Andrea Vance on Andrew Little’s game plan

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 am, January 19th, 2015 - 94 comments
Categories: Andrew Little, labour - Tags: , , ,

Yesterday on Stuff:

Little’s game-plan is merely to define the problem and offer the bare bones of a solution. In his favour, few voters delve into the bureaucratic detail in policy packages and if he can ride out the media probing, they may put their trust in him.

With a post-election review underway, no great policy shifts are imminent. Little had his feet back under the desk last week, and his priority was scratching out his state of the nation speech. It is to be delivered in Auckland on January 28.

Usually a scene-setter, Little’s address will offer up more clues about the direction of his party than it will his thoughts on the country. For Labour, 2015 will be less about sticking it to National. Little’s goal is to re-define Labour and then win on its terms, rather than because the electorate grew tired of National.

What do you want/expect to see in Andrew Little’s state of the nation?

94 comments on “Andrea Vance on Andrew Little’s game plan ”

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  1. Paul 1
    19 January 2015 at 8:47 am

    What I want and what I expect are 2 very different things.
    35 years of cosying up to neoliberalism and corporations has made many very cynical of what the Labour Party stands for.

    • Truth Will Out 1.1
      19 January 2015 at 9:00 am

      +100%

    • Oncw was Tim 1.2
      19 January 2015 at 2:55 pm

      +100% as well.
      BUT – don’t become too cynical @Paul. There are still one or two in ‘the system’ (even amongst the Natzis – tho’ I’d exclude Finlayson in that evaluation whose probably still a wishin, and a-hopin, and steering clear of little walks towards Wellington’s South Coast and practising celebacy in order to suppress his [Wotever]!!!! fukn pathetic really eh?) who are prepared to recognise a step-too-far (even amongst the ‘spooks’). Well – at least not cynical enough as to Re-ACT to State sanctioned violence against its populace
      I’ve changed my opinion on the recent announcement of Ian Fletcher’s resignation for personal reasons (for example) of people like Madge’s rep Jerr-Mattee-Purry, and Beccee Darling, and others. (I think they’re ekshly waking up a bit)
      I’m actually feeling a little up beat in the knowledge that some are still able to remember the steps towards fascism; where public service and personal self-interest axes meet; where their own positions of power mean that their once namby pamby career-ambitions could cause problems in the immediate future; and who (ekshly – going forwid) are the Emperors with loin cloths on. I’m not too sure of Rebecca’s domestic situation (tho’ easy to check given I’m a couple degrees of separation), or of Jerr’s disposition, and the level of concern for his gran chillun.
      Big bloody shame tho’ they didn’t pick up on their underling’s concerns and grow a pair of balls, or lactating tits, or wotever a DAMN S[I]TE sooner!
      Never mind tho’ eh? Next toim eh? fellas ………… (going forwid)
      Hey!£$%^&*()_+ WAYNE – care ta commen/ …………… (gone forwid)?

      EDIT: I forgot to include Ron Mark in my feint praise of those still having the ability to see ‘common sense’ ( inencimbered with personal self-interest, ‘master-of-the-universe’ complexes; complexes of having ‘unbridled power’ ………. etc..

      I’m upbeat also because we may very well start to see a few pigs sqealling if the spin doctors don;t get it right

      • phillip ure 1.2.1
        19 January 2015 at 3:31 pm

        um..!..didn’t mark just advocate blowing those pirate fishing-boats out of the water..?

        ..and to me he has always seemed an arrogant little prig..

        ..riddled with (totally unwarranted) ‘master-of-the-universe’ delusions…

        ..this latest outburst just confirming that..

        ..how can u praise that clown..?

  2. Sanctuary 2
    19 January 2015 at 8:47 am

    I would like to see him define the debate on Labour’s terms – so, say, talk about jobs, wages, salaries and fairness in a world of the 1%ers. Within that framework talk about looking at a UBI, about workplace reform – maybe with German style workplace councils to stimulate productivity (but also introduce backdoor worker organisation without using the dreaded “trade union” words) and worker buy in. Talk about the need to create a fairer society through better wages. In other words, make the argument where National are not delivering anything at all to the vast majority of Kiwis – wages and salaries.

    • Paul 2.1
      19 January 2015 at 9:02 am

      The want lists includes.

      Concrete policy on climate change. Divest from fossil fuels.
      A clear independent foreign policy based on peaceful cohabitation of the planet with other cultures and nations.
      Pull out of TPPA deal
      Significant tax increases for the wealthy and corporations.
      Massive investment in public transport
      Investment in regional NZ.
      Rebuild NZ’s local manufacturing in areas where .
      Promote sustainable farming practises.
      Build 100,00 state houses.
      Change laws on rental properties to dis incentivise Multiple ownership of property.
      Stop all foreign ownership of businesses, land and property.
      Nationalisation of energy, transport, water, telecommunications, health and other core national interests.
      Political donations only through membership of a political party and at a low rate of say $30. So the numbers of your supporters, not the wealth is what counts.
      The reinstatement of genuine public broadcasting.

      A few to start off with…

      • Colonial Rawshark 2.1.1
        19 January 2015 at 9:36 am

        A full time youth jobs guarantee for those 25 and under. 37.5 hrs per week at the minimum wage, where you are expected to perform to a full employment standard.

        • Paul 2.1.1.1
          19 January 2015 at 9:40 am

          Democratic workplaces..cooperatives, worker owned companies.

          • Murray Simmonds 2.1.1.1.1
            19 January 2015 at 9:54 am

            I’m in absolute agreement with most of Paul’s wishlist.

          • disturbed 2.1.1.1.2
            19 January 2015 at 10:48 am

            1000% Paul,

            And a return of freight back to rail.

            Especially in regions with high truck traffic levels, and highway gridlock.

            Lastly cartridge of dangerous and hazardous waste by rail.

            Never should Petroleum and oils be carried by road.

            • Paul 2.1.1.1.2.1
              19 January 2015 at 10:53 am

              Highly subsidised public transport
              The conversion of inner city carparks into green spaces

      • Paul 2.1.2
        19 January 2015 at 10:09 am

        Do I sound like a rwnj, trp??

        • Te Reo Putake 2.1.2.1
          19 January 2015 at 10:31 am

          Only when you’re spouting RWNJ fantasies, Paul. Great list, keep talking like this and we’ll always get on. Read some Marx and we could almost be twins.

      • RedBaronCV 2.1.3
        19 January 2015 at 10:47 am

        I’d agree with most of that list – but is that how we implement/ achieve the plan rather than what we want to be as a society?

        Looking at the list do we frame it as NZ working for New Zealanders (control of our own spaces) – sustainable and decent health, housing, education, incomes for the 95% not the 1%.

      • Wayne 2.1.4
        19 January 2015 at 1:55 pm

        Paul,

        You should vote Green, since you have essentially outlined their policy prescription, not Labour’s.

        • fender 2.1.4.1
          19 January 2015 at 2:29 pm

          You could continue to support fools content to jeopardise the future of your grandchildren and their offspring, or…

  3. just saying 3
    19 January 2015 at 9:18 am

    It will be interesting.
    If it’s anything like the same old evasive crap as per the last seven years, he will be panned and not just by the anoraks amongst us. A lot of people are utterly sick of meaningless buzz-phrases and other focus-grouped pap.
    What do you believe, Andrew? What is Labour?

    • Lanthanide 3.1
      19 January 2015 at 1:17 pm

      “A lot of people are utterly sick of meaningless buzz-phrases and other focus-grouped pap.”
      And yet National keeps getting voted in.

    • phillip ure 3.2
      19 January 2015 at 3:36 pm

      @ just saying..

      “.. A lot of people are utterly sick of meaningless buzz-phrases and other focus-grouped pap…”

      ..+ 1..

      ..yeah to all that..and if he trots out that old finger-wagging arbeit macht frei to/at the poorest..as labours’ ‘prescription’..

      ..that wd be dismaying..

      • Stephanie Rodgers 3.2.1
        19 January 2015 at 4:26 pm

        I’m as critical as anyone of the left’s focus on paid work as the answer to all social ills, but fuck’s sake dude there’s no need to Godwin it. Annoying party policy =/= genocide.

        • phillip ure 3.2.1.1
          19 January 2015 at 4:58 pm

          no..it’s a valid example of how irrational/mad both uses/prescriptions are/were..

          ..and interesting you think labour election ’14 policies for the poorest..

          ..that were to give them s.f.a…

          ..that you think these policies can be reduced to ‘annoying party policy’..

          ..i wd choose/use stronger words…

          • Stephanie Rodgers 3.2.1.1.1
            19 January 2015 at 8:12 pm

            Still not genocide tho, so your comparison is still really gross and juvenile.

            • phillip ure 3.2.1.1.1.1
              19 January 2015 at 8:30 pm

              questionable..really..

              ..how many brown kids died as a result of diseases of neo-lib/arbeit macht frei-driven poverty in the last year..?

              ..and how many have died since ruthenasia..?

              ..and i think u over-godwin godwin..

              ..and that the comparison is entirely valid..

              ..so i guess we will have to agree to differ..

              ..and any time any labour politician trots out that crap..again..

              ..tries that bullshit on again..(‘im looking @ u nash..)

              ..i will be godwining all over them..

  4. Ad 4
    19 January 2015 at 9:23 am

    I’ll just be grateful if we could just have one Labour leader until the 2017 election.

  5. vto 5
    19 January 2015 at 9:29 am

    I would like to see the Labour Party categorically state that the policies of greed and self-interest, as promoted since the Labour Party of 1984, do not work and that people simply do not go about their lives on the sole basis of greed and self-interest (bizarre thought isn’t it).

    …. then link that statement to the current government, plus failures the result of those policies such as leaky homes, the GFC, Pike River, etc

    • Paul 5.1
      19 January 2015 at 9:39 am

      Yes, very good.
      I think an unqualified apology for the events of 1984 to 1990 would make for a cleansing break from Labour’s tragic embrace of neoliberalism.
      There are enough reputable economic dissenters now – Piketty, Stieglitz, Ha Joon Chang, Keen – for them to help create an alternate philosophy of neoDarwinism emanating from present market capitalism.
      Next time I hear someone say ‘PC’ or ‘red tape’ or ‘ nanny state’, I’ll say Pike River, CTV building and leaky homes. …

      • phillip ure 5.1.1
        19 January 2015 at 1:09 pm

        yep..!..

        ..step one is a mea culpa for neo-lib labour..

        ..and a promise to end-poverty etc..

        ..continuing to defend what they did before..

        ..will just ensure more of the same..

      • Murray Rawshark 5.1.2
        19 January 2015 at 11:13 pm

        I think there needs to be an unqualified apology for the events of 1984 to 2015. Without the Lange regime, this year would be very different politically and economically.

  6. Murray Simmonds 6
    19 January 2015 at 9:51 am

    There is an excellent and very readable article about how the banks have forced up property prices in Britain, to the benefit of the rich. The same argument applies here in NZ in my view.

    https://www.positivemoney.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Banking_Vs_Democracy_Web.pdf

    To quote from the opening paragraphs: ” . . . .government has surrendered one of its most important powers—the power to create money and control the money supply—to the private sector which has exploited this power to blow up housing bubbles and indirectly transfer wealth upwards and inwards, with disastrous results. There has been no democratic debate about this transfer of power . . . ”

    The article has the title “Banking vs Democracy – how power shifted from parliament to the banking sector.”

    It is a MUST-READ in my opinion. It shows precisely what a load of crap are the claims about how house-price inflation in NZ is a supply-demand problem and how it is a RMA-induced problem – which are two of the fallacious lines of reasoning peddled by the Key government at the moment.

    If Andrew Little is serious about making changes in this country that would benefit the less-well-to-do (i.e. the MAJORITY of NZers) then here is a good place to start.

    [lprent: fixed link ]

    • George Hendry 6.1
      19 January 2015 at 10:57 am

      @ Murray Simmonds –

      Hyperlink seems to be going ‘404 not found’ at the moment…

    • Murray Rawshark 6.2
      19 January 2015 at 11:17 pm

      We have had no ability to control the money supply since the Lange regime freed up foreign exchange dealing and the resulting speculation, giving birth to FJK the multi-millionaire. The excess money in Aotearoa comes from foreign banks, so we lose any measure of control they might have if they were local. Despite the stand on nuclear ships, the Lange regime gave away our sovereignty.

  7. shorts 7
    19 January 2015 at 10:21 am

    I reckon he should cancel the speech and issue a press release informing all he’s gone fishing for a few days

    that’ll ruin many a right wing opinion maker and the press galleries weeks – the actual potential voters whom are not already Labours won’t be taking any notice anyways

    • Akldnut 7.1
      19 January 2015 at 11:39 am

      Good call, do as National does.
      Make a draft, wait until they do their address first, analyse it then finish the draft tearing the National address apart.

      Attack, attack, attack and don’t let them set the course for debate.

    • Anne 7.2
      19 January 2015 at 12:13 pm

      He could put up a notice on the door of the Leader of the Opposition:

      GONE FISHIN.
      BACK NEXT WEEK.

  8. Sanctuary 8
    19 January 2015 at 10:28 am

    Oh and how about saying that under Labour a bunch of scoundrels and pirates in rusty old fishing boats would not be allowed to humiliate our Navy and plunder fish stocks in the Southern Ocean.

    • Te Reo Putake 8.1
      19 January 2015 at 10:36 am

      Yep. We’re the country that stuck it to France when they were fucking the Pacific and now we can’t even put the fear into a motley crew of high seas poachers. Mind you, my gut feeling is that the current Government aren’t all that bothered about it. Plenty more fish in the sea and who are we to interfere in the workings of the free market?

  9. Miracle Worker 9
    19 January 2015 at 10:53 am

    The day I see Andrew Little take on John Key over South Canterbury Finance, which is John Key’s biggest achilles heel by a country mile, the issue that will bring him down and banish him from the political landscape for good, as well as set National back for at least a decade, is the day Labour will win back my vote. Until that day comes, I have written Labour off as National-lite. When Labour KNOWS how corrupt Key and his cronies were over that issue and they do nothing about it, they are just as corrupt for turning a blind eye to it. I am sick of listening to their empty rhetoric and bullsh*t.

    • Lanthanide 9.1
      19 January 2015 at 1:21 pm

      What are you suggesting is Keys bad involvement in SCF, specifically?

      • Truth Will Out 9.1.1
        19 January 2015 at 1:54 pm

        That’s what the judicial inquiry David Cunliffe pledged into the issue on 24th November 2011 is for, but it’s safe to say that those with an intimate knowledge of what went on behind the scenes know his grubby fingerprints are all over it. Unless he has been busy destroying evidence, he will struggle with plausible deniability over it, that much is certain.

        • Lanthanide 9.1.1.1
          19 January 2015 at 2:17 pm

          Ok, so you don’t actually have anything, then.

          • Truth Will Out 9.1.1.1.1
            19 January 2015 at 2:50 pm

            If it is up to me to produce all the proof you require, why did David Cunliffe pledge a judicial inquiry? Why do we need a judicial system at all? Why do we even need opposition parties to challenge the government? In a nutshell, unless John Key is NOT running this country, then he is completely responsible for the process and the outcome(s) related to the issue I have raised here. It is safe to say it is so complex and wide ranging, including the fact that he personally influenced public opinion on the matter on numerous occasions, it will be impossible for him to say he didn’t have enough knowledge of it. Of course I can’t prove his actual involvement, but I can absolutely guarantee that a full judicial inquiry will ensure that enough mud will stick to him to take him down with it, that much is certain. Your approach appears to be that it is up to one member of the public alone to produce ALL of the evidence necessary to achieve the outcome I am suggesting Labour should here. Think about that. It’s a bit precious. It’s like saying “unless you can prove David Bain is innocent you have no right to criticise Judith Collins’s handling of the matter”. Having said that, an employee of the MED who was also a former Police officer became so concerned about the government’s actions in relation to the process they were using to sink SCF that she quit her job and wrote a report describing the government’s actions as completely unlawful. Given that she was part of the enforcement unit at the (then) MED, as well as being extremely qualified to make the assessments she did in this report (see her qualifications listed), I would suggest she (and her report) should be taken very seriously. Scoop were the only media organisation willing to publish it, which speaks volumes in itself. It is 19 pages long if you can be bothered reading it, which I suspect is not the case. Or are you simply only interested in sniping at anyone who dares to criticise Labour? I would suspect that is more likely the case here…

            http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/1109/Investigation_Summary.pdf

            • Lanthanide 9.1.1.1.1.1
              19 January 2015 at 5:00 pm

              Thanks, you’ve now responded with the sort of evidence that you should have replied with the first time.

  10. George Hendry 10
    19 January 2015 at 11:10 am

    @ Paul’s list –

    # Divest from international ‘reserve’ (with a snap of our fingers we create the money you need, but you’re not allowed to try this trick ) bank system

    # Exercise sovereign right to create independent government-backed local currency

    # Hand over SIS and GCSB files to ordinary citizens spied on, ‘illegally’ or otherwise

    # Stay alive if possible – look out for extrajudicial assassination drones with which PM is comfortable

    • Colonial Rawshark 10.1
      19 January 2015 at 12:23 pm

      international capital will have a major problem with NZ doing that, unless we are very smart about it.

      Look at what is happening to Russia – loss of access to international money markets and transaction systems. Capital flight out of Russia, crushing of the currency, and the Russian central bank having already expended 20% of its foreign hard currency reserves trying to support the ruble. Russia now has to pay 17% pa to borrow money.

      • Lanthanide 10.1.1
        19 January 2015 at 1:23 pm

        +1

        I was going to say “Watch as NZ becomes unable to import oil and other necessities of a 1st world nation, causing skyrocketing unemployment and loss of wealth”.

        We’re a tinsy tiny player in a massive game. All we can do is play by the current rules, corrupt as they may be.

        • Colonial Rawshark 10.1.1.1
          19 January 2015 at 1:42 pm

          If we could simply play the rules smarter, bend a few here and there, and not undermine ourselves at every turn, that would be a start.

  11. fisiani 11
    19 January 2015 at 11:45 am

    It does not really matter what is in his list as no one is listening to Angry Andy. We all know that he is just the union puppet and whatever is on his little list is the payback for the union backing. Meanwhile in the real world the Warehouse are selling kids shoes for $5 so claims that 1 in 4 have to go without shoes are rightfully treated with derision.

    [Stephanie: “Angry Andy” is 100% a WhaleOil meme and makes it fairly obvious you’re trolling. Please cease and desist.]

    • vto 11.1
      19 January 2015 at 12:07 pm

      The childrens shoes for $5 are likely made by children in far-off lands without shoes themselves due to their products being sold for $5…..

      such is the disgusting world of the right wing

    • fisiani 11.2
      19 January 2015 at 12:29 pm

      Je suis Charlie

      [Stephanie: Comparing a polite moderator request to a terrorist attack is fairly obnoxious. Final warning: please comment on the actual topic of the post without trolling.]

      • vto 11.2.1
        19 January 2015 at 12:37 pm

        Non, vous etes un wanker

      • Akldnut 11.2.2
        19 January 2015 at 2:22 pm

        Yep I bought my daughter a $20.00 pair of school shoes from the warehouse and they lasted 3 months.
        Going into summer and bought her $15.00 sandals, they lasted 3 weeks – 2nd paid lasted 3 weeks.
        Cheap crap, result crap.

        • Colonial Rawshark 11.2.2.1
          19 January 2015 at 3:05 pm

          Yet each piece of crap, built with our Earth’s rare and vital resources, requiring extraction, environmental destruction and the expending of fossil fuels.

      • David 11.2.3
        19 January 2015 at 2:41 pm

        Vous êtes plein de merde. See some other people have a basic level of french too. I would just say it’s Slater under an anonymous handle, but Slater at least has a brain.

      • mac1 11.2.4
        19 January 2015 at 4:59 pm

        Fisiani, mon vieux, dans un façon vous avez raison, C’est-a-dire, vous etes Charlie.

        Mais, a l’autre cote, vous ne comprenez pas la difference entre ce que l’on peut dire ou écrire ou dessiner et ce que l’on doit dire et cetera. Le Pape dit la meme chose.

        Translation: Old lad, in one way you are right. You are a Charlie. But, on the other hand, you don’t understand the difference between what one may say or write or draw and between what one should say etc. The Pope agrees. (The supreme Godwin argument).

  12. Saarbo 12
    19 January 2015 at 12:25 pm

    Relevant to this post is Chris Trotters article:

    http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/2015-2017-struggle-for-time-and-power.html

    Where he makes some brutal facts about NZ voters:

    The first fact to grasp is that, at present, the ideology of neoliberalism faces no serious challengers. The neoliberal view of the world, a world of sovereign, self-interested individuals and free markets, is the majority view of the New Zealand electorate.

    The second brutal fact (closely related to the first) is that the neoliberal world-view cannot be contested successfully from any position other than that of full state power. In other words: to end neoliberal ascendancy in New Zealand a centre-left political party must first become the Government. It cannot be done from Opposition.

    The third brutal fact is that twenty-first century elections in New Zealand are not won by policies based on reason, but by the timely apprehension and effective exploitation of a public mood for change. This will be driven almost entirely by the voters’ emotions.

    The final brutal fact about the electorate is how little stock it places in the opinions of scientists, artists, journalists or, indeed, the life of the mind generally. With the notable exceptions of books, magazines and television programmes about sport, property, cooking and celebrity culture, it reads and watches very little of substance and displays a distressing lack of introspection or curiosity concerning the wider world. It is in love with twenty-first century technological civilisation and rejects utterly the idea that it might be unsustainable. On the plus side, the New Zealand electorate is confident, generous, rates itself highly and will not be preached to or patronised by anybody (especially politicians!) who reckon they’re better than everyone else.

    • vto 12.1
      19 January 2015 at 12:40 pm

      The fifth brutal fact, might I suggest, is that all of the above is born of a proposerous and self-satisfied populace.

      The sixth brutal fact, might I further suggest, is that such a complacent populace leaves itself wide open to abuse

      • Saarbo 12.1.1
        19 January 2015 at 1:02 pm

        Yes, and that is what seems to be happening.

        Unfortunately that doesn’t mean that Trotter is wrong.

        Personally I want Andrew to focus on Labour internal renewal…announcing a couple of resignations would be a good start. He wont be able to promise much in the way of additional expenditure because by 2017, the books are going to be looking very, very sick.

        • shorts 12.1.1.1
          19 January 2015 at 2:06 pm

          “announcing a couple of resignations would be a good start”

          that would indeed – something that national did in their long lead up to last election which seemed to work real well

        • Colonial Rawshark 12.1.1.2
          19 January 2015 at 3:15 pm

          He wont be able to promise much in the way of additional expenditure because by 2017, the books are going to be looking very, very sick.

          Labour must consider alternative and innovative ways of funding government expenditures, and matches those expenditures up with ways to help us transition to a low carbon economy.

          The last thing we need is 1-2 Labour terms where the Government’s grandest plans centre on Treasury recommendations to balance the books.

    • The lost sheep 12.2
      19 January 2015 at 4:57 pm

      You forgot to post his conclusion…

      ” Nobody in New Zealand politics has a firmer grasp of these salient facts about the Kiwi voter than John Key. By the same token, no Labour or Green MP possesses the slightest chance of becoming Prime Minister until they’re ready to place Mr Key’s political insights at the heart of their 2017 election strategy.

      For those on the left of New Zealand politics it means shutting-up and letting Andrew Little and his team play for power in the only way that holds out the prospect of victory.”

  13. mikesh 13
    19 January 2015 at 12:40 pm

    He probably should be promising a public broadcasting channel.

  14. Northsider 14
    19 January 2015 at 12:45 pm

    I’d like Andrew to show to all Kiwis that he has the vision thing and that he has the passion to take us along with him.
    I’d like him to demonstrate that he is a quick but not hasty decision maker, that he is thoughtful and analytical and then committed to his decisions.
    I want him to show that he is a team builder who supports his bench with his big strength and toughness.
    Andrew needs to continue showing that he knows himself and that he is very comfortable in his own skin. The public want to see his character and to understand the role it plays in his leadership style.

  15. Policy Parrot 15
    19 January 2015 at 12:58 pm

    Start on the five policy points (which is all the party leadership talk about in terms of policy):

    1. Most voters are employees – tailor policy to them.
    Over 70% of FTE workers are employees. It is our challenge to remake society so that one again can be successful through thrift and hard work as an employee, not solely through property trading or business ownership. Increases in minimum wage, industry specific wage floors, guaranteed union representative access, changes to work trials etc. Improve and expand the current apprenticeship system.

    2. Making the tax system work
    Making the tax system fairer. Sure the tax system would be simpler with a single rate of tax, but this rate needs be to discounted at the lower end so that lower income people can both survive and contribute to society, and thus compensatorily needs to be elevated at the higher end in order to pay for the discount at the lower end.
    There needs to be a commission into tax to address horizontal fairness (i.e. all sources of income being treated the same for tax purposes), closing loopholes through a system design which also achieves the social policy objectives, and cracking down on tax fraud through omission and false statements. Establish a department within IRD specifically to help SME’s deal with tax/regulatory issues.

    3. Regional Development + Extractive Industry
    Regional development through direct central government investment, i.e. moving some staffing resources back into regional cities, tax incentives for large manufacturing businesses to locate their factories in regional New Zealand. Continue to allow extractive industries in negotiation with the local people in regions such as Northland, East Cape, West Coast – with the stipulation that a portion of profits be reinvested in the same regions. Encourage regional diversification. Make use of Solid Energy as the main/dominant operator of all mining/extractive operations wherever possible – as it is a SOE, and thus theorectically subject to political and social considerations in a different political environment.

    4. Living and Transport
    Improve and update the KiwiBuild policy – perhaps a new moniker as well. Build warm and dry, energy efficient houses in communities serviced by public transport. There needs to be another 50k state houses built.
    Build up feeder/domitory towns that have public transport available/potential.
    Reintroduce commuter rail to Christchurch, and improve existing services in Auckland and Wellington.

    5. Education Sector
    Increase the hours available in the 20 hour free scheme to 30, and lower the starting age to 2.
    Continue with the excellent school fee policy.
    Reintroduce funding for the night courses scrapped by National.
    Review NCEA to make sure it is delivering its policy objectives.
    Changes to the student allowance eligibility criteria, i.e. if there remains an income threshold, there should also be an asset test, and increase the weekly borrrowing limit for living costs for those dependent on student loans.
    Review the whole tertiary funding sector with a view to eventually establishing universal student allowances at a living level, with minimum pass/grade levels required.

  16. coaster 16
    19 January 2015 at 2:28 pm

    I would like to here that the ordinary people matter to him, and his labour party.
    that he will work to bring back the 40hour week and 8 hour day. I would like to here him differentiate labour from the greens. I would like to here precisely how labour is diiferent from national.

  17. TheBlackKitten 17
    19 January 2015 at 2:48 pm

    For me to vote Labour again I would like to see Little concentrate on the key economic concerns of people that have been ignored for the past 30 years and are issues that National will never deal with in a million years.
    a) Apprenticeships – Re introduce the old apprenticeship system for trades. Its senseless that the hands on trades such as hairdressing, florists are learnt in a classroom rather than the practical hands on experience of the old apprenticeship system. Higher education institutions have been coining it out of the young for far too long and fail with their theory learning only to give these youngsters the practical experience that the employer needs. Its time to send them down the road as these youngsters not only end up with not having the practical experience required, but also end up with a huge hefty student debt to pay off.
    b) Food costs – Why are we paying what we do for food in our supermarkets. What is the breakdown for the cost of milk, bread and butter. Its interesting that the only Labour Party member to mention this issue was looked down by Labour as a filthy closet National Party supporter and that this issue was not picked up by any other member when he departed the party. Why is that? Is there more to this issue than the general public knows and are Labour too scared or just simply don’t know how to tackle it.
    c) It is not only the employees that are getting a hard time, there are also plenty of self employed or contractors that don’t get a fair deal when dealing with the bigger corporates. Offering support for these people would help with a fairer society for businesses rather than big corporates being the dominant players.
    d) Workers definitely need representation, since the introduction of the ECA Act in 1991 (which Labour did nothing about during their 9 years of power) wages for Kiwis have become low and no longer give people the income to meet soaring living costs.
    e) Unions are the dinosaurs of yesterday, a new method of worker representation needs to occur. Unions fail to give people the choice of their representation ie: if you work in a shop than your union is the shop workers union despite if you think they are good, bad, effective or jack shit useless. It needs to change where workers despite their role, get to choose the group that represents them therefore keeping those that choose to represent workers do as the worker wants rather than what they want.
    f) Living costs – Again, like the food, why are we paying what we do for rates, power, insurance, housing and transport (petrol) costs. Are these costs valid in that is what it costs to provide these services or are the 1%ers coining it off the rest of us?
    Little needs to return Labour back to their original tradition of looking out for the key economic concerns of people. He also needs to recognise that the welfare reforms National have made are necessary and need to stay. Labour fell into the trap of allowing welfare to become a alternative to working rather than a helping hand. Little also needs erode the PC ideology that currently dominates the Labour Party. PC ideology that does nothing to help the average family put food on their tables.

    • greywarshark 17.1
      19 January 2015 at 3:32 pm

      the black kitten
      Agree about training. Businesses need to have apprenticeships,. Learn how to teach them properly and get a juicy tax rebate for doing so. That would encourage a solo trader to take on someone else. Make it worth their while and then they get the small amount of help that makes life easier for them, and for the extra responsibility and stuff ups the government is giving them recompense. They would receive a grant for the block courses that the trainee would do, so they could employ a helper for that time. It would be a very friendly system for the employer and the youth.

      And setting up people having to pay for training for an uncertain job market would be halfved. The money would be targeted to where it was producing best outcomes. And the system would be monitored to ensure that everyone did and got what they should.

    • phillip ure 17.2
      19 January 2015 at 3:46 pm

      u do know the white space is free..eh..?

      ..and there is no shortage of it..

      ..no trees were harmed in the making of it..?

      ..yr comment looks like a huge word-brick..

      ..it doesn’t have to..

      • The lost sheep 17.2.1
        19 January 2015 at 4:40 pm

        And yr white space….

        …looks like it has the odd word in it…

        …Phillip…

    • BassGuy 17.3
      19 January 2015 at 7:25 pm

      One simple way to reduce food costs is for a good portion of the population to start growing your own food.

      A friend of mine, PostGrad degree in Marketing, explained to me that if just 10% of the population started to grow their own food, not all they eat of course, supermarkets would sit up and take notice because the alternative would start to impact their bottom line.

  18. veutoviper 18
    19 January 2015 at 2:49 pm

    I have had very little time to keep up with all that has been said on TS recently, including on this post, but have been reading Andrew Little’s Twitter feed regularly.

    Andrew seems very comfortable on Twitter – and certainly does not put up with fools.

    Of more interest, however, there have been a few tweets today that give a little insight into his thinking on his possible game plan which are well worth reading, including clicking on the related conversations.

    https://twitter.com/AndrewLittleMP

    Obviously a work in progress, but I personally like what I am seeing there so far.

    Must rush, but a belated Happy New Year to all at TS, and many thanks to the authors for keeping the site going – particularly LPrent.

  19. Ad 19
    19 January 2015 at 3:18 pm

    Looking and sounding like a believable human being has looked like an effective plan.

  20. NZJester 20
    19 January 2015 at 4:09 pm

    I would not at all be surprised to see more mention of the current governments poor record on state housing. There are large numbers of them that are untenanted even though the areas they are in have long waiting lists.
    I have heard some of them have not been well maintained and that is why some have been turned down.
    There was a news article this month about one guy who was going to be kicked out of a state house and given 21 days notice soon after his wife died with no compassion from Housing New Zealand until the paper got involved. The state house they lived in might have also partly contributed to her death as he mentioned it contains a lot of mould.
    Surprisingly HNZ can find no records about the mould being reported to them.
    I just hope they do something about the mould before shoving say a young family with a baby or kids into that house.
    refrence: Hawkes Bay Today
    Housing NZ has no mould record
    By Harrison Christian
    6:51 AM Friday Jan 9, 2015
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11383951

  21. mac1 21
    19 January 2015 at 5:04 pm

    The important question for Little is not only what he says, but how the media will describe what he says, and also how much government generated noise is created to drown out what Little says, in terms of their PR machine.

    Every little clause will be examined for verbal spin, every phrase shaken for hidden meaning, every statistic miscalculated to the Nth degree.

  22. les 22
    19 January 2015 at 6:15 pm

    Got alot of faith in Little now.He seems to understand the balance required regarding policy and how to deliver it without scaring the voters.Trotter sums it up very well ,sentiment or perception always triumphs.A manifesto of core Labour values is not required,just a pragmatic campaign to win the treasury benches. Starting the ludicrous ‘Angry Andy’ campaign shows the right are already rattled.I like the way Little handles the media too.A lot of lessons to be learned from Cunnliffes campaign,on how not to do it.

    • Ian 22.1
      19 January 2015 at 7:30 pm

      good luck mate ,but you sound like a deluded fool.Labours core values are dirty politics. Con the voters and the prize you would never earn ,is yours.

      • OhMyGodYes 22.1.1
        19 January 2015 at 7:44 pm

        @Ian

        And denial is a river in Egypt ffs. The lengths you clowns will go to in order to bait and switch the issues to defend the object of your desire is both amusing and homoerotic. I’m sure John Key can defend himself against any dirty politics anyway. After all, he’s got Slater and Roughan both prepared to swing their handbags from ten paces at anyone who dares to look at him funny. He certainly doesn’t need another groupie like you to defend his dishonour.

      • les 22.1.2
        19 January 2015 at 8:02 pm

        you are hilarious!Crosby /Textor U.S style pork barrel politics,cronyist capitalism…yanKey doodle dandy and co know nothing else.

  23. Skinny 23
    19 January 2015 at 7:50 pm

    Expect Andrew Little to get onside with Kiwi’s by continuing to resonant the future of work theme. Confidence is down according to a latest survey, with working people starting to worry. The National Government’s rock slid economy is on the skids. Resentment is mounting to the 20 % at the top, who’s self centered greedy is screwing those below.

    International unrest could flare up in a rebellion targeted firstly at the very wealthy 1% and expanding out to include the 19 % below. We never had the riots of disgust here, only the occupy gathering in Auckland. With the widening equality gap rapidly growing I believe it will be a different case scenario if unrest develops oversea’s, a heck of a lot of New Zealanders will wake up from the neo liberal trance/con job.

    • Truth Will Out 23.1
      19 January 2015 at 8:03 pm

      You just described the real reasons why Key has been in so much of a hurry to rush his surveillance laws through.

      • Skinny 23.1.1
        19 January 2015 at 9:59 pm

        An American friend who had been living in Hawaii with his kiwi partner told me their military were doing the rounds tooling up 5 eyes partners with the latest anti riot techniques, last winter they were here so he says. He reakoned they were expecting major civil unrest. They sold up in disgust and moved to live here after saying the American corporations have ruined Hawaii.

  24. phillip ure 24
    19 January 2015 at 8:41 pm

    littles’ big gameplan should be to win back the trust of those who now look at them/labour though squinted/narrowed-eyes..

    ..labour r trusted little more than national are..

    ..(see what i did there..?..)

  25. millsy 25
    20 January 2015 at 12:25 am

    Seems to me at this stage he needs to play to his strengths and focus on education/training — which he would have had a lot to do with during his EPMU stage — perhaps with a dash of innovation and supporting of manufacturing. At the moment, he just needs to be solid, play a straight bat with no outrageous hook shots.

  26. The Chairman 26
    20 January 2015 at 9:32 am

    Little may like to point out market voids (such as housing, export growth, employment, etc) and explain how a hands on Government will fill these voids – i.e. build more homes, create new export focused SOEs, thus grow our wealth and provide more decent paying jobs.

    • Colonial Rawshark 26.1
      20 January 2015 at 9:45 am

      These are good ideas but ones of a by-gone era.

      Economic growth is not coming back, financialisation and financial shocks are worsening, climate change over 2 deg C is a given, and we need to build NZ a visionary niche in such an environment. That means infrastructure which is low carbon, rebuilding industries able to serve our own needs (i.e. a degree of import substitution), adapting our farming and food production methods to a changing climate, key assets (like housing but also commercial enterprise) which are community or co-operatively owned, and also playing the global financial/monetary game way way smarter.

      Also on surveying the entire western world, I think paid employment is going to become increasingly rare. Not only are the numbers of jobs not keeping up with the people who need them, the quality of the jobs available are declining (pay, conditions, zero hours, etc). Therefore we need to establish systems where work can be done and people can live in dignity suited to that reality.

      • The Chairman 26.1.1
        20 January 2015 at 9:58 am

        They are fundamental requirements moving forward.

        Even your prescription (a visionary niche) require those fundamentals.

      • The Chairman 26.1.2
        20 January 2015 at 10:15 am

        As for paid employment, I concur the future of employment is changing and in many ways declining. Strengthening the need for Government to be more hands on, helping to fight the decline in conditions and pay, thus ensuring a form of balance through the restructure.

  27. Eralc 27
    20 January 2015 at 2:27 pm

    Less anger, more smiles, more reason, more about what he’s going to do to lead this country (if that comes his way), less about sniping at the current government, but more about saying what he would do. Have more of a global view.

    He could also do with a good media adviser to help him come across more clearly, engage with voters, speak more clearly – keep people engaged for the long game.

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