Written By:
Anthony R0bins - Date published:
6:30 am, August 2nd, 2017 - 119 comments
Categories: election 2017, jacinda ardern, labour, leadership -
Tags: election 2017, jacinda ardern, labour, labour leader, leadership
Changing leaders this close to an election was a political gamble for Labour, but it has already paid off. The commentary is almost universally positive, the reviews for Ardern are glowing, due in no small part to her excellent press conference (watch it if you haven’t already). Donations are flowing in. Activists are energised and people are talking.
Update: Kelvin Davis just said on Morning Report that since the leadership change Labour have received more than $110,000 in small donations, and 600 new volunteers.
Here’s a roundup of the reaction:
Why Jacinda is the answer and Andrew didn’t understand the question
Ardern came out for her own announcement wearing a face brimming with determination and gravitas. She paid homage to Little, talked of the immensity of the task before her and then cracked on with the grins and laughs. She fielded every question with assurance. She made jokes. Manifestly, she was enjoying herself. She deferred to new deputy Kelvin Davis on questions relating directly to Maori, and when those questions came in te reo he answered in te reo. This was Ardern & Davis: The New Beginning. And how.
Ardern’s top-of-mind issues (literally, the things she mentioned immediately when asked), were “health, mental health, water quality, housing, education”. That’s an on-message list. She stayed on message when asked about other parties, talking only about what Labour offers and refusing to discuss coalition deals or anything else about the others. She reduced the assembled hacks of the press gallery to laughter, several times. She reduced ol’ hatchet man Paddy Gower to something you might almost call adulation. Imagine what that takes.
Maybe she won’t keep it up. We shall see. But what a way to start.
Patrick Gower: Jacinda’s on fire, National should be frightened
Powerful, composed, eloquent – and actually quite funny. Those are the words that sum up Jacinda Ardern’s first press conference as Labour leader. And the word that must sum up National’s feelings right now – frightened.
The latest Newshub-Reid Research poll was disastrous for Labour – but it was also bad for National, who cannot get a Government together without Winston Peters. Fifty-two percent of the vote in the poll is going to ‘change the Government’ parties. The change vote is there. Now there is Ardern – a fresh, 37-year-old woman running the show to chase it.
Cometh the hour, cometh Jacinda
In a new Newshub poll, she is back ahead of Little in preferred Prime Minister ratings in polls, and would knock off New Zealand First’s Winston Peters with little effort if made leader. She matches Peters too, in being familiarly known by her first name — and being able to flash a smile that could burst a ballot box.
Jacinda vs the media – a tale in two acts
New Labour leader Jacinda Ardern gave a near flawless performance at her first big press conference. So good that her colleague Trevor Mallard called it a cross between Helen Clark’s policy depth and David Lange’s wit. Newshub’s Patrick Gower declared her “on fire”.
One press conference does not an election campaign make. But when it was over, I received a text from a non-partisan, usually unimpressionable observer at Parliament. It read: “Shit, she’s good. English might be in trouble here.”
Patrick Gower: Ardern could capitalise on the mood for change
Jacinda Ardern represents one thing that Bill English and National never can – change.
And if you can harness change, it is one one of the most powerful political weapons there is.
Bill English will go for “strong and stable”, casting Ardern as risky.
But the reality is he is also quite boring – and she is exciting.
The mood for change is strong. “We’re not going to come out of this election with 24 percent,” Ardern says. “There will nothing blanc-mange about this campaign.” That means it won’t be beige or insipid… she certainly isn’t.
And she can be firey too, asking a reporter “Would you like to tell me why you don’t think I can?” The question was about leading a three-way coalition involving the Greens and Winston Peters.
Jacinda Ardern and Kelvin Davis: why this is terrible for Labour, and why it is brilliant
It is brilliant because in her first press conference as leader, Ardern (and Davis) radiated a brightness that has been absent under Little. Their debut appearance could hardly have gone better: Ardern was firm, unflappable, and – critically – funny.
It is brilliant because Jacinda Ardern is Labour’s greatest hope, a potential breath of fresh air, a vital contrast with the grey familiarity of prime minister Bill English.
Jacinda Ardern’s plan to put a ‘different stamp’ on the Labour leadership
New deputy leader, Davis, is a Maori firebrand well known for his solid work in the Corrections portfolio, in particular highlighting allegations of fight clubs in prisons, which ultimately led to a private prison operator losing their contract and the then-Corrections Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga losing his job.
Ardern’s new role: ‘People’s Princess versus Dreary of Dipton’
Ardern’s popularity and charm currently fit the script our political drama writers have been pitching for some time: out with the old and dowdy, in with the young and funky, the people’s princess versus Dreary of Dipton.
‘They’ll be worried about her X-factor’ – Corin Dann says National will take notice of Ardern
(Video only)
Maori Party offers olive branch to Labour, who could vanquish them
The Maori Party has offered an olive branch to Labour’s new leader Jacinda Ardern, saying its members want it to work with Labour.
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox welcomed Ardern and Davis into the new roles. “It’s the best practical move they’ve made in the last three years. The polling results haven’t changed significantly, they could have made the decision earlier, but this is a positive decision,” Fox said.
Ardern’s verbal style: Huge, diverse and positive
Politicians don’t often get a moment in the sun, but new Labour leader Jacinda Ardern certainly took the limelight today.
A smiling Ardern’s choice of language focused on positive adjectives – ‘incredible’, ‘fortunate’ and phrases – ‘the campaign of our lives’.
Labour pins its hopes on a new top team that is a stark contrast to National’s
There is no doubt she presents a stark contrast with Bill English in every way that Little did not.
If nothing else Labour can console itself with one thing: It has got our attention.
Erasing Little from Labour: Billboard changes come with ‘a little bit of cost’
Kirton said, in addition to donations, new members signed up to the party on Tuesday.
“Jacinda has got a really positive aspirational message about fairness and making New Zealand better.
“Those are her values and we’re going to be thinking about how we’re going to run that campaign to express those values.
“We have the campaign of our lives now.”
Audrey Young: English v Ardern will electrify campaign
Jacinda Ardern has what the billboard promises: a fresh approach. She also has what they don’t promise – magnetism.
It was an incredibly confident and competent performance that showed she did not get where she is today on her good looks. She is serious about being an alternative Prime Minister and confident enough to joke about having a single malt with Winston Peters – a step up from Andrew Little’s description of him as a “blow hard” and “swinging dick”.
It is not inconceivable that Labour could be part of the next Government. The Newshub Reid Research poll gave New Zealand First, Labour and the Greens more support than National and its current support partners.
Jacinda Ardern wins the hearts of her hometown but can she win their party votes?
“Jacinda could well be the next Helen Clark.
“A lot of teachers will be voting Labour now, if talk in the staff room is anything to go by.”
Labour’s new leader Jacinda Ardern gets a warm welcome from voters
Jacinda Ardern has only been the new Labour leader for a matter of hours, but already voters seem to be warming to her.
The latest nzherald.co.nz poll asked if the new line-up of Jacinda Ardern as leader, and Kelvin Davis as deputy, would make readers more likely to vote Labour. Out of more than 5300 votes, 43 per cent said they would now consider switching their vote to Labour.
The reaction on Facebook was even stronger. A nzherald.co.nz Facebook post asked readers if they would vote for Labour now that Jacinda Ardern was leader. Of the 3700 people who responded, 2400 said they would now vote for her, or 65 per cent. Only 1000 said they wouldn’t vote for her, or 27 per cent.
Neither poll is scientific.
And finally in a shocking surprise endorsement: Jacinda Ardern’s mum ‘very proud’ of her rise to the top
Jacinda Ardern has the unanimous backing of her party but it’s not just Labour that’s proud of her meteoric rise.
Following the news of Ardern’s appointment on Tuesday, her mother Laurell Ardern told RNZ she was very proud of her daughter’s rise to the top. “I can’t quite believe it’s happened. I’m still coming to terms with it because she’s just gone from the deputy and just won the by-election in Mt Albert, and now this has happened.
Highlights from Twitter:
"After Ardern's conference, I received a text: 'Shit, she's good. English might be in trouble here'." 🗣 @tmurphyNZ https://t.co/KqSH6TFxoZ
— Newsroom (@NewsroomNZ) August 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/NewshubFeatures/status/892201923452874752
Like Winston, Jacinda can 'flash a smile that could burst a ballot box'…
— Tim Murphy (@tmurphyNZ) August 1, 2017
Labour has had more positive coverage in the past half hour than the past 12 months pic.twitter.com/kPb1msAcYc
— Chris Keall (@ChrisKeall) August 1, 2017
So many people who've never donated to a party b4 are telling me they've donated. Must be making @andykirton happy. https://t.co/yz72YguNTZ pic.twitter.com/cQmdPUAdSx
— Richard Hills (@RichardHills_) August 1, 2017
https://twitter.com/LizzieMarvelly/status/892281429823856642
https://twitter.com/NewshubFeatures/status/892288780610060288
https://twitter.com/_snozzberry_/status/892200769759305728
Friend says Jacinda was applauded by her flight and by people at Wellington airport this evening #nzpol
— Bennett ✉️ (@bennettLmorgan) August 1, 2017
Jacinda Ardern a winner, say Herald readers https://t.co/KlaRRCkiFi pic.twitter.com/JCC1TqWWCj
— nzherald (@nzherald) August 1, 2017
Politics hasn't caught the imagination of the front pages like this for a while. Soon we talk to @jacindaardern, @NgatiBird and @jamespeshaw pic.twitter.com/pM1653Hi1j
— Morning Report (@NZMorningReport) August 1, 2017
Have been underwater filming all day off Sunshine Coast, I miss anything? pic.twitter.com/GRONJ1uGZf
— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) August 1, 2017
Jacinda Ardern brings in $110,000 and 600 new volunteers for Labour https://t.co/HPMvnutGhW
— Stuff.co.nz Politics (@NZStuffPolitics) August 1, 2017
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The site will be off line for some hours.
Yesterday I was critical of Labour’s decision however in hindsight I believe it was a good decision especially with the elevation of Kelvin Davis to Deputy PM, the guy is educated intelligent and sincere.
Hopefully Labour can get the numbers to effect a change in Government, then the country has to set the reset button to begin the rebuild of the NZ Economy after 30-40 years of Neoliberalism, which has stripped the guts out of the country ?
Going from one of the top 5 countries in the OECD to number 26 or 27 in 30-40 years is not a good look ?
The current policy settings are about right. I don’t see any plans by Labour to change them, except for window dressing. (Remember Paul Keating and the “embroidery on the fabric of policy”?) He argued that his opponents really had no alternative and simply manufactured points of difference with the public around policy settings that are unimportant.
We don’t need a reset button. But there are some things that must change if we are to consolidate the benefits of our internationally competitive policies. Unfortunately I don’t see those in the Labour policy planks. Perhaps these could be revisited but how is there time to do that in the next 4 weeks? The best they could do would be to signal direction
The current policy settings are about right.
Which is why all the indicators that matter are getting worse. Poverty, inequality, homelessness, mental health, cruelty.
+ 1 Yep so true
The only point that sorry lands and National care about is that the rich are getting richer.
Sorry for the break in posts. To continue, there is no reset button needed but there are some blockages. Just take housing as an example.
Housing. Where to start. Need a comprehensive capital tax and root and branch changes to urban planning. Reduce house prices back to 2007 levels and compensate those who end up with negative equity. It would be worth it.
Reform rental laws to give renters security of tenure. Water quality.
+100%
Srylands. You’re a closet socialist?
damn, that closet’s so deep it goes to freaking Narnia…
What will a capital gains tax archive? What has it achieved anywhere it’s been tried?
Housingnisna supply and demand issue. Nothing more nothing less.
Reform the RMA for a start. Remove the hoops and crap developers have to go through. Make councils make it easier to develop land.
That’s how you help house prices come back – changing to 2007 levels would mean you’re giving huge amounts of money away, any coatings on that?
“Housingnisna supply and demand issue. ”
It’s highly unlikely that aggregate housing demand curves slope down because house price rises provide an investment return. In this situation the more supply the more income possible and the demand can rise as the price shoots up. Housing (and other investmentments) isn’t an asset class amenible to the assumptions needed to have supply and demand work in your favour.
“hoops and crap”
What specific clauses in the Resource Management Act would you repeal and/or replace?
Start with Section 5. Let’s hear your brighter fucktard (sp?).
Edit: to be clear: I’m done with hearing how obeying the law is inconvenient for you. You and the Mongrel Mob.
CGT is a step in the right direction but I like Gareth Morgan’s CCIT proposal better. It works for the Netherlands…
http://www.interest.co.nz/property/81975/gareth-morgan-presents-fresh-case-taxing-capital-and-foreign-entities-residential
Like hell!
Stupid android.
Other areas of policy reform .. Accelerate introduction of 68 as age of qualifying for National Superannuation. Abolish all prison sentences of less than five years, phase in a universal basic income. A comprehensive plan to stop intergenerational transfer of poverty and disadvantage. Using agents that people trust to deliver help. Personally I think the giant social welfare beuracracy has had its day.
Things that are mostly right.. Monetary policy, company law, Tertiary Education.
So to sum up, following this change in leadership Labour should,
A) propose nothing too radical and
B) revert major policy propositions to their ‘hard left’ 2014 election platform.
Is that the gist?
Labour had no major left policy propositions in 2014. They supported Key and Bennett’s welfare cuts around that time FFS. Ardern is an unknown quantity when it comes to the poor. Back then I remember questioning her after a public meeting about Labour’s anti-beneficiary stance and she was slippery and non-committal as heck. With Davis at her side and Nash in the background I wonder where she wants to take Labour on poverty issues. She’s in lots of ways talking the talk, but whether the proof really is in the pudding is another thing. I really hope it is.
From memory burglary sentences are less than 5 years – good luck selling that.
BTW one change I would add is addressing labour productivity and low skill immigrants. Right now we bring in low skill migrants to milk cows. Long term that is nuts. We are already seeing the impact :
https://croakingcassandra.com/category/new-zealand-economic-performance/
Very earliest days and great start – thank you.
Listening to RNZ this morning it appears to have instilled huge sense of purpose and confidence in everyone…..right down to how interviews are handled……all I can say is people are weird….and change the government!
I am really glad I watched Jacinda’s press conference, she came across as very capable and I really admired how she handled the questions, she will be a formidable opponent. I am sure this change will bode well for the Labour party and I look forward to the next few days to see what Jacinda presents to tackle inequality and poverty. Hopefully she will present something new/different and help the party deliver something beyond what they’ve dished up to us over the last 30 years. I guess only time will tell but in my view it will take more than a change of leader to earn voter confidence, though putting Jacinda at the helm may just be a good start.
Hopefully but I’m not going to hold my breath.
Another ‘careerist’ with a resumè so light on weight, the mainstream media are beaming over it..
Adern has done nothing to earn or warrant the DP position, let alone to be the ‘leader’
Potential PM…Not by any measure which makes sense…a marketing plan does not count
Light weight centrists won’t be making the changes required!
So just carry on with Bill, jesus anything is better than the torture that is the National govt.
Bet you said the same about that other political lightweight – John …. ah what was his name?
to be fair, dunnokeyo always was just a fucking dilettante
Jacinda has a heart 12, so that alone puts her miles ahead of the nat bots…. Go Labour!
🙂
Its whats in the heart that counts. always.
And from what comes out of it comes either good things or bad things. And I think both Jacinda and Metiria have good hearts.
What’s a good CV for running NZ? Currency trader for a big bank? Farmer? C’mon, any halfway decent person should be able to do 8/10ths of it, and the last 2/10ths, well there’s over 100 others in Parliament or you could just roll the dice.
Getting in is the hard part, and at the risk of sounding like a sexist pig, Ms Ardern is one of the best lookin’ MPs we’ve ever had. I reckon she’ll pull it off.
And I could well vote for Labour…
english has never been a farmer, thats just a line to suck in the rubes. went to victoria uni, then treasury, then parliament. played at family farm on the holidays cause he was laughed at on the beach
*résumé
Looks like Winston and NZF are the best alternative then ?
A vote for Winston is a vote for National?
Best to stay and strongly support Labour!
Thank you Andrew, opportunity knocks for Jacinda and Labour.
Andrew Little was the often unsung and unappreciated worker that laid the groundwork. He should always be held in the highest regard for his humility , honesty and integrity.
Jacinda Adern has acknowledged this and most certainly Andrew Little should be given a prominent place in the new government.
I’m in two minds about this:
1. I’ll settle for anything that increases the chances of a Labour/Green government coming out of this election, so this is great.
2. It’s also horribly depressing. Yesterday, Labour changed its leader, a move only panic-stricken and desperate people would make two months out from an election, or that only duplicitous right-wing weasels within the caucus would make within the three-month period when they can change leader without reference to the membership. Either way, that’s terrible, not something I’d be interested in voting to put into government.
Under the new leader, policies will stay pretty much the same, albeit somewhat less left-leaning, and the MoU with the Greens will stay intact, albeit with more sniping from the right of the caucus. Not much will change. And yet, support and donations are now flooding in, and the media has adopted a fawning tone and is talking Labour up, entirely because the new leader is relaxed and confident with journalists. And also good-looking, which is apparently an important qualification for holding office in the minds of many voters. Yet again I’m embarrassed to belong to the same species as such shallow dumb-asses.
Yep.
Short term, good for the left(ish)
Long term, not so good for the left
Yes that sums up how I feel
Also very perturbed about Kelvin Davis as DP
He alone means I could not vote Labour
Remind us why? Was it that Davis stood against Hone? I can’t remember at the moment.
Well sure, but even more embarrassing that Labour has taken so very long to figure it out.
Yep that says it for me too Psycho Milt. Cynical move when the lives of thousands of kiwis doing it real tough out there are at stake. Not sure or how long or even if I have it in me to forgive that bunch again, my faith and trust in the party is broken. We’ll find out soon enough if that massive risk was worth taking, and hope for our sakes it pans out and the Greens have the muscle to temper those self interests within Labour. Right now I dont hold out much hope.
Very similar feelings – though I’m trying not to write other voters off as shallow dumb-asses. I think we have to accept that most people have no conscious theoretical or ethical framework for their political opinions – so they are much more susceptible to influence by the personalities of politicians.
It is a bit depressing, but we have to work with it.
I dunno. Leadership energy is a big part of winning an election. It’s quite possible that making Labour solid again was an exhausting task in itself, and Little’s batteries were just run down, and he knew it.
I’m not rejecting the possibility that he walked into the caucus room with a bold plan to revitalise the campaign and deliver an astounding motivational speech to the team, only to find that they’d already taken the vote and Ardern was leader.
But equally likely is that we’ve all been in situations where you’ve tried everything, gotten a certain distance, but you just have nothing left and you know it. Maybe it’s a shitloop where you’re trying to find a flaw in your code and can’t see it, or you’re sparring and people are yelling “get your guard up” but the arms just won’t go above shoulder height.
At that point it’s someone else’s turn to have a go (except for sparring – in that situation the other guy is probably as fucked as you are lol).
I’m just impressed that it wasn’t treated like a poisoned chalice, with a caretaker phoning it in for six weeks or so – Ardern seems to be taking the baton and honestly running with it.
That’s pretty much my take too. I saw a video of Little a few days before and he looked haggard. Not tired from too much adrenaline and excitement, but just worn out. It reminded me of the image of Cunliffe in those debates with Key where he looked liked he’d been punched too many times. People won’t vote for that. It’s not Little’s fault (or DC’s), it’s the brutal system we have including a vicious and vacuous MSM at times. But it’s still a real dynamic.
I don’t know Ardern so don’t know if she has the stamina to sustain herself over the next months and years. She’s looking good on it do far though, which is a good sign.
I doubt the National Party hate speech machine has laid enough ground beyond the existing “mens rights” gobshite.
Their narrative was based on Little leading Labour into the election. Part of that narrative was all about how much better his deputy was. 🙂
Dude, that’s democratic politics. The folks have gotta like the goods on the shelves, and the goods on the shelves have to shiny cellophane and bright colours. And you know what? It works. A good politician is good at being popular, gives people hope that they are being heard and in turn listens to the people and keeps the experts in their place.
I do get all that. But it’s one thing knowing it in an abstract sense and sneering at National for basing three terms of government on it, and another seeing it happening on our side. I won’t complain about the result if it puts National out of power, though.
It is what it is. To quote Homer J Simpson, “Just another bunch of stuff that happened”.
Why Labour/Green?
Why not just Labour?
Why do Labour *need* another party?
So what you are saying is that you have a certain amount of either ignorance or stupidity about politics. Hopefully for you it may be the former rather than the latter.
Try google about coalition politics and MMP. Then look at electionresults.govt.nz to look at the results for all general elections since 1996. Then see if you can explain it to us.
We won’t deride your (simpleton) explanations too much.
I will 😈
Why Labour/Green?
Because they’re both parties of the left and neither will get enough votes to govern on their own.
Why do Labour *need* another party?
Why does National? It doesn’t get enough votes to govern on its own either. The answer’s pretty straightforward, if you look for it.
@ LivinInTheBay ,… Some mothers do have em….
But Geez , mate… you take the cake…
Every day, in every way… Frank Spencer – YouTube
you tube▶ 0:07
Thanks Wild Katipo haven’t seen Frank Spencer for years – must watch him because it’s quite poignant like watching the Left painfully lifting themselves out of the Slough of Decades.
Those teeth aren’t just for show, she really knows how to use them. Tearing chunks out Richardson is a damn good demonstration. Keep it up, Jacinda.
http://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/ardern-it-is-totally-unacceptable-to-ask-women-about-baby-plans/ar-AApgmGv?li=BBqdg4K&ocid=mailsignout
Thanks Andre. That Richardson is an archaic monstrosity and didn’t Jacinda handle the debate so well but still manage to be charming towards him at the end.
Great interview Jacinda.
http://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/ardern-it-is-totally-unacceptable-to-ask-women-about-baby-plans/ar-AApgmGv?li=BBqdg4K&ocid=mailsignout
Yep. Will be fascinating to see in what form the misogyny aimed at Clark re-surfaces with Jacinda. Being young and attractive she’s a more difficult proposition in terms of misogynist attack. Some form of the condescending “pretty little thing” line is the most likely. We might get some interesting insights into the foetid recesses of minds like Richardson’s.
Well, there’s those that have gone very quickly to pressure Ardern about “baby plans”.
The “baby talk” has swung heavily in favour of jacinda Ardern and those who pushed it will be feeling foolish; talk-back radio gave the misogynists bloody nose after bloody nose all through the day.
You are brave Robert. I normally avoid talkback radio because it gives me high blood pressure. But I do like the RNZ satire, “Go Ahead Caller’, where the pretentious intro screams out, “The voice of reason!” and the redneck host then takes the piss out of of the whole vile rubbish that one hears on talkback..
the post is a selective cherry picking of the acclaims, and leaves out the criticisms.
e.g. The Finlay McDonald piece (entitled “Ardern’s new role: ‘People’s Princess versus Dreary of Dipton'”) linked to and quoted from. here’s some of the rest of the article:
And from the Toby Manhire, Spinoff piece linked in the above post:
Very smart reply on news hub this am – asked about what Matthew Hooten had been alleging, she just said “who” (Hoo). That put Hooten back in his hole.
ha ha, nice one.
When did the Nash family get things right?? Like Grandfather like grandson.
He’s full of self interest and was smartly checked by Jacinda.
Toby Manhire isn’t always correct imo.
Geez Louise ! thats a bit hard on Walter !
Indeed. She rounded on him and basically shut him down before he had a chance to open his mouth and go further.
The Omega wolf tried to usurp his social position in the pack and got warned by the Alpha.
I donated to Labour yesterday even though I’m a Greens supporter. I want a change of government.
On ya. I sometimes donate to The Greens, though I’m a Labour member. I support both parties and I want a change of government.
Just sent $50 their way. That should cover a new hoarding.
@ Matiri (12) … Good one. If nothing else, it’s important to get Labour over the line if we want a change of government. When that happens, the Greens will be in too.
Yay. after 9 years labour has an actual real life leader not a stuttering timid seat warmer.
However Grant Robertson must be ousted from the party he is a compulsive backstabber who has now played a hand in destroying several consecutive leaders.
Would you say GR is the biggest problem like that? Who else needs watching and moving on so we don’t get white-anted by these hollow people?
I nominate Clare Curran (Fearless Fighter From the South) for the prize of Labour’s Greatest Liability. The woman has just been reported as saying the party membership and unions should not be allowed to pick the leader any more because the last two were hopeless.
I have heard of Clare Curran’s fighting spirit before from when we had CV on the blog. I don’t know much about her but I thought she was twitching definitely to the Right with that moan about unions etc.
She’s right though….
Then I suggest you vote for her.
@One Anonymous Bloke
L0L !
That was quick and to the point !
Nice !
She’s right-wing – nothing to do with being correct.
Wonder how Matthew Hooton’s feeling this morning?
Got a massive stomach ache from ‘word-eating’ indigestion?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11897541
Matthew Hooton: Jacinda Ardern ‘will fail, I think she’s a flake’ – NZ Herald
Did one of his clients PAY him to say that?
Just asking – nicely 🙂
Penny Bright
‘Anti-privatisation/ anti-corruption campaigner’.
2017 Independent candidate for Tamaki.
Exposing the $1.6 BILLION Tamaki ‘Regeneration’ – GENTRIFICATION $CAM.
Heheehe… I would say Hooten is afraid of Nationals funding cut policy’s being lost when Labour and the Greens win the election … no more getting lucrative contracts to go on tax payer funded media and spout off his pro National party vomit…
That takedown of Mark Richardson had me cheering, as did her response to some of the media questions in yesterday’s press conference.
I like Andrew and am really sad for him, but there is no doubt that he was not good at media. In person he is great but he can’t meet every voter personally. I would listen in dread to his weekly appearances on Morning Report – sometimes he was okay, but more often than not he was terrible. In an election campaign this is essential, and I you need to get cut-through and I don’t think Andrew was going to do that.
I think many people here have underestimated Jacinda (including myself). I think she has held herself back up until now. I found this article from Lamia Imam very interesting.
http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/jacinda-ardern-was-always-a-star-now-she-s-the-leader
I can’t for the life of me see why everyone is so excited, but sure, whatever, those excited people can vote for Labour and get a Labour-Green government over the line.
So true. In my view this looks like a lack of unity and I wonder if others will feel the same. Also concerned by Labours lack of strong comment over key issues like TPPA when other parties such as NZ First are all over it.
I agree…NZ first came out strong against the TPPA while Labour was waddling. I’m voting NZ first because I like their policies and that TPPA is at the head of my list. It should be on everyone’s since our sovereignty is at stake. I wonder what Jacinda will say about it. Nash actively protested against it.
Good luck Labour but my prediction and I take zero joy in saying this is National will win again and things will go from bad to worse.
Just imagine if that headline had used Double Dipton instead.
I just listened to Jacinda take on Mark Richardson on breakfast radio and ZOMG SHE WAS SO GOOD!!!!!!!
Having strongly questioned her ability in the past I am now going home, immediately, to whip up an enormous humble pie which I will eat facing the corner of the room.
Duncan Garner “…Political commentator Matthew Hooton…”
JA: “Who?”
Oh yes, fetch the popcorn.
Great start . Not enough though. What else has she got?
Andrew’s biggest failing was his inability to handle the media.
This is a media coup.
Ardern has been pushed by the ruling class thru the msm for 2 or 3 years.
She’s right wing and totally part of the ruling neo liberal clique.
Seen too much of these Blairites to be fooled .
Helen Clark without the heft of vision.
Unsurprising to see the media manipulated generations being sucked in.
“…Seen too much of these Blairites to be fooled .
Helen Clark without the heft of vision.
Unsurprising to see the media manipulated generations being sucked in…”
Possibly, but if your ship has just about gone under in a storm any lifeboat that might save you starts to look like an aircraft carrrier.
+1
And am tending to agree also with the value of the popcorn moments. God knows the left needs a lift at this time.
Yep, I’m coming round fast. Just been told Jacinda wants Andrew on the front bench so he’s going to get a good list placing and drumroll… the money’s pouring in.
That’s the story , – this is a time when all the stops are pulled out. And we will be seeing a lot more of Andrew Little after Lab / Greens win this election for sure.
You dont throw away hard working talent with organizational skills like Andrew Little if you know whats good for you.
The fabulous Kiri Allan and how she sees the last 24 hours:
https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/02-08-2017/labours-emerging-star-kiri-allan-on-the-day-of-chaos-which-elevated-jacinda/
Jacinda’s performance has given me, and a lot of other people, hope.
It’s looking a bit ‘we made you and we can break you’.
Feeling better about Labour’s decision. Jacinda seems to be on fire with positive news all round.
If she glavanises the female portion of non voters to show up and support her that could be the swing required in a nutshell.
Kelvin on the front foot serving nact their track record and bs back to them with the peoples princess being positive and inclusive could be a winner.
There is something really important for all who post here over the next few weeks. Get young people enrolled to vote. They can do it online. (it is actually compulsory to be enrolled.)
I found myself with 20 enrolment forms (with Freepost envelopes), after being involved in a community event recently. Yesterday I took them with me shopping at local mall. After dumping my shopping, I took my bundle around the shops. I asked young, mostly female shop assistants the question :”Are you enrolled to vote?” and got rid of all 20 in no time. Some had heard about Jacinda’s rise to fame. Others said they had no idea who to vote for. A couple took a form for their partner. This mall has a convenient post box in the Paper Plus shop.
Point is – there are a lot of young people old enough to vote who are not enrolled out there. If I can get hold of more forms, I will do another trawl.
I challenge everyone to do the same.
Excellent!
Forget the media standup performance; this is the one that really puts the shits up the National Party campaign on to the NZHerald front page.
The head of Westpac New Zealand comes out for Ardern:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz
When the 1 per centers start climbing onto your side after one day, you have the Mo’.
Yes – but where’s the beef? Ardern is a breath of fresh air into a tired, stale political machine; she has some fine personal qualities that she has displayed to impressive advantage, too. But without a genuine and progressive alternative to neoliberalism, Labour is doomed. I get the feeling that many Labour supporters are slightly hysterical with relief that a saviour has arisen from the ranks, while conveniently overlooking the fact so much of the electorate regards their brand as toxic. If the Party imagines that cosmetic change, albeit an attractive change, is all that it takes for them to score the baubles of office again, they are in for a rude awakening on 23 September.
Don’ t hold your breath Michael. Jacinda may well be more than “a cosmetic change”.
garibaldi
Correction
Don’ t hold your breath Michael. Jacinda will be more than “a cosmetic change”.
We’ll see. I hope you and garibaldi are correct (“right” doesn’t seem appropriate). But I’ve been around Labour for a long, long time … .
“But you…..”
Great to see that jumped up sports player Mark Richardson put in his place by Ardern.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/jacinda-ardern-it-is-totally-unacceptable-to-ask-women-about-baby-plans.html
Boring cricketer, boring brainless reporter, radio jock ?
Most boring opening batsman in history (Chris Tavare excepted) backs the most boring PM in history.
Yeah, he was our Boycott – minus the runs,
Stop spreading lies. He had a test average of 45. Which openers since have matched that?
http://m.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/38251.html
And right wing bigot.
What is the evidence that he is right wing?
What he says
Dad4Justice won’t be pleased 😈
And we should be concerned about that?
On that nasty home renovation show he’s the biggest tool in a tool belt.
What’s that guy’s name again? Used to hang around here for a while…
Had a blog called “Your blancmange,” IIRC.