Little announces Labour’s new front bench
Andrew Little has announced Labour’s new lineup.
Politics
political parties
Oh dear – National’s “white elephant” is still growing?
Public transport traffic in Auckland keeps growing by large 7.7% per year. Car traffic despite all of the motorway and roading improvements grew by just 2.3% in the whole period of 2006 and 2013 amongst commuters. But our current idiotic National transport minister wants more roads? And won’t let Aucklanders decide what they should do despite them voting with their AT Hop cards.
Key in for the long term?
John Key’s election as chair of the International Democratic Union is significant. Key succeeds John Howard who has led the IDU for the past 12 years. Key’s acceptance signals that like four-time winner Howard, Key plans a long career as Prime Minister of New Zealand. This news should be a wake-up call for the Labour Party’s review of its election organisation and party structure.
End of the Internet Party?
Laila Harre has quit – end of the line for the Internet Party?
’81: knowing your position
Andrea Vance has written an informative article about Andrew Little. In it, among other things, we learn that Little remembers exactly which side he was on during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour.
Who needs $4.8 billion anyway
Yesterday a report from the NZ Super Fund (the Cullen fund) provided further evidence of National’s economic “genius”. We could have used the $4.8 billion that they just chucked away.
NRT: Policy of fear
Community groups have a vital role in New Zealand. They speak on social problems such as poverty, mental illness and addiction. They also often have a direct role in fixing them via government funding. The tension between those two roles is one that National is ruthlessly exploiting to stifle dissent.
Labour and the unions
In which I ponder my 2c on the leadership race, and the path ahead for Labour and the unions…
A late run succeeds
On October 4th Andrew Little was looking to see if he was even going to be in Parliament because he hadn’t achieved the near impossible task of winning New Plymouth. He was at the bottom of small list and only got back into parliament on special votes. But Andrew Little has a well deserved reputation is a organiser and a campaigner. It showed.
And the winner is …
Vernon Small has tweeted that Andrew Little has been elected as the new leader of the Labour Party. Update: The result is confirmed.
Gerry Brownlee and Airport security
Gerry Brownlee has admitted and been fined for entering a security area at Christchurch Airport. But there is an issue about whether he had a defence to the charge that he actually faced. And despite John Key’s and the CAA’s indication the report into the incident would be released it is now being withheld.
John Key and the Fart Tax
Momentum is building for action on climate change – but Key reckons it’s all just too hard for little old NZ. If only the Nats hadn’t killed of funding for research into the reduction of agricultural emissions…
Last chance to vote
The Labour leadership campaign is in the home straight. Various authors have declared their preference and why and I thought I should do the same.
My (late) vote
Here are my votes for the leadership contest. It was a hard choice, especially having to rank them. But my main criteria was to look for the people who I think had the most chance retaining and utilising the ever increasing membership and the other parts of the party together into a election winning system for the left.
Why does the right control the English speaking world?
Jason Wilson in the Guardian has asked a very relevant question. Why is the right currently dominant in the English speaking Western World and what does the left have to do to change this?
Andrew Little: My vision for Labour
There are choices that as a country we can make, and the choices we make are whether everybody gets to benefit, or just a few.
He Whakaputanga me te Tiriti – The Declaration and the Treaty
The Waitangi Tribunal has released an important decision stating its opinion that chiefs never intended to cede Maori sovereignty when signing the Te Reo version of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Standard questions: David Parker
A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to suggest questions for written answers from the candidates. We chose / edited six questions, and sent them to the four campaigns. Here are David Parker’s answers.
Nats’ economic genius at work in the property market
On Monday Bill English reckoned that pressures in the property market were “easing”. Yesterday’s headline “Spring house price surge in October”…
Slater’s OIA requests about David Bain
Megan Woods has discovered that three OIA requests processed within the same day by Judith Collins’ office for Cameron Slater were not entered in a log of successful OIA requests recently released by Amy Adams.
Standard questions: Andrew Little
A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to suggest questions for written answers from the candidates. We chose / edited six questions, and sent them to the four campaigns. Here are Andrew Little’s answers.
Nanaia Mahuta: Let’s Get Back On Track
A message sent out by Nanaia Mahuta last night to all Labour members.
Lauranora – National’s biggest achilles heel?
The Phillip Smith story is going to hurt National. It was warned two years ago about the relationship between passports and multiple identities yet nothing seems to have been done.
Lessons from the ’30s and 40’s: culture and the left
We often look to the first Labour Government for core left wing values, & a political way forward. As well as massively restructuring of the NZ economy, work, welfare & housing, that Government aimed to restructure NZ culture & to combat capitalist-dominated popular culture.
Standard questions: Grant Robertson
A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to suggest questions for written answers from the candidates. We chose / edited six questions, and sent them to the four campaigns. Here are Grant Robertson’s answers.
The final Labour leadership contest meetings
Details of the final two Labour leadership meetings to be held in AUckland tonight and tomorrow night.
Andrew Little’s plan for Labour
One of the most important challenges we must confront is rebuilding our Party and our movement.
Andrew Little in Auckland on Sunday and virtual hustings
The Labour leadership race continues!
Paid parental leave bill faces defeat
The first repercussion of the election result is the almost inevitable defeat of Sue Moroney’s Paid Parental Leave private member’s bill. The Government is clearly determined to prevent her from getting credit for raising and highlighting an issue of importance to Kiwi families.
Turei for peace & freedom: rejects politics of fear
Metiria Turei delivered a very strong speech in response to Key’s ministerial statement on national security. I give her a standing ovation! Update #1: link to video of Turei’s speech. #2 -YT video Turei’s speech. Link to Kennedy Garham’s speech
Campbell Live on ‘Feed the Kids Bill’
The main message from Campbell Live last night is we really need the “Feed the Kids” Bill to pass it’s first reading: then the Bill will go to Select Committee, so everyone can have a conversation. Update: reading postponed ‘cos Key’s war statement debate gets priority.
Partially Privatised Power Companies Chief Executives’ salaries surge
Chief executive remuneration packages in the privatised power companies have surged post float.
Housing policy shambles
National’s sale of state housing assets and other aspects of housing policy is stupid at all levels. Which is probably why they are confused themselves about it.
Feed the Kids Bill – act today
Only one day to support the Feed the Kids Bill.
About climate change …
The IPCC has released a further report refining previous research and announcing with practical certainty that climate change is happening because of the production of greenhouse gasses. It proposes that we stop burning fossil fuels, and change the electricity generation system so that by 2050 the vast bulk of the world’s power is produced by renewable means. The diagnosis is clear as are the remedies. And meanwhile Tim Groser thinks the Greens are to blame for the recent drop in the milk price …
Labour leadership hustings video
In case you haven’t been able to make it to any of the leadership hustings, here’s the speeches from the Nelson meeting last week.