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Am I weird to be excited?\xa0

As of this afternoon we will have a Government. Sort of.\xa0

We will know the final vote. Yet again, there will be the questions around the timeframe, and how refreshing it was to hear Chris Luxon on the show this week promising to upend how it all works.\xa0

In part, that is why I am sort of excited. At last we get to get things underway. The workload to sort this country is gargantuan and three weeks is wasted time.\xa0

The first real test will be the formation of the Government. \xa0

How long will that take after this afternoon? The clue there is what they have been doing for three weeks, how much progress has been made and how set to go they are.\xa0

Presumably there are working scenarios, depending on today's numbers, as to how the final look shakes down. But a good sign would be that the basis of it is already in place.\xa0

By the way, Winston Peters will be involved whether he is technically needed or not, and that is no bad thing from a strategic point of view.\xa0

The other good indicator we have had this week around us being excited was the business confidence survey. It was a massive lift and for no specific reason other than the election. That is the power of expectation for you.\xa0

A lot of this country is placing a lot of faith and hope on a Government that has the "wherewithal" to take the mess they have inherited and do something positive\xa0about it.\xa0

That, in the end, is the great challenge, isn't it? In a way, it's make or break.\xa0

Gone are the days of National and Labour being interchangeable. Labour of 2020-2023 were dangerous ideologues who ran rampant, and the damage is there for all to see.\xa0

26% of the vote is their return for the arrogance of it.\xa0

The new Government will get a honeymoon. But before they know it we will expect returns and we will expect to see things that were promised. From gangs, to the Maorification obsession, to the big policy stuff like fair pay agreements and 90 day trials.\xa0

Then there's the tax cuts, the trimming of waste and the cutting of spending.\xa0

The upside of having much to do is you can hoe in. The downside is the risk that it takes too long to materially change and the electorate grows impatient, and that's before you get to the trickiness of having three parties working together in a way that looks cohesive.\xa0

MMP ain\u2019t flash at that.\xa0

But for now, at last it is on.\xa0

New Government, new day.\xa0

New hope. \xa0 \xa0\xa0

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