Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, May 22nd, 2012 - 30 comments
Don’t blame Greece: if you change nothing, nothing changes. National’s problems are their own to solve, but they don’t have the guts to look at the big problems in New Zealand’s economy. 0.6% growth in total over the last 3 years – less than population. But National only tinkers and distracts, as our brightest and best head to Aussie.
Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, May 22nd, 2012 - 22 comments
Labour has published its budget website and a video ripping John Key’s record of broken promises. It’s pretty damning. Yet Key and English want to claim that there’s nothing wrong and growth has been in line with projections. It’s like they’re operating in a parallel universe.
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, May 17th, 2012 - 52 comments
Judith Collins has finally filed defamation action against Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little. She’s waited until close to the Budget so that the story would be quickly overshadowed and then forgotten. You see, Collins had foolishly got herself between a rock and a hard place. Suing wasn’t the optimal choice but she’s too prideful for the alternative.
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, May 15th, 2012 - 39 comments
So, Cunliffe was invited on The Nation. He said, yup but not if leadership nonsense is raised. Garner agreed. Then the leader office said it should be Parker as Finance spokesperson this close to the Budget. Cunliffe agreed. And this is meant to be some huge ado? Get real.
Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, April 28th, 2012 - 38 comments
It’s understandable that the right wingers, feeling a bit punch drunk from the factional succession squabble going on in National, would try and distract attention by spreading some mischievous rumors. Good to see them officially laid to rest.
Written By: - Date published: 12:23 pm, April 27th, 2012 - 26 comments
Like Mike, I too was pleased to see that Alastair Cameron has been appointed as David Shearer’s Chief of Staff. Alastair is one of the most intelligent and articulate people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He was Grant Robertson’s campaign manager in 2008, and in my opinion, Grant owes no small …
Written By: - Date published: 11:49 am, April 13th, 2012 - 115 comments
Looks like Stuart Nash is going to quit as Shearer’s chief of staff and return to Napier. He has 2 solid reasons to do so: his 3 month old and beating Tremain in 2014. What worries me is the machinations behind this show some in Labour are more focused on internal politics than improving Labour’s performance against National. Put it another way, I think the odds of our first gay PM just grew.
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, April 8th, 2012 - 195 comments
Two recent pieces in The Herald draw opposite conclusions from recent polls (one of them, alas, is drivel). Matt McCarten asks if National’s free fall, and the rise of the Greens, foreshadows a Green led government in 2014…
Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, April 2nd, 2012 - 40 comments
A TV1 poll yesterday had Key falling as preferred PM, but no significant change for the major parties.
Written By: - Date published: 5:52 pm, March 22nd, 2012 - 31 comments
Last night was the North Shore meeting of Labour’s Organisational Review, going around the country this month.
Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, March 20th, 2012 - 55 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 11:09 am, March 18th, 2012 - 153 comments
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…
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, March 15th, 2012 - 211 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 4:40 pm, March 14th, 2012 - 11 comments
Tomorrow morning, 7.30, livestreaming on labour.org.nz
Written By: - Date published: 5:14 pm, March 12th, 2012 - 10 comments
Just a reminder that Auckland’s first organisational review meeting is tonight.
Please encourage as many Labour members as possible to come along and contribute to the discussion.
Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, March 12th, 2012 - 45 comments
It’s been encouraging seeing a bit more of David Shearer recently. His leadership is slowly taking shape
Written By: - Date published: 1:04 pm, March 9th, 2012 - 89 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, February 20th, 2012 - 2 comments
Labour is currently undertaking a review of its organisational capabilities. It’s a process looking at what it means to be a Labour member and supporter and how Labour can better engage with our supporters. Young Labour have a website for ideas. The Labour party website still hasn’t heard about it.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 20th, 2012 - 242 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, February 17th, 2012 - 63 comments
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.
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, February 16th, 2012 - 151 comments
In yet another internet related act of stupidity Trevor Mallard has been busted scalping tickets to a bunch of kids.
It’s time David Shearer reined him in.
Written By: - Date published: 1:01 pm, February 14th, 2012 - 9 comments
The four new Labour MPs make their first (“maiden”) speeches today in Parliament, starting at 5pm. I’d expect to hear some thoughtful and moving speeches.
Written By: - Date published: 9:04 am, February 10th, 2012 - 35 comments
Does it strike anyone else as strange that National bloggers are full of ‘great’ advice for the Labour caucus about how they can use Red Alert more effectively, when their own party has a pretty pathetic online presence? I guess they could make the same suggestions for the National MPs blog, but given no one reads it, it would be pretty redundant.
Written By: - Date published: 1:50 pm, February 7th, 2012 - 127 comments
Mana, NZF, the Greens, and even the Maori Party, are suddenly grabbing the asset sales issue from Labour, just when it actually started to be a really valuable issue to lead on. Shearer should stop playing pundit on whether the Maori Party will go and how ‘unstable’ that makes the government. Instead, realise the broad base of opposition to asset sales and build a coalition to stop them.
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, February 2nd, 2012 - 12 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
Labour Party MPs are said to be red-faced, after discovering that prominent blogger David Farrar is not the Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, February 1st, 2012 - 76 comments
The Maori Party is threatening to leave the government over the asset sales legislation removing the companies’ Treaty obligations. Key knows their threat is hollow. He just got away for 3 years of insulting Maori and worsening Maori statistics. Why would Sharples and Turia take a pay cut and lose their limos for their last few months working before retirement?
Written By: - Date published: 10:25 am, January 25th, 2012 - 84 comments
Labour’s contrition is starting to look like weakness.
Rather than reinforcing their opponents’ framing of issues they need to articulate their own progressive values with authority.
If they fail to do this the momentum gained by their new leader will be lost.
Written By: - Date published: 8:45 pm, January 20th, 2012 - 26 comments
Written By: - Date published: 8:38 am, January 16th, 2012 - 120 comments
Some have compared the Port of Auckland dispute to the 1890 waterfront dispute, 1913 general strike, and 1951 lockout. They want Labour and the Greens to get involved. Actually, this is no 1951 redux. The POA fight is just about one company trying to undercut another. The net effect on New Zealand is zero. The last thing the workers need is Labour creating an excuse for National to attack them.
Written By: - Date published: 4:40 pm, December 21st, 2011 - 84 comments
Labour’s new leader promised a fresh approach. He’s delivered already in his speech in reply today. Gone is the ritual opening denunciation of the government’s programme – Shearer begins with where a new Labour government would start.
Written By: - Date published: 2:44 pm, December 19th, 2011 - 111 comments
The new Labour line-up is announced. Parker Finance, Ardern Social Development, Cunliffe Economic Development (plus Assoc Finance) round out the top five.
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