Written By: - Date published: 11:42 pm, November 18th, 2012 - 27 comments
The Labour Conference was not ‘acrimonious’. The Party was not ‘split’. A good time was had. Shearer’s speech was fantastic. The Party was rejuvenated. The February vote can’t be brought forward. Labour showed great progressive values. The media showed great beat-up skills.
Written By: - Date published: 11:24 pm, November 18th, 2012 - 39 comments
First Gillard, then Miliband, now Shearer – three Labour leaders who have completely turned things round with one speech. The result for Shearer – an energised Labour Party ready to work for victory in 2014, and plenty for kiwis to talk about over the Christmas break.
Written By: - Date published: 1:16 pm, November 18th, 2012 - 27 comments
David Shearer’s speech to conference was everything that it needed to be – and more. The headlines will be about KiwiBuild, as they should be, it’s a stunning policy. But just as important for the future of the country is the strong commitment to active government.
Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, November 18th, 2012 - 216 comments
100,000 new entry level homes. The biggest public building programme in over fifty years. Hope for young families and households. A massive boost to jobs and the economy.
This is a historic policy.
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, November 18th, 2012 - 4 comments
These are exciting days as the Labour Party becomes more democratic. In their reports on the Conference, the MSM are failing to focus on the important issues: ones requiring a new direction from the Left, such as damaging white collar fraud and the urgent need for affordable housing.
Written By: - Date published: 10:53 am, November 16th, 2012 - 46 comments
The left needs to develop a new direction, not merely react to the ruling neoliberal discourses and policies. Under NAct there has been a resurgent masculinisation of politics, and the undermining of democratic processes. How do we work towards a more inclusive, diverse participatory democracy?
Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, November 15th, 2012 - 34 comments
Like many other well-paid people in their 30’s. Lyn is getting depressed watching a toehold Auckland property disappear out of her grasp. Of course the well rounded gits in Wellington will get ‘worried’ about this and want to make property available 50kms away. But spending an hour or two of your life driving each day is hardly useful to anyone apart from the land bankers, property developers and used car sales who seem to be of such importance to the National party.
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, November 15th, 2012 - 38 comments
I don’t really have time to write something, but there’s just too much stupid this morning to let it pass. Nathan Guy heads today’s list, but Craig Foss, Tariana Turia, Bill English and Hekia Parata also need mention.
Written By: - Date published: 5:41 pm, November 14th, 2012 - 18 comments
And so Collins’ “defamation” case against Mallard and Little ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.
Oops – doubled up posting with Eddie – read both posts!
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, November 14th, 2012 - 102 comments
When Margaret Thatcher was asked about her greatest achievement, she promptly answered: “New Labour.” And she was right: her triumph was that even her political enemies adopted her basic economic policies. True victory over your enemy occurs when they start to use your language, so that your ideas form the foundation of the entire field. Today, when neoliberal hegemony is clearly falling apart, the only solution is to repeat Thatcher’s gesture in the opposite direction.
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, November 14th, 2012 - 218 comments
A policy focusing on increasing state housing and affordable rents would be a good start. However, my current criticism of Labour leadership focuses on the policy direction of the leadership team. This requires more than just one policy. A bold new left wing plan is needed to deal with the difficult challenges ahead. Updated
Written By: - Date published: 4:12 pm, November 13th, 2012 - 93 comments
Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, November 13th, 2012 - 70 comments
NZ Herald: ‘David Shearer is brushing off a crescendo of calls for him to step down by left-leaning bloggers and commentators, saying it is “nonsense” and should be ignored.’
Written By: - Date published: 12:06 pm, November 12th, 2012 - 95 comments
By all means, get rid of the unfortunate experiment that is the David Shearer leadership. But the problem is really with the NZLP’s parliamentary caucus who appear to have lost sight of what we want them to achieve. Until that problem is fixed the party will continue to shed people willing to exert effort supporting them.
Written By: - Date published: 10:28 am, November 12th, 2012 - 21 comments
Tomorrow is the centenary of the death of Fred Evans on 13 November 1912, during the Waihi gold miners strike. Out of this struggle of ordinary, but courageous NZ workers, grew the NZ Labour Party. Who now has such courage to lead NZ politics in a new direction? Update: Allison McCulloch’s article on the Waihi strike.
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, November 12th, 2012 - 15 comments
Hekia Parata September dressed up plans for school closured and mergers in high-sounding language and pushed them hard. Hekia Parata November says that some of those plans were crazy. Which Hekia Parata should we believe?
Written By: - Date published: 10:30 pm, November 11th, 2012 - 77 comments
Twice this year we have seen Labour leaders turn around perceptions of them and their party with one speech; Ed Miliband at the UK Party conference in November and Julia Gillard in the Australian parliament in October. I think that calling for David Shearer’s head in the week before the Labour party conference is a sign of panic.
Written By: - Date published: 5:00 pm, November 11th, 2012 - 90 comments
Some people are Anyone But Cunliffe. Some people think Cunliffe is the One True Leader. Some people want more options. So let’s make a case for it.
Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, November 11th, 2012 - 56 comments
John Key’s selling out of NZ workers’ rights, tourism industry and identity to Hollywood, the TPP and US corporates, has reached a new low. OIA papers reveal the extent to which Warners is dictating the NZ government’s promotion of 100% Middle-earth.
Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, November 10th, 2012 - 42 comments
Both John Key and David Shearer have had a bit of a pasting in the media lately. Shearer’s problems are solvable – Key’s are not…
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, November 10th, 2012 - 39 comments
The MSM quickly picked up a press release on the failure of the Southern Cross Cable. Others that are ignored: Bennett has either lied or is incompetent; Nat-linked appointment to TVNZ board; Hone’s ‘feed the kids’ Bill; Joyce’s education agenda; John Key as a “bumbling Marxist”.
Written By: - Date published: 9:33 pm, November 9th, 2012 - 45 comments
According to the Sydney Morning Herald “New Zealand has broken ranks with Australia and refused to sign up to a second round of the Kyoto Protocol. Australia joins the EU and a handful of other major greenhouse gas emitters in recommitting to the world’s only climate treaty. New Zealand joins other wealthy and high greenhouse gas emitting countries Japan, Canada, Russia and the USA in not signing up.”
Written By: - Date published: 4:18 pm, November 9th, 2012 - 65 comments
David Shearer’s weekly e-newsletter, this week on jobs and the Pike River report.
We’re happy to post similar newsletters from other opposition leaders – our email is on our contact page.
Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, November 9th, 2012 - 14 comments
With the crises in housing and unemployment, there are worrying trends of increasing marginalisation and struggle for selected demographic groups, such as women, Maori and Pasifika people. Meanwhile, there has been a recent increase in male unemployment. This probably is because there are fewer secure, well-paid, full time jobs available.
Written By: - Date published: 9:48 am, November 9th, 2012 - 92 comments
Rabid Republican partisan Bill O’Reilly lamented the demise of “the white establishment” on Fox News. Take away the bitterness, prejudice, and racism, and O’Reilly is correct about some of the facts. Obama was elected by “minorities”, as predicted the Latino vote was particularly significant. Will an all white ticket win the presidential election ever again?
Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, November 8th, 2012 - 44 comments
NActUF use a lot of finely-honed, diversionary and distorting spin. However, when debating 2 Private Members’ Bills yesterday, government MPs couldn’t even be bothered trying too hard; the hypocrisy was glaring and the spin clumsy – showing clearly the differences between left & right wing principles.
Written By: - Date published: 11:28 am, November 8th, 2012 - 45 comments
Donald Trump says it’s not democracy, but that is essentially the story of the US election campaign. In the end, Democrat on-the-ground organisation beat Republican billion-dollar PACs. Obama’s background as a community organiser was crucial, while the Republican money came from the old economy. A good win, and much food for thought for us.
Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, November 8th, 2012 - 33 comments
Yesterday, Key denied calling David Beckham “thick as batshit”. Specifically, he denied using the word ‘batshit’. While it’s enlightening to see Key remembers quips to schoolgirls better than he does briefings from his spies, couldn’t he just have manned up and told us exactly what insult he did use, and then do the adult thing and apologise?
Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, November 7th, 2012 - 17 comments
Today is Housing Crisis Day of Action with a march on parliament in Wellington (see Facebook page). The government’s plan will benefit private developers and property speculators, and involves risks of “cutting red tape”. Instead, they should be building more state houses. Updates: General Debate. John Banks heckled by protesters.
Written By: - Date published: 12:17 pm, November 6th, 2012 - 171 comments
I just wonder in what world John Key thinks that it’s OK for the PM to go around slagging off and insulting people in public. Planet Key, perhaps. Why does he think it’s OK for him to call a visitor to our country ‘”thick as batshit”? Why does he think that it’s not homophobic to use “gay” as an insult? And does he think it’s not hurtful when he says “gay” is a synonym for “weird”?
Written By: - Date published: 11:19 am, November 5th, 2012 - 33 comments
John Key won’t be on the West Coast today when the Pike River report will be released. He’ll have a tightly managed press conference at the Beehive, instead. Key promised that he would stand by the Pike River families. He promised that all efforts would be put in to get the bodies out, no matter the cost. It was all hollow talk from a hollow man.
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