The legal suit offered as part justification for the Government paying $11 million to a Saudi businessman was apparently “off the table” at the time that Cabinet agreed to the payment. So why was the payment made? And why didn’t Murray McCully tell this to Cabinet or to Parliament earlier?
If anyone thought that David Parker was content to fade quietly into obscurity, they been proven thoroughly wrong. Parker has confronted one of politics’ sacred cows – police neutrality.
John Key has apologised to Cameron Slater for releasing an email which details a campaign against a senior Public Servant.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Labour leadership race continues!
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.
Meet the candidates.
InsideOut has a look at the current state of the labour leadership campaigns. Predictably they plump down on the side of a particular candidate. But they do point to various issues with all of the campaigns.
Assuming that all four contenders for leadership of Labour are equally worthy, there is a defining factor that ought to be considered…vulnerability to attack.
For many decades Galbraiths has been a local watering hole for some of the unionists, academics, and commentariat on Friday night. I have been known to go along to stir participate in the bemoaning lofty debate and to spend a few coppers. David Parker is going to be there on Friday evening. I suspect I may have to go along to observe. 🙂
The leadership contest has kicked off with a bang.
David Parker is reported in The Herald this morning with some comments which seem likely to provoke a strong response! His email pitch to party members also arrived today…
The Labour leadership campaign is now under way and the first meet the candidates meetings are scheduled for this week.
David Parker joins us here live on Sunday at around 3pm. Post your questions for David here. As usual all comments / questions will be strictly moderated.
David Parker will be joining us here live on Sunday at 3pm. A post will go up Sunday around 2 for questions, as usual this will be strictly moderated.
So which West Wing politician do the current Labour Leadership candidates most closely resemble? Dedicated to one of the best political activists I know.
Heavyweight Cabinet experience, strong egalitarian values, a cool debater, with a passion for manufacturing and a high-value economy, a good deal of steel and with an open mind and a twinkle in his eye – these are the reasons why I support David Parker for Labour Party Leader.
Police action in obtaining a warrant to search Nicky Hager’s home in politically charged circumstances raises issues why in other politically charged incidents no similar action has been undertaken.
According to early reports (Twitter) David Parker is interim leader of the Labour Party, with Annette King as deputy.
Name one new thing you’d do in the next 3 years in government. Bill English: “-“
Labour has the bold set of policies to take New Zealand forward into the 21st century – National’s “same old same old” tinkering will see the Kiwi skiff swamped. That was the clear conclusion from the debate between David Parker and Bill English on National Radio this morning.
David Parker’s speech at Labour’s Congress today was passionate, comprehensive, and fully thought through. Respected for his intellect, Parker also said “My political heart lies in what has become something of a quaint notion these days, the notion of an egalitarian society. Perhaps it’s because of my Southern Presbyterian roots. It’s not just about equality of opportunity. It’s about decent outcomes as well.” Amen to that.
Labour has announced details of its alternative budget with the headline a change in the top tax rate to 36 cents in the dollar for the top 2% of taxpayers.
Labour has released its Kiwisaver policy. Kiwisaver will now be universal for all workers except those earning less than a to be set level. Contributions will be gradually increased. The $1,000 Kick-start and government contribution of up to $521 a year will be retained and will apply to all new enrollments
The response to Labour’s Monetary Policy upgrade has been overall very good and it has dominated the policy debate at the same time as a series of scandals start to circle around the National Party.
David Parker’s speech notes announcing Labour’s proposed changes to the Reserve Bank.
All inequality measures are not equal. The GINI Coefficient is widely used but it doesn’t show the impact of vast increases in inequality between the richest and poorest Kiwis; it doesn’t show increasing experiences of hardship: it can mask vast inequalities in wealth & asset ownership.
David Parker has been performing some fact checking on John Key’s recent budget speech and the results are somewhat startling …
Labour announced policies today seeking to reinvigorate the Forestry Industry and to promote more local processing of logs. And the Greens have announced a policy designed to increase the use of wood in local buildings.
David Cunliffe has announced further proposals regarding Housing with a Christchurch flavour. The temporary use of red zone houses that are otherwise habitable, the proposed construction of 10,000 houses over four years and the recreation of New Brighton into a vibrant and modern beachside community are amongst the announcements.
Details of the Labour Caucus changes are now appearing in the media. The update is Parker, Robertson and Jones will be the core of the economic team, King retains Health, Shearer gains Foreign Affairs and Cosgrove and Hipkins retain their current responsibilities. Mahuta and Moroney are elevated to the front bench and this will help gender balance.
Updated with full list.
Paddy Gower’s gleeful predictions of ‘blood on the floor’ of caucus didn’t happen. Tracy Watkins’ unrealistic demand that Grant Robertson (whom she incorrectly thought would win the leadership race) be retained as deputy was never going to happen. What we saw was a neat, least moves action that puts the economy front and centre of Labour’s brand.
Cunliffe has asked David Parker to be his is Cunliffe’s deputy. Moroney & Lee-Galloway Whips, Robertson Employment, Jones Economic Development. Audrey Young at the NZ Herald. Parker to retain finance, Robertson leader of House. Will there be a strong female presence in the front bench? Tracy Watkins on Stuff: [Updates]
