When Treasurer Wayne Swan recently took on wealthy vested interests in defence of democracy and the Aussie fair go, he was attacked as an old-fashioned class warrior. Australian researchers found 86% of Australians think that class exists, and they support Swan by 58% to 26%. Their conclusion – opening up the debate about inequality is a sure-fire winner for Labor.
Surprising title given the discussion of here and elsewhere? Yeah, I know.
But I want to contribute two things to the discussion. First, Shearer’s speech did not signal a shift in policy to the centre. Second, Labour does not need to shift to the centre in policy.
Labour moving to the right would be a disaster for the left. It doesn’t need to, in order to lead a winning coalition at the next election. The last time a small cabal in Labour tried that strategy was in 1984 – it proved to be a disaster for New Zealand and for the Labour Party. I’m not sure that the Labour leadership is making a definitive shift to the right – more like a tentative search for the marshmallow centre. As a strategy, it is a recipe for failure.
Many commentators have interpreted David Shearer’s recent speech as signaling a “move to the right”. I think it’s too early to tell. But if it’s true, I think it’s good news for lefties…
David Shearer used Finland as an example of successful small country economic development in yesterday’s very good speech, but his main focus was on education. Dianne Ravitch in the NY Review of Books shows how Finland also leads the world in education – and with few tests and excellent teachers, they don’t need to bag any “bad” ones.
The judge is just dismissing the jury for the day – they will resume deliberations tomorrow morning.
Recently, an article appeared in the Wall Street Journal describing how CEOs around the world spend their time. The article drew on data from a larger study, the Executive Time Use Project . This project relied on reports of time use by CEO’s personal assistants; making it more accurate. It came across my usual reading and I thought I might share some of the findings with you.
You all know that many of us authors at The Standard have been critical of David Shearer. Well, I’ve just read Shearer’s speech. It’s brilliant. It talks about the big issues head on and unapologetically. There’s no party line pap and some nice stylistic points. It damns Key without ever mentioning him or his government and is an even more devastating critique of Key for it.
Tomorrow morning, 7.30, livestreaming on labour.org.nz
It’s been encouraging seeing a bit more of David Shearer recently. His leadership is slowly taking shape
David Shearer’s private member’s Bill on foreign investment is pure common sense: unless foreign ownership actually adds something substantial to the economy that cannot be supplied by local owners then all foreign investment brings is higher land prices, locking out Kiwis from ownership. Overseas buyers must bring something real to the table. A good first policy.
The labour dispute is turning into a fiasco for Ports of Auckland. Thousands marched today through Auckland in protest, and cargo loaded by non-union labour is being blacklisted internationally. How long will Ports of Auckland stay on their self-destructive course?
I’m no fan of the people who threw the Lamington at Len Brown. They are the same crew who waltz into every social movement in Auckland, suck the life out of it and move on. But the only winner out of this lamington incident was the Port’s board and the (I’m sure) the self-image of the egotistical morons who threw it. It cost the Maritime Union. It belittled those of us who are infuriated at the Mayor’s response. And it was just plain stupid.
Josie Pagani has this to say about casualisation and the POAL dispute: On Sean Plunket’s ZB show today. Talking about the ports. ‘Casualisation’ scares […]
Our Labour activist guest poster asks where the coherence is in Labour’s communications strategy. Having a look at the lack of narrative across the Labour parties here, in Australia, and in the UK; he points to a place where narrative is done well in left politics – it is in the USA.
You betrayed the people you pretended to represent Len.
Union’s have gone global in response to global financial capital’s push to drive wage costs to the bottom. Canadian United Steel Workers (USW) will meet local workers in Invercargill on Thursday at the Working Men’s Club at 8pm and picket outside Rio Tinto office in Wellington on Friday at 12:30pm. All welcome.
The Nats have announced their asset sales legislation. Mum and dad aren’t at the front of the queue. No provisions to ensure 85-90% stays in Kiwi hands. Nothing to stop the companies being sliced up and sold after partial privatisation. No real way to stop one company owning more than 10%. There’s 1 vote that can stop this. It’s all down to Dunne now. Will he be the hero or the villain?
Remember the hagiographies after the first hundred days of National’s first term? In the second term, things couldn’t be more different. The Sunday-Star Times has printed dozens of emails it obtained (a leak?) that were sent to Key opposing the sale of Crafar farms. Many of them are brutal comments from former National supporters. Key didn’t even provide comment for the article.
Vodafone appears to be billing for at least two text scams run by the same Greek, Photis Photou who runs a Cyprus law firm specialising in shelf companies and tax business. I haven’t asked for the texts, and wonder why Vodafone is clipping the ticket for Photis and presumably themselves as well.
For reasons that I just can’t fathom, iwi fishing quota-holders have decided to use their fishing rights, not to create 2,000 jobs for […]
Offical result has 71 for Gillard and 31 for Rudd. Not a base for a comeback for Rudd. He must now be asking why he did it.
David Shearer spoke to Greypower in Auckland today about the difference between Labour and National. The speech shows Shearer is his own man. He wants a new style of politics, focussed on the future, planning to make a difference. I think he will.
The option that most eligible voters in NZ supported in 2011 was “don’t vote”. Nearly 7% didn’t enroll, and if enrolled then more than 25% didn’t vote. Of the eligible voters from the 2006 census, over 30% didn’t vote at all. And since 2006 the voting population has almost certainly increased. It means that National’s large vote is probably less than the biggest “party”. Not a particularly good mandate unless you’re as deluded as John Key.
Google news has 1.5 pages of articles mentioning David Shearer to John Key’s 13 in the past week. The only ones directly about Shearer or Labour are saying ‘where’s Shearer? He’s wasting his honeymoon’. I wondered what his strategists are thinking. Then I saw they’re all the same people who just led Labour to 27% and I realised the scary part – they’re trying their best.
Kevin Rudd resigned as Australian Foreign Minister in a midnight speech from Washington. He will now return to Australia, consult, and issue a statement as to his intentions. Nobody seems to think Rudd has the numbers to win a ballot this week; the issue will be whether he stays on the back bench and continues to undermine. I can’t see that lasting.
Consciences are uncomfortable things and mine’s been giving me a bit of trouble lately. I’ve been on the horns of a dilemma (sorry […]
RadioLive asked “Did the PM’s hour influence your vote?” on its website last Friday. Billy the Kid commented: “It was my first election. I heard Key and thought he sounded pretty cool so yeah I voted for him.” All it takes is one to confirm that RadioLive broke the law.
It’s not Helen’s dad but former Scottish TUC Leader Pat Kelly who will speak at St John’s this Tuesday 21st at 6pm on his book Scotland’s Radical Exports – Scottish expats who led unions and Labour around the world. All welcome.
Last night, I saw Kevin Hague on the news talking about mine safety – mining, West Coast, labour rights, and no Labour voice. Same with minimum wage and asset sales. A hungry Green Party is leading issues while Labour appears immobilised. No wonder Metiria Turei is saying they won’t play little sibling; I see them being a third or more of the next governing coalition.
Whitney’s funeral was today’s news – across the BBC, Fox and CNN for over three hours. It was riveting; a great tribute to a warm and loving woman, and a reminder of how hard it can sometimes be for those whose gift it is to sing from the heart, but also of how much love and forgiveness is available to them.
National’s in retreat on every front. Its had to break its economic promises, again. Asset sales are a disaster. Ministers are exposed over the Crafar Farms, NZ on Air, and DJ Key affairs. The media’s gone off Key ever since he declared war on them. The bad stories that were getting nowhere a year ago now keep rolling. Even Mallard’s boorishness can’t halt National’s slide. But don’t celebrate too soon.
The best contribution by far IMHO at today’s VUW post-election conference in Legislative Chamber, held under Chatham House rules, came from Colin James. True to Colin, his paper is public, with much food for thought. My comments here too.
On November 30th, after the election, National received a $55,000 donation from Oravida, a company formerly owned by Terry Lee, director of Pengxin’s Crafar Farms vehicle, Milk New Zealand. In light of National’s illegal decision to let Pengxin buy the farms despite a lack of real benefits to New Zealand, maybe we ought to examine that donation a little more closely.
