"The time is right for a change".
You can hear it when you speak to friends, work colleagues and in social situations.
In recent times ,the moral outrage at the present state of our representation in the beehive follows the Labour Government and its supporters in Parliament imploding, more recently over donations to Labour's support party Winston Peter's NZ First and his pathetic slap on the hand by his political mates for his corrupt pratices.
Labour's high handed attitude to Winston Peter's lies and a cover up by Helen Clark over what she knew about the Owen Glenn donations is compounded by interference, criticism and bullying by her ministers over the Privileges Committee process.
The latest scandal comes on top of 9 long years of economic mis-management by Michael Cullen, a long list of political crimes foisted on New Zealanders to stifle free speech, an even longer list of social interference in our everyday lives, crumbling government "services", out of control crime,record welfare stats and an attitude from Helen Clark and her political allies that nothing is wrong, they are born to rule and it seems they will do anything to retain the reigns of power.
An underlying support and need from the New Zealand community for commonsense, humility, integrity, a hopeful vision for the future and above all honesty from our politicians is very clear and Kiwis know after 9 years of Labour they are not getting that.
Even die hard Labour voters are turning their backs on Helen Clark and her politics of envy.
It is difficult most of the time to get that from politicians from any political colour but the overwhelming feeling from the community is that New Zealanders want a change.
c Political Animal 2008