Mike's Minute: Can the Opportunity Party succeed?

Well, welcome back Opportunity. I think I have that right. 

Opportunity is the former "The Opportunities Party". Now it's just "The Opportunity Party". 

It has a new leader and a new tax policy. They have been looking for a leader for ages and they even advertised. 

None of this is a good sign. 

Their biggest problem is the market is full – there is no room for another political party. 

There was no room 10 years ago and there's even less room now. 

Now, I don't, but you could argue that as the MMP environment evolves and matures some nuance is sought by a frustrated electorate. A boutique operator if you will. 

The major parties have faded and the days of National and Labour cracking 40% are gone. 

The days of a two-party Government might well be gone as well. So as it all fragments, surely there must be room for a small operator wedging its way in between, say, National and Labour as a sort of mid-way, subtle alternative. 

The trouble is, and I argued this years ago when Gareth Morgan was running the joint, 5% is actually a lot of votes and very few, if any, crack it. 

Look at ACT's journey – for years they needed a deal in Epsom to work the system and the coattail. 

There is a reason United vanished. 

What they should have done is run Morgan in an electorate. Name recognition would have helped, and he may have got the seat, got 2%, and had a party of 2-3 MPs. Being in and staying in is easier than getting there in the first place. 

Here is their other issue: nuance is not what we do. That’s why radicals are gaining support all over the world, from Pauline Hanson in Australia to the minor players who make up Government's in the likes of Holland and Germany. 

You need to be more left, or right, than centre. 

Could we also argue that New Zealand First is centrist, given they are the only party that can legitimately claim the ability to deal with either National or Labour? 

So good on them for keeping the Opportunity dream alive. 

They're still here after a decade. They're either visionaries whose time is yet to come, or dreamers who can't read the room. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.