NZ POLITICS DAILY: the continued strangeness with the Act Party

What is to be made of the continued strangeness with the Act Party?

My analysis has been reported on TV3 (Time for ACT to dissolve – Edwards; and video), but possibly the most apt summary explanation of what’s happening in the increasingly farcical Act Party can be taken from the 1920s quote of Italian Marxist theoretician Antonio Gramsci: "The crisis consists precisely in the fact that the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear."

This old quote nicely fits the fact that the Act Party has all but died but isn’t being allowed to be buried. Instead of being dissolved, the organisation has been taken over by Don Brash, John Banks and co, when really they should have started their own new party rather than trying to resuscitate and reform that which is already too far gone.

The peculiarities of this quasi-National Party annexation, together with the accumulation of internal ideological contradictions within Act, means that the level of dysfunction present is extreme. So often, parties and politicians are not able to know when to call it quits.

Similarly, this has happened with other minor parties: we’ve seen equally ugly and bizarre political symptoms occurring during the death throes of both the Alliance and New Zealand First.

Elsewhere there’s some excellent analysis of what’s going on in Act: Tim Watkin’s ACT says bye-bye Bosco - turns to the drug vote. Or not, Audrey Young’s It's goodbye Boscawen, and adieu to Act brand, and Duncan Garner’s Brash's dopey trainwreck politics.

John Key is possibly appreciating that the political attention is on Act. His own political management appears increasingly rough when put under scrutiny recently, and just going into an election campaign some of the Teflon coating appears to be rubbing off in places. In particular, Key’s not been looking so good in terms of Pike River, Afghanistan, the Urewera and spy legislation, and the Christchurch rebuild. John Hartevelt’s column is a must-read in this regard – see: PM's Pike River response a rare error of judgement.

Also Imran Kahn has had a go at Key for his alleged ignorance, see: Key 'does not understand Afghanistan' – Khan. And of course the Prime Minister can't be happy with the debacle over National’s attempt at shoving through the video surveillance legislation. And today there’s also a number of worthy items on this issue, such as Rodney Harrison’s Why Govt plan to overrule top court is wrong, Steven Price’s Video camera surveillance and the Urewera defendants, Dave Armstrong’s Is it time for a Urewerawood sign?, and Deborah Coddington’s Unseemly haste for law to cover cops' illegal actions.

Bryce Edwards, NZPD Editor (bryce.edwards@otago.ac.nz)

Today’s content:

Act Party

Ally Mullord (TV3): Time for ACT to dissolve - Edwards

Tim Watkin (Pundit): ACT says bye-bye Bosco - turns to the drug vote. Or not

Victoria Robinson (Stuff): ACT Party deputy leader announces retirement

Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): No sour grapes behind Boscawen's departure

Katie Bradford-Crozier and Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): No sitting ACT MPs will return to Parliament

Felix Marwick (Newstalk ZB): Political Report: September 26

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Boscawen retires

Audrey Young (NZH): It's goodbye Boscawen, and adieu to Act brand

TV3: Don Brash denies ACT party in disarray