A encomium for Nanaia Mahuta

Written By: - Date published: 8:27 am, October 24th, 2014 - 62 comments
Categories: Nanaia Mahuta - Tags:

Voting papers for the Labour Party leadership election have gone out, and I know a lot of people have already voted. Still, I think it’s worth placing on record why I’m backing Nanaia Mahuta.

I know Nanaia reasonably well, having worked with her at a regional level in the Labour Party. The things I like most about her are her level-headedness, the way she can grasp complex problems and find solutions, her ability to connect with everyone, her ability to stay positive and focused and to find a way through. All of these are skills that are desperately needed in the Party right now.

While the focus of many remains on the electability of the caucus leader in the wider public arena, that becomes irrelevant while the Party itself remains divided. The main focus right now should be on healing rifts, dealing to those who refuse to adhere to caucus discipline and who fight their battles via the media rather than within the Party.

The Party needs a leader who is willing to respect the membership and to listen. A leader willing to promote democracy within the Party, and to allow more participation by members so that they are engaged and enthusiastic about what the Party is doing. Nanaia was one of the members who organised the constitutional review which lead to Party members being allowed to vote for the caucus leader. She carried out her duties in that review in an incredibly competent way, travelling the length of the country and gathering some sound proposals from the many, diverse points of view that were put forward.

Once we fix the issues within the Party, once we have activists focused on the opposition rather than each other, then they will support, promote, and where required, defend the leader. Someone who is able to deliver on bringing the Party together around a common vision is also someone who will be seen by the wider voting public as a credible leader. There’s no doubt about it. And there is also no doubt in my mind that Nanaia is the best person to be doing that work. She is well respected in the Party, in her electorate, in her region, and across various sectors of the Party.

Aside from the work she has done within the Party, Nanaia has experience as a member of Cabinet, experience as a long-serving MP who has looked after her constituents and has succeeded in some rather turbulent times. For me, one of the strongest steps she took was to run as an electorate-only candidate in the 2005 election, seeking a mandate from the people, after the Foreshore and Seabed legislation passed by the Labour Government. Throughout that whole unfortunate period, she kept her dignity and her mana, which showed in the election results. And the results since 2005 have shown that even when the Party’s vote has been declining, she has held her own and brought in positive results.

Update:

What we don’t see from Nanaia are the news-grabbing headlines, the theatrical performances, the nasty quips, the stunts to gain attention. But I don’t see that as a bad thing at all. It’s time we stopped being side-tracked by all those things, and gave some space to a leader who will talk about the issues in a way that places the spotlight on the issues, not on herself.

In terms of the basics, Nanaia is a great public speaker, a hard worker, a solid performer. She has managed to carry out her responsibilities as a caucus member, as a member of the constitutional review team and as Maori Vice-President while being a mother to two lovely young children. Often the latter isn’t seen as a strength or as experience that matters, in the way that a lot of women’s work is under-valued. But Nanaia is all about whanau and community, and I know she has a lot of support behind her enabling her to do the work that she does.

She’s also one to fight for the vulnerable, strong on protecting workers rights and creating a fairer society. I’ll be giving Nanaia my first preference because I trust her to deliver.

stargazer

lprent: Someone else didn’t give me a title. Goodie – where are the synonyms.. 😈

62 comments on “A encomium for Nanaia Mahuta ”

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  1. boldsirbrian 1
    24 October 2014 at 8:49 am

    .
    I’ve said so previously, and I continue to hold the view that Nanaia will bring a style of leadership that is more akin to the way the co leaders of the Greens operate. That on one level is not ‘exciting’, but the possibility of having such a leader IS very exciting.

    She brings mana and respect to the job. She will get things done, not by being autocratic, but by fostering a team culture that we see in groups such as the All Blacks and Silver Ferns.

    She has the best prospects for being a unifying force; She is passionate about Labour ideas. She will be a worthy opponent to John Key. Most importantly she will foster pride in New Zealand, when she becomes Prime Minister.

    This is the essence of why I will be backing Nanaia Mahuta for leader.

  2. Tom Gould 2
    24 October 2014 at 8:53 am

    An anonymous candidate endorsement? This must be a first.

    [lprent: *sigh* Don’t be a complete dickhead.

    stargazer is a well known personality on the local nets. She authors on several sites. Personally I’ve never found it useful to know who people are in real life. I’m interested in their opinions. Clearly you appear to want to have some idea of who to attack in their real life. Not acceptable I’m afraid.

    You don’t set the rules about what is acceptable behavior or not on the net. That is done by site operators. You certainly do not set them on this site.

    Banned 1 week for net stupidity and continuing to waste my time because you are too lazy to read our policy and about.

    Use it to read our policy about handles, pseudonyms, privacy and trying to tell us what to do on our site. If you want to make the rules, then start your own part of the net and build your audience.

    You will find an explanation about why we use pseudonyms in the about. It is the same reason why they have been used on net since we started creating it with 300 baud modems decades ago.

    It is clear that you have not managed to read either to date. ]

    • Chooky 2.1
      24 October 2014 at 9:11 am

      @ Tom Gould…probably someone very important like Sandra Lee, who has already endorsed Mahuta …or another Maori Leader ….or Pakeha Leader ..or woman Leader ….or leading academic …or someone high up in the Labour Party, or formerly a leader of the Labour party …who does not want undue influence due to their name

      I can think of many who would want their words of endorsement to carry more weight than their name …ie patronage by association ( modest and with integrity …like Mahuta herself…can you think of someone like this who would endorse Mahuta?…inwhich case you would have a clue )

    • mickysavage 2.2
      24 October 2014 at 9:15 am

      Stargazer is a well known blogger.

      Besides you should address the substance of her comments.

    • wekarawshark 2.3
      24 October 2014 at 9:21 am

      “An anonymous candidate endorsement? This must be a first.”

      Stargazer isn’t anonymous. I know her from a number of places on the internet, including ts. If you don’t know who she is, then the intelligent thing would be to ask. By know who she is, I’m talking about stargazer, not her RL identity (hint, it’s against ts rules to speculate onsite about that).

      You should also read up on the differences between online pseudonyms and anonymous. And then realise that the standard moderators/admin don’t usually allow anonymous commenting or posting, unlike say the Herald and other press that regularly publish anonymous editorials.

      edit, snap micky (very succint!)

  3. Chooky 3
    24 October 2014 at 9:06 am

    +100 boldsirbrian…add to this

    1.) she will not be easily attacked by black ops right wing PR merchants or mediocre lazy msm journalists who unthinking accept the black PR ops lines and repeat them ( without it backfiring on them as racist and sexist)

    2.) …she is highly intelligent ( she does not shoot her mouth off ! …or shoot herself in the foot !….after blindly tripping over her own ego and flailing ambitions)

    3.) she will draw in the NZ women and Maori vote ( over 50% of the NZ electorate and NZ workers and the working class )

    4.) she works quietly and cooperatively but with vision ….she is intelligently and ‘statesman’ like for the common good of all New Zealanders ( cf Norman Kirk)

    5.) she has the best chance of coordinating an inclusive Left party alliance for a cooperative WIN against John Key Nactional at the next general election!

    GO MANAIA MAHUTA!

    • left for deadshark 3.1
      24 October 2014 at 10:46 am

      I like the cut of her jib,an I get to meet her next week.
      signed,male pakeha unionist

      • Colonial Rawshark 3.1.1
        24 October 2014 at 3:59 pm

        Likewise I am looking forward to seeing her as the hustings head down south. I’ve only had one good chat to her (and that was well before this leadership palava) but she impressed me even then.

        Nanaia is smart, sensible, solid. And not a showboat.

  4. Not a PS Shark Sashimi 4
    24 October 2014 at 9:08 am

    encomium? I had to look it up!

    noun formal
    a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.
    synonyms: eulogy, speech of praise, panegyric, paean, accolade, tribute, testimonial, compliment

  5. fisiani 5
    24 October 2014 at 9:09 am

    Such a warm penegyric for the candidate. She obviously warms the cockles of the loyalists but I suspect she does not have the support of caucus or the unions. A worthy deputy surely.

    • boldsirbrian 5.1
      24 October 2014 at 10:17 am

      @ fisiani (5)

      It’s hard to judge whether the caucus and/or the unions will consider Nanaia Mahuta a serious candidate. She says strongly that she is not in the race to become deputy. It’s a serious bid.

      If factions are indeed deeply rooted, she has the possibility of being a very acceptable ‘left’ caucus alternative to the caucus supposed ‘right’ preference. It will be interesting how this plays out. The long election campaign is a positive for Nanaia’s chances.

    • Tracey 5.2
      25 October 2014 at 4:13 pm

      based on what do you state that caucus and unions dont support her

  6. Clemgeopin 6
    24 October 2014 at 9:12 am

    “For me, one of the strongest steps she took was to run as an electorate-only candidate in the 2005 election, seeking a mandate from the people, after the Foreshore and Seabed legislation passed by the Labour Government. Throughout that whole unfortunate period, she kept her dignity and her mana, which showed in the election results”

    That shows courage, confidence and belief in oneself which I value very highly in a leader. I think the general population will also warm to her when they get to know her character, intelligence, honesty and straight up-no-BS ways. My first preference will almost certainly be her. It is the subsequent preferences that i am finding a little difficult, especially between Parker and Little for various reasons.

  7. dave brown 7
    24 October 2014 at 9:21 am

    Tom
    Anonymous?
    Perhaps that’s because for some of us the argument should not be confused with our flamboyant personalities.
    Join the GO NANAIA MAHUTA SUPPORTERS CLUB
    stargazer/boldsirbrian/Chooky/dave brown/ et al/ for Nanaia

  8. wekarawshark 8
    24 October 2014 at 9:26 am

    thanks stargazer. The more I hear about Nanaia the more I see an emotional and social intelligence shining through that is missing from the other candidates (and many in politics to be honest).

    While the focus of many remains on the electability of the caucus leader in the wider public arena, that becomes irrelevant while the Party itself remains divided. The main focus right now should be on healing rifts, dealing to those who refuse to adhere to caucus discipline and who fight their battles via the media rather than within the Party.

    I really like this, because it’s about relationship building not false, enforced unity. It also says she’s not afraid to deal with people who won’t sort their shit out. From the outside, this is exactly what Labour needs to be focussing on.

    • seeker 8.1
      24 October 2014 at 3:44 pm

      “….I see an emotional and social intelligence shining through that is missing from the other candidates (and many in politics to be honest).”

      Very well put weka, thankyou. I too see this and will use my member’s vote after all as Nanaia represents the spirit of the party I have always voted for, but was about to leave for the first time after the recent behaviour of senior MPs like Shearer, Cosgrove, Parker and Robinson.

  9. Dorothy 9
    24 October 2014 at 9:54 am

    …..she does not shoot her mouth off…..or shoot herself in the foot
    …..after blindly tripping over her own ego.

    Good observations Chooky, she is my NO. 1 too.
    Nanaia is not a ” show off” just substance,
    in this regard I think that she would pose a challenge for John Key who seems to be lining up Paula Bennett
    to be a future leader, Nanaia has way more mana.

  10. stargazer 10
    24 October 2014 at 10:02 am

    ok, sorry for not providing a title, forgot all about it late last night when i wrote this.
    i see that there are a couple of paragraphs missing – perhaps there was a word limit? i’ll put them here but would appreciate them being added to the main post.

    What we don’t see from Nanaia are the news-grabbing headlines, the theatrical performances, the nasty quips, the stunts to gain attention. But I don’t see that as a bad thing at all. It’s time we stopped being side-tracked by all those things, and gave some space to a leader who will talk about the issues in a way that places the spotlight on the issues, not on herself.

    In terms of the basics, Nanaia is a great public speaker, a hard worker, a solid performer. She has managed to carry out her responsibilities as a caucus member, as a member of the constitutional review team and as Maori Vice-President while being a mother to two lovely young children. Often the latter isn’t seen as a strength or as experience that matters, in the way that a lot of women’s work is under-valued. But Nanaia is all about whanau and community, and I know she has a lot of support behind her enabling her to do the work that she does.

    She’s also one to fight for the vulnerable, strong on protecting workers rights and creating a fairer society. I’ll be giving Nanaia my first preference because I trust her to deliver.

    [karol: done]

  11. les 11
    24 October 2014 at 10:05 am

    possible deputy,as leader ,only if permanent opposition is acceptable.

    • Clemgeopin 11.1
      24 October 2014 at 12:02 pm

      What are your reasons for holding that view?

      • les 11.1.1
        25 October 2014 at 10:01 am

        the reasons are very shallow…unfortunately voters are shallow….Bill Rowling was a good bloke with good integrity,ideals,morals…they are not important …the evidence is overwhelming..look at the present P.M!

        • Clemgeopin 11.1.1.1
          25 October 2014 at 2:12 pm

          What you are saying is that we should first second guess how the population may vote. I think that would be an error. We should simply vote on the basis of who will be the best under the circumstances for Labour, its values, principles and policies. If we second guess stuff that is not in our control and which we can not predict accurately, then people like B.Hussein Obama and H. Elizabeth Clark would probably not have been allowed to stand for the top position of power at all. So, no, if you like Nanaia Mahuta, then simply give her your first preference, have no such misgivings and don’t second guess other unknown matters. If we choose the leader for the right unprejudiced fair reasons, then the chances are that most of the the general public will too.

  12. Dorothy 12
    24 October 2014 at 10:06 am

    Should the title for this story be……. An encomium for Nanaia Mahuta ?

    • lprent 12.1
      24 October 2014 at 1:34 pm

      Probably, however I put it up in a *real* hurry after ordering a taxi and waiting for it to arrive. Real English was less on my mind than anxiously watching the GPS of the taxi as it was approaching the apartment while tagging the post..

      From the update above, it looks like I screwed up on the copy paste.

  13. greywarshark 13
    24 October 2014 at 10:15 am

    Nanaia certainly sounds good on reading stargazers summary. Would Little be able to work collegially with a woman, be helpful and advance his ideas to assist her as well as hers to assist her, and argue fairly to advance his own ideas if he considers them better? Is he a unionist who respects and likes women and can accept interchange of ideas, that he won’t always win?

    • wekarawshark 13.1
      24 October 2014 at 10:20 am

      good questions.

      • greywarshark 13.1.1
        24 October 2014 at 10:37 am

        Thanx So many questions from ‘Bewildered and Confused’… so many confusing answers….

    • Tracey 13.2
      25 October 2014 at 4:17 pm

      will they paint her as they tried to with turei, using her “noble” background against her…

      part of me hopes they do cos i think it didnt work against turei cos of how she responded

  14. wekarawshark 14
    24 October 2014 at 10:38 am

    Stargazer, do you know where Mahuta stands on Labour’s relationship with coalition partners, esp Mana or IMP?

    • stargazer 14.1
      24 October 2014 at 10:50 am

      haven’t heard anything specific on her about that. i don’t expect she would comment on them in election year. if you go back & watch her debate on maori television for the hauraki-waikato electorate, her message was pretty clearly focused: only a party-vote for labour would guarantee a change of government. she wouldn’t want to be diluting that message by referring to other parties, particularly in a contest for the maori seats.

      • wekarawshark 14.1.1
        24 October 2014 at 10:58 am

        Nothing wrong with Labour MPs campaigning hard on the party vote. Big problem for Labour and the Labour leader to not build relationships with coalition partners and let voters know what those relationships are. Unless one believes that Labour can govern alone.

        • stargazer 14.1.1.1
          24 October 2014 at 11:02 am

          yes, but in the context of winning the maori seats, to admit possibility of coalition with another maori-based party will immediately see a loss of the party vote in those seats. that’s the dilemma for labour.

          • greywarshark 14.1.1.1.1
            24 October 2014 at 12:04 pm

            It could be covered by the leader saying that Labour would in future think and act strategically to maximise the left vote, noting that there was no intention of doing anything to diminish the support for other parties.

          • marty mars 14.1.1.1.2
            24 October 2014 at 12:16 pm

            I’m not sure if I’d call labour a “maori-based party”.

            Māori have given the seats to labour and time will tell if that was wise.

            Nanaia certainly stands out in the current crop of aspiring leaders – I wish them all good luck and I hope they can get labour sorted.

          • boldsirbrian 14.1.1.1.3
            24 October 2014 at 12:40 pm

            .
            @stargazer (14.1.1.1)

            It was only a dilemma for Labour in that they were actively competing with potential coalition partners and not cooperating with them.

            Labour only need to look at the result in Epsom, to understand how the Maori seats could really work for a Left Coalition. Labour have even had their own history of such an arrangement, with Jim Anderton.

            As long as Labour keep thinking about MMP as a dilemma, they will be consigned to be in the opposition.

  15. AmaKiwi 15
    24 October 2014 at 10:41 am

    @ stargazer

    “While the focus of many remains on the electability of the caucus leader in the wider public arena, that becomes irrelevant while the Party itself remains divided.”

    I am undecided between 3 of the candidates including Nanaia.

    2 years before he launched his campaign for the presidency, Obama was as unknown as Nanaia is today. So I do not rule her out on that basis. I would like you to convince me she is electable.

    • stargazer 15.1
      24 October 2014 at 10:47 am

      that was my point: anyone who is seen as having brought the party together will be electable. and based on how i’ve seen her perform within the party, as compared to the other 3 candidates who i’ve aslo dealt with, i really believe she’s the best person to achieve that.

  16. Shona 16
    24 October 2014 at 11:02 am

    Apart from the reasons stated by stargazer( dignity, integrity, work ethic ,deep intellect , mana) she is the only candidate who didn’t stab Cunliffe in the back or pull the rug from under him during the campaign . So she gets my vote.

    • Clemgeopin 16.1
      24 October 2014 at 12:20 pm

      Also she was unlike many in the caucus that belittled Cunliffe in private as well as in publicly in the media and put tremendous pressure on him to resign straight after the election,….before even a couple of sleeps….and kind of even before the voting ink on the ballot paper had completely dried up…..The case of the hurrying knifers.

      We need Nanaia Mahuta to help them all change their wicked worrying ways.

    • stargazer 16.2
      24 October 2014 at 1:17 pm

      and she didn’t do that to david shearer either, when he was leader. she just carried on with her work, did the review & came up with some solid recommendations to put to the party. that’s the thing with nanaia, you don’t see her undermining people.

    • Cave Johnson 16.3
      24 October 2014 at 4:51 pm

      @Shona “she is the only candidate who didn’t stab Cunliffe in the back or pull the rug from under him during the campaign”
      .
      Surely if DC believed that Little had done then he wouldn’t have endorsed him?

  17. Craig Glen Eden 17
    24 October 2014 at 11:10 am

    I agree with stargazer on the merits of Nania’s bid to be Labour leader. Nania in my view is just what Labour needs to take us forward. As a Labour Party member I have watched her operate for some years she is not unlike Parakura Horomia in that she does not seek the media attention and has strong values while being very down to earth, her Mana is also very tangible. I would be proud to have her as Labour’s leader. Im voting for Nania as my number one choice because I believe this woman has proven herself at so many levels. Signed Another past union official, Labour Party european male.Some may even say, heaven for bid a “Waitakere Man”.

  18. Cave Johnson 18
    24 October 2014 at 4:48 pm

    “Nanaia is a great public speaker, a hard worker, a solid performer.”
    Sounds like a good MP.
    How would other MPs feel about following her as leader?
    Highly ambitious people need to see that the leader has a very high level of confidence and comfort in that role or they will see it as weakness and their instincts will be to undermine rather than to follow.
    Does she really have the same level of personal confidence that we see in the other three? or is she better suited to the role of deputy?
    I’ll be interested in the reports from the hustings.

    • stargazer 18.1
      24 October 2014 at 9:22 pm

      “How would other MPs feel about following her as leader?”

      see, this is the thing that really bothers me. it’s time for MPs to really change their mindset. they follow whoever is selected through this process. if they can’t commit to that, resign from parliament & go do something else.

      • Colonial Rawshark 18.1.1
        24 October 2014 at 9:26 pm

        Most of them have nothing to go to, and the Labour Party (and its remaining connections) cannot provide them with the lifestyles that they have become accustomed to.

        • Murray Rawshark 18.1.1.1
          25 October 2014 at 2:00 am

          And they sit on the opposition benches, letting NAct make more and more of us have nothing to go to. Then why they get into administration, they do things 98% the same.

  19. Dex 19
    24 October 2014 at 5:05 pm

    [deleted]

    [lprent: Probably defamatory about legal act, and no proof. Permanently banned for putting this site at risk. ]

  20. sansa 20
    25 October 2014 at 3:48 pm

    Not sure why you banned him its public knowledge and has been in the herald

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3538081

    If you look at her bio she’s now married to the guy.

    How’s it defamatory?

    [lprent: *sigh*

    1. The ban was for the fools behaviour in *how* they left the comment.
    2. The fool didn’t give us a link to check whatever it was that he was asserting. Do you expect us to read every newspaper article, particularly one from more than a decade in the past?
    3. Several of the “facts” that were in the comment was incorrect anyway from the link you have provided.
    4. The fool expected us to carry the risk for their legal stupidity. I’m not willing to have a prurient fuckwit to expose us to an unknown legal liability.
    5. They looked exactly like a troll spinning a astroturfing line – a behaviour we don’t reward. The characteristic was that they didn’t even bother to explain why this was relevant to the debate. We’re interested in in peoples opinions. That means they have to explain their opinions. This jerkoff did not.

    If someone wants to bring something to public attention in these pages that involves an assertion of facts on a subject that may be defamatory, then it is up to them to provide the backing for the facts. Not to leave a comment that potentially misinforms on those facts and leaves us liable for their statements.

    To not do so gets an immediate permanent ban. And this fool can stay banned. My presumption is that if they do it once then they will try to cause this site similar problems in the future. Stamping out damn fools online like this is one of the pleasures in running this site.

    Off hand and without bothering to think about it, if she is married to the guy then clearly it is a legal relationship. There are many ways that someone can be a “first cousin” and still be completely within the legal bounds. It is a legal limitation based of a genetic relationship.

    So what exactly was this cretin’s (and your) reason for for raising it? From the information that you have provided, I suspect that there is none except to display that both of you have a poor understanding of the law and genetics. Perhaps you should establish why that isn’t the case. The onus is completely on you and your comrade is moralistic stupidity.

    If you want to make an issue about it, then I’ll happily ban you as well. See the section of the policy about trying to tell us how to run our site and wasting moderators time. ]

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