Nats’ attack on Ardern backfires
National’s nasty, obvious, hamfisted attack on Jacinda Ardern has backfired on them big time.
Politics
leadership
“All show and no substance”
The attack on Ardern as “all show and no substance” is a curious one for a party that was led for so many years by John Key.
Congratulations Jacinda Ardern!
Will Collins make a move?
The crisis around English’s amateur-hour handling of the super announcement is an opportunity for Judith Collins.
Coalition building – deft politics from Little
Helen Clark wrote the book on MMP coalition government, shoring up alliances on the left and the right. Looks like Andrew Little has read the book. Labour + Green + NZF = government.
Great reaction to Jacinda move
The (presumed) move to Jacinda Ardern as deputy leader has been very well received.
Rogue MP publicly disagrees with leader – party in disarray!
With these deep divisions exposed the party is clearly in total disarray.
English – “8 months to answer Labour’s challenge”
Anonymous Herald editorial: “Bill English has 8 months to answer Labour’s challenge”.
Waitangi Day 2017
Well the lead-up to Waitangi Day this year has certainly had its fair share of drama!
You can read Andrew Little’s thoughts on the day here: Andrew Little: Waitangi a day for all of us to come together
A good week for Labour and Greens
Following on from their joint “state of the nation” it’s been a good week for the political left in NZ. Here’s a roundup.
A PM but not a leader
Bill English has failed his first test of real leadership. Compare and contrast, English and Little’s responses to the Muslim ban.
Update: The image is Emmerson’s take in The Herald.
Crushed Collins to ACT?
What next for Collins? Burning ambition, a significant personal following, no future in National. Time jump to ACT? She must fancy her chances of taking over that pretend party and building it up to a “kingmaker” role.
Out with the old – in with the old
Bye John, out with the old. And in with the old. Shortly the Nats will anoint the chosen one, Bill English. A pre-failed leader. Mr 21%. The greedy double dipper. The boring, conservative choice for a boring conservative party.
Caption contest
Nat MPs one week window of relevance
Key has been so dominant for so long that Nat MPs have become invisible. But now, for one glorious week, they enjoy a brief window of relevance. And the infighting has begun.
Labour landslide – media roundup
Audrey Young: “The Labour leader has described the win as ‘a bloody nose for National’. It is more like a bloody nose, a black eye and broken jaw.”
Update: As of 11am not a single story on Mt Roskill appears on the online front pages of either The Herald or Stuff. What a surprise!
Labour sticks to the high road
As the confused media pile-on to Labour continues, it’s good to hear that the party is planning to stick to the high road.
TPP: An epitaph for self-interested treaties done in secret
The misogynist buffoon, under-skilled charlatan and ignorant bigot that the Americans have elected to be their constitutional monarch for the next four years appears to have effectively killed the constraint of trade agreement known as the TPP. From a freer trade advocate, avid exporter, and labour movement supporter with a touch of green :- Good riddance.
Working with Helen
I worked with Helen at the CTU for about seven years from 2008.
Helen Kelly: Just plain good
I’m going to miss you, mate.
Launch of Economic and Social Research Aotearoa (ESRA)
There is a new leftie think tank in town. Congratulations to Sue Bradford and her team. We hope to hear plenty more from ESRA!
Robertson: Lessons from the Future of Work Commission
Robertson: “What is the economic paradigm that will meet the challenge of world of less secure work, more automation?”
Andrew Little on housing
Andrew Little: “John Key will give you all the excuses you can stomach for his failure to stabilise house prices and boost incomes but the truth is clear: if we want to change the path we’re on, we need to change the government.”
The cross-party inquiry into homelessness is under way
After National blocked a proposed official inquiry into homelessness, Labour, The Greens and The Maori Party went ahead with their own. It will no doubt come up with useful recommendations. But to see them implemented we will need to change the government.
The future of work
The Herald (Liam Dann) had a Terminator themed piece on the future of work yesterday. If only there was a party that was thinking about these long term issues!
NZ wins nuclear war
Nothing like a good clickbait headline eh!
Democracy vs efficiency
Events in England really highlight the different processes of the two main parties. The Conservatives have completed their leadership transition, Labour’s contest has barely begun. Which model is best?
Vote for Helen!
Yesterday 10 of the candidates for the UN’s top job faced off in debate. For the first time this was a public event, hosted and broadcast by Al Jazeera.
Happy Birthday Labour – 100 Years!
UBI gathers momentum in Europe
Practical trials of an Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) are taking place or are under consideration across Europe. Given the increasing automation of work it’s difficult to see a practical alternative to a UBI in the medium to long term.
Labour should front-foot tax
Good advice for Labour from Standard author Simon Louisson, writing on The Spinoff. Labour should front-foot tax!
Another strong piece from Little
Andrew Little had an excellent piece in The Herald yesterday: “It’s always about choices, and National has made some terrible ones”.
Labour would legalise medical cannabis
On Stuff: “Little said cannabis products should be available to anyone suffering chronic pain or a terminal condition if their GP signed off on it.”
Double the quota
Labour joins the campaign to double our refugee quota.
Up the republic!
The tory clobbering machine is out to attack Little’s comments on NZ becoming a republic.
Job cuts and the future of work
Two headline job losses today underline the importance of Labour’s Future of Work.