Good News Not Much Good
Good news for the Labour-Greens Government is going to do little for them come the elections in less than 3 weeks.
The recession is over - as if we even felt there was one.
PM Hipkins performed reasonably well in the rather poorly moderated leader's debate against Chris Luxon even though the latter had the best lines (including Labour's election promise of taking GST off fruit and veggies was "saving the public a few cents on carrots and beans"). I hold Luxon under suspicion of being something else other than what he is attempting to portray.
The NZ Warriors have gone into Sunday's play -off to get into the NRL grand final with a huge win last Saturday when it seemed all of NZ and most of Australia were watching the match.
The AB's have restored much of their mana against Namibia in pool play in the William Ellis Rugby World Cup.
These major successes in sport in a sporting nation are always going to boost the Government of the time in raising a 'feel good" emotion.
But no matter what at this juncture is going to change the fate of the 2023 general elections. I am going to win the two bottles of wine bet I have had from last year.
Forgettable Labour MP, Greg O'Connor who holds the Ohariu seat has already conceded defeat for his party at the polls. But he managed to cast a gloom in predicting Wellingtonian Nicola Willis is likely to be the Finance Minister. Of course she is. Willis will spearhead the plan for job losses in the Wellington region including many workers living in Upper Hutt in slicing public service jobs by many hundreds if not thousands and severely trimming funding as a National Government has done previously.
Meanwhile: UP THE WAHS
STILL IN THE GAME
The Hurricanes fell short a few metres shy of the finishing line. An inspired Chief's team and three forward passes - with two of them perhaps not so - cost us the Super Rugby Pacific grand final at a packed out Sky Stadium against the Blues.
The weekend was not the best thing happening for Wellington as the Pulse went down in extra time to the Tactics in Christchurch to give up the lead in the netball championship and the Saints move up the basketball championship ladder was halted by the Bulls - also after extra time.
Well in 2024 Wellington in the best regarded domestic and Pacific sport championships still has done and is still doing very well and overall is almost certainly the leading province in NZ sport for 2024.
The Phoenix team stretched their season in the A-League right through to the semi finals. Wellington Firebirds (men) won crickets prestigious 4-day Plunket Shield for the 2023-24 season and the Wellington Blaze (women) won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield for one-day cricket for yet another season.
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