Rankin:a grassroots reaction #2
May 16, 2009
In this grass roots reactions series it is interesting that most examples to date come from The Press, little published as yet in the Herald dead tree edition.
Letters to the Editor - The Press - May 15
Is Rankin only divisive and upsetting to those within the ‘Beltway’ to use Helen Clark’s phrase when referring to controversy. Is Rankin seen differently in the heartlands?
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4 Comments
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The Families Commission hasn’t done anything worthwhile yet in spite of its multi-million dollar budget. The appointment of someone who questions whether it should exist is welcome to those of us who think the money it costs would do far more good elsewhere regardless of her past and other views.
HP
My view is that many of these quangos are a gross waste of money.
In fact I would rather this misbegotten child of MMP was put down immediately, rather than some other government sections. I have some misgivings about axing the labour market knowledge group and the pay equity research group as announced the other day. It would be useful to know whether there was a business case proving there was no need for them, rather than leaving the way open for Labour et al to claim their axing was National prejudice and a desire to subjugate women.
Regardless of Rankin’s abilities, the fact is Key is spending political capital on this, primarily I suspect to support Paula Bennett who seems to be gaffe prone and lack political savvy.
This leads into a more genral concern about lack of political management within National. This is an area that key needs to address. he is doing a good job, but a number of the team need to focus better. Key’s Chief of Staff and others need to take a tighter grip and handle things better. There again what would I know.
Happy to take this off-line with anyone .
I’d compare Rankin’s divisive and upsetting behaviour with Jim Anderton’s. While popular with those they agree with they don’t not seem to work well with those with different views.
As a Family Commissioner will Rankin’s effectivenes be driven by those who like seeing someone who is unwilling to compromise or accept alternate viewpoints, or will her effectiveness come from influencing others who do not currently agree with her? While she’ll no doubt be popular with those who hilariously described prostitution reform as PC gone mad and a product of the nanny state, I’m not sure her preaching to the choir (chanting to the monks in this case) will cause much change at all.
As you may have gathered from my various posts I am not especially enamoured of the appointment, which is an unnecessary political distraction.
However, it may be that at a certain grassroots level she has an appeal, not just to National voters, but also to many who are conservative with a small ‘c’ on social issues. This includes many left voters, plus an element of religious folk who subscribe to ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’ beliefs.
In a funny way I am not entirely surprised to see so many letters supporting Rankin in The Press.