going back to what you know

I'm quite startled at Aaron's take on last night's TVNZ debate.

I really thought that Brash's performance was sub-par. It was certainly worse than the TV3 worm debate a few weeks ago, and you would expect him to be improving really as the campaign heats up and as he gets more experience.

It seemed to me that he was rattled very early on and then Brash did what most people do when they are scared or uncertain - go back to what they know. He didn't talk like leader of the National Party and an alternative Prime Minister.

Brash quite simply acted as if he was Governor of the Reserve Bank once again.

It was a bad look - too many numbers, and a complete inability to talk about anything but tax and related matters.

Government is about so much more than just tax. Yes what the Government does has a big impact on the economy and on citizens' pockets, but governing is also about hospitals and schools, housing and transport, our environment, the way we treat each other, etc etc. To only be able to talk about one thing, and to do that not so much as a politician but more as a bureaucrat, is a terrible failing in someone who would lead our country.

I just hope that voters can see this and tick those boxes accordingly in a little over a week.