Political Orientation Poll

[Wolf]

In light of the recent poll on who you'd vote for in a forthcoming election, I've decided to create a new thread and poll on where people sit on the political spectrum.

The basis is the "Political Compass" - already mentioned in III and Robert Taylor's political thread and the "I'm not happy with Helen" thread.

The forced preference test is here (http://www.politicalcompass.org/test). Go through it and post your results in the poll (when it becomes active).

If you want to post and put your exact results in, feel free. If not, just use the 9 "broad brush strokes" divisions of the poll:

Upper Left, Upper Centrist and Upper Right tend to the "Authoritarian" top of the grid.
Middle Left, Middle Centrist and Middle Right are close to the centreline of the grid
Lower Left, Lower Centrist and Lower Right are towards the "Libertarian" bottom of the grid.

Of course, the Left, Centrist and Right regions of the grid correspond to the traditional (if rather simplistic) Left-wing vs Right-wing economics-based political spectrum. (Communist vs Capitalist)

[Wolf]

And for me:

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -4.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.79

Which puts me around Middle Centrist but tending towards Lower left.

[jrandom]

And for me...

My position is about identical to yours.

[James Deuce]

Your political compass

Economic Left/Right: -4.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.03


Unable to figure where you sit on the Political Compass: +10

Lower left or Lower Centrist?

<img src=http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/photopost/data/500/Political_Compass.png>

[Hitcher]

Could somebody please post a political poll that DOESN'T show how individuals have voted. I am remarkably coy in that respect.

[Magua]

http://www.politicalcompass.org/facebook/pcgraphpng.php?ec=-6.12&soc=-5.90

Looking pretty similar.

[Jantar]

That test put me at miidle left, but all my political feeling is far right.

Maybe that is because I was bought up as a labour party supporter in the sixties and early seventies, but since then all parties have moved further left. Its at the stage now that ACT is almost as much a socialist party as labour used to be, while the modern Labour Party has gone so far left that they are following the chinese line.

[Wolf]

Unable to figure where you sit on the Political Compass: +10
Nuts, didn't think of that option...


Lower left or Lower Centrist?

<img src=http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/photopost/data/500/Political_Compass.png>
Looking a lot like one o' them scurrilous Centrists to me...

[Wolf]

Maybe that is because I was bought up as a labour party supporter in the sixties and early seventies, but since then all parties have moved further left. Its at the stage now that ACT is almost as much a socialist party as labour used to be, while the modern Labour Party has gone so far left that they are following the chinese line.
Actually, you might be surprised.

As at 2005 the political parties were as in the attached pic.

Now I think both Labour and Greens have taken a definite upwards shift towards Authoritarianism with their Nanny State policies.

Labour lies a trifle right of centre in the 2005 polling.

[avgas]

Correct me if im wrong but there is no such thing any more. Its all topsy turvy.
National offer tax cuts - to the workers.
Labour offers more - to those that do not work.
NZ First want to whore us out to other countries.
Act dont want to.
Greens want us to spend lots of money and become in-efficient.
Best the best evil of the lot of em i say.

[carver]

libertarianz party

google it

[necrolyte]

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -4.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.23

We all seem to be in about the same sort of area

[Phurrball]

Bring back McGillicuddy serious I say!

No surprises here for me:

[deanohit]

I'm right in the place held by the Progressive and Maori parties on the graph. :pinch:

Economic Left/Right: -3.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.72

[riffer]

I'm right on top of the Greens.

Obviously a bogus survey. :oi-grr:

[The Pastor]

Im pretty much right in the middle.

[Sully60]

Economic Left/Right: -4.25
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.00

Surpise surpise.
No one seems to be too far away from these numbers so far.
What did Robert Taylors and III's results look like?
maybe something a bit like this?
----------------------------------------- :Police:









:Punk:-----------------------------------

[rainman]

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -7.50
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.21


I´m in the same place as Gandhi, or Madiba. Not bad company :laugh:

Hmmmm..... individual freedom, but a controlled economy...... nothing like being demanding of the pols. No wonder I´m frequently disappointed at election time. :yawn:

[Usarka]

Fark I'm a commie rat!

[enigma51]

You guys are all to nice im closer to stalin than nelson

[rwh]

Well that more or less matches with my green vote:

[Skyryder]

This poll looks more like a boxing commentary. The Libertarinnz don't know what corner they are in. There's so many centrists who want to be referees that the match is likely to start before the contestents even get into the ring. And when they do know one will be able to tell the difference between those in the 'red' corner and those in the 'blue.' And the greens who have been left out will cry foul when the winner is announced. Yep a good ol' shit fight the kiwi way. No ones knows what going on. Where's that Guy Fawkse prick. He's got a lot to answer to for failing.:done:

Skyyrder

[oldrider]

Actually, you might be surprised.

As at 2005 the political parties were as in the attached pic.

Now I think both Labour and Greens have taken a definite upwards shift towards Authoritarianism with their Nanny State policies.

Labour lies a trifle right of centre in the 2005 polling.

All of the parties on Wolf's (post #9) chart are left of center IMHO.

They are all basically socialist.

They advocate too much government (state) control/interference in our lives.

Central government should be brought back to simple basic requirements.

Defence Law and Police.

Local body governments should be brought back to their basic functions too.

Rubbish water and sewage.

Everything else should be run by private enterprise.

Taxation should be able to be justified or abolished or voluntary.

Personal responsibility and accountability should be the rule not the exception.

Politicians just bullshit everyone that they are "Rocket scientists" and are indispensible to us all.

Reality is that they are just full of bullshit and want us all to pay for them. :bash:

Well, they don't bloody well fool me! :argh: John.

[carver]

All of the parties on Wolf's (post #9) chart are left of center IMHO.

They are all basically socialist.

They advocate too much government (state) control/interference in our lives.

Central government should be brought back to simple basic requirements.

Defence Law and Police.

Local body governments should be brought back to their basic functions too.

Rubbish water and sewage.

Everything else should be run by private enterprise.

Taxation should be able to be justified or abolished or voluntary.

Personal responsibility and accountability should be the rule not the exception.

Politicians just bullshit everyone that they are "Rocket scientists" and are indispensible to us all.

Reality is that they are just full of bullshit and want us all to pay for them. :bash:

Well, they don't bloody well fool me! :argh: John.

i couldn't have said it better
blinged

[Wolf]

I'm right on top of the Greens.

Obviously a bogus survey. :oi-grr:
Nah, don't worry - their chart's 2 years out of date and the Greens' recent policies seem to be shifting them upwards towards the Authoritarian end.

Today Anti-smacking Bill, tomorrow Biofuel quotas, the next day the "How long you're allowed to run your refrigerator" bill. Put the Greens in power and anything that might conceivably contribute to the "carbon footprint" or "global warming" will be restricted or outlawed.

We're both safely far away from where the Eco-Nazis are now.

[Wolf]

All of the parties on Wolf's (post #9) chart are left of center IMHO.

They are all basically socialist.

They advocate too much government (state) control/interference in our lives.
I disagree inasmuch as state control is not inherently "left of centre" - the USA is as far-right Capitalist as it gets and they are obsessed with state control. The Nazi party, whose level of state control obviously gives GW a stiffy (judging by how keen he is to adopt it) was a Centrist government - in terms of the traditional Left-Centre-Right.

The level of state control is independent of traditional Left/Right politics. That is why the Political Compass has the Authoritarian/Libertarian scale - to determine how much or how little state control a party/person advocates, which is why, IMO, it is a far better indicator of political orientation than the traditional model.

It has flaws, I admit - but it is far less flawed than attempting to fit such diverse views as those held by Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, GW Bush and Gandhi on the same, purely linear, scale.

Equating State Control with the political Left would shift the USA towards the Centre, despite its undeniably Right Wing/Capitalist economy.


Central government should be brought back to simple basic requirements.

Defence Law and Police.

Local body governments should be brought back to their basic functions too.

Rubbish water and sewage.

Everything else should be run by private enterprise.

Taxation should be able to be justified or abolished or voluntary.

Personal responsibility and accountability should be the rule not the exception.

Politicians just bullshit everyone that they are "Rocket scientists" and are indispensible to us all.

Reality is that they are just full of bullshit and want us all to pay for them. :bash:

Well, they don't bloody well fool me! :argh: John.
Now, all that I agree with unequivocally.

[yod]

Your political compass

Economic Left/Right: -4.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.03


Unable to figure where you sit on the Political Compass: +10

Lower left or Lower Centrist?

<img src=http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/photopost/data/500/Political_Compass.png>

jeebus Jim - thats scary mate - mines exactly the same as yours :laugh:

[swbarnett]

The Political Compass
Economic Left/Right: -2.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.77

[007XX]

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -3.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.54


I am so very relieved and not surprised that jacques Chirac and I are at on completely opposite sides of each other...:whistle::clap:

[MSTRS]

I suspect that the questions are loaded to effect a 'result'....

[Trudes]

Where are all the Hitlers and Thatchers hiding??

[Drunken Monkey]

I suspect that the questions are loaded to effect a 'result'....

Yes they are, read the site's FAQ.

[MSTRS]

Yes they are, read the site's FAQ.

What? Read the FAQ? That's like reading the manual. Real men don't read that sort of thing....

[rwh]

All of the parties on Wolf's (post #9) chart are left of center IMHO.

They are all basically socialist.

They advocate too much government (state) control/interference in our lives.

Central government should be brought back to simple basic requirements.

Defence Law and Police.

Local body governments should be brought back to their basic functions too.

Rubbish water and sewage.

Everything else should be run by private enterprise.

Taxation should be able to be justified or abolished or voluntary.

Personal responsibility and accountability should be the rule not the exception.

Politicians just bullshit everyone that they are "Rocket scientists" and are indispensible to us all.

Reality is that they are just full of bullshit and want us all to pay for them. :bash:

Well, they don't bloody well fool me! :argh: John.

So ... local government will deal with rubbish water and sewerage, but only if the private road owner lets them? If indeed the land owner feels like building a road in the first place? And letting the council workers out of their houses (onto the above road) in order to go to work?

Or are you reluctantly going to allow a bunch of evil laws to make sure those things can happen?

Richard

[oldrider]

So ... local government will deal with rubbish water and sewerage, but only if the private road owner lets them? If indeed the land owner feels like building a road in the first place? And letting the council workers out of their houses (onto the above road) in order to go to work?

Or are you reluctantly going to allow a bunch of evil laws to make sure those things can happen?

Richard

So many men, so many opinions, I simply shared mine with you!

At least at this stage we are still free to exchange views.

Under this regime how much longer will that be the case.

Are you familiar with the "advances" they have made with the new education curriculum?

Is it about education or brainwashing and conditioning of the majority?

Should the government really be involved in education?

New Zealand is a socialist country because it is populated with majority socialist thinking/conditioned or dependant people.

Most of the freedom we have is the freedom we are given.

We can then choose to be a "red" socialist a "blue" socialist or you can be a bit more radical and choose one of the sprinkling of "minor" socialist parties, they pretend to offer us as free "choice".

Socialist bureaucratic bullshit is ruling our lives and the noose is getting tighter every day.

The nice part is that they still let us think it that we are free to make our own choice so they call it democracy, yeah right! :sick: John.

[Mikkel]

So many men, so many opinions, I simply shared mine with you!

At least at this stage we are still free to exchange views.

Under this regime how much longer will that be the case.

Are you familiar with the "advances" they have made with the new education curriculum?

Is it about education or brainwashing and conditioning of the majority?

Should the government really be involved in education?

New Zealand is a socialist country because it is populated with majority socialist thinking/conditioned or dependant people.

Most of the freedom we have is the freedom we are given.

We can then choose to be a "red" socialist a "blue" socialist or you can be a bit more radical and choose one of the sprinkling of "minor" socialist parties, they pretend to offer us as free "choice".

Socialist bureaucratic bullshit is ruling our lives and the noose is getting tighter every day.

The nice part is that they still let us think it that we are free to make our own choice so they call it democracy, yeah right! :sick: John.

At least there aren't any movements to introduce religious dogma to public schooling like the creationists in the USA. That's seriously scary stuff!

Democrazy [sic] is a beautiful ideal, as with all ideals however, the flaw lies with the world not being ideal and humans being greedy, corrupt and egoistic.
The old quote that "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all others that have been tried." is very true I think.

In the end, running a country is probably not that easy. Nearly everything decision will be a trade-off or a compromise of sorts. If there's anything I think anyone should be fighting for it would be the freedom of expression.

[Lias]

Center Authoritarian.. no real surprise there.

[idleidolidyll]

Great!

I hadn't seen this thread but I'm pleased somebody has picked up my link to the website and run with it.

As I noted when I first offered it, many people will be surprised at where they fall and this is largely due to false understandings of the philosophies of political parties due to propaganda.

I'm well left and liberal (socialist)

[idleidolidyll]

As I suspected, the loudest mouths seem to be of the right/authoritarian persuasion but when a general poll is conducted, the overall makeup of people here is more left/liberal.

That equates well with the silent majority of reps I receive and indicates that most here just can't be buggered dealing with right wing fascist propaganda as spouted by the few.

[idleidolidyll]

What else is funny?

Despite so many whining about Labour's so called commie policies; Labour is MORE right wing/authoritarian than most respondents. They are however, the closest thing we have to a centrist party at present.

Personally I'd rather see the back of Helen; she's been in power too long and I think it's gone to her head.

That's the danger with any politician of course and the worst abuse is always from authoritarians regardless of their left/right leanings.

[Wolf]

Where are all the Hitlers and Thatchers hiding??
You had to frigging ask, didn't you:

Center Authoritarian.. no real surprise there.

:devil2:

[MSTRS]

Personally I'd rather see the back of Helen; she's been in power too long and I think it's gone to her head.

That's the danger with any politician of course and the worst abuse is always from authoritarians regardless of their left/right leanings.

You feeling alright? That's TWO things you've said of a sensible nature...

[Lias]

You had to frigging ask, didn't you:


:devil2:

You missed out Rub Muldoon to complete my holy trinity.

[idleidolidyll]

You feeling alright? That's TWO things you've said of a sensible nature...

Sure, I've never said I support Helen.
In fact I've said many times that I DON'T vote Labour.

Trouble is of course, far too many just see red and don't see messages

[idleidolidyll]

You missed out Rub Muldoon to complete my holy trinity.

and Bush and Reagan and Mugabe and Pol Pot and Pinochet and Mahatir and all the other authoritarian abusers who have screwed the world over and delivered us a world full of trouble instead of a world full of understanding and compassion.

[Lias]

and Bush and Reagan and Mugabe and Pol Pot and Pinochet and Mahatir and all the other authoritarian abusers who have screwed the world over and delivered us a world full of trouble instead of a world full of understanding and compassion.

Dont particularly like Bush, Mugabe, or Pol Pot. Mahatir I'm undecided on without further looking into his career. Pinochet is the only one out of that group I can honestly say I admire.

[idleidolidyll]

Dont particularly like Bush, Mugabe, or Pol Pot. Mahatir I'm undecided on without further looking into his career. Pinochet is the only one out of that group I can honestly say I admire.

Pinochet was a right wing dictator who slaughtered thousands just for being his opposition and speaking out. He overthrew a legitimate democracy with the aid of the Yanks and abused his power by selling out his country to the Yank corporations. He was supported completely by the Yanks as was Pol Pot.

[Lias]

Pinochet was a right wing dictator who slaughtered thousands just for being his opposition and speaking out. He overthrew a legitimate democracy with the aid of the Yanks and abused his power by selling out his country to the Yank corporations. He was supported completely by the Yanks as was Pol Pot.

He exterminated all the marxists, and leftists he could get his hands on.. Even if he'd done nothing else I approve of, that alone should get the man a medal. Every dead lefty makes the world a better place.

[Wolf]

Every dead lefty makes the world a better place.
Just you wait until the Nats adopt that policy - as a Centrist you're to the Left of them...

[Lias]

The nats are far too queer to ever do anything like start hanging the lefties.
Well maybe under brash.. Key's damn near a lefty himself.

[Skyryder]

That test put me at miidle left, but all my political feeling is far right.

Maybe that is because I was bought up as a labour party supporter in the sixties and early seventies, but since then all parties have moved further left. Its at the stage now that ACT is almost as much a socialist party as labour used to be, while the modern Labour Party has gone so far left that they are following the chinese line.

And I'm in the political opposition to the left but this poll puts us both in the same grouping. I wonder if we could agree that it's a Zionist plot? :jerry:

Skyryder

[SPman]

As expected


bugger, where did the pic go!

Your political compass
Economic Left/Right: -6.88
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.13

[Gibbo13p]

Economic Left/Right: -3.38
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: 0.46 http://www.politicalcompass.org/facebook/pcgraphpng.php?ec=-3.38&soc=0.46

[Wolf]

Just been looking on the Political Compass at the US Primaries - the positions of the loudest noises in US politics during the election race.

All bar 2 are right of centre, all but the same two are above the middle line between Fascists and Anarchists.

According to the blurb, those in the just right of centre, just above the social median are classified by the general public as "lefties" and "overly liberal".

Sad indictment for their nation that their most moderate politicians are merely marginally less right-wing control-freaks than the rest.

Small wonder the place is practically a dictatorship regardless of the party in power - best they manage is Middle Centrist, tending to Authoritarian Right, otherwise it's Mussoliniville under George Bush and his clones.

So "Left and Right" are very subjective - which might explain oldrider's feelings that our parties are all "lefties" despite how they stack up internationally.

In the USA, "only marginally right wing" is "Left"; "only a little bit of a control freak" is "Liberal".

Ol' GW of course will be wanting another fascist Republican like himself to get in and continue raping the World - wouldn't want any of those namby-pamby leftist Democrats getting in and stopping the War On Everybody(tm), would we?

Fuck sake don't let "the Bish" get in power here - he'd be even further up a US Republican president's arse than the National Party.

[idleidolidyll]

That test put me at miidle left, but all my political feeling is far right.

Maybe that is because I was bought up as a labour party supporter in the sixties and early seventies, but since then all parties have moved further left. Its at the stage now that ACT is almost as much a socialist party as labour used to be, while the modern Labour Party has gone so far left that they are following the chinese line.

ridiculous!

in fact most political parties have moved to the RIGHT and even Labour is slightly right of centre now while National is practically fascist.

The same has happened in Britain and of course the USA. Look at the website, there's a good overview and a comparison of the Brits decades ago with where their parties are now. The same has happened here.

[avgas]

my sig sums up where i sit politically i figure.

[Wolf]

ridiculous!

in fact most political parties have moved to the RIGHT and even Labour is slightly right of centre now while National is practically fascist.

The same has happened in Britain and of course the USA. Look at the website, there's a good overview and a comparison of the Brits decades ago with where their parties are now. The same has happened here.
The plotting of Brit parties is a real eye-opener - the way Labour/New Labour has diagonalled up from Liberal left to Authoritarian Right and the latest results put them more extreme than the Conservatives.


Our own Labour Party is following the same trend based on their 2005 position and their more Nanny-state ideals since that was plotted.

[idleidolidyll]

The plotting of Brit parties is a real eye-opener - the way Labour/New Labour has diagonalled up from Liberal left to Authoritarian Right and the latest results put them more extreme than the Conservatives.


Our own Labour Party is following the same trend based on their 2005 position and their more Nanny-state ideals since that was plotted.

Yes, although not as fast, Labour HAS moved to the right and toward authoritarianism. That said, they remain the only real centrist party in the country.
It started with Roger Douglas, the lefty who wasn't. The damage he did has never been undone and the Labour party has only retrench3ed a little from those sad years. Their greatest achievement in recent years was dumping the odious Employment Contracts Act imposed by National and replacing it with the ERA. The latter is also flawed but at least doesn't hand NZ's workforce over lock stock and barrel to free market greed the way it's predecessor did.

[Robert Taylor]

He exterminated all the marxists, and leftists he could get his hands on.. Even if he'd done nothing else I approve of, that alone should get the man a medal. Every dead lefty makes the world a better place.

Careful, you will suffer a vile outburst from the lefty bookwriters with too much idle time. Had I some time I would write a very large epistle justifying ''compassionate conservatism'' But it is flogging a dead horse in the face of those whose political persuasion is ''the only way'' That, is not a cop out, I just dont have the time and frankly the extended diatribes from the one ''whose flag is brightest red'' makes one reach.

And theyve got the temerity to say that the right wing clique have the loudest mouths.

[Lias]

ridiculous!

in fact most political parties have moved to the RIGHT and even Labour is slightly right of centre now while National is practically fascist.


Cripes.. National are so lefty under Key they mayswell merge with the green and call themselves the National Treehuggers. Not to mention facist/nazi parties dont generally have non white members and a jewish leader lol.

NZ has had a few niche facist parties registered over the years, but none of them have ever gotten more than a few thousand votes, a fact you should be greatful for because if a real facist party was voted into power you can bet your arse that when you can sit here and mouth off about rightwing government, you'd get a free ride to the gas chamber.

[idleidolidyll]

Cripes.. National are so lefty under Key they mayswell merge with the green and call themselves the National Treehuggers. Not to mention facist/nazi parties dont generally have non white members and a jewish leader lol.

NZ has had a few niche facist parties registered over the years, but none of them have ever gotten more than a few thousand votes, a fact you should be greatful for because if a real facist party was voted into power you can bet your arse that when you can sit here and mouth off about rightwing government, you'd get a free ride to the gas chamber.

hilarious!

National is merely hiding and saying fuck all to suck in dummies.
As for right wing; we have ACT to play that game and if they ever got power they'd be fascists in an instant

[Sanx]

The nearest we come to fascism, based upon the true meaning of the word, in this country is the current government. National and ACT don't come even close. Labour and Greens however - they are properly fascist.

[Wolf]

The nearest we come to fascism, based upon the true meaning of the word, in this country is the current government. National and ACT don't come even close. Labour and Greens however - they are properly fascist.
Mussolini's fascist Govt, as I recall, was Authoritarian Right, Hitler's "National Socialist" party was pretty much Centrist and strongly Authoritarian.

ACT and National poll further Right and more Authoritarian than Labour and Greens so if you think Labour and Greens are "Fascist", wait until Nats or ACT get in, then there'll be some major whining about the nanny state - only thing is, all those currently whining about Labour and the Greens won't be able to blame them any more.

Sure, you'll still be able to blame them for policies and laws enacted under their nanny state, but who will be to blame for those not being retracted? Your beloved National.

You want those rules out? Vote for the parties whose policies are opposed to the nanny state. Parties that would work to remove restrictive and meaningless legislation.

But of course, that'll mean thinking for yourselves - Robert Taylor would never survive, he needs a Dictatorship to tell him how to run his life and protect him from the necessity of thought.

As to the no freedom of speech hinted at by Lias - the opening gambit has been made by Labour/Greens, watch it be expanded under the Nats or, worse, ACT.

[Sanx]

Mussolini's fascist Govt, as I recall, was Authoritarian Right, Hitler's "National Socialist" party was pretty much Centrist and strongly Authoritarian.

ACT and National poll further Right and more Authoritarian than Labour and Greens so if you think Labour and Greens are "Fascist", wait until Nats or ACT get in, then there'll be some major whining about the nanny state - only thing is, all those currently whining about Labour and the Greens won't be able to blame them any more.

Sure, you'll still be able to blame them for policies and laws enacted under their nanny state, but who will be to blame for those not being retracted? Your beloved National.

You want those rules out? Vote for the parties whose policies are opposed to the nanny state. Parties that would work to remove restrictive and meaningless legislation.

But of course, that'll mean thinking for yourselves - Robert Taylor would never survive, he needs a Dictatorship to tell him how to run his life and protect him from the necessity of thought.

As to the no freedom of speech hinted at by Lias - the opening gambit has been made by Labour/Greens, watch it be expanded under the Nats or, worse, ACT.

What makes you think that the Nats and ACT are more authoritarian than Labour / Greens? The Labour / Green / NZ Last coalition have been quietly banning things left right and centre. More rules, more regulation, more red-tape, more tax. Right-wing parties do have a habit of nattering on about choice and free-will. And to be honest, not many of them have a very good track record in upholding it. However, most of the policy statements and opinions I see from National and ACT go counter to the nanny-state mentality of the current left-wing crowd.

If you have any proof to the contrary, though, please feel free to share it.

[Wolf]

If you have any proof to the contrary, though, please feel free to share it.
Try looking at where National's and ACT's policies place them on the 2005 table at the political compass site. Labour is not "left", it's currently slightly right of centre and so more centrist these days than its traditional left wing stance. National is to the right of Labour, ACT even more so. ACT was marginally less authoritarian than Labour back then (and I must admit that I don't fully know how far they have shifted in the last couiple of years but I do not trust ACTs policies); National was definitely more authoritarian than Labour and I seriously doubt that even the last couple of years of upward shift has been enough to put Labour higher than the Nats.

National has made no secret of its support of GW Bush and it is no great leap of imagination to see a more US-like set of "security policies" to get us "in good" with the frothing Republicans under a National govt.