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notices and features - Date published:
8:38 pm, March 30th, 2025 - 17 comments
Categories: Left, uncategorized -
Tags: BHN, Pat Brittenden
Replay on Youtube below.
Samah Huriwai-Seger / Aotearoa Liberation League
Craig Renney
With special guest, Hon Kieran McAnulty
Hosted by Pat Brittenden
First video is the 2 minute outro from Pat Brittenden talking about what the left can do to get leftist ideas and information out there:
Second vid is the full replay from Sunday night:
NZ Parliament sitting where Labour's Kieran McAnulty implores the Coalition government to stop deceiving Kiwis, and Winston Peters and Louise Upton both get fired up. Meanwhile, Casey Costello still doesn't know who wrote her tobacco Ministerial papers.
We’ve listened to the feedback from Local Government and today we’re announcing our new regionally-led plan to guarantee New Zealanders affordable water, for generations to come. - Labour
Kieran McAnulty's points are fair and important - so why is media ignoring most of them? Also - Labour delivered 14,000 homes in government - so why is Chris Bishop blowing that trajectory up?
this was a great watch, lots of excellent debate. Quite a bit of time on Tamatha Paul's statements and the responses in the past week, including from Labour. Good to see Samah Huriwai-Seger speaking up strongly about Labour, and Kieran McAnulty taking it in his stride. Really good wrangling with the need for more leftism, but acknowledging the wins that Labour could get. Lots of discussion about working class needs and situation. A relief to see solid left wing kōrero, and lefties disagreeing but being on the same side.
McAnulty able to listen and acknowledge differing perspectives, Samah Huriwai-Seger claiming that Labour isn't Left and isn't even Left allied. Pretty difficult to work with her, with that attitude. Although, AFAIK, she isn't a politician or an aspirant politician.
lots of people think Labour aren't left, that's not unusual in leftist circles. Her purpose there was to present the radical perspective. I thought they all took it well, acknowledging her points, often agreeing, sometimes disagreeing and saying so. That was them working with her. Refreshing.
She's not a politician so she is much more free to say things. I bet there are Labour MPs that agree with at least some of what she is saying.
The thing I liked about it was that she got to say that, and then the rest got to talk political pragmatism. We need both. It's how parliamentary politics is held to account.
I thought it was really unfortunate that McAnulty had to leave part-way through. The latter part seemed a lot less balanced.
one person's less balanced is another person's leftie talk
I'd like to see more of KM. I think he is on BHN sometimes.
Thanks Weka
I was thinking of you Patricia while I was watching, the thing about actually Labour have done good things that you keep reminding people here of. There was also a level of respect between all the people speaking that we don't often see on TS, the willingness to listen and acknowledge what other people are saying even if we go on to disagree. Possible a different in format (how we talk on TS isn't how we would talk in real life), but also culture and intent. I would prefer TS it be more like that, and it does happen at times, more so in the past when the debate culture here was at its heyday.
Content is good, but the format is unprofessional. The show looks like a guy with a beard in a shed with his cheap liquor on a shelf behind him talking to his mates staring down at their laptops. Honestly it looks like a bunch of gamers talking about their quest.
Here are some hints around production. None of this need be expensive.
The host needs to be a relatable polymath.
Have a script.
Get a decent studio – a green screen is fine.
Spend a few shekels on proper lighting and sound.
Have a post-production suite and get the whole show packaged for spotify and the best sound bites on TikTok, bluesky, X and insta all within 24 hours.
Be upbeat. If you don't love your show then your viewers sure as hell won't.
Create a predictable release schedule and stick to it.
Create a welcoming and warm tagline to intro and exit the show – "Good evening and hello! As always, we've got a great show for you tonight <insert short intro of show>"
Then close out something like "You've been awesome, see you on Wednesday, good night and God bless!"
Shamelessly push sponsors, merch, Patreon and your contributors' substacks along with subscriptions. Give Patreon viewers bonus content and privileged access. Flood the zone with sweet smelling leftist content.
In other words, if we want to get serious about messaging we've got to get serious about professionally presenting it to a general audience.
Mate get in there and make it happen. Bring the magic.
This. The more voices the better. And more formats and styles.
Discussing Big Hairy News (the left-leaning channel produced by Pat), he has worked in professional radio since the 2000s, and his co-commentator Chewie ran a collective radio station in Dunedin for 5 years. The surroundings aren't fancy, but Pat has excellent sound equipment, and moreover, he and Chewie know how to keep the momentum up in the 60-90 min NZ political news show they front 4 nights a week.
Pat creates excellent clips of politicians from a range of NZ TV media for discussion, and also puts effort into summary clips from the topics they put up each night. Big Hairy News also interviews politicians and commentators in-depth, where bigger media only interested in sound bites can be sideline them. or neuter their message.
As far as I'm concerned, for a 2-3 person part-time, essentially not-for profit operation, delivers for the NZ left-wing in spades. BHN is most popular with younger men, an important section of society courted by rw SM (and, I hardly need to guess, not your demographic). Content, not surroundings is important.
I haven't watched BHN right through many times, but the NZLC one last night was very easy to stay engaged with and I think it's to do with the hosting. I don't mind the low end look, and I like that the panel feel free to turn up how they are and can come and go. Pat does a good job of facilitating, and I found the mix of radical and centre left debate excellent.
… delivers for the NZ left-wing in spades …
Delivers for or to? There's a crucial difference. I'm sure you mean the former, though.
It was noted in the program that the greens are failing to get their messages across in sth Auckland…
This has been a problem for the greens since day one…(and is surprising because so many green policies should resonate in sth Auckland ..)
I have a cheap and cheerful idea/suggestion on how to make that better..
The party should get a stall at otara markets…and have green mps rotating through it ..a different one each week…
..the publicity for the party/the ideas will be great .. especially for the small effort/cost involved ..
The punters will love being able to see/meet/talk with the green mps…who will be able to push/explain/answer questions on the policies/green ideas..
It will also be great training for the mps…they get to practice/hone their skills…
What's not to love…?
"(and is surprising because so many green policies should resonate in sth Auckland ..)"
Umm I don't know so much. The 'social justice' contingent might have a hard time making in roads with a socially conservative, church attending constituency.
I was thinking more of the economic policies…
Hey, for sure.
It would be great if we could vote split.
Tick Greens for environmental, TPM for economic, NZ1st for infrastructure…