John MacDonald: The clocks go forward, so Luxon winds them back

So the clocks went forward one hour yesterday morning.

And then, today, National leader Christopher Luxon winds them back again. In fact, he’s wound the clocks back to 2017. Which is the last time we had Winston Peters deciding the outcome of an election.

And today, it looks like there’s potential for that to happen all over again this time around. Because Luxon says that, if he has to after the election, he will be getting on the blower to Winston Peters and talking turkey about including NZ First in a coalition government.

After weeks and weeks of dancing on the head of a pin over this, Luxon has said pretty much the complete opposite of what Labour’s Chris Hipkins said a few weeks back.

Hipkins said he’s not in the least bit interested in forming a government with Winston Peters.

But Luxon has gone completely in the other direction. He is shaking off the welcome mat, he’s got it out in the backyard, whacking it with a broomstick, getting it all nice and clean and says he will be rolling it out for Winston Peters if he has to. If that’s what he needs to do to form a government and get rid of the current Labour government.

And if he does that, it could even mean Winston Peters being Deputy Prime Minister again. Because he did not rule that out when asked on Newstalk ZB this morning.

ACT leader David Seymour was being somewhat diplomatic on the radio this morning.

But I think Christopher Luxon has made a big mistake. Not because I necessarily think he’s going to need NZ First to form a government. He might, who knows.

I think he’s made a mistake because it makes him look desperate. I hear what he’s saying about doing whatever it takes to get a change of government. But David Seymour and Winston Peters?

Can I take you back to 2017 and something one of Luxon’s National Party predecessors said.

This is Jim Bolger, who knows full well what it’s like to be in a coalition. Especially a coalition with New Zealand First. Here’s what he said about forming coalitions.

"You have to be able to put past differences in the past, leave them in the past and look at what you can do. Because what you're talking about is forming a government for the future, not to re-litigate the past.”

That was Jim Bolger six years ago. Jim Bolger who not only formed a coalition government with Winston Peters, but also kicked Winston Peters out of Cabinet in 1992. The Jim Bolger who, four years later, welcomed him back like the prodigal son.

I don't think that sort of kissing and making-up would ever happen between David Seymour and Winston Peters. And I think Christopher Luxon is dreaming if he thinks otherwise.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.