Archive for November, 2013

While Labour Burns Bright…

Written By: - Date published: 3:20 pm, November 3rd, 2013 - 47 comments

While some hold that the Labour Party conference being held this weekend could mark a watershed in NZ politics, something else that might constitute a somewhat more marked watershed is happening across the Pacific.

Insurance Council goes Galt

Written By: - Date published: 1:34 pm, November 3rd, 2013 - 62 comments

Well that didn’t take long. The Insurance Council has come out attacking Labour for KiwiAssure. Which is odd really, given the claim that there’s already a competitive market. You’d have thought they would welcome a new member to the industry. Wouldn’t you? Or alternatively, they’ve been making big money at the expense of all of […]

Video of David Cunliffe’s speech to the 2013 Labour Conference

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 22 comments

David Cunliffe’s speech is now on youtube.  Enjoy …

“The purists can weep”

Written By: - Date published: 9:11 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 105 comments

Labour’s new KiwiAssure policy has been welcomed by John Armstrong as good politics. And it is. But it’s also good policy – at the same time we’ve got a government hell bent on making sure electricity profits flow to overseas investors, David Cunliffe’s policy is about giving Kiwi’s the ability to ensure that any money made from their insurance stays in the country and pays for hospitals, schools, and New Zealanders’ retirement.

Kiwiassure

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 87 comments

David Cunliffe announced yesterday Labour’s intention when it becomes Government to set up Kiwiassure, a NZ Post Insurance Company that will go in direct competition with the Australian owned insurance companies that dominate the local market.  And today there is talk about an announcement on affordable housing.

“A Tale of two countries” – NZ/Aotearoa

Written By: - Date published: 8:11 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 81 comments

Yesterday David Cunliffe told a Tale of Two New Zealands.  Today 2 NZ Herald articles show where NZ has gone wrong with its fractured and increasingly unequal society: our ailing state supported TVNZ; a high-living property-buying elite.  Will Cunliffe talk about state housing today?

Open Mike 03/11/13

Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 161 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…

Take us this day our daily statins

Written By: - Date published: 3:53 pm, November 2nd, 2013 - 11 comments

Reflecting on the generational changes of the Labour party membership, it isn’t hard to see why the more elderly have problems with such large changes. But after all not all of the population are dependent on their daily statins like me. Some of them are interested in if their kids will grow up to have jobs and will stay in this country.

David Cunliffe Speech to 2013 Labour Party Conference – Building a future for all

Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, November 2nd, 2013 - 142 comments

David Cunliffe’s speech notes for his speech to today’s Labour Party Conference

The prescient oracle

Written By: - Date published: 11:38 am, November 2nd, 2013 - 13 comments

IrishBill

Over the last year or two, our prescient oracle Irishbill has been writing posts on need for the Labour party to make themselves relevant. As the number of regular lurkers on this site are somewhat larger than the number of members of the NZLP, I suspect that he has done more than his share in assisting the doubling of the size of the party.

Labour conference 2013 – day two

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, November 2nd, 2013 - 30 comments

The social was rather packed last night. Unlike the 2012 conference where I started optimistic and wound up as depressed the following day after an evening where caucus members were chasing voting delegates around a nearly empty social. This was followed by a incredibly silly set of stories from caucus asserting that a vote about how […]

John Armstrong is labouring under a reality delusion

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, November 2nd, 2013 - 91 comments

John Armstrong’s column in this morning’s Herald is an interesting collection of ideas.  Apparently David Cunliffe is too left yet too wishy-washy, a remit that was voted down is offered as evidence that the party is “lurching” to the left, and the party is too boring.  And he decries the lack of new material before David Cunliffe has given his keynote speech.  Don’t you think you should wait for the speech first John?

Open Mike 02/11/13

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 am, November 2nd, 2013 - 53 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…

Shedding the deadwood

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, November 1st, 2013 - 48 comments

The resignation announcements of National MPs are coming thick and fast. It shows that National knows that it’s going to have fewer MPs are the next election. If it doesn’t want all its seats clogged with MPs that are going nowhere, they need to retire at the election. For the Left, it’s good confirmation that National knows its losing. It’s smart politics from National, though, and something Labour could emulate.

Labour conference 2013 – day one

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, November 1st, 2013 - 54 comments

Well I made it down to Christchurch to cover the Labour party conference for The Standard. While I’ll probably run out a few posts while I’m here, I figure that I’ll write a post per day for the more general discussion and impressions. Plus do that actual “blogging” of my experiences.

From the Thick of It to Borgen

Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, November 1st, 2013 - 109 comments

A Guest Post by Ad.  He poses the question, is Labour willing to enter into a smart MMP relationship with the Green Party or is it still stuck in FPP culture?

The test

Written By: - Date published: 7:46 am, November 1st, 2013 - 114 comments

Fairfax has decided to go a bit mental on Labour and Cunliffe. An endless stream of stories trying to tweak Cunliffe’s nose over every little thing. Part of this is covering the embarrassment of their own rogue poll. More importantly, it’s a test that all new leaders get. The wave of hypercritical stories don’t mean much in themselves, how Cunliffe’s Labour responds does.

Open Mike 01/11/13

Written By: - Date published: 7:42 am, November 1st, 2013 - 82 comments

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy). Step right up to the mike…