Lack of r.e.s.p.e.c.t.

In the immediate post-Muldoon era, the National Party held a wound-licking annual conference, among the hoop-la of which was a specially commissioned song about rebuilding.

At the time, it seemed there might never be another spectacle quite so desperate as a hall full of late-middle-aged people singing “Reee -jooo-ven-AY-shun!”

But many years later, the silly song came true. Along came Jake Bezzant, Andrew Falloon, Hamish Walker and Todd Barclay. Talk about being careful what you wish for. National achieved its demographic reset, but at staggering cost. Sex-pest texts, ugly infighting, petulant leaking, vanity, boorishness and weapons-grade immaturity – the exercise has been less