The Kelvin Davis effect
Much has been written about the Jacinda Ardern effect that has put Labour so enthusiastically back in the game. But the appointment of Kelvin Davis as deputy is also looking like a very smart move.
kelvin davis
Māori prison?
Andrew Little is not ruling out the ‘radical’ suggestion of a prison run on Maori values: ‘Whatever we’re doing now is wrong’.
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Serco and MECF
The Chief Prison Inspector’s report on Mount Eden Corrections Facility has now been released and has presented a damning judgment on Serco’s management of the prison.
Mana 2.0
Hone’s back! The leader of the Mana party has announced he’s re-forming the Mana Movement and will stand again in Te Tai Tokerau. Is there a chance of a deal with Labour to strengthen the next Government?
Sayonara Serco
Serco’s contract to run the Mt Eden Corrections Facility will not be renewed when it expires next year.
Deportee
Standard Exclusive:
Te Reo Putake interviews one of the first batch of deportees from Australia under the Liberal Government’s hardline approach to Kiwis who serve jail time in the lucky country.
The Christmas Island riots
The barbaric treatment of New Zealand citizens by the Australian Government ought to attract condemnation and urgent diplomatic representations. But nothing is happening. Surely this is a time that John Key should get some guts. But instead of this he has accused the opposition of supporting rapists. Updated with video from Question one in Parliament today.
Kelvin Davis on Christmas Island
Kelvin Davis showed this video to the Labour Party conference on the weekend. Following news of the riot it has become a must watch.
Kelvin Davis on the Christmas Island Detainees
Kelvin Davis’s recent visit to Christmas Island has revealed that New Zealand citizens are living in shocking conditions. And meanwhile John Key’s talk of giving the Australians a “blunt message” appears to have had negligible effect.
Kelvin Davis on Christmas Island
Today Key is trying to dress up Aussie platitudes (on detained Kiwis) as scraps of progress. But Labour MP Kelvin Davis is taking action…
Where is Peseta Sam?
This week we have had the release of the Priestley Report into the escape of Phillip Smith which details a litany of problems within Corrections and overnight there have been reports of rape and assault on a person moved from segregation in Serco managed South Auckland Correctional Facility. But no sign of Corrections Minister Sam Lotu Iiga. Where is he?
Serco, Lotu-Iiga and the death of Nick Evans
Nick Evans was alleged to have been dropped from a height while being supervised in a Serco run prison. He was transferred to another prison and shortly after this died from injuries apparently inflicted from the dropping. Yet there is no police investigation and Minister in charge Lotu-Iiga says the allegations are “unproven” without making the most basic of inquiries.
Kelvin Davis’ massive Hikoi
Over the next two weeks Kelvin Davis and supporters will be going a Hikoi through the North to publicise the curse of sexual violence and to get more men to speak out against it.
West Auckland Labour meeting on housing
Details of a public meeting hosted by the West Auckland Labour MPs about housing issues to be held tomorrow night.
The Northland by-election
A by-election is imminent – so how does Labour win in a safe National seat?
Labour’s Mana Internet Party dilemma
So what does Labour do? Gift Te Tai Tokerau and be open to allegations of manipulating the system (even though National has made an art form of this particular type of activity) or campaign hard and risk the loss of 3 – 4 % points of party vote if Hone loses his seat?
Te Tai Tokerau final results good for Labour
The 1,916 special votes got pared to 769. Of which Hone Harawira got 454 and Kelvin Davis got 204. There really isn’t anything in it with a by-election majority of 1117. It will make this a tight contest at election time because Labour will now view this electorate as being quite winnable. IMHO as an long time electorate campaigner, some of the Mana supporters have been over-blowing their result.
Turia on Te Tai Tokerau
Were Tariana Turia’s comments on her own candidate in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election some kind of cunning plan, or just a simple stuff-up?
Another interesting poll?
Could be worth watching Native Affairs on Maori television tonight at 8:30. The Te Tai Tokerau candidates will be debating and it appears there may be a very interesting poll result in the offing. The Herald’s story today on a different sort of poll is headlined “Voters back Harawira, but only by a whisker.” It could go down to the wire.
Update: Hone 41, Kelvin 40
Weaving the magic
Watch Kelvin Davis on Q+A with Hone Harawira. He was superb. He says the message he is giving about being part of the future for Maori is resonating around the Tai Tokerau. I’ll bet it is. The by-election result could be very interesting indeed. I liked his take on leadership too – it’s about being focussed on the objective and doing what is necessary to achieve it. Couldn’t agree more.
Te Tai Tokerau by election 25th June
We have a date for what promises to be a fascinating by election. The pressure is on Hone Harawira…
Harawira vs Davis vs ?
Labour has decided to stand Kelvin Davis in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election. I wish they hadn’t. First, Davis strikes me as quality and you don’t tarnish quality by making it lose in front of a national audience. Look what happened to Melissa Lee, former National rising star. And Davis will lose, let’s be honest.
Spat on the altar
It was good to hear Mike Williams as the voice of the left on Nine to Noon yesterday. It is high time that someone from the broad left had the mike, to coin a phrase. Mike “spat on the altar” and had a friendly go at his mate Matt McCarten’s strategy for a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau, a kind of joust of the gurus. He thinks Matt made a mistake there, and I agree.
Davis on iwi-run prisons
Kelvin Davis: It goes to show how high the aspirations of some of our Maori leaders are. We now aspire to bung the bros in the hinaki and watch the dollars roll in. The longer and more often we can put them away, the sooner we will be able to afford to expand the prison and lock even more away. With the soaring crime rate and high Maori unemployment everything is coming together nicely.