Grant Robertson’s speech to the 2015 Labour Conference
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11:43 am, November 7th, 2015 - 68 comments
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It is a pleasure to be back in Palmerston North, the city of my birth. It is true to say that my family left Palmy reasonably soon thereafter, but there is no truth to the rumour that as a 16 month old I went to my mother to request a transfer!
Coming to Palmerston North these days is to see a city and region that is bursting with potential. A strong university, science organisations to build on on the primary industry base, the potential for new and innovative businesses. Now, if we could just get a government that backs the regions!
Delegates, it is school prize giving season. For anyone cynical about future generations, attendance at these is a life-affirming experience. They are heart-warming celebrations of success, albeit a bit of a marathon for parents and unsuspecting MPs.
Success comes in many forms at these prizegivings. From the students winning subject prizes, to the awards for leadership, sporting and cultural achievements, to the students who have proudly made it through five years of school. All of them are celebrated, because as one principal put it to me, we don’t judge our success on the marks our dux gets, we judge our success on producing a cohort of confident, resilient young people.
But how do we judge the success of the economy? There are many people devoting many column inches every day to opining on this. Every morning we hear or read of the rises and falls of stocks and the trade weighted index.
We hear about businesses that do well, and not so well, we hear about who is and isn’t on this year’s Rich List and what they are worth.
They are all measures that tell us something about our economy, but are they adequate to measure its success?
From this government – we hear about the surplus. The yardstick they set to decide if they are good managers of the economy. Success has been declared, and job done so far as Bill English is concerned.
Well, if you ever wanted evidence that some measures of success in our economy might not be all that they appear, then this is it. Having set the political target of a surplus in 2014/15, a political solution was found to make it happen.
The Earthquake Commission returned nearly half a billion dollars to the Crown accounts this year because they decided they did not need it for Canterbury. Just ask the people of Christchurch if all the claims are settled and that money is not needed. It was a cynical ploy to meet a political target.
And worst of all, there is no consideration of making these surpluses sustainable. In the Labour Party we know about sustainable surpluses. We had one. Every single year when we were last in government. But not even Bill English is predicting that there will be a surplus in coming years. It was plain and simple – manufactured for one year to meet the propaganda needs of the National Party.
But, beyond the manufactured surplus, can we judge the economy a success when
– 151,000 New Zealanders are out of work, and the rate of unemployment is six per cent, with projections that it will head towards seven per cent next year. 151,000 people. Think about that. It is nearly twice the population of this city out of work. It is nearly 50,000 more than when National took office. In Gisborne one in every ten people is out of work. It is clear that John Key and Bill English see levels of unemployment like this as collateral damage in their blinkered economic vision.
– Where exports as a percentage of GDP are now the lowest they have been since 1997, coincidentally the last time Bill English was given the keys to the car.
– When wage growth is the weakest it has been since the depths of the GFC five years ago, and in the coming year working people are expecting the smallest wage increases in over a decade.
– Where there is such a disparity of wealth in our country that we see some corporate CEOs paid salaries of four or five million dollars a year, while 115,000 Kiwis survive on a wage of $14.75 per hour.
– Where 305,000 children grow up in homes where fridges are often empty or where their parents cannot earn enough money to buy the shoes and clothes they need.
– Where the house price to income ratio for housing in our biggest city is 9:1,there is the lowest home ownership rate in 60 years, and where thousands of New Zealand families live in cold, damp, overcrowded rental accommodation, or worse in garages and sheds.
That is not success.
If Dan Carter got World Rugby Player of the Year, but the All Blacks lost the Rugby World Cup, would we be hailing the year a success?
As American businessman and philanthropist John Paul DeJoria has said, ‘success unshared is failure’.
And this is not just because of our inherent sense of fairness. It makes economic sense as well. The OECD has recently joined the chorus of those who are acknowledging that a fair go for everyone means a more wealthy society. They said that the increase in income inequality in New Zealand over two decades from the 1980s had reduced our growth rate by more than 10%.
And income inequality is only part of the picture. Those statistics do not take into account wealth inequality- the assets, like houses some of us are lucky to own, and the security and choices they provide. These assets, this wealth, are now concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer New Zealanders.
Addressing wealth and income inequality is fundamental to our future well-being as a society. As a recent report from the Centre for American Progress said “for democracies to thrive rising prosperity must be within the reach of all citizens.”
That is the challenge we must meet.
So what is a successful economy? Of course it needs careful management. Remember, while I started life here, I grew up in Dunedin and I’m from a long line of parsimonious Scottish Presbyterians. I have also taken the extra pre-caution of having the Rev Dr David Clark as my Associate Spokesperson in case I get too profligate.
In government we must be disciplined and treat each tax payer dollar with the respect for the hard work that went into earning it.
But that cannot be the end of the line. The economy does not exist for its own purposes.
The economy is not a person with feelings that we need to protect. It’s there to serve the interests of people, to be the means to a better life for all our people. It’s not an end in itself.
Many New Zealanders have expressed their concerns about the TPPA. When I listen to those concerns I hear the overwhelming feeling that the corporation matters more now than the citizen. Companies got the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while ordinary people were kept in the dark with our interest treated as an irritant.
We need an approach to the economy that turns this view on its head. One where we don’t just measure the health of the government’s books but also the health of the people.
We need to embrace a new economic order- people first. A focus on prosperity- not just for some, but a chance for all to share in it.
I come to the job of Finance Spokesperson with a clear mission.
It is time to reject the idea that our country will prosper by waiting for wealth to trickle down, and instead to embrace building wealth from the ground up- through our small businesses, iwi, our regions and our innovation.
It is time to reject the idea that the success for the 1% is the best we can hope for, and embrace the value to our economy and society of a fairer share for all.
It is time to reject the idea that the government should stand aside and let the market determine the opportunity of future generations, and embrace the transformational role of government to help New Zealanders build their dreams.
It is time to reject the ethos of success based on privilege, selfishness and greed, and replace them with a fair go, opportunity and a relentless pursuit of shared prosperity.
That is our mission. The economic goal of the next Labour government will be shared prosperity- an opportunity for everyone to meet their potential.
We are a fortunate country, blessed with tremendous natural resources, and talented and driven people. New Zealand businesses and workers work harder than most of their equivalents around the world. We are in many senses already a wealthy nation.
There is an opportunity to work with businesses and regions to be prosperous, to create decent work. Our record demonstrates that when we do this, the country grows.
There is an opportunity to build an economy and in turn a society that offers the quality of life to all its citizens that is the envy of the world.
I want New Zealanders to be proud of what we make possible in our country.
The economy that I will manage on your behalf in government will have specific goals to support New Zealanders to all have the chance to build the future they dream about.
I want our success in building the path to shared prosperity to be judged in five core areas:
– The opportunity for decent work wherever you live in New Zealand. Our goal will be to reduce unemployment to below 4% by the end of our first term in government. There are many changes ahead in the world of work. In the next few years we must continue to put the income, security and dignity that work provides at the forefront of our economic thinking. We must invest in our regions to create opportunities and to relieve that pressure on Auckland. We must support small business to thrive, to innovate and to provide decent work.
The dramatic drop in dairy prices and the slowdown in China point to the need for urgent and aggressive support for diversification- of products and markets. The government’s plan to wait for one industry to fail in order to see diversification happen is simply not good enough.
– Lifting incomes. We must lift wages. There is no single silver bullet to do this, but the government can play its part through investing in the infrastructure, innovation, research and development that will help create high wage work. We can do it by lifting the minimum wage and showing leadership by ensuring that anyone who works for the government is paid a living wage. We can do it by restoring rights of workers to bargain collectively. And we can do it by preparing for the new world of work, which I will return to shortly.
– Zero tolerance for child poverty. We will measure the success of our economy against how fast we can eliminate child poverty. Andrew will speak more about this tomorrow, but suffice to say that we will put that goal at the centre of our economic plan.
– Access to affordable and quality housing. This is vital to reducing wealth inequality and to building safe and stable communities. We need to harness the power of the government to invest to build affordable housing. We will crack down on the speculators who are shutting people out of buying their first homes. And we must improve the quality of our rental stock and the security of tenancy.
– Our ability to create a sustainable future. There is no point crowing about economic success if it comes at the cost of the environment or the well-being of future generations. Our economic approach will be dictated by what is good for the well-being of future generations, not the next news cycle. We must restart our contributions to the Super Fund as soon as possible, and build on the success of Kiwisaver. We must take urgent action to build an economy that transitions us to a low carbon economy and gets real on climate change.
This will mean moving beyond the simple measures of success that fuel the news cycle and the vanity of politicians. Measuring GDP has a place – it is a decent proxy for activity in the economy. But what does it say about the quality of that activity? The earthquakes in Canterbury were horrific events for the people who lived there- but by god they have been a boon for GDP. Earthquake recovery has contributed up to a third of the country’s growth in recent years. But waiting for natural disasters is not a plan.
We need to measure ourselves on the quality of life our economy can create, how it improves the environment, how many kids it lifts out of poverty and how we are building our prosperity for the future. They will be the benchmarks of the next Labour government.
Delegates, no issue highlights the importance of a government that is focused on shared prosperity than the Future of Work.
Massive change is underway. A report prepared by NZIER last month estimates that 45% of jobs currently in the New Zealand economy are at high risk from automation. The New Zealand Herald headline of 26 July this year was ‘Robots Cleaning Auckland Airport’. The change is happening and it is happening now.
There is no doubt that the future of work is full of opportunity. New technology is set to drive a wave of productivity and innovation that will generate significant wealth for those who seize the opportunities.
On the other hand it is also set to grow inequality and leave many behind, with work and income less secure and success more reliant than ever on having skills and expertise that you can apply widely.
In the face of this there are two paths to take. We could sit back and let the market dictate what happens to New Zealanders, we could be the passive recipients and let the wave of change sweep us along or drag us under at its will. Or we could lead the change, seize the opportunities and protect the values we hold dear while building a new path to decent work.
We have chosen the latter path The Future of Work Commission has now released all of the discussion papers that we outlined to you at regional conferences earlier this year.
We have had thousands of responses to our on-line work survey, and hundreds of submissions on the discussion papers. Along with the Lead MPs for each of our workstreams, I have spoken to dozens of businesses, unions, LECs and community groups about the Commission, and the importance of a plan for the future of work.
I even managed to be on the panel at an event organised by the Chartered Accountants Association of Australia and New Zealand that was hosted by a hologram and had a drone and a driverless car taking the attention of attendees.
Why would the accountants care about the future of work- because accountancy is one of the most at risk professions that there is. This is not just about manual labour, it is a revolution in the nature and experience of work. The changes coming from the future of work have the potential to be scary, but the opportunities are vast as well.
The Commission will produce a final report at this conference next year which will include a range of policy proposals. It’s tempting to say that we know all the answers now, but it is important to us that we spend this year listening to what New Zealanders want, fear and hope for in the future of work.
I can say this – the work of the Commission has shown us already that there is a huge desire to continue to put work at the front and centre of our future. The Labour Party was born 100 years ago next year by people who wanted their contribution at work to be fairly valued and respected. Nothing has changed in terms of our values, but much has changed in the experience of workers. We know that the future of work will look very different from the 9-5 job of the past. We need to consider a future where many workers will hold down six to eight careers, and have multiple different employers at any one time. Where being your own boss is not only more possible it will become the default position.
Paul Mason, the economics editor of the Guardian newspaper, has written a book called the End of Capitalism, which foreshadows a future of work that redefines the economic order that has governed our lives. With technology breaking down barriers to old forms of employment, and the power enabled by access to information and data, there is the opportunity for working people to take more control of their lives- to develop a new system that is defined by a shared prosperity.
Imagine for a moment if we could find a solution to the poverty wages experienced by the cleaners at Parliament, by giving them the chance to be their own bosses based on a cooperative business model. Or to support more profit sharing or so that workers can have a real stake in the organisations they work for. Or supporting social enterprises that are productive, profitable and improves the well being of people and the planet.
This is an opportunity for us in the Labour movement to once again lead and innovate. We need to be at the forefront of ensuring the new economy develops with our values at heart. New models of business are sprouting up everywhere that use technology to break down barriers. This represents the so-called peer-to-peer capitalism or the sharing economy. We have to make that technology available and support the creation of those businesses.
There are legitimate concerns about the rights of workers in less formal working environments. What appears as flexibility can actually be a front for exploitation and a loss rights and conditions. Labour would never allow that. The flexibility we strive for is to allow you to build your work around your life- not the other way around.
To take the opportunities of the future of work we need to equip our people with the knowledge and skills to adapt and thrive, ensure income security and begin to value unpaid or non-traditional forms of work.
Some clear messages are already emerging from the Commission’s consultation. We urgently need to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Information is now so readily available to us, the real focus of education, and indeed what employers are telling us they want are the soft skills- collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking.
But employers also want school leavers to have the basics well covered – a driver’s license, digital and financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills and a sense of citizenship and civics. We also urgently need to professionalise careers advice and develop it as a partnership between students, schools, businesses and training providers.
We also need to turly create life-long learning. Alvin Toffler’s words from several decades ago, have come true, “ the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Every worker is going to need training and re-training in the future. We need to work with businesses and workers to ensure this is possible for all, including those in small and medium businesses who traditionally struggle to fit training into their lives. We are investigating a range of options for this, but it is certain that this will be a significant outcome from the Commission.
Delegates, former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam once said his country was faced with a choice between the habits and fears of the past and the demands and opportunities of the future.
As a country we face that choice today.
The challenges are real, but the opportunities enormous. Decent work, income security, lifelong learning, safe and warm homes for all and thriving and resilient regions are not only possible, but essential to a successful country.
The path to shared prosperity that we will take will be founded on opportunity and optimism. If we give every New Zealander a fair go, they will repay us many fold.
Over the coming two years together, we will develop our economic vision on that basis, and we will build for New Zealand a path to shared prosperity.
Thank you.
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2 days ago - Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...2 days ago - Fighting poverty on the holiday highwayTurning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...2 days ago
- Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...3 days ago - At a glance – Is the science settled?On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...3 days ago
- Apposite Quotations.
3 days ago - What’s a life worth now?
You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...3 days ago - Howling at the MoonKarl du Fresne writes – There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...3 days ago
- Newshub is Dead.
I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...3 days ago - Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...3 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...3 days ago
- Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...3 days ago
- PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for electionPRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: Criminal ecocideWe are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...3 days ago
- Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...3 days ago
- Long Tunnel or Long Con?Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...3 days ago
- Smoke And Mirrors.
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...3 days ago - What is Mexico doing about climate change?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...3 days ago
- State of humanity, 2024
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...4 days ago - Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...4 days ago
- The case for cultural connectednessA recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...4 days ago
- Useful context on public sector job cutsDavid Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racismRemember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...4 days ago
- Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal4 days ago
- True Blue.
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...4 days ago - Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...4 days ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...5 days ago
- Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts
Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...
5 days ago - Or is that just they want us to think?
Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...5 days ago - Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...6 days ago
- Arguing over a moot point.I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...6 days ago
- No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.6 days ago
- Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...6 days ago
- Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect them
News that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...2 days ago - Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...2 days ago
- Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals billThe Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...3 days ago
- Government throws coal on the climate crisis fire
The Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...3 days ago - Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project insteadCancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...4 days ago
- Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priorityA laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...4 days ago
- Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful lawThe Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...7 days ago
- Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homesThe National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...1 week ago
- Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on mediaThe action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...1 week ago
- Landlord Government leaves little hope for rentersThe Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...1 week ago
- Opportunity to build a more sustainable economyGreen Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...1 week ago
- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...1 week ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Methane target review is dangerous duplicationThe Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government must commit to school building project for disabled studentsThe Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National must take mental health seriouslyMental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...2 weeks ago
- Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwardsThe Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Job losses at Health not worth it for tax cutsNew Zealand will feel the harm of the National Government’s reckless cuts to jobs at the health ministry for generations, says Ayesha Verrall. ...2 weeks ago
- Press release: No Māori initiatives in Government’s nothing planMāori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do listThe Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Less money in most people’s pockets this AprilChanges to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...3 weeks ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...53 mins ago - Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...1 hour ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...1 hour ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...4 hours ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...15 hours ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...21 hours ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...22 hours ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...24 hours ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...1 day ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...1 day ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...1 day ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...1 day ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...2 days ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...2 days ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...2 days ago
- School attendance restored as a priority in health adviceRefreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...2 days ago
- Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sectorOceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...2 days ago
- Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International CongressAssociate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...3 days ago
- Removing red tape to help early learners thriveThe Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...3 days ago
- RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tapeChanges to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...3 days ago
- McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationshipTrade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...3 days ago
- Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister LeePrime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...4 days ago
- PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ tiesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...4 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...4 days ago
- Finance Minister travels to Washington DCFinance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...4 days ago
- Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlordsThe coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...4 days ago
- Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being consideredState Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...4 days ago
- New Zealand condemns Iranian strikesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...5 days ago
- Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plansHundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...7 days ago
- Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand ChairHealth Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...7 days ago
- Roads of National Significance planning underwayThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...1 week ago
- Navigating an unstable global environmentNew Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...1 week ago
- NZ welcomes Australian Governor-GeneralPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...1 week ago
- Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for WinterAssociate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...1 week ago
- NZ and the US: an ever closer partnershipNew Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...1 week ago
- Joint US and NZ declarationApril 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...1 week ago
- NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperationForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...1 week ago
- Government redress for Te Korowai o WainuiāruaThe Government is continuing the bipartisan effort to restore its relationship with iwi as the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today, says Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith. “Historical grievances of Te Korowai o Wainuiārua relate to 19th century warfare, land purchased or taken ...1 week ago
- Focus on outstanding minerals permit applicationsNew Zealand Petroleum and Minerals is working to resolve almost 150 outstanding minerals permit applications by the end of the financial year, enabling valuable mining activity and signalling to the sector that New Zealand is open for business, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “While there are no set timeframes for ...1 week ago
- Applications open for NZ-Ireland Research CallThe New Zealand and Irish governments have today announced that applications for the 2024 New Zealand-Ireland Joint Research Call on Agriculture and Climate Change are now open. This is the third research call in the three-year Joint Research Initiative pilot launched in 2022 by the Ministry for Primary Industries and Ireland’s ...1 week ago
- Government sent please explain letter to Wellington City Council over transport disagreement
The contents were revealed in correspondence from Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop to Wellington's Mayor. ...21 mins ago - Some families push back against journalists who mine social media for photos – they have every rig...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...25 mins ago - Mental Health Foundation staff cuts loom, with funding falling behind rising costsChief executive Shaun Robinson said it has not had any government funding cut, but government-funded contracts have not kept pace with rising costs. ...26 mins ago
- The ‘devil comet’ 12P/Pons-Brooks has finally become visible from Australia. What can we expect?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Pons–Brooks visible from Utah, March 9 2024. James Peirce/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND If you’re a fan of all things space, you’ve doubtless heard about the “devil comet”, which has been captivating keen-eyed observers in the ...55 mins ago
- Rugby stadiums are sold as an economic asset – but NZ needs to ask if they’re really worth itSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hamlin, Senior Lecturer in Marketing , University of Otago A multi-billion dollar stadium precinct has been proposed for Auckland, one of three proposals in front of Auckland Council for a new stadium in the city. The council is also considering revamping ...55 mins ago
- What access to puberty blockers means for trans young people and their whānau
The Ministry of Health has delayed the release of its evidence brief on the safety, reversibility and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for puberty blockers. While we wait, Julia de Bres speaks to those with firsthand experience. Best practice gender-affirming healthcare is based on trans people’s self-determination and agency. The ...1 hour ago - NZ and Philippines pledge defence cooperation amid rising tensionsThe commitment came after a sit-down meeting between Christopher Luxon and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr overnight. ...3 hours ago
- How superblocks can help reimagine city lifeBarcelona’s city streets have gone from traffic-clogged to pedestrian-friendly. How? Superblocks. Ellen Rykers explains. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week I read a great interview with renowned urbanist Janette Sadik-Khan by The Spinoff’s Wellington editor Joel MacManus: “You can reimagine streets, ...3 hours ago
- Fire engineering expertise may take a big hit with job cuts at MBIEThe public sector cuts are poised to take out a big chunk of expertise at the country's building regulator. ...4 hours ago
- “Fast-track Law To Kill Kiwi”: Students Say Fight Against Anti-democracy Legislation Is Only Jus...
Student groups ‘Climate Action VUW’, Schools Strike 4 Climate and VUWSA will be on the street in Wellington today, the last day for submissions on the Fast-track Approvals Bill, with a message that the fight against the Government’s ‘War on ...4 hours ago - ‘We have thousands of Modis’: the secret behind the BJP’s enduring success in IndiaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University Since 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has grown exponentially – and so has the formidable organisational machine of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). These two factors will be key to delivering the BJP a ...4 hours ago
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Good speech. A couple of highlights …
“We will measure the success of our economy against how fast we can eliminate child poverty. Andrew will speak more about this tomorrow, but suffice to say that we will put that goal at the centre of our economic plan.”
And …
“There is no point crowing about economic success if it comes at the cost of the environment or the well-being of future generations. Our economic approach will be dictated by what is good for the well-being of future generations, not the next news cycle. We must restart our contributions to the Super Fund as soon as possible, and build on the success of Kiwisaver. We must take urgent action to build an economy that transitions us to a low carbon economy and gets real on climate change.”
And about TPP
“Many New Zealanders have expressed their concerns about the TPPA. When I listen to those concerns I hear the overwhelming feeling that the corporation matters more now than the citizen. Companies got the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while ordinary people were kept in the dark with our interest treated as an irritant.
We need an approach to the economy that turns this view on its head. One where we don’t just measure the health of the government’s books but also the health of the people.”
Oh dear.
I did try to read through that entire post. But remember that scene from ‘The Simpsons’ where Bart is talking to Santa’s Little Helper and all the dog can hear is “blah, blah, blah”?
These speeches where people tell me that they’re good guys and inform me that they will do ‘x, y and z’, all the while talking at me and never to me (just like all royalty tends to do)… where they address abstracted ideas or notions that inhabit bubbles in the air instead of directly addressing all of us people down here with our feet on the ground.
Their real world, or day to day life concerns and experiences, aren’t the same as mine. And it shows. They abstract mine into a mix within that bubble in the air, to be dealt with from a distance by a benevolent royal ‘we’ that doesn’t include me.
Bill
It presses my buttons and I feel good (lasts for about five seconds.)
So what are you wanting them to do or say, then?
It’s not the ‘what’, it’s the ‘how’. (See below in response to Ad. 2.1.1)
Ahh, I see. I agree.
I feel the same way. A disappointing speech from someone who has had long enough to get his head around economic ideas and develop a credible plan. Grant’s goals are laudable and his diagnoses of New Zealand’s economic challenges are impeccable but he fails to propose a credible plan to deal with them. The only positive is that Robertson – and Labour – will have many more years in opposition to ponder the missing ingredients.
Robertson in TPPA:
“Companies got the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while ordinary people were kept in the dark with our interest treated as an irritant.”
Wrong! 1,000% Wrong! Corporations WROTE the TPPA.
How can Labour MPs fall prey to the extraordinary belief that the nastiest men with the nastiest of motives wrote TPPA for the good of all?
(Modified Chris Trotter quote)
So what exactly?
So Labour will cede NZ sovereignty to transnationals exactly like National would. A few of our 1% will profit handsomely, the rest of us will be sold out.
that doesn’t actually follow from:
it’s ambiuous though. What does it mean?
Well, to “turn that view on its head” would be for “ordinary people to get the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while company interests are treated as an irritant” (given that companies are made up of people, they can’t be kept in the dark).
I don’t think it’s ambiguous. And it certainly doesn’t sound like “ceding NZ sovereignty to transnationals exactly like National would”, because national did it in secret.
Notice how few of the rightie trolls are in here kicking Little about like they did Cunliffe.
He’s speaking in a code they understand. (And I’d love nothing more than to be proved wrong … )
I think it’s more down to the idea that the tories are quite good at finding the most damaging buttons to push. Cunliffe was a hero-figure, so you attack the man. Shearer was more diplomatic than forceful, so you call him weak. They tried with the “angry andy” meme, but it never really took off. So now they’re working more on trying to create the illusion of schisms, eg King vs Ardern, Little vs Robertson, and the conference must be in bitter disarray with knives drawn. All bullshit.
And on the flipside, the self-loathing labourites aren’t gnashing their teeth quite so much as they were with Shearer, either. The tories love the polls at the moment, but it’s too early to worry about them yet. I’m just enjoying a period of stability in the parliamentary left…
You think that was a “good speech”?
The average voter would have simply heard one of those annoying white noise buzzing things after the first 30 seconds.
How about some real policies that would make a difference? 10 would be a nice round number. I’ll give you suggestions for the first 5. You can pass them on in Palmerston North.
1. Ensure that all young people achieve at education by serious education reform.
2. Stop middle class capture if early childhood education. Ge the best ECE services into South Auckland and Northland. I can tell you how to do it if you like.
3. Seriously embrace the NZPC report on housing affordability.
4. Progressively increase the NZ Super eligibility age to 70 over the next 20 years. Lots of time to adjust.
5. Adopt policies for older men to respond to labour market shocks and economic change through retraining opportunities.
6. (a bonus) Put a price on carbon by adopting an emissions trading scheme that works.
Now I know you love abusing me so go ahead. But instead of waffly rhetoric crap, Andrew and Grant could have announced an overarching strategy and 10 good policies. And they could do a lot worse than the ones I set out here. But they are paralysed.
If they want my phone numner I am happy to give them a quote on advice.
“seriously embrace” is your best at concrete policy?
Stick to your day job Srylands.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn
It’s vastly amusing that you think preventing ecological disaster is a “bonus”. That has to be the fundamental policy for any party that care about the lives of anyone under the age of 50.
If you read the post on kiwiblog, you will realise the whole ‘stopping climate change’ will never happen.
As I said many years ago on here. If China didn’t pull its head in, might as well forget it.
At least they had the opportunity to listen to a speech by someone who speaks English as a first language. Unlike the fuckwit in charge who speaks an advanced form of gibberish.
I think srylands’ recommendations are positive and later objections are really just hairsplitting. They are better than anything in Robinson’s speech.
That really isn’t a nice thing to say about Grant’s boss, Andrew Little.
On the other hand Little would probably best be described as speaking a primitive form of gibberish
Really positive stuff from Robertson. I think he’s enjoying the responsibility he’s been given to drive the Future of Work project. Really great to see the caucus members working well and in a genuinely united way.
And kudos to the Palmy Labour crew! What a fantastically well organised conference this is. I count 450 in the hall at the moment, which is up there with the best of recent conferences. I guess the turnout is helped by how easy it is to get to Palmy, with it being only a couple of hours drive for people in Welly, Hawkes Bay and the ‘naki and not much tougher for folks in the Waikato and Ak. It’s great that the LP are showing their commitment to the provinces in a really practical way.
Great to see you back TRP.
I really enjoyed that.
Bill, try to keep up with the pointy-headed kids will you?
Robertson does rather set himself up for a “but where’s my jetpack?” thing i.e. the future is generally more mundane than the projections, less scary because actually we got there, and less worrisome because we’re pretty adventurous and methodical as a species when it comes to facing the big ones.
Plus, I’ve never heard a futurist speech that could forecast the eradication of the need for politicians to blather on.
Good to hear Labour stretching into multi-syllable words and expect people to watch policy formation in action. Plenty of time for the ‘I-personally-wanted-more-of…” lists later.
I am personally buoyed to hear a good turnout.
I’ll try my best there Ad 😉
But see how academics can do the pointy-headed kid routine and that’s okay because we expect academics to be a wee bit pointy-headed and detached? And know how politicians are meant to connect?
This isn’t a go at Robertson – the following example, plucked readily and at random, seems fairly ubiquitous in Labour politican’s speeches.
and where thousands of New Zealand families live in cold, damp, overcrowded rental accommodation
Can you see the disconnect? Any politician worth their salt would be saying something like
and where thousands of us live in cold, damp, overcrowded rental accommodation
The entire speech – and I commented similarly on a previous Andrew Little one – is riddled with a kind of positioning that, when taken in totality, leaves an impression that reality (our reality) is being addressed as something akin to a piece of dog-shite on a pointy stick that they’d rather not touch, aren’t touched by, and would rather not, or can’t, identify with.
Late edit – Why not ‘New Zealanders’ in this bit? “like houses some of us are lucky to own“
Cmon bill if any politician said it they would be howled down and the media would focus for 2 weeks on the persons house… i dont know the answer so to that extent your idea cant hut.
Remember turia being slammed by collins and bennett… did it backfire or not?
So hang on Tracy! It’s fine to use the distancing or detached (‘Not us, not me!) language of ‘New Zealanders’ when talking of bad shit like crap rentals, but fine to use the all inclusive (‘Me and maybe you too!’) ‘us’ when talking of good shit like owning a house?
No bill… i get my comment was confusing. I was tryi g to work out if it works or doesnt…
Clearly saying i grew up in a state house got someone traction in a misleading way as we know.
I was genuinely musing whether turei came out better than the snipers cos if she did it is some support for your preferred phrasing?
Yeah, nah. It’s not about ‘back story’ or any such. It’s about how people talk and what their choice of phrase suggests about what or who they identify with.
As I said elsewhere, I reckon a montage of Corbyn, Sturgeon and others speaking – people who just naturally or effortlessly resonate – being put together and then contrasted or compared with the stand off-ish and somewhat cold language of Robertson, Little et al would be….interesting.
And OAB, if you’re reading this, I got your email. Lynn added a link to a programme I might be able to play around with.
can you link to 3 of the best speeches/interviews you have handy to give an example? It’d be useful to compare while Robertson’s speech is still fresh.
Sorry Weka, missed your comment. I have no ‘handy’ speeches.
Here’s a link to Sturgeon’s UK election launch. Now I know people will say Robertson and Labour aren’t launching policy etc and that makes a difference to tone and message. Here’s the thing though. I don’t think Sturgeon uses the term ‘Scots’ once. It’s ‘people’ or ‘ordinary people’ or ‘working people’ etc. I think there’s one mention of ‘the people of Scotland’ – a far broader and inclusive net than ‘Scots’. And when there is is talk of ‘we’ it is clear what ‘we’ she’s referring to…and it’s quite humble in spite of being strident.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13210531.In_Full__Nicola_Sturgeon_s_SNP_manifesto_launch_speech/
Or here’s the one she gave at the last SNP conference.
http://newsnet.scot/?p=115813
cheers, will have a look.
Dropping in now I have proper computer access to add that I love everything Mhairi Black has ever said.
The accent probably helps a little …
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2015/10/18/mhairi-black-im-tired-of-being-told-that-pain-and-misery-are-necessary-for-a-stronger-economy/
Good 🙂
Reading and agreeing. Treating a constituency as an abstract rather than a family.
they are removed…good point
The provinces can NEVER thrive until they have local autonomy on critical issues.
This begins with:
1. Clear regional boundaries (like Australian states)
2. Clear regional responsibilities which central government cannot override.
3. A solid regional tax base. Examples: Per capita tax rebates to regional governments or a fixed percent of personal and corporate taxes remaining with the regions they came from.
Fine words and good intentions cannot overcome the reality that on a whim Parliament will ALWAYS interfere.
So you want more Auckland amalgamations?
The public have soundly rejected them.
Actually it sounds more like AmaKiwi wants to prevent things like the government takeover of ECan.
i like the fact labour are planning ahead for the wave of automation we already starting to see the changes with journalists being layed off why hasn’t the government with the awsomness of john key doing the long term planning what are we paying john key for its his job that john key is a fukwit and in the herald our rock star government has delivered 102 houses why are national fukwits. fukwit government lead by a fukwit leader in a time dymamic changes we have fukwits
Christ where to start?
“We must take urgent action to build an economy that transitions us to a low carbon economy and gets real on climate change.””
________
How exactly? The last Labour Government, in 9 years, and despite all the rhetoric, did nothing to reduce the trajectory of GHG output:
http://tinyurl.com/pj9ggco
How is Andrew Little going to succeed? He won’t.
We would do more for climate change mitigation by helping pay for low cost GHG reductions in other countries. It would be good for us and good for the climate. The last Labour Government refused to do that. So they achieved nothing. Which has been repeated by this Government. The marginal cost of GHG reduction in NZ is very high. It is the last country in the world to start doing it.
Fuck I have run out of energy to tackle the child poverty bullshit.
You’re still expecting something more than solid but non-revolutionary reform from any kind of alternative NZ government?
Just spend more time with your children rather than mindlessly spewing here. Theres a chance if you do that they may avoid the middle upperclass pitfalls of class a drugs idle self righteousness and smugness…
srylands is the only one talking sense here. These speeches are the same recycled bullshit.
It’s just a sell. That’s it.
Points from Graant Robertson’s speech that I noticed.
There is an opportunity to build an economy and in turn a society that offers the quality of life to all its citizens that is the envy of the world.
Goal of 4% unemployment
The opportunity for decent work wherever you live in New Zealand.
If talking about paid work which I think he is, that misses the vast opportunity of getting people working as volunteers. Let them choose to work where they can get hours and travel and are wanted and then get approved for education for that role, so they can establish a CV.. People can add to the functions of the country instead of being despised bodies and statistics going to rot waiting for some flaky business to throw them some bones of hours. Volunteer work needs to be spelt out as a viable and acceptable option for any unemployed.)
Referred to – The New Zealand Herald headline of 26 July this year was ‘Robots Cleaning Auckland Airport’. The change is happening and it is happening now.
The Future of Work Commission has now released all of the discussion papers that we outlined to you at regional conferences earlier this year.
We know that the future of work will look very different from the 9-5 job of the past. We need to consider a future where many workers will hold down six to eight careers, and have multiple different employers at any one time.
We also need to create life-long learning. Mentions Alvin Toffler.
(I went back to education 40 years after leaving secondary, and now have a loan to repay. That extra training has been essential in keeping up with today’s hype, will this further ed be on the student’s shoulders? )
Lifting incomes – minimum hourly wage lift. Government living wage. Bargain collectively.
Zero child poverty – something will be done.
Affordable quality housing –
Various measures, rental housing must be improved.
More houses built. Developers not to shut out people.
Government not going to have any useful activity it seems in the rental housing stock.
100% behind you on the volunteering stuff. We’ve got a ton of work that needs doing in our communities, and a ton of people who can do it. Why can’t we put two and two together and have ~0% unemployment?
It’s not even a particularly original idea. Labour need to look back to their roots and programmes like PEP during the 80s. Expand on that to allow a certain level of decentralisation – empowering communities to recommend work that needs doing, be it painting the hall, looking after elderly or writing poetry.
Andrew Little said this:
“We need an approach to the economy that turns this view on its head. One where we don’t just measure the health of the government’s books but also the health of the people.”
__________
He must have missed this:
https://www.ssc.govt.nz/better-public-services
and this:
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/abouttreasury/higherlivingstandards
__________
Either he is ignorant and is actually unaware of the current Government’s policies, or he thinks he can lie and get away with it. I have no idea which is correct but either is concerning.
He was commenting about the political emphasis placed upon reaching an annual government budgetary surplus, as did Robertson. Not long term Treasury policy.
You need to understand a basic difference between Treasury policy and political emphasis.
Slylands needs to spend more time and energy deconstructing national who as the governing left wing party, in his opinion, must be more dangerous to his self interested view of how things should be.
Your last paragraph displays the most self awareness I can recall from you here, apart from referring to yourself in the third person that is.. But will you seek to change or carry on?
Except that it is clear from the way in which the public service has been functioning, that the SSC and the government are not interested in providing better public service. Similarly it is also clear that treasury and government are not interested in providing higher living standards.
Which is why participation in education centres needs to be free and encouraged.
It could be said about those Labour MPs and supporters who can’t unlearn neo-lib economics.
Can’t or don’t want to?
This looked interesting,
Imagine for a moment if we could find a solution to the poverty wages experienced by the cleaners at Parliament, by giving them the chance to be their own bosses based on a cooperative business model. Or to support more profit sharing or so that workers can have a real stake in the organisations they work for. Or supporting social enterprises that are productive, profitable and improves the well being of people and the planet.
Although Bill’s point above about language and positioning takes the shine off a bit. Other than that, how realistic is that the Future of Work Commission will actually result in these kinds of things?
ten to the power of six, against.
Labour will not upset the capitalist order of society, its purpose is to defend it.
Yeah, but he’s not talking about wholesale dismantling of the capitalist order, just supporting some selective socialist addons (acceptable to capitalism ones). I was just curious if that’s actually something the commission will be working on or if it’s just sounds nice.
The point is that the only way that we’re going to get society working for the majority of people while also being sustainable is to get rid of capitalism. The knowledge we now have of the physical limits of the Earth make that imperative.
True, but I was asking a more foreground question about the current Labour party, the commission and what Robertson said.
some pretty sadsack comments out there.
so this is the vision, and we can judge the party by how the policy platform stacks up against it.
as a vision I like it. I can’t think.of anything he’s left out.
Blairites vs Corbynites.
Labour has to be either one or the other otherwise they’ll never be successful, I think that’s Andrew Little most important job, get rid of the Corbynites otherwise they’ll destroy the party.
ABC.
Anyone but Corbynites.
Well said.
When I listen to Bernie Sanders, he just says No to TPPA…. No messing around with 5 bottom lines (which is just plain confusing and vague).
Oh hey. Someone saying what I said.
Labour doesn’t have any “Corbynites”. What it does have are a fair number of members who see the need for an alternative to the New Right status quo and most of its power holders (caucus and officials) committed to maintaining it. This is what hollowed-out democracy looks like in reality.
really labour is the only party where the members get a vote to elect the leader
not national, not nz first ,not the greens , and changes made at 2012 conference mean a Rodger Douglas neoliberal wanker can never hijack the party ever again they will be removed by the governing council by deselection
What labour need to do is to win the next election as a left wing party.
If they cant get at 40 % of the vote, nz will continue with trickle down economics, will continue to ignore climate change, and will continue with all the big brother stuff.
When i hear bernie sanders i hear someone who beleives what he is saying, wants things to get better for everyone, and understands normal people.
Weres our bernie sanders.