I was really hoping that David Shearer might provide some insipiration and leadership and great new ideas. May have to wait a bit longer.

His speech may have some good bits, I haven’t had time to have a read right through. But it started with the heading:

A country that works for you.

I think I know what he means but I hope not to many people take it as meaning they don’t have to do anything becasue the country will do everything for them.

And then he launched in to dissing the rich pricks overseas and I groaned. Then I skipped to the grand finale.

What we need are big changes. We need a clean, green, clever country where the world wants to live.

That sounds like same old rhetoric, nothing changed.

Above all we need to grow a new economy so that we all share in the benefits.

That’s the new New Zealand I want to create.

We can only build on what we have, it’s impossible to start with a new economy. He’ll have to try creating somewhere where there is no estbalished economy with international relationships and dependencies.

If you like the idea of a New Zealand where most people are struggling to get ahead and a happy few are wondering which of the 26 toilets they might use tomorrow, then we don’t need to change a thing.

Ok, maybe a grand diss rather than finale. Whoever though up that speech closing needs to be flushed, one toilet will suffice.

But if you think we can do better, let’s get going.

I guess he doesn’t mean to Australia.

At a time when a strong opposition and a real alternative government is at about it’s most important this is really very disappointing.

UPDATE 9pm 19/4/12:

Finally Red Alert (via Darien Fenton) has put up a post on the speech. Not dripping with enthusiasm there.

And The Standard still has no post on it, and had a minor lukewarm dabble in comments late this afternoon and then no interest shown.