Man of the Year 2011 - John Key

In six elections that I have been eligible to, I am yet to vote for National but I came the closest this year.

What started off as a bland career by a bland suited Banker, has turned into the creation of a necessary populist political phenom.

The term "populist" is a derisory highly insulting one in politics. However as the centre right struggles in an increasingly tepid environment where MMP odds are firmly stacked against it with the potential in buy-a-vote welfare politics by the growing class of net beneficiaries, Key is a stand out.

Union stalwart and Labour insider Mike Williams stated this week the "what if" we (Labour) scored just a couple of percent more list vote.

"What if's" in politics are an hilarious waste of time spoken only of by losers.

Populism isn't a dirty word when you are winning. And every day a Labour MP sits in the House opposite John Key they are reminded of that. They lost because they aren't as popular.

John Key wins my Man of the Year this year as almost singlehandedly he has stopped;

- Capital Gains Tax and with it all Gareth Morgan and Bernard Hickey's bat shit silly ideas

- increasing PAYE rates

- ridiculous GST exemptions

- expansion of Welfare for Families and the welfare state

- most importantly massive blowouts in government expenditure a Labour led coalition would have demanded

- excessive Treaty white guilt payments accompanying a Labour led coalition

- "buy-a-vote" policy from the left

At least for another three years.

Richie McCaw only led consistently the best team in the world to win the RWC on one foot with his fourth choice playmaker. Key's achievements are larger as the stakes are much higher and task more difficult.

National didn't need more of an election strategy than "politics is a team game, everyone shut up so John Key can speak". And he did.

The first time I saw Key's political ability up close was at the surprise party thrown after the botched ACT coup for the outgoing Leader. He did everything more than right that night. Key was magnificent, humble, funny and eloquent. And in all honesty probably had at least half the room list voting National by the end of the night.

Thank God John Key is a populist. The alternative was Don Brash.

He stands solely on principles. He stood this time for 1% of the vote as they weren't principles anyone seemed to connect with.

Principles without political power is a luxury only the richest man can afford. On the right we expect our politicians to have principles and somehow maintain the popularity to have power. We like to think we act purely on principles and criticize each other when we don't act purely. The Libertarianz are the grandest example of this behaviour and 1,405 people voted for them. Power and keeping the left from power are the only important matters.

John Key understands politics, he understands polls, coalitions and MMP. He also understands strategy and knows winning is everything. Thank God for that because very few on the centre-right have worked it out.

Key was already thinking how to cut Don Brash's throat well before the tea tapes. He knew that ACT with Hide was a different partner than ACT with the man he'd already knifed in his career, Don Brash. A wounded man looking now for revenge on Key who started his reign as ACT leader criticizing him. Key had seen Brash's callous disregard for strategy, political nous and cunning as a player in his axing of Hide without bringing the Party with him, or even some outside help to run it. A coup without an army. He'd seen Brash lose an election for National, he'd seen his lack of ability to play the public and incompetence and sloppiness dealing with media and staff. His lack of ability to take advice and play on the team.

If Key was still a banker and he took on a team of employees with Brash in it, the first for the pink slip would be Brash as despite his measurable intellect he was otherwise a liability.

Key knew Brash would cut off his nose to spite his face and attempt to destroy not only Key but the centre-right with it.

I am sure being stuck with co-coup plotter John Banks wasn't Plan A, B or C for Key but it is rumoured that together with Banks he plotted rolling Brash even before the tea tapes. The only matter was the timing.

In the last fortnight of the campaign Key looked almost physically out for the count. Like a banker working 20 hours a day on an international deal for weeks on end. But somehow he hung on and was still doing the business at the National Party function election night at 1am, photos, talking, thanking those who had assisted the Party.

Key's only mistake was his very late endorsement of changing MMP to SM. Even then I have confidence that Key, the politician, will rectify Simon Power's ineptness and come up with something to give him and the National Party a chance at a third term.

So he's in Hawaii? Good job. Having a nice holiday with his family away from New Zealand voters haranguing him. They had long enough to do that on the election campaign.

Key damn well deserves a holiday for saving New Zealand for at least three more years from a Labour let government. His job now is to come back and scheme up a way to keep it all this way past 2014 and with it ensure National and the centre-right do not suffer the same fate Helen Clark and Labour have.