Politicians call it swallowing dead rats. When their policies are beloved by the party and its supporters, but disliked by the wider public, the leadership will usually ditch the policies. It’s no use having a bold and transformational manifesto if you can’t get elected. If you introduce sweeping reforms in government but then get voted out and all your work is dismantled by your gleeful adversaries, what have you actually accomplished?
So National is “reviewing” its deeply unpopular plan to cut taxes for those earning over $180,000 on the pretext that it’s worried about inflation, and Labour has begun its long-promised policy dump. Chris Hipkins has – with great relish –
