L

Captcha: ‘material’

Andrew Little FTW.

I think if you look at the substance of the speech, I agree with Gordon Campbell, Tumeke!, and Eddie.This isn’t a rehash of Brash. The criticisms of the ETS stuff are legitimate and he’s right that National will try to keep the existing F and S framework under a different name (where else can they go?)

On the politics, I’m not so sure as Eddie that it’s bad politics. Eddie’s position is that Goff is pissing off large parts of Labour’s base and courting rednecks. I disagree. Certainly (and I’ve heard directly) a lot of Maori supporters of Labour are pissed and there may be a strategic error in that this speech could serve to solidify the Maori Party in the face of a ‘common foe’ as it were just as it looked like falling apart.

But I don’t think that this speech panders to racists. Inevitably, some racists will be attracted by what they see as an anti-Maori message, just as their counterparts on the left are repelled by it but there’s a larger group (one hates to use the term ‘middle New Zealand’) who are wondering just why National is making these uncosted deals that favour a few corporations who are lucky enough to be represented by a party in Parliament, and who are concerned to see that full and final settlements of Treaty breaches are now not full and final if it is politically expedient

(there is obviously no legal case, and it cannot be that any new policy that impingements on property gained in a settlement gives rise to compensation anymore than a policy that benefits such property results in the iwi owing the Crown).

so in sum: the speech isn’t anti-Maori but it was inevitably going to be interpreted that way by media and many on the left. in that respect it’s a mistake and it remains to be seen if it is costly or not. but the speech does raise legitimate issues that will resonate with many (non-racist) people and I think it may come to be viewed as a success in that respect.

And if we look at the meta-narrative, this is about Labour not being seen as pandering to special interest groups in fact criticising National for favouring such a group (the iwi elite that is, not Maori in general), a further separation of Goff from the bad/unpopular side of Clark’s legacy.

I am completely of the mind that for the last 25 years Labour has been hijacked by the liberal wing and the socialist wing has been forgotten, and that is what National turned into the nanny state, ‘out of touch’ memes – Labour wasn’t doing enough for the working person, too much social policy, not enough economic.

If Goff can go aggressively left on materialist issues, I’ll be happy.

He (and Labour) have been in real need of an issue that middle New Zealand will jump on board with them. The blue collar workers who deserted them over the past three years have had nothing from this ‘offer nothing opposition’ to get them excited.

This is the issue that will bring those voters back home to Labour if Goff plays this correctly.

With the F & S on the agenda Goff now has the opportunity to win back support and take on the Nats at their own game.

I expect a 5% boost following this speech to both Goff and Labour.

You can read my expanded thoughts on the māori party’s position WRT the ETS here.

L

L

Also, it pisses me off when simple historical facts are ignored or distorted by politicians. Perhaps Goff didn’t know, but Maori and Pakeha have stood side by side on foreign battlefields since 1900. I have neither the time nor the inclination to address the other inaccuracies.