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Former national leader and prime minister Sir John Key was enormously popular, leading his party to three consecutive electoral victories before retiring undefeated.
Conservative political commentator Liam Hehir, who was previously active in the National Party, notes that he “retains an unusual degree of mana and respect” because of this.
“Within the National Party, old leaders are quickly forgotten. People do not have portraits of Sidney Holland above the fireplace. Neither Jim Bolger, Jenny Shipley, nor Don Brash play influential roles and that is in part because their careers ended in a failure, “he says. Newshub.
“It’s a bit different for John Key because he was undefeated, which is very unusual in recent New Zealand politics. He is not associated with failure and therefore retains an unusual degree of mana and respect.
“The same is true, to a lesser extent, with Bill English, who is widely perceived as unfairly frustrated by Winston Peters.”
The latest Newshub Reid Research poll released in July showed Labor was 60.9 percent and Nationals 25.1 percent.
With these results, Labor could rule with just 77 seats, leaving National with just 32 seats.
And in the preferred prime minister rankings, Collins fell to 14.6 percent, compared to Labor leader Jacinda Ardern by a whopping 62 percent.
Post-politics, Key continues to be highly regarded for his skills, experience, and nous with a high-powered role as president of ANZ Bank New Zealand. So is it wise for him to take a chance against Ardern’s popularity?
“There will always be a risk to Key in attacking Jacinda Ardern as she is extremely popular, and this could have a negative impact on Key’s own reputation,” University of Victoria political analyst and researcher Dr. Bryce Edwards.
“Similarly, by partnering with National right now, you risk tarnishing your own brand, as National is clearly not very popular. And if you hope to help National in their campaign, then you really are taking on a very difficult task in right now, as they are lower than at any time since before he himself assumed leadership. “
