John Key’s team will go into the mid-term party conference next weekend (July 17, 18) in a positive, even buoyant mood. Under Key the party has shifted towards the centre of the political spectrum, which it now bestrides, squeezing opponents into a relatively narrow segment. It has met its primary goal of regaining the trust of voters and broadly fulfilled the commitments which it placed before the electorate. As well it has safely managed the economy through a global financial crisis which has devastated several economies in the Western world, and has tilted NZ back towards growth, though while still anaemic, could consolidate if its new Asian markets continue to absorb a greater share of its exports.

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Key’s leadership has underpinned the party’s high poll ratings, and his management style of leaving Ministers on a free rein has allowed them to flourish, like Simon Power for example in dealing with sensitive law and order issues. Novitiate Ministers like Paula Bennett who critics thought would prove easy targets, have seen off the Opposition. Now comes the hard part - winning the next election as convincingly as its high poll ratings suggest it should. Strategists know it only has to lose 6-7% of those ratings to be back in vulnerable territory.

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