousand and eight. 34 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 1: But the bigger picture was at play. The realization that 35 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: large countries and their economies could be good for everyone 36 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: was a driving force. What Labour would do well to 37 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: do is put this country first, not score points, not 38 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,319 Speaker 1: look like children, not pretend they actually had anything to 39 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: do with negotiating in this thing at all. FTAs are 40 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: a big picture, not a three year electoral cycle game. 41 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,000 Speaker 1: I don't think I'm alone these days and wishing there 42 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: were more adults in the room. Labour ninety nine through 43 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight put the current lot to shame. 44 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to 45 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: News Talk Set B from six a m. Weekdays, or 46 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.