Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, December 16th, 2011 - 78 comments
“British philosopher Edmund Burke termed two different modes of viewing representation as the trustee and delegate models. ” Guest poster Pointy looks at this related to the recent Labour leadership selection debate.
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: 7:19 pm, December 14th, 2011 - 44 comments
One of David Shearer’s campaign volunteers organised this video as a surprise for David on the night of the Mt Albert By-Election in 2009. We played it to David and the Labour Party activists during the election night celebrations and I’ve had it sitting on my computer ever since. After re-watching it with my partner …
Written By: - Date published: 2:55 pm, December 14th, 2011 - 50 comments
micky savage writes about Labour’s results in Auckland. There were some stunning results, particularly in South Auckland where Labour’s share of the vote increased by 10.2% in Mangere, 7.3% in Manukau East and 5.2% in Manurewa. And in Phil Goff’s Mount Roskill it increased by 1%. These were very good results in an election where the tide was going out.
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, December 14th, 2011 - 61 comments
There’s talk Shearer might hand Cunliffe the poisoned chalice of foreign affairs. As Clark did her main rival, Goff. That’s no job for a man with a young family. Anyway, Goff’ll want it back ahead of taking the Chinese ambassadorship. Instead, let Cunliffe swap with Parker, who was invisible in economic development and energy, and take on Joyce.
Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, December 14th, 2011 - 88 comments
Congratulations David Shearer, you’re leader of the Left now, and the prime target for the Right’s smear machine. The Right’s strategy is obvious: bait and switch. Having proclaimed Shearer’s virtues to high heaven, they (and their useful idiots) will now say ‘who is this man?’, try to frame unreasonable expectations, and try to beat up leadership rumours.
Written By: - Date published: 6:34 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 69 comments
Here is David Shearer’s first speech as Labour party leader.
Written By: - Date published: 5:18 pm, December 13th, 2011 - 37 comments
I’ve now seen David Shearer in three Labour selection contests – I was on the panel in Waitakere in 2002 and Mt Albert in 2009, and I was in Wesley Church last Wednesday in Wellington. He’s won two out of three, and been most impressive every time. Had I been a caucus member today, he would have had my vote. This is why.
Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, December 13th, 2011 - 340 comments
Labour have come out of their caucus after their vote on who should succeed Phil Goff as leader. The new leadership team is David Shearer and Grant Robertson.
Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, December 13th, 2011 - 31 comments
To Cunliffe and Shearer, good luck. To the 34 people choosing the next Labour leader, remember your task is to choose the person who can represent a million+ centre and left voters. The man to take the centre-left to victory in 2014. Don’t you dare let petty personal issues cloud your judgement. We, whom you are privileged to represent, deserve better.
Written By: - Date published: 10:59 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 64 comments
David Lange was a good man with a sharp mind, he was quick as a cat thinking on his feet – especially debating – he was an excellent communicator. With only six years’ parliamentary experience before becoming leader of the NZLP he was also the least experienced of all Labour’s twelve leaders to date. David Lange got eaten alive.
Written By: - Date published: 8:18 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 21 comments
I believe that a strong platform of investment in education, skills and training makes all the difference for many hard working families.
We need to be relevant to aspirations in the provinces, this means that we need to support our provincial candidates more effectively so that they are not having to fight an election on a single issue and not without the resources and support of the party.
Written By: - Date published: 3:43 pm, December 12th, 2011 - 10 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
The Labour leadership contest is not a left-right battle, but a tough call between an Obama-like orator and a down-to-earth guy who lives his values. Both talented and want to reform the party: but hard to chose who’s best to lead the fight to National.
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, December 12th, 2011 - 116 comments
In the end it comes down to two questions. Are the public looking for a good bloke, or are they looking for a compelling politician? Which of the two can unite, motivate, and lead, the caucus and the wider party?
Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, December 11th, 2011 - 90 comments
This is for anyone who’s struggled to keep up with the Labour leadership contest, whether currently at the Auckland meeting or not.
Written By: - Date published: 3:57 pm, December 9th, 2011 - 25 comments
Due to the huge amount of interest in Sunday’s meet the leadership candidates meeting the venue has changed to a larger venue.
I can’t say that I am surprised. There have been more inches written about these meetings than any political meeting that I can remember since Orewa I, especially in the blogs.
Written By: - Date published: 9:18 am, December 9th, 2011 - 16 comments
Scott at Imperator Fish has kindly given us permission to syndicate posts from his blog – the original of this post is here
Scott wants his say on the Labour leadership – even if he’s not sure who he’d vote for. But he’ll decide like many of us at the Sunday Meet the Candidates Meeting.
Written By: - Date published: 2:23 pm, December 8th, 2011 - 80 comments
In 1997 after six years fighting for fair access to tertiary education through the student movement I joined the Labour Party. I didn’t join to become leader or deputy leader or even to become an MP. I joined because I believed then, and I believe now in the values of social justice, fairness and equality that are the foundation of our party.
Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, December 7th, 2011 - 193 comments
I am tribal labour. I am the son of an Anglican Minister known as the “Red Reverend” and a stalwart member of Timaru Labour. My political beliefs were instilled into me from birth. For me the foundation is that every human being is of equal moral worth and the structures of our society must give everyone a chance to be the best that they can be. That means leaning against the free market when it undermines human dignity and starves many of the opportunities they need to build a good life.
Written By: - Date published: 7:41 am, December 5th, 2011 - 43 comments
Labour’s leadership primary was a great idea. Labour has an open, honest, and respectful debate about itself. Candidates tested in public. Can stumble without damaging the party like a failed leader does. Labour frames the political news with enthralling debates. If there was no primary, Parker would be leader now and NZ would be reaching for the remote.
Written By: - Date published: 8:58 pm, December 4th, 2011 - 33 comments
I’m afraid that I don’t know much about Nanaia Mahuta. In fact probably way less than I should have, bearing in mind that she stayed in the Labour and didn’t decamp over the Foreshore and Seabed. But there was this post “in support of nanaia” at the Hand Mirror that I found interesting so I’m quoting a …
Written By: - Date published: 12:55 pm, December 4th, 2011 - 82 comments
What questions would you ask David Cunliffe, and why? What questions would you ask David Shearer, and why?
Written By: - Date published: 6:50 am, December 4th, 2011 - 194 comments
A tough decision for Labour looms – go for the gamble on the hero, or back the proven performer? (This post should have been on Friday night but got munched by Wordpress…)
Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, December 3rd, 2011 - 134 comments
I ran David Shearer’s campaign headquarters in the 2009 Mt Albert by-election. That gave me unique perspective to get a good hard look at a man in a pressure cooker environment. David arrived from the middle east literally a few short hours before the candidate selection speeches. It showed. He looked tired. But he went …
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, December 2nd, 2011 - 51 comments
A lot has been written in the aftermath of the election. I want to quickly note two excellent pieces that you might have missed in the rush.
Written By: - Date published: 5:20 pm, December 1st, 2011 - 312 comments
David Parker has withdrawn from the leadership race of the Labour party according to Stuff. Predictably Kiwiblog, Stuff, and probably the other right-wing media fools are using this as an opportunity to hype up David Shearer as an easier opponent for John Key. It is not for nothing that David Farrar has “Fomenting Happy Mischief …
Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, December 1st, 2011 - 84 comments
It worries me that the media and right wing are trying to take control of the Labour Leadership contest. There’s no great hurry with Christmas around the corner (no new leader is going to get a lot of traction over the summer holidays), but the consequences of making a hasty decision will be disasterous for the party, and disasterous for New Zealand.
Written By: - Date published: 2:18 pm, November 30th, 2011 - 47 comments
Labour would do well out of a long, positive leadership contest with all the contenders getting well-known by the country as they express their vision. If we can’t get Phil to stay, how about we have Annette hold the reigns as interim leader for the duration of the contest?
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: 8:43 am, November 29th, 2011 - 172 comments
Looks like Labour will have a proper leadership comp with Goff as caretaker till early next year. Good. Let’s get to know the options. Labour needs to get this right. Because the next Labour leader needs to be the next PM in 2014. Needs to be able to win. The poor people of NZ can’t afford another lost 3 years being squeezed and ripped off by the Tories.
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.
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