Mike Hosking: Second election call - Panic? Or a plan?

So do we have panic, or a cunning plan? 

In a sign the campaign has gone way too long, the Labour Party are spending their precious energy banging on about National's tax policy.  

They are suggesting they are now falling apart and are doing this, mainly because they don't want to talk about their record. 

The prize for hyperbole over the weekend goes to Chris Hipkins, who saw a "resurgence" this week and a "big poll surprise".  

If you check the numbers Labour are at least 10 points behind National and there are, allegedly, 10 percent undecided. So that would require every single undecided voter to break Labour's way.

Guess what? That ain't happening. 

As regards National, in suggesting a new election all it does is remind us that we never had to be here and that they should have ruled New Zealand First out before Labour did and, as a result, it would have been a non-issue.   

There is a right-wing party that will do well today in the regional elections in Germany. But no one will work with them so they are not in play. The Germans get it, we clearly don't. 

The interesting thing about a new election is we have never had one and who would be punished if we did?  

Normally when you call a snap poll the way Robert Muldoon did all those years ago, you need a very good reason because people don't like to vote twice, or earlier than is necessary. All over the world early polls generally punish those who call them.  

So would National get punished or New Zealand First?  

My guess is National would have to explain the negotiations, what was asked for, what was rejected and why, and then say we found the requests from Winston Peters so egregious we would be more decisive in the second vote. 

Here is one out of left field for you - what about National and New Zealand First doing a deal, with Act so repulsed they sit on the cross benches? 

Anyway, back to reality. None of it is going to happen, which is the sad, mad thing about this whole last week. 

We are so far into the weeds of bitching, moaning, backstabbing and inventing weird conspiracies that Saturday can't come fast enough. 

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