Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, September 26th, 2013 - 48 comments
With Cunliffe’s Labour in the ascendance, NAct and/supporters pull out their bag of dirty and deceptively manipulative, Hollow Men, tricks. Adviser to John Key & Boris Johnson, Mark Textor, will most likely be used again: ruthless attack politics, playing on fears & prejudices.
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 pm, September 25th, 2013 - 52 comments
Two very good speeches in the General Debate in the House from opposition leaders. They highlight Nick Smith’s dodgy record, & why he should be stood down as a Minister in Key’s “Dark, dirty & heartless” government. [Update: Key – on (dis)honesty]
Written By: - Date published: 11:31 am, September 25th, 2013 - 35 comments
Cunliffe’s moderate, centre left Labour is on the rise; MSM-supported, NAct smears & negative spin is in over-drive. John Key and the NZ Herald editorial spin from the radical “neoliberal” right. Slippery Nick Smith, a NAct weak point, is under concerted pressure. [Updated]
Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, September 25th, 2013 - 52 comments
David Cunliffe’s reign as leader of the Labour Party has started with a great deal of promise and this morning’s Herald Digipoll is encouraging. Labour is finally looking united and policy statements are sharp and effective. But we may be no more than 400 days to the next election. And unless we want the instability of a Labour Green NZ First Coalition then support for the left and work by its activists will need to be increased dramatically.
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 pm, September 24th, 2013 - 9 comments
Just for the record, if you or any other idiot accuse me of homophobia, genocide, necrophilia, child kidnapping or just not being nice enough please use this photo; not the ones you used recently which make me look disturbingly like my mother – whom I love and admire dearly but she is, after all, 81. […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:37 pm, September 24th, 2013 - 53 comments
National is a very traditional party. They think that NZ is good at clearing land and raising animals, with a bit of mining on the side. The population is there to service farmers and miners on low wages. That may have been the case in the 1950’s. But as usual they’re hopelessly dated. Sometimes in recent years it has appeared to me that Labour thinks that way as well. But it looks like David Cunliffe is intent on refocusing us back on the burgeoning hi-wage and hi-growth hi-tech sector.
Written By: - Date published: 3:31 pm, September 23rd, 2013 - 83 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, September 23rd, 2013 - 220 comments
Matthew Hooton accused David Cunliffe of lying about his involvement with the Boston Management Group when it was providing advice that led to the development of Fonterra. A little research supports Cunliffe’s claims and not Hooton’s.
Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, September 23rd, 2013 - 41 comments
Ed Miliband got the idea of pre-distribution from Jacob Hacker. Cunliffe has followed. Can “pre-distribution” underpin a new direction for the left in NZ: one relevant to the challenges of the 21st century, especially in countering the too wide inequality gap & re-instating social democracy?
Written By: - Date published: 10:18 am, September 20th, 2013 - 221 comments
David Cunliffe spoke to the Left base in the Daily Blog Live interview last night: economy, tax, employment, GCSB, TPPA & more. He raises hopes for a new, post GFC social democratic vision. But he spoke to those with economic & policy knowledge. His nods towards better social security, away from bennie bashing, need fleshing out.
Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, September 19th, 2013 - 8 comments
It’s 120 years since women got the vote – what are you doing to celebrate?
Written By: - Date published: 6:45 am, September 19th, 2013 - 65 comments
Ok, I’m very pleasantly surprised. David Cunliffe has made a very interesting choice for chief of staff. Based on what I know about the task, she looks like a damn good fit for the role. In fact I’m just surprised that he managed to attract her at all for the thankless task.
I’ve always thought that the Chief of Staff role should be exercised by someone who was more managerial and staff orientated rather than being deeply embedded in the political game.
Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, September 18th, 2013 - 41 comments
The MSM largely reported on Cunliffe stumbling over the word Chorus in his first question yesterday to PM Key. But Key’s answers and later replies to the media, indicate corporate-friendly, cronyist manipulations and dodgy phone advice. [Update: Coalition for Fair Internet Pricing]
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, September 18th, 2013 - 87 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 2:06 pm, September 17th, 2013 - 102 comments
What comes first – the economy or the society? The only point of having a good economic policy is because you have a strong vision for society to which the economy contributes to build. The media keep saying David Cunliffe has a left wing economic policy. Actually he has a left wing social policy which […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:58 am, September 17th, 2013 - 197 comments
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]
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, September 17th, 2013 - 48 comments
John Key tries to smear the winner of Labour’s democratic leadership contest as “far left”, while his government continues in its anti-democratic, plutocratic ways: sale of Meridian to avoid referendum; Joyce’s Broadband pricing “arm twisting”.
Written By: - Date published: 8:05 am, September 17th, 2013 - 178 comments
Day one of Cunliffe’s leadership and he is into battle mode. He has made it clear that unity in the caucus is expected. And he has deftly raised the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement as a political issue.
Written By: - Date published: 12:26 pm, September 16th, 2013 - 91 comments
Day one of David Cunliffe’s tenure as Labour leader and the tone is being set. There will be unity in the party and Labour is going to take the fight to National and John Key.
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, September 16th, 2013 - 59 comments
The stunning levels of naked media dishonesty and bias we’ve seen in the coverage of David Cunliffe, his campaign, and now his election, call for a special tribute! This post is for us dear readers, to assemble links to examples of those who write in the msm’s anti-truth, anti-democratic elite self-interest – and quite clearly […]
Written By: - Date published: 7:32 am, September 16th, 2013 - 132 comments
Well, didn’t that work well? For the past three weeks, Labour has dominated the political news with three contenders show-casing its values. There was remarkably little aggro – witness Tracy Watkins’ desperate scratching for any time conflict story. David Cunliffe has emerged with the legitimacy of a democratic victory, and a much stronger-than-expected mandate.
Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, September 15th, 2013 - 35 comments
Julia Gillard on power, purpose, and Labor’s future. Well worth a read.
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, September 14th, 2013 - 83 comments
John Armstrong gets it right: David Cunliffe’s going to win tomorrow. But he also gets it really wrong. Armstrong cooks up a conspiracy where Cunliffe’s job is to win the election, then Robertson will roll him. It’s almost as if, in the middle of Labour’s first democratic leadership selection process, he’s forgotten that Labour now has a democratic leadership selection process.
Written By: - Date published: 1:18 pm, September 13th, 2013 - 71 comments
Auckland Action Against Poverty did 3 days of advocacy action in New Lynn. Their press releases & videos show the struggles of low income Kiwis to survive in John Key’s corporate-loving NZ. The tales tell of a need for real social security legislation & a more client-friendly WINZ.
Written By: - Date published: 11:07 am, September 13th, 2013 - 75 comments
The response to Metiria Turei’s sttements about affordable housing on The Vote, raises questions about political narratives are told to the general electorate? The Greens, Mana and Cunliffe have stressed their “vision“. How to tell it so it reaches the hearts of New Zealanders?
Written By: - Date published: 9:43 am, September 13th, 2013 - 75 comments
TV3’s analysis of the Labour Leadership contest is leaving a lot to be desired. Rather than reporting on what has happened they are trivialising the leadership campaign and getting important details wrong.
Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, September 13th, 2013 - 125 comments
Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner). Step right up to the mike… First make sure that the mike doesn’t bite.
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, September 12th, 2013 - 100 comments
I voted for Cunliffe, Robertson, and Jones in that order. My reasons are in this post. It is unnecessary for people to speculate on additional motivations.
But if any MP or jonolist wants to try to run a politically based smear on me like they did on Jenny Michie, Mike Williams, and others then I’m perfectly happy to tear them a new rectum through their political credibility over the next decade.
Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, September 12th, 2013 - 86 comments
Jonolist award to Patrick Gower for slanted reporting of a non-poll result, continuing his anti-Cunliffe lines. Special mention to 3 News report on The Vote bovver boys, against affordable housing for those in need, forcing a “back-down” from Turei on lowering house prices. Need better MSM.
Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, September 12th, 2013 - 101 comments
Robertson had to show some flare, show he’s more than an affable apparatchik, that he’s capable of wowing crowds and raising his profile: Not achieved
Jones had to show he had some real depth under the bravado and not start saying weird things under pressure: Not achieved
Cunliffe had to show he that he can meter his charismatic side to avoid gaffes and that he was genuinely something different from the B Team that’s led Labour since Clark: Achieved.
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 pm, September 10th, 2013 - 352 comments
David Cunliffe faced his first leadership challenge today and came through it with flying colours. He set a high standard, and when that standard was tested he lived up to it. That’s leadership. It’s tough on our Jen, but I’m sure she agrees it was the right thing to do. Contrast that with John ‘Higher Standards’ Key’s protection of Bill ‘Double Dipton’ English.
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