Let me put it this way. Key is perhaps the only politician on the planet from a right-of-centre party who can make British Prime Minister David Cameron look like a small government, low-spending man of action.James Allan in The Spectator (Australia); the online edition should be out on Friday. I hope the Spectator doesn't mind that I've put up a scan in the meantime; I will put the link up when it's out.
The Kiwis need a David Cameron
I'm a bit less pessimistic than James. We've heard encouraging noises on a few policy fronts.
Key is far better for having failed to embrace various stupidities that might have otherwise tempted Labour than for having done much to reverse prior policies. Labour is going into the 2011 election about as weak as it will ever be. If Key sees this as a chance to increase his majority rather than as an opportunity to campaign on a really meaty platform, I'd start buying shares on the emergence of a new right wing party. But I'm currently short.
