Long time Labour Party stalwart Murdo MacMillan’s funeral will be at St Peter’s Church on Friday 20th at 10am. Son of a seaman and ex-wharfie, rock-solid in his values, Murdo made a huge contribution behind the scenes to Labour’s successes over the best part of forty years.
“Crusher Collins up close” headlines a two-page article by Andrea Vance in the Saturday March 10 DomPost. It’s not on the Stuff website but deserves a wider audience. John Key might have been unwise to have stayed away on holiday this week – he should remember what happened to Jim Bolger.
It’s back to the bargaining table for Ports of Auckland and the Maritime Union. Redundancies are on hold. The court minute is here. portcourt.
Murray McCully has been described as a “seagull Minister, one who flies in, squawks loudly, poops over everyone and flies away again.” Today in the House he squawked, pooped over his Chief Executive and flew away from any responsibility for the the restructuring of MFAT. John Key better get his knighthood soon. The wheels are starting to come off his government.
When Treasurer Wayne Swan recently took on wealthy vested interests in defence of democracy and the Aussie fair go, he was attacked as an old-fashioned class warrior. Australian researchers found 86% of Australians think that class exists, and they support Swan by 58% to 26%. Their conclusion – opening up the debate about inequality is a sure-fire winner for Labor.
Tapu Misa has an excellent article in today’s Herald. She hopes those predicting the demise of Labour’s pre-election promise to extend Working to Families to the children of beneficiaries are wrong. So do I. Labour will be defined by what it does for our children. Let’s not throw out what was a very very good policy.
Labour moving to the right would be a disaster for the left. It doesn’t need to, in order to lead a winning coalition at the next election. The last time a small cabal in Labour tried that strategy was in 1984 – it proved to be a disaster for New Zealand and for the Labour Party. I’m not sure that the Labour leadership is making a definitive shift to the right – more like a tentative search for the marshmallow centre. As a strategy, it is a recipe for failure.
David Shearer used Finland as an example of successful small country economic development in yesterday’s very good speech, but his main focus was on education. Dianne Ravitch in the NY Review of Books shows how Finland also leads the world in education – and with few tests and excellent teachers, they don’t need to bag any “bad” ones.
The trailers for John Key’s Thursday speech are calling it for a ” new super-Ministry” under the command of Steven Joyce. Merger isn’t the issue – the policy direction is. If Joyce just stays focussed on roads of national significance, mines and oil wells of national significance, and casinos of national significance it will be another waste of time reshuffle. If it becomes genuinely high quality export focussed, then it may prove worthwhile. Fingers crossed.
Union’s have gone global in response to global financial capital’s push to drive wage costs to the bottom. Canadian United Steel Workers (USW) will meet local workers in Invercargill on Thursday at the Working Men’s Club at 8pm and picket outside Rio Tinto office in Wellington on Friday at 12:30pm. All welcome.
Vodafone appears to be billing for at least two text scams run by the same Greek, Photis Photou who runs a Cyprus law firm specialising in shelf companies and tax business. I haven’t asked for the texts, and wonder why Vodafone is clipping the ticket for Photis and presumably themselves as well.
“I’ve been around these votes before when at the last moment they change” John Key said today about the ALP leadership ballot. He certainly has; in 2003 he promised Bill English his vote then shifted at the last minute to Don Brash who won narrowly. Key talks about Labor needing a repair job; but I think the next challenge may be in the Coalition.
Offical result has 71 for Gillard and 31 for Rudd. Not a base for a comeback for Rudd. He must now be asking why he did it.
Rick Boven in Auckland – Global environmental trends Global environmental trends will affect New Zealand’s future. In his forthcoming lecture to the Fabian […]
David Shearer spoke to Greypower in Auckland today about the difference between Labour and National. The speech shows Shearer is his own man. He wants a new style of politics, focussed on the future, planning to make a difference. I think he will.
Kevin Rudd resigned as Australian Foreign Minister in a midnight speech from Washington. He will now return to Australia, consult, and issue a statement as to his intentions. Nobody seems to think Rudd has the numbers to win a ballot this week; the issue will be whether he stays on the back bench and continues to undermine. I can’t see that lasting.
RadioLive asked “Did the PM’s hour influence your vote?” on its website last Friday. Billy the Kid commented: “It was my first election. I heard Key and thought he sounded pretty cool so yeah I voted for him.” All it takes is one to confirm that RadioLive broke the law.
It’s not Helen’s dad but former Scottish TUC Leader Pat Kelly who will speak at St John’s this Tuesday 21st at 6pm on his book Scotland’s Radical Exports – Scottish expats who led unions and Labour around the world. All welcome.
Whitney’s funeral was today’s news – across the BBC, Fox and CNN for over three hours. It was riveting; a great tribute to a warm and loving woman, and a reminder of how hard it can sometimes be for those whose gift it is to sing from the heart, but also of how much love and forgiveness is available to them.
Peter Radich, BSA Chair, absolutely rejects “any kind of improper influence” over his controversial decision that Radio Live PM’s Hour was not an election programme. I wouldn’t accuse him of improper influence, rather lack of competence as his judgement was completely outside the Authority’s brief.
The best contribution by far IMHO at today’s VUW post-election conference in Legislative Chamber, held under Chatham House rules, came from Colin James. True to Colin, his paper is public, with much food for thought. My comments here too.
“Not to the best of my knowledge – that is absolutely correct – I wasn’t even aware these emails existed until I heard about them yesterday” a flustered Key said in Parliament today. He didn’t know a thing about control of the programme. But his office suggested that Radio Live get the Electoral Commission’s opinion on the show’s legality. Watch this space.
Watch Grant Robertson’s question to Key today Robertson to Key on Radio Live Key didn’t know his office was deeply involved in the show that breached the Broadcasting Act? Even though he personally chose the guests? It was a matter solely between the Electoral Commission and the broadcaster? Judge for yourself.
An internal memo in the PM’s office after they received the Electoral Commission’s advice on the Radio Live’s PM Hour broadcast says: “So the Electoral Commission has replied, and basically said they can’t make a judgment on a radio show without seeing a transcript. But they have been pretty clear about putting the responsibility on the broadcaster, which is useful.” Key’s office knew they were skating close to the wind but were happy to cut Radio Live loose. Lesson here for media.
Radio Live and the Prime Minister pushed the boat out in the PM’s hour programme. Radio Live sought Electoral Commission’s advice two days before broadcast, though they had been planning it for months. When Key’s office got the Commission’s warning to be careful, an internal memo said “the Electoral Commission have been pretty clear about putting the responsibility on the broadcaster, which is useful”. The Electoral Commission has now sunk Radio Live’s argument that it was ok if it didn’t discuss politics.
I’ve just watched John Key say on Sky Australia “We don’t need the Maori Party – we have the votes for stable government.” But without the Maori Party, all we’ve got is an Epsom government. It hangs by a thread on the teacup meeting between Parnell resident Key and Epsom candidate Banks. Key’s dogwhistle to Epsom voters is all that guarantees National’s “mandate” for asset sales.
According to TVNZ, the Prime Minister said section nine of the SOE legislation, referring to the Treaty of Waitangi, was “largely symbolic” because it had not been enacted since it was drawn up in 1986. It wasn’t a felicitous phrase; he might well find Maoridom’s response is both symbolic and large, if not in the sense he meant.
Donations over $30,000 from the same source must be declared to the Electoral Commission within 10 working days. National overstepped the mark in declaring a total donation of $86,005 from Gallagher Industries outside the limit. These days the Electoral Commission doesn’t get involved – the penalty is a fine of up to $40,000 on summary conviction.
Is the title of the independent High Pay Commission’s report set up to look at “the reasons for the gap between high and low pay in the UK and why this matters.” It is very good and well worth a read. Christchurch City Council CEO’s Tony Marryatt, whose pay late last year rocketed up by $68,000 to $585,000 on a 7-5 split vote, should take note. So should Mayor Bob Parker and the other 6 – the protest goes on.
Here we go – the DomPost offers advice to Shearer on welfare policy, based on a Guardian article by Liam Byrne, British Labour welfare spokesperson. Trevor Mallard, our America’s Cup spokesperson, quotes him on Red Alert as “slaying some sacred cows.” Beveridge and Savage are used in ways they never envisaged. Savage at least had it right – jobs are the priority, not beneficiary-bashing.
In today’s Herald, Geof Nightingale, PWC tax partner and member of the Nats’ Tax Working Group, joins the argument for greater inequality in New Zealand. Ironically in the same issue Garth George writes his last column as the editors decided that his column “does not fit in with their future plans for the opinion pages.” Garth thinks the most serious and vexing problem facing New Zealand – and the Western World – now and in the immediate future is income inequality and unemployment. I’m with Garth – I hope the Herald’s future plans are not with Nightingale.
Labour’s new leader promised a fresh approach. He’s delivered already in his speech in reply today. Gone is the ritual opening denunciation of the government’s programme – Shearer begins with where a new Labour government would start.
In 2008, the Electoral Commission released its non-decision on the address I used on Chris Knox’s CD “it’s a better way with Labour” on 16 December. They were embarrassed and buried it in the pre-Christmas dump. This December, I’m waiting for a much more important decision on the RadioLive “Prime Minister’s Hour.” There’s a lot at stake.
Phil O’Reilly’s article in today’s DomPost headed “The rich get richer but so do the poor ” is appalling. Responding to the OECD report on inequality, he is following in the footsteps of Alasdair Thompson. BusinessNZ are still dinosaur employers from the Victorian age.
I’ve now seen David Shearer in three Labour selection contests – I was on the panel in Waitakere in 2002 and Mt Albert in 2009, and I was in Wesley Church last Wednesday in Wellington. He’s won two out of three, and been most impressive every time. Had I been a caucus member today, he would have had my vote. This is why.
John Armstrong’s column today – not yet on website – is extraordinary. “Elements on the left cried wolf about National having a secret agenda” Armstrong’s faux outrage is generated by the fact that National’s charter schools policy was not part of any election mandate, and some people have pointed this out. Funny how people on the left are always “elements” – couldn’t possibly have a mind of their own.
