Written By: - Date published: 7:47 am, December 15th, 2011 - 43 comments
Now that Labour’s new leaders are settling in, I think we should all take a moment to thank the outgoing leaders, Phil Goff and Annette King.
Written By: - Date published: 3:42 pm, November 29th, 2011 - 160 comments
Have just received an email from Labour’s President Moira Coatsworth. Phil Goff and Annette King to resign Labour’s leadership effective December 13. Moira is urging all Party members to make their views known to their MPs about the new leadership.The caucus will make the decision but members will have their say. Good.
Written By: - Date published: 4:35 pm, November 28th, 2011 - 37 comments
In 2005 the UK Conservatives badly lost a third election in a row and their leader announced his intent to resign. But they organised a well-run contest to replace him, and by the time he won David Cameron had gone from unknown outsider to popular public figure, and the once ‘toxic’ Conservatives were electable again.
Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, November 28th, 2011 - 171 comments
One can understand why John Key is ‘speed dating” to form a one-seat majority in Parliament. His honeymoon is likely to be a lot shorter in the next term of government. It is quite different for Labour. The caucus would be wise not to rush to decide who leads Labour into the next election.
Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, November 23rd, 2011 - 175 comments
Debate over. Not a walkover for Goff like the TV3 debate, but a win to Goff on points. Communicated effectively, came across as honest and open (compared to Key’s shifty body language), and had Key on the ropes several times.
Written By: - Date published: 11:42 am, November 23rd, 2011 - 97 comments
Phil Goff has signed a pledge that Labour will not sell Kiwibank if it becomes government. Other party leaders have been invited as well. I expect the Greens, New Zealand First, Mana, and the Conservatives will (who knows about the Maori Party). But will Key sign? National is secretly itching to sell Kiwibank, Bill English got caught out admitting as much.
Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, November 22nd, 2011 - 104 comments
The 2nd TV debate was a 2nd win for Goff. He was human and humane, visionary and realistic. Key made excuses for his poor record, tried to hide in detail, and cast a sullen eye to the future. The worm told the story. So did the Right’s reaction. But, next debate, ditch the ‘expert’ panelists. …
Written By: - Date published: 6:10 pm, November 21st, 2011 - 275 comments
A clear win to Goff – Bravo!
Written By: - Date published: 6:42 am, November 21st, 2011 - 151 comments
Phil Goff said yesterday we had “Six days to save our assets” – now we have 5. Here’s what University of Auckland’s economics professor thinks about asset sales, and some more reasons why we desperately need to avoid a National-led government on November 27.
Written By: - Date published: 5:01 pm, November 8th, 2011 - 73 comments
Not as much fun as a Letterman Top Ten, but here’s John Key’s vital statistics – his record to be judged on. (h/t Phil Goff…)
Written By: - Date published: 7:50 am, November 7th, 2011 - 46 comments
hattip William Joyce
Written By: - Date published: 7:33 am, November 3rd, 2011 - 15 comments
Why all the fuss in the media about Phil Goff calling Key a liar in the TV1 debate? It’s old news. Key has a long history of lying (some of the video footage makes painful viewing).
Written By: - Date published: 9:07 pm, November 2nd, 2011 - 179 comments
Goff had Key in all sorts of trouble on the Christchurch recovery, on Key’s economic record, on asset sales, on the GST lie. Goff was passionate on equality and got across both Labour’s vision and how that will be made real. It was notable that Key’s only strong point was when he got off his own record and his own promises and on to making up numbers about Labour’s policies. Goff didn’t have a strong rebuttal. He’ll need one before the next TV debate.
Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, November 2nd, 2011 - 55 comments
The Press Leaders’ Debate. Phil Goff and John Key. 7pm tonight. Not televised, but streamed live. The format can only be better than TV1! Check it out.
I don’t know about you but the streaming is failing on me. What I did catch was Key trying to back out of his promise that redzoners wouldn’t be left out of pocket. Goff responded: “If you’re not going to do something, for heaven’s sake don’t promise it” and got loud applause. Twitter consensus is Goff is winning big from the get go.
Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, November 1st, 2011 - 29 comments
Watching Goff and Key last night was a bit like watching Graham Henry arguing with Paul Henry…
Written By: - Date published: 12:05 pm, November 1st, 2011 - 70 comments
Here are my top moments from the first Leaders’ Debate. When you write them down, it’s pretty clear that Goff won all the major exchanges.
What were the top moments for you, what else did you want to see?
Written By: - Date published: 3:35 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 145 comments
The first debate between Phil Goff and John Key is on TV1 at 7pm. Don’t miss it!
Update: See the website www.keyholes.co.nz for looking at the claims that Key makes in the debate.
Goff getting all the hits in. Got his policies across well. Key defensive and angry. www.keyholes.co.nz running hot.
Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, October 31st, 2011 - 2 comments
It’s been an extraordinary few weeks. It started with the double downgrade/DJ Key fiasco and Rena. Then Labour started dictating the play: its policies setting the beat of the campaign; its framing dominating. National took its only asset, Brand Key, and trashed it with its phony, weird opening address. And, then, National’s launch was over-shadowed by the rail loop announcement.
Written By: - Date published: 11:21 am, October 31st, 2011 - 21 comments
Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 30th, 2011 - 43 comments
The first of the leaders’ debates is on tomorrow (it would have been on Thursday on Labour’s savings policy, but Key refused to show). Key’s strategy is clear: ‘I’m a safe economic manager, these guys will fuck it up’. Goff can’t let a single attack slide. Every time Key disses Labour’s or ups his own record, Goff just needs to cite one of these facts.
Written By: - Date published: 8:16 pm, October 28th, 2011 - 245 comments
Amazing. Brilliant. I’ve seen a lot of political television, and that would have to be the best piece of contemporary political television by a political party I can remember. Could not have been better. National utterly trounced.
Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, October 28th, 2011 - 44 comments
On RNZ today: Mr Goff said Prime Minister John Key did not have the “guts” to debate him. “It’s time to make a decision that will build a stronger future for New Zealand. We’ve got the balls to do that. John Key doesn’t.”
Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, October 28th, 2011 - 26 comments
Labour has once again broken the mould and chosen to focus its election campaign on policy. As a country we’ve been saying for a long time that elections should be about policies and not personalities. Now we’ve got a chance to try it. If the media is up to the challenge, of course.
Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, October 27th, 2011 - 37 comments
It’s not surprising that National are trying to run a presidential, personality based election campaign – after all, their policies aren’t going to win many votes from those middle and lower income kiwis who understand them. And up till now, presidentialism has worked very well for National. But it’s also starting to become apparent to …
Written By: - Date published: 6:56 am, October 27th, 2011 - 135 comments
Labour’s cleverly wrong-footed Brand Key with a policy-based campaign launch. Key will look out of touch playing messiah at his campaign launch while the economy burns. Labour’s ads are great. The Tories are in panic mode: they don’t feature Goff enough moans Key; they feature Goff too much cries Clare Robinson; the lighting’s wrong whines Hoots. They’re afraid to take on the message.
Written By: - Date published: 11:05 pm, October 24th, 2011 - 22 comments
The first leaders debate took place on Native Affairs tonight. Key and Goff were interviewed by Julian Wilcox. Key was lacklustre – if New Zealanders were finding it tough to make ends meet it was all down to global circumstance, nothing to do with him. Goff by contrast was impressive – blew that argument apart with the observation that it was the choices Key’s government made inside New Zealand that mattered. One could see why Key does not like being face to face with an incisive interviewer. [Eddie: Video now up]
Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, October 22nd, 2011 - 46 comments
TV1 is calling for submissions of questions for their televised leaders’ debate. Want to give them a hand?
Written By: - Date published: 10:14 am, October 16th, 2011 - 88 comments
Two weeks ago I thought that Goff and Labour did not have a chance in this election. National’s lead in the polls seemed too big, the country still seemed to be in love with John Key and Goff just was not getting the media cut through necessary to change hearts and minds. Then something happened. The wheels started to fall off National’s well honed machine.
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, September 16th, 2011 - 65 comments
A video clip from Parliament yesterday. Goff calmly and systematically rips Key and the government apart on Friday’s RWC fiasco. Armstrong calls it Goff’s “best speech in a long time”.
Written By: - Date published: 11:01 am, September 7th, 2011 - 17 comments
If electricity assets were part privatised, future governments couldn’t make the kind of reforms that National made earlier this year because of the need to consider private investors’ rights. Pretty simple, eh? Tell that to Hekia Parata. Bill English has his head in the sand on the effect of falling markets and can’t guarantee Kiwi ownership.
Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, August 31st, 2011 - 49 comments
Tracy Watkins admits today’s Fairfax poll is pretty out of whack but there’s no denying the trend has turned against Labour in the past few months. People back the policy. That’s not the problem. Labour will still be hoping to close up 5% or so in the campaign. On the positive side: what a result for the Greens!
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