What to do with Winston?

What to do with Winston?

Both Labour and National are struggling to know what to do with Winston. National are trying to use the Owen Glenn and Bob Jones gift saga to get at Helen Clark - but its a bit hard to use a double edged and double ended sword as a weapon. National have just as many issues around secret donations and trust lurking in their closets they don't want exposed. And while bagging Winston might be fun - they'll be kicking themselves if they need his support to make the next government.

I wonder if National's real ploy is to get Winston fired, and force an early election. National looks unbeatable at the moment (so say the polls) - however they lost an unlosable election in 2005 so we live in hope.

I expect National has peaked in the polls and that they know it. The later the election the better for the left. So forcing an early election would be good for the Ngats - it would have the added bonus for them that the public would have less time to analyse their policies (should they release some soon.)

Winston will be safe until the end of this week anyway as the government need his vote for confidence and supply. I would not be surprised however that should any wrong doing be exposed beyond the speculation at present that the government will consider washing their hands of Winston and limping home to an election on November 8th.

Perhaps the best ploy in relation to Winston would have been to ignore him altogether. For he was flagging in the polls and he thrives on all publicity good or bad. His golden card brigade can see no wrong in the man and they will only assume that their saint has been persecuted for righteousness sake. By giving him undue attention the Ngats may have prolonged the problem and made a rod for their own backs.

Time will tell