Advice to Labour: Fair, inclusive, positive
Hey Labour – here’s three words for you. Fair, inclusive, positive. You’ll win the next election, and the two after that.
Politics
political parties
Drug testing beneficiaries; yeah that’s the problem
I could hardly believe my ears this morning when I heard about Paula Bennett’s plan to drug test beneficiaries and cut their benefits […]
Greens put pokies deal on ice
The Greens’ successful call for an Auditor General’s probe into the Government’s pokies-for-convention-centre deal with SkyCity has stalled the negiotations – despite the Nats’ claims it wouldn’t derail their attempt to sell our gambling law. No meetings have been held since the A-G’s investigation began two months ago. With any luck, it’ll push out the legislative timeline past the 2014 election.
Labour’s plan a real alternative to Nats’ failure
Labour’s hands on approach to economic management focused on boosting manufacturing stands in stark contrast to National’s failed record of big promises and no delivery. Manufacturing is our largest employer. It has lost 25,500 jobs under National. National has been pushing mining for four years. It employs 6,000 people, up just 600 under National.
To the Back Teeth. And Beyond
Pagani wrote it. Robertson cleared it. And Shearer uttered it. To summarise; those living by sickness entitlements are probably dodgy b’stards. Nice. Before I go on, I should be clear that this post isn’t some insightful fiction. This is the reality of getting by with a sickness benefit.
Zero tolerance for privacy breaches
Collins can’t credibly call for zero tolerance on privacy breaches while working alongside a Minister who has not only breached privacy, but is unrepentant, and boasting that she might do it again. Bennett has breached the Privacy Act – what is she doing still in cabinet? The Nats have no credibility while she remains.
Two little Pagis squeal and squeak
It seems the Standard is off the Paganis’ Christmas list. John Pagani tells the Listener that he much prefers Kiwiblog because it “has […]
Strategy and opinion
Thanks to Rob Salmond and Josie Pagani it is now clear that Labour’s pitch to the centre is an intentional strategy. That is helpful as now perhaps we can have a reasonable discussion about how well it’s working, and what else might work better.
Frankly Speaking: “John Banks: condition deteriorating”
Frank Macskasy over at Frankly Speaking writes some very long posts that are often full of interesting information. This one does a good analysis of the recommendations from the Electoral Commission and various party positions on it. On the way through he has a good swipe at John Banks, who it would be safe to say, he considers to be political cabbage.
Human Rights Commission concludes that Bennett breached privacy
The Human Rights Commission has concluded that Paula Bennett breached the privacy of a private citizen. Apart from releasing an agreed statement, the HRC is not proposing action. John Key won’t propose any either.
The wrong conversation
There has been a lot of discussion on the direction Labour is heading and the direction it should go. There have been some […]
Privileged try to turn Kiwis against each other
National Party campaign designer John Ansell and Invercargill-based racist Loius Crimp are planning a $2 million campaign to whip up racial hatred between Pakeha and Maori. I don’t think people will be fooled, even if anyone publishes their material. We’ve moved past the Owera days. Everyone will see this is about NACToids’ privilege, not Maori privilege.
Bad behaviour puts Labour activists off
I have spent the better part of 17 years – eight of those as a paid organiser for the Labour Party – practicing […]
Let’s debate political strategy
Jordan Carter and Josie Pagani agree – there is a legitimate debate that needs to be had about whether Labour aims for the left or the centre vote. That may be where agreement stops, judging from Josie Pagani’s contribution to the debate on Nine to Noon this morning. The political strategy she expounds is however worth unpicking.
David Shearer’s first e-newsletter
David Shearer has decided to start emailing members every week.
Given the recent hubbub it might be worth reading.
Here’s the first issue, sent out yesterday.
Nats’ education plans make sense after all
How to explain National’s blatant inconsistency in not requiring national standards for charter schools? After further reflection, I think it makes sense after all…
Put away the knives, the polls are up!
I suspect that the knives that were out for a couple days this week will be quietly slipped back into their sheaths now. Labour’s up in the latest Roy Morgan. So are the Greens. The Left’s at 46% vs the Banks Key Government’s 44.5%. We won’t see more hamfisted attempts to undermine Shearer and attack Cunliffe clearing the path for someone else. Well, not until the next bad poll.
3 News polls mums and dads
Turns out that not many “mums and dads” are planning to buy shares in their own assets.
Why I’m In – a response to the disillusioned
A somewhat meandering and personal response to the disillusioned, prompted by Scott Yorke’s recent “Why I’m Out”.
Unemployment worse than it looks
Unemployment is up, and the real situation is worse than the figures suggest. Just how many more years of the Nats’ economic “genius” do you want NZ?
Labour, WTF? – a collection of posts
We’ve received a set of guest posts arising from the Stab In the Back comments that Duncan Garner reported on Tuesday and Su’a William Sio. We’ll compile the best here. As always, we exercise judgement in not publishing truly nutty stuff but there’s no editorial line, no endorsement of guest posts we publish – they just have to pass the test of being informative, lucid, and left.
Too far
It looks like someone from within Labour’s top team* has decided to have a real nasty go at David Cunliffe via Duncan Garner.
Nats don’t believe their own education policy
As usual it is the kids who will suffer.
Postcards from the “brighter” future
Hey John – where’s our “Brighter Future”? Hey National voters – was this what you voted for?
Race-baiting works, a little
Meh. National has race-baited over water rights to win back some of its wavering lower-middle class Pakeha support. It’s won some of that support back. For now. The thing about turning tides is that not every wave, or even every set of waves for some time, reaches less far up the beach than the one lowest before. Within each cycle there are dips and spikes due to events. Doesn’t change the cycle.
ImperatorFish: Community Law Centres Under Threat
The Government has decided to change the way it funds Community Law Centres. It will save money – at the expense of justice for those who can’t afford lawyers.
The illusion of consultation
For some reason the Nats are in a hurry to complete their privatisation programme within two years. Anyone in any doubt as to how the process of consultation with Maori will play out might be informed by some recent history.
Incoherent education policy
The right hand of National’s education policy doesn’t know what the far-right hand is up to…
The luxury of an ethical opposition
Although Key’s privatisation programme has hit plenty of problems with Maori water rights, his job is made a whole lot easier by the luxury of an ethical main opposition party.
Why asset sales – it’s politics
Finally the truth is out. Gaynor and Armstrong agree – National Party politics are the real reason for asset sales. They make no sense economically. They are not about debt reduction. Key’s asset sales are a political bribe – nothing more and nothing less.
A good week for the opposition
3 opposition private members’ Bills passed – extended paid parental leave, Mondayisation, and lobbying disclosure – on Wednesday (moving a ban on land sales to foreigners up the list). Then, all 5 drawn from the ballot on Thursday opposition bills too: marriage equality, $15hr minimum wage, super-majority/referendum protection for asset sales, charging government agencies that pay access to info, and controlling water pollution.
Nasty govt cont…
Eddie got there before me, but yesterday seemed to be a day of nasty attacks, not just by Maggie Barry.
Truck strike imminent!!!
Remember all the fuss in 2008 when the Labour government tried to make a 1% increase charges affecting truckies? What kind of catastrophic response will increases of up to 20% provoke?
The nasty government
National is threatening to veto a Labour bill to extend paid parental leave, claiming it costs too much. At the same time, they’re trying to defend writing a blank cheque for looters’ bonuses. And they’re getting nasty about it. Maggie Barry attacked Jacinda Ardern for not having children yet while John Key had a hissy fit at anyone who questioned his looters’ bonuses.
Austerity in Britain
Gosh, isn’t government austerity working well in Britain. Thank goodness we’re following in their footsteps.
Infographics
Labour and the Greens are producing great infographics that succiently explain what the government’s doing wrong on issues of the day and bust National’s myths. They chuck them up on Facebook and Twitter and they spread like wildfire. They’re a really effective use of social media. You can help by liking the parties’ Facebook pages and sharing the infographics.