GARRICK TREMAIN: By way of explanation
- Administrator
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
A recent column published here brought much positive comment. Some readers approached me for clarification of my reasons for assessing the merits of the eleven Prime Ministers I served under in 35 years of daily cartooning. I had stated that in my opinion Muldoon, Key and Ardern left the most damage in their wake. I am happy to add my reasons.
Possibly Muldoon’s worst mistake was scrapping Douglas’s Superannuation scheme, a faux pas for which we will forever pay dearly. He also played the sad spectacle that was the 1981 Springbok Tour for own his political advantage, some of the wounds of which will take another generation or so to heal. And he did the country no favours when stripping his caucus of the bright independent thinkers (Waring, Quigley, Minogue etc ) preferring to replace them with a strongly religious line-up, raised to pay blind loyalty to dubious ideas, without engaging reason.
John Key’s time in office saw all economic and social indicators decline. His most disastrous folly was slipping Sharples away to the UN to sign us up to the UN Charter on Indigenous Rights. This proved an invaluable aid to Ardern in implementing her Marxist and racist agendas. As I said earlier, in trying to determine the worst of the three we can only note that neither Muldoon nor Key became so detested by New Zealanders that they no longer felt safe dwelling within our borders.
I also nominated Kirk as possibly the best, but I felt he could not be judged by such a short tenure. For that reason, Luxon still has another year of inactivity before being included with the first three.
Garrick Tremain's website
As I said to Neil Harrap but it didn't get published for some unknown reason, you and he are absolutely right, because you're giving the facts, and if anything Mr Luxon should be said to be - at the very least - among the most efficient PMs we've ever had.
"Another year of inactivity."
This is not directed at Garrick Tremain alone but many others out there.
Please elaborate on the inactivity. More legislation has been amended than at any other time. Our economy was on the verge of collapse and while not exactly rocketing along it is on the improve.
Roading has been recommenced, changes are being forced on local government, 3 waters is dead and buried, the reserve bank is bank on track, the racist maori health authority has been eliminated, the growth in the public service has been arrested and will be turned back so what exactly do you think could have been done that hasn't in the short time the coalition has been in place?
I…
You are right on the money.
I don't think anyone has a chance of keeping up with Ardern's trail of destruction though.
The number of businesses that are still going belly up is crazy and sad as business people are the key to a prosperous country.
Look what has happened to the pulp and paper industry. This was pushed over the edge by the moves she made on gas exploration; essentially killing off high energy use business in New Zealand.
We are now importing paper for all our exports and a $1 billion dollar paper machine sits idle in Tokoroa.
During the Muldoon years, my siblings and many others left NZ, thus raising the IQ of other nations, and have never returned. Those who remained helped to keep the lights on. Regrettably, under Luxon's leadership, which I perceive as lacklustre and unimpressive, we have also witnessed the emigration of our youth, relatives, and extended family in search of better prospects overseas. This is deeply saddening because, as before, few will return. I feel a sense of loss for my family and for NZ.
I for one was captured by the Reds under the Bed ads. I suspect along with many others and being totally anti-communist. You are so right though that the super decision was the worst political decision in my time. I have for a long time thought that Roger was in the wrong party. As for the current lot in my opinion they should have gone hard at financial reforms (blaming Labour) as per Argentina but they have chosen the easy does it approach. The end result will tell us which is best provided the Coalition of Chaos doesn't succeed next time.