OPINION: The length of the coalition talks and just how long it's taken has played perfectly into the hands of some in the media.
Six years ago, in a stunning twist, Winston and Jacinda jumped into bed together, but very quickly the pillow fights began and they were in separate rooms. Ardern, in a desperate bid to be PM, gave the old fella what he wanted, and dished out the lollies like an Air NZ flight attendant.
But then Labour reneged on pretty much everything, other than an open tab at the green parrot. Why? Because it was a loose-as-a-goose arrangement, built on foundations of liquefaction.
For some, generally left-leaning media, who didn't get the election result they wanted, the time taken to get a deal done has been like an extended duck-shooting season. Potshots in every direction, as Winston has seemingly taught Luxon a lesson. Or has he? Who knows!
What we do know is this is about getting the right deal done, especially for farmers and rural New Zealand, so we don't rely on some 'desperate for power' sham.
It's a decade or so since a PM in waiting has had any depth of the business acumen or the smarts to put together a rock-solid deal like the one we might imagine Luxon is working on.
So give it the time it deserves. We shouldn't be in this position anyway. If only Seymour hadn't got carried away with the polls and turned into a cocky bantamweight. A heavy-weight coalition deal is what we need.
So quit the biased speculation and let them get on with it, so we can see what they've actually got!
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