Those of us who know the National Party weren’t disappointed at the outcomes of last weekend’s conference. Ms Collins say it was a success because they appointed three new board members and she received 20 standing ovations during her closing speech, and sure, that’s success by some measures.

However a crucial issue appears to be unresolved and that is the matter of what the party’s talking points will be from here on in. Will the Nats mount a full fledged assault aimed at loosening the left’s death grip upon our culture, or will they revert to being a controlled opposition that only discusses the issues Labour and its media army permit them to?

“Demand the Debate” slogan featured during the National AGM closing ceremony

Whereas it was reported there had been a turnaround, and the Nats would be returning to what the left  laughably describe as the “big issues”, this seemed more like wishful thinking from the media than reality. There didn’t appear to be any forthright endorsement of this view from anyone of note in the party. During the closing speech from Ms Collins, the words “Demand the Debate” appeared in meter high text behind her.

Labour are an incompetent govt, but one thing they are good at is politics. They know how to fool the people, a crucial requirement when you’re selling the failed ideology of socialism.

This author has written before on how control of the debate is always a crucial part of left wing govts across the world. Especially at election time. The left with the aid of a sympathetic and compliant media, will force issues we really couldn’t give a damn about to the forefront, and relegate the real issues to the background.

For a current example see the debate on outlawing conversion therapy. This has been built up mightily by a corrupt media, while issues that we care about, such as the destruction of our one man one vote democracy at the hands of opportunistic racebaiters, have been played down.

Whereas the former matter, that only effects very few in out community becomes a paramount and monumental decision, in a complete inversion of reality we are instructed that it is silly to be concerned about a change to the name of our country. A name that has existed since the country’s birth two hundred years ago.

So one hopes that the Nats see fit to emphasize that they will be continuing the culture war, or even better, be stepping it up a gear of two. Drifting back to talking about what the left want them to talk about is an act of submission that will only see more power and support drift away from the Nats.

Demand the Debate is an effective slogan, and an effective strategy. Why else would the left be trying so hard to discredit it? The Nat’s mission now is to mount a publicity campaign aimed at discrediting the left’s attempt’s to discredit their “Demand the Debate” concept. They should not be drawn by the left into sniping and firing into their own ranks.

Some of the Nats, a large percentage actually, have to wake the hell up and stop lamely seeking the left’s approval of what they talk about.