I'm glad that Don Brash has revitalized National although I'm still inclined to vote Act on party vote. The situation pre-Brash was too much like Canada where not too long ago their main centre-right party, the Progressive Conservatives, was too wimpy and controlled by their Red Tories faction - kind of like our Simon Upton controlling National. The Canadian Alliance Party was the main principled party on the right (similar to our own Act Party) and has split their votes on the right (compounding the plight was that Canada is still using First Past the Post) and disasters followed.
They have recently merged into one party (Conservative party of Canada) and the Red Tories had gone into the Liberals camp. Though they did quite poorly in the election 2 weeks ago it was a dramatic improvement from 2000. Bearing in mind that our centre-right attracts major urban voters to a degree that our Canadian counterparts couldn't, I'm cautiously optimistic as to what will happen by the end of next year.
,,, don't speak like there's something to lose. We have to take our country back from the grips of Marxist lesbian rule. You'll note that spending on roads and infrastructure is now being announced and Treaty issues haven't got the media's attention. They're shifting the emphasis to spending on real issues as the focus is on the major budget surplus. Real taxpayers must see real spending if Labour has any chance next election. Cullen won't give individuals or companies tax cuts - he forgets that Shipley promised those and never delivered. That was a nail in her coffin.