Andrew Little’s speech – the next four and a half months are a fight for a better New Zealand
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1:49 pm, May 14th, 2017 - 93 comments
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Text of Andrew Little’s speech delivered today to the Labour Party Congress.
Facebook live feed is here.
Delegates, we have four and a half months ahead of us, and a great opportunity to give this country a fresh approach:
to make sure everyone has a decent place to live;
for hospitals that can treat everyone who turns up for care;
to give hope to young people looking for work;
to make our rivers clean again and take real action on climate change and the environment.
Delegates, the next four and a half months are a fight for a better New Zealand, and for everyone in this magnificent country of ours.
Delegates, we can do this. We must do this.
Thank you for devoting this weekend to the cause of Labour and contributing so much to this year’s election.
I acknowledge our President Nigel Haworth and our General Secretary and campaign manager Andrew Kirton. Thank you for the tremendous work you both do.
And, of course, I acknowledge my Deputy Leader Jacinda Ardern.
Jacinda, thank you for the support you give me. Thank you for your speech yesterday and the passion with which you advocate for our children and young people. Thank you for the policy you launched yesterday of health teams in all our schools, which is just one of the ways we’ll bring a fresh approach to our neglected mental health services.
To all our MPs and candidates for Parliament – thank you; thank you for putting yourselves forward, either again or for the first time.
And – most important of all – to all of our dedicated activists and organisers who are going to sweep Labour to government on September 23rd. Thank you.
I also want to take a moment to thank the Labour MPs who are retiring from Parliament. All have served our party and our country with distinction.
To Phil Goff, David Shearer, David Cunliffe, Clayton Cosgrove, and Sue Moroney, thank you for your service to Labour and to New Zealand. We owe each of you an enormous debt.
I especially want to pay tribute to Annette King.
Thank you Annette, for everything you’ve done for everyone in this room, and for the people of New Zealand.
Annette has been our rock. She helped me lay the foundation for rebuilding the Party after the last election.
Thank you, Annette, for your lifetime of service to Labour. You are a titan of this great Labour movement.
Of course as current MPs retire, Labour has an impressive crop of new candidates ready to come to Parliament after the election. They’ll be fantastic MPs.
I’m especially proud of two things:
We’re going to bring at least nine new, amazingly talented women to Parliament as Labour MPs.
And, get this, after the election, at least 1 in 4 Labour MPs will be Māori.
We are going to have the largest representation of Māori MPs of any party, ever, in New Zealand politics.
You know, it was such a nice feeling to be introduced by Leigh before. She has sustained and supported me in challenging roles over many years, and I am hugely grateful.
I couldn’t do this job without her.
Leigh and I have been together for nineteen wonderful years. She’s my soulmate, and we have a son who is our pride and joy.
We’ve lived the typical Kiwi story in many ways.
Leigh and I met just after I started working. We settled down, bought a house, started a family, and got married – which is a very 21st century order in which to do things.
Many of you will have a similar kind of story to tell.
That first house we bought in 2000 cost us $315,000. That wasn’t a small amount of money for us, but it was manageable.
It got us a nice, three-bedroom starter home, built on a hillside in Wellington.
And, like any good Wellington house, it was up about a thousand steps!
For Leigh and me, being able to buy that first house gave us a measure of financial security and certainty. More importantly, Ii It gave us a sense of our own place.
It was the house we brought our baby boy home to.
I remember that time vividly. Preparing the baby room. And putting this precious bundle of humanity in his cot for the first time. This tiny little thing, in this ocean of sheets.
Of course, Cam’s nearly 6 foot tall now. He doesn’t fit in the cot anymore!
The story of our first home is a story told by thousands of Kiwi families every day.
A place to call home.
A place to raise your children.
The Kiwi dream.
It’s the story Labour wants for every Kiwi family.
But let me tell you something. We bought that house in 2000 for $315,000. Now, it would cost around $830,000. It’s gone up by half a million dollars in 17 years.
Its value has nearly tripled.
But here’s the thing: Families’ incomes haven’t tripled since 2000. Nowhere near.
That’s why housing is getting further and further out of reach.
New Zealand’s housing crisis – yes, crisis – is not just about out of control prices. It’s about the insurmountable barrier that many first home buyers now face. It’s about the rapid increase in rent that tenants are seeing now.
It’s about the disruption it is causing to the education of thousands of children.
It’s about the fact that what is happening with housing is now the main cause of growing inequality and growing poverty in New Zealand today.
You know, I was out door knocking in Mt Roskill last year with Michael Wood. It was a typical Kiwi street, modest family homes – sports gear in the front lawns and washing lines out the back.
I knocked on one door, a typical house, and I realised very quickly there were three families living there. Not one family – three! It wasn’t a big home; it was a modest home. I was gobsmacked by that.
Then, the next door I knocked on, on the same street, had the same thing. Multiple families crammed into a house designed for only one.
And it wasn’t just one or two houses on the street, it was house after house, all with families packed in.
Delegates, that’s not the New Zealand we want.
We can do better.
As Jacinda and I travel the country doing public meetings, housing is the number one issue people raise with us, every single place we go.
You know, last Friday, I was in Hamilton with Nanaia Mahuta, Jamie Strange and Brooke Loader. I met a woman there called Shirley, and her daughter.
She lives on Jebson Place, an area that was once a thriving state house community. But, she told me, the current government has gradually emptied out all the other houses.
Her community is gone. She showed me what is left – a bunch of broken down buildings, a haven for crime.
Shirley couldn’t understand it. Why have they left those houses empty and rotting in the middle of the housing crisis? She told me she just wants her community back. She had tears in her eyes.
So, I told her why I was there that day. I was announcing that Labour will tear down all those abandoned old buildings. And in their place we are going to build a community of 100 affordable KiwiBuild and state houses – a place for families, once again.
Well, you should have seen Shirley’s face. She was beaming from ear to ear.
Security, community, hope. That’s the difference we will make up and down this country by building those homes.
You know, that’s why I do what I do. That’s why I come to work every day. I do it because when I meet people like Shirley, or the people crammed into houses down that street in Mt Roskill, or even look at my own son, Cam and his mates, and wonder what the future holds for them, I know we can and must do better.
And I’m damned well determined to do something about it.
New Zealand urgently needs some fresh thinking on housing.
Every Kiwi family should have a place that they can call home.
And everyone should have a shot at owning their own place.
So here’s what we’re going to do.
The first thing is we will build homes that families can afford to buy.
We will lead the largest house building programme since Michael Joseph Savage carried that dining table into 12 Fife Lane.
We’ll use the money we get from selling the first bunch of houses at cost to build more homes and sell them. And we will keep on doing that – build, sell, build, sell – helping more and more and more families buy a place of their own.
But… building houses is just part of the answer. The other part is dealing with those things that jack up prices and put homes out of reach for so many.
If we want to make sure all Kiwi families get a fair shot – that when it comes to buying a home they have a level playing field – we’ve got to get the speculators out of the way.
We can’t let our homes be gambling chips anymore.
So there are three things we’re going to do to level the playing field:
First, we’ll ban overseas speculators from buying existing houses. Simple as that. We’ll do that in our first hundred days.
Second, we’ll make speculators who flip houses within five years pay tax on their profits.
Third, today I’m announcing Labour will close the tax loophole that allows speculators to claim taxpayer subsidies for their property portfolio.
Right now, speculators can take losses from their rentals and offset that against their personal income. It allows them to avoid paying tax.
This loophole is effectively a hand-out from taxpayers to speculators. It gives them an unfair advantage over Kiwi families.
So I’ll tell you.
We will close the loophole. It is over.
Families don’t deserve to have the odds stacked against them by their own government. They deserve a fair shot. With Labour that’s what they’ll have.
Now, let me be clear. This isn’t about the mum and dad investor who has bought a rental as a long-term investment. The vast majority of them don’t use this loophole. Those that do will have time to adjust.
This policy is about the big speculators who purchase property after property. It’s about those big time speculators who are taking tens of thousands of dollars a year in taxpayer subsidies as they hoover up house after house.
I say to people who would defend these loopholes – how can we as a society possibly defend handing out subsidies to property speculators when most young couples can’t afford to buy their first home.
You ask me whose side I’m on? It’s families. It’s first home buyers.
Removing the speculators’ tax loophole will save taxpayers $150m a year once fully implemented.
Now, Grant, before you get too excited about Treasury getting that money – I’ve got plans for it!
Today, I’m also announcing Labour will invest those savings into grants for home insulation and heating.
Homeowners and landlords will be able to get up to $2,000 towards the cost of upgrading insulation to modern standards or installing heating.
Over a decade, we’ll help make 600,000 Kiwi homes warmer, drier, and healthier.
This is a perfect complement to my Healthy Homes Guarantee Bill that requires all rentals to be up to a standard where they are fit to live in.
40,000 kids a year go into hospital in New Zealand for illnesses related to living in cold, damp, mouldy homes. We’ve got to change that. We can do better.
And Labour will.
That’s the fresh, new approach we’ll bring to housing.
We will build affordable homes.
We will level the playing field.
We’ll make our homes healthy, warm and dry.
You know, National’s had nine years to tackle the housing crisis. And they have failed at every step.
I’m telling you now, where they’ve failed, we will succeed.
Why have we made getting housing right such a priority?
Because it is absolutely essential to New Zealanders’ sense of security and stability.
Home is about “our place.” It’s a place of celebration; a place of refuge. A launching pad to face the day’s adventures and challenges. It’s our landing spot to rest and get ready for the next day. It’s where life is lived. Where futures are dreamed.
Without a place to call your own, it’s hard to have any of these things. To thrive, to prosper, to stand on our own two feet, every New Zealander needs to have a place they can call theirs.
It is Labour’s mission to restore the foundation stone to strong families and strong communities – decent housing.
I’ve focused on housing so far today, but the same values that make housing such a priority underpin everything else Labour does.
We are putting people first.
That’s why we’ll fund our health system so people get the care they need, and not just the care they can afford.
That’s why Labour is facing up to the crisis of neglect in mental health.
And that’s why we’re going to have an education system that has what it needs, and that prepares our young people for the future of work.
Labour has so many fresh ideas for New Zealand.
We’ll ensure the Government buys Kiwi-made to keep work here and invest in regional infrastructure.
We’ll get young people off the dole and into jobs improving their communities and the environment. I am committed to lifting wages and improving work rights, especially for lower income workers.
We’ll make our rivers cleaner and tackle climate change.
Through all these policies and in every decision, Māori will be at the table. Māori aspiration sits at the core of Labour’s vision for New Zealand.
Because we are a progressive party – we stand for a better future for each generation; we think ahead; we invest in the future.
We are a party of great passion – for our people, for ideas that make this a more perfect country.
You know, the election in September will be about who’ll invest in New Zealand’s future. It’s not about the lolly scramble we’re seeing in this year’s Budget.
This election will be about who has the vision, the guts, and the plan to build a better New Zealand that puts people first.
The answer is: Labour does.
Only Labour will build the houses.
Only Labour will reverse the health cuts and boost funding for GP visits and mental health.
And only Labour will make tertiary education and training fees free for three years.
In Labour, we have the vision, we have the guts, and the plan.
I’m here because I believe that all our people should have a fair shot at the Kiwi Dream.
I believe that, just as Norman Kirk said so memorably, we should all have “Someone to love, somewhere to live, somewhere to work and something to hope for”.
I’m here because I believe that a government that puts people first is at the heart of making that vision a reality.
I’m here to help build a better New Zealand.
But, before we get that opportunity to help build that better New Zealand, we’ve had to build a better Labour Party.
We’ve had to build a party that is ready to win, to govern, to lead.
As I look out at this Congress, today, I know we have achieved that.
We’ve done it by working together.
We have built a dynamic, modern party.
We have packed out halls and pubs around the country with ordinary Kiwis, keen to hear our vision. Keen to support our plan.
We have built a strong relationship with the Green Party to show that there is a stable alternative government, ready to go.
And because of all that, we’ve been winning. In the local elections. In Mount Roskill. In Mount Albert.
You know, by the time of the Mt Albert by-election, National had stopped even bothering to show up!
Our Party is in amazing shape.
We have a fantastic caucus, amazing new candidates, a huge army of volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of Kiwis signed up as supporters.
Labour is ready to win in 2017.
This election is ours to win. All over the country, people are telling me they’re ready for a change.
To make that happen, we need much more than politicians on a stage.
Ours is a community movement. It’s powered by people like you.
Mums and Dads.
Students and teachers.
Workers and families.
You and me.
Our movement wins when we bring thousands of committed people with us.
I wouldn’t want it any other way.
New Zealanders have a clear choice at this election.
We can choose a tired government that has run its course.
Or we can choose a new, positive vision for a better New Zealand.
This isn’t going to be an easy fight. It’s going to be close. It’s going to be tough.
I’ve faced tough fights before, and this is one fight we simply have to win.
Here’s my message to New Zealanders this year:
It’s time for a fresh team with energy and passion.
It’s time for new ideas on housing.
It’s time to give hope to our young people.
Vote for a better New Zealand.
Vote Labour.
Delegates, let’s do it.
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This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Governments around the world face a conundrum. Virtually none are on track to meet their Paris climate commitments. That includes the United States, which committed to cut its emissions at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 but is only on track for 32-43% cuts ...7 days ago
- Unstoppable.
7 days ago
- Katherine Trebeck – An Alternative Economic Narrative
The era of neoliberalism has been destructive on so many levels, with a huge growth in wealth and privilege for the one percent. A hollowing out of the state; fraying of the safety net; inadequate government investment in infrastructure; and continued environmental degradation has resulted in damage on a vast ...7 days ago - In a Manner of Speaking
In a manner of speakingI just want to sayThat I could never forget the wayYou told me everythingBy saying nothingOh, give me the wordsGive me the wordsThat tell me nothingOh, give me the wordsGive me the wordsThat tell me everythingSongwriter: Winston TongNext Tuesday, the subscription price for Nick’s Kōrero will ...7 days ago - Monday 18 November 2024
The NZNO have announced a nationwide strike for December over its pay dispute with Health NZ, who have put a 1 per cent cap on pay rises. The Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti and Treaty Principles Bill remain front and centre in the media, with the impacts of the Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke-led ...1 week ago
- Shipley warns Seymour’s bill is ‘inviting civil war’
The divisive Treaty Principles Bill is not just a risk for the National Party, it’s a risk to civil order and unity, warns a National Party grandee. Photo: Getty ImagesKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on ...1 week ago - A clearer network for the City Rail Link?
This post was originally published on Linked In by Nicolas Reid. It is republished here with permission. Auckland is now just a year or so away from having the keystone of its urban rail network complete. As I wrote about here, the City Rail Link will be a literal game changer for ...1 week ago
- National’s support base is wobbling
If ACT leader David Seymour intended the Treaty Principles Bill to drive a wedge into National’s support base, he may well already be succeeding. By midnight on Thursday after the Maori Party haka in Parliament, National MPs were being deluged with emails and messages from their members calling them out ...1 week ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #46
A listing of 33 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, November 10, 2024 thru Sat, November 16, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is completely "meta" (no, not that Meta). It's about our exploring how ...1 week ago
- Grifter Eftpos Tamaki at it again
..Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Self-appointed “Bishop” and proto-fascist, Brian Tamaki was at it again on 16 November, blocking Auckland’s southern motorway, SH1.This time, the target of his ire wasn’t the Civil Unions Act; covid lock-downs; mask mandates; or ...1 week ago - Rip up a bill, lead a haka are words to live by
I cannot stop grabbing people by the lapels, or shoulders, or similar, and raving at them about the tiny miracles in my ears.I can hear again! There could not be a more satisfied customer in all the world.In a noisy cafe I am even catching words that Karren cannot, she ...1 week ago - Unintended Consequences
Take the baitYou pay the priceIt's much too lateFor good adviceYou know and I know that our good things' throughBecause there's consequences for what we doConsequences for me and youWriters: Kevin Robert Hayes, David Nagier, Bonnie Adele Hayes.Fallout from the first readingOne News began last night by saying that tens ...1 week ago - Thank you, driver!
Today, Saturday 16th of November, is Auckland Transport’s Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Saturday 16 November marks the third annual Auckland Transport (AT) ‘Bus Driver Appreciation Day’, and this year we are encouraging all of New Zealand to thank their driver or let the bus go first if you are in ...1 week ago
- Totally Normal: Holiday Edition
Hi,If I was to accurately sum up my mental state over the week, I’d just say that I got a huge fright from my own shadow.I’d nipped out for an 11pm neighborhood stroll, just to calm down after a day of stress and screens. The Cure and Fazerdaze’s new record ...1 week ago - We Are Not Listening
The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
1 week ago - More lawlessness from National
On Tuesday, sick of government stonewalling, the Waitangi Tribunal issued a rare court order, ordering the Minister of Health to release unredacted documents within 48 hours showing its reasoning for disestablishing Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority. The government's response to the lawful order of a court? Yeah, ...1 week ago
- National’s tyrannical “foreign interference” law
Yesterday, under cover the the biggest political fight of the year, National quietly - covertly, even - introduced anti-foreign interference legislation. The bill is the product of a years-long work-program aimed at countering shit like this and this, and there's unquestionably a need to do something to counter foreign states' ...1 week ago
- The Haka Represents The Best Of Us
A few months ago, I was in an audience watching a Haka-Kapa and as I watched children dance and sing and sway and shout and beat, I couldn’t help but think “The Haka represents the best of us.”Yes, yes - there will be a thousand voices that rush forth to ...1 week ago
- Adding up the climate cost
St Mary’s Bay housing left hanging: Climate risk is systemically underestimated in the climate scenarios used by central banks, and a new report warns 10,000 houses are set to become uninsurable in Aotearoa. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in ...1 week ago
- Auckland chafing at Bishop’s housing intensification orders
One of the major problems the Government has in implementing its ‘going for housing growth’ strategy is that it isn’t giving much funding help to councils. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and ...1 week ago - Friday 15 November 2024
The Treaty Principles Bill continues to dominate political news, with it passing its first reading in the House. Parliament was briefly suspended and Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke suspended for 24 hours after leading a haka that was joined by opposition MPs and the public in the gallery. Willie ...1 week ago
- Weekly Roundup 15-November-2024
Happy Friday, welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely volunteer crew and made possible by generous donations from our readers ...1 week ago
- Are We The Waiting?
And screamingAre we we are, are we we are the waitingAnd screamingAre we we are, are we we are the waitingForget me nots, second thoughts live in isolationHeads or tails and fairy tales in my mindAre we we are, are we we are the waiting unknownThe rage and love, the ...1 week ago
- Release: Government should be transparent on live exports
Targeted consultation on reinstating live cattle exports by sea won’t allow the New Zealand public to have their say. ...3 days ago - NZ’s global climate rankings plummet as Govt removes agriculture from ETS
The Government has passed legislation to remove agriculture from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) while Aotearoa’s reputation on climate action plummets. ...4 days ago - Failed boot camp experiment must end
As legislation to set up boot camps passed its first reading, the Green Party urged the Government to abandon this failed policy experiment for the good of our rangatahi. ...4 days ago
- Gender-affirming care must centre evidence and health needs, not political posturing
The Ministry of Health has today released an evidence brief regarding the use of puberty blockers in gender-affirming healthcare, amid moves by the government to limit access. ...4 days ago
- Release: National doesn’t care about manufacturing
The National Government is walking away from our manufacturing sector with constant reports of closures and job losses. ...4 days ago
- Release: David Parker speech – Piketty, Inequality and Climate Change
David Parker's speech from the University of Auckland's forum on Piketty, Inequality and Climate Change in September 2024. ...4 days ago
- Release: Youth mental wellbeing no longer a priority for Child Poverty Minister
Louise Upston has revealed her diminished vision for vulnerable youth against a backdrop of snubbed advice, scrapped priorities, shifted goal posts and thousands more children projected to fall into poverty. ...4 days ago
- Release: National’s lack of climate action taking NZ backwards
National Government’s backward-looking climate policy has seen New Zealand fall seven places on the Climate Change Performance Index to 41 out of 63 countries measured. ...4 days ago
- Release: Simple reason for drop in emergency housing
When the Government says it has reduced the number of people in emergency housing, what it means is it is stopping people from accessing it in the first place. ...4 days ago
- Govt’s child wellbeing strategy ‘shallow and shameful’
The Government is turning its back on children by not only weakening child poverty reduction targets, but also removing child mental wellbeing as a priority focus in their Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy. ...4 days ago
- Release: A historic win for Samoan communities
Labour warmly welcomes the Restoring Samoan Citizenship Bill as it passes its third reading, before becoming law. ...4 days ago
- Government plan to reinstate live animal exports a “national disgrace”
The Government has taken a giant step backwards by reinstating live animal exports. ...5 days ago
- Pasifika justice as Member’s Bill passes final reading
Teanau Tuiono’s Member’s Bill, the Citizenship (Western Samoa Restoration) Amendment Bill, has passed its third reading and will become law. ...5 days ago
- Release: Minister of Education thinks New Zealand ends at the Bombay Hills
The Minister of Education has shown complete disregard for rural communities and their school bus routes in Question Time today. ...5 days ago
- Economists sound alarm on Government’s slash-and-burn approach
A group of prominent economists has released an open letter to the Government, raising grave concerns about the far-reaching consequences of its fiscal policy. ...5 days ago
- Release: Smoking numbers up under Costello’s watch
National’s repeal of Labour’s smokefree legislation has taken New Zealand further away from achieving a Smokefree 2025 and a smokefree generation. ...5 days ago
- Release: Call for Palestine recognition by NZ, Australian and Canadian MPs
Parliamentarians from Australia, Canada and New Zealand have written an open letter to their respective Prime Ministers calling on them to recognise Palestine. ...5 days ago
- Justice Select Committee opens floor for Treaty Principles submissions
Today, the Justice Select Committee has decided to officially open submissions for the controversial Treaty Principles Bill. ...6 days ago
- Power of the people on full display as hīkoi approaches Parliament
Today, Hīkoi mō te Tiriti arrived in Wellington, with thousands gathering to march in unity against the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...6 days ago
- Hypocrisy as Te Whatu Ora contractor bill balloons
Te Whatu Ora’s bill for contracting and consulting staff has ballooned by nearly 20 percent under the National Government, breaking a promise they made during the election campaign to cut contractors. ...7 days ago
- Release: Growing pressure to scrap Section 7AA Repeal Bill
The newly released Section 7AA Repeal Bill's select committee report is further evidence that the Government should scrap it. ...1 week ago
- Government’s move to monetise access to nature a slippery slope
The Green Party is voicing serious concerns over the Government’s proposal to charge for access to public conservation land, released today. ...1 week ago
- Green Party condemns the passage of Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party condemns the passing of the Treaty Principles Bill at first reading, and is clear that the fight is not over. ...2 weeks ago
- Stand Up for Te Tiriti
Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our country’s founding document. It forms the basis of the relationship between Māori and the Crown – and the Aotearoa New Zealand we live in today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Over 15,000 sign Labour’s open letter to Luxon
As the hīkoi to Parliament continues, Labour has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in a last-ditch attempt to get him to kill the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Fast Track Bill threatens environment, climate and reputation
The fast-track legislation passing its second reading in Parliament is another step towards environmental ruin. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens join King’s Counsel in calling for Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned
The Prime Minister must answer the call from a group of senior lawyers of the King’s Counsel to abandon the divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Chris Hipkins’ apology statement to state and faith-based care survivors
...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour formally apologises to state and faith-based care survivors
Labour joins with the Government in unreservedly apologising for the abuse, neglect and trauma including torture in state and faith-based care and for ignoring the voices of survivors for too long. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care
Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology. ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party calls for conscience vote on Treaty Principles Bill
The Green Party has written to the Speaker of the House requesting he enable a personal vote on the Treaty Principles Bill. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt move to exclude journalist risks chilling effect
The Green Party is alarmed by the Government’s move to exclude a journalist from covering this week’s apology for the survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. ...2 weeks ago
- Without action, an apology will be empty air
For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that drove the abuse in the first place. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Concerns remain over tobacco interference
Concerns about the tobacco industry’s ability to interfere in government policy making remain, despite the inability of the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate the Government’s decision to halve the excise tax on heated tobacco products. ...2 weeks ago
- Urgent wake-up call on climate
The Climate Change Commission’s latest advice indicates Aotearoa needs to be stepping up on climate action. ...2 weeks ago
- Green MP’s Meme-ber’s Bill set to save the world
Break out the punchlines and dust off your meme folder: Green Party MP Kahurangi Carter’s Copyright (Parody and Satire) Amendment Bill was pulled from the Ballot yesterday. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Poroporoaki: Ta Robert (Bom) Gillies
Kua hinga te manawa kairākau o Te Rua Tekau Ma Waru Tiwhatiwha te po! Kakarauru i te po! Ka rapuhia kei hea koe kua riro! Haere e te Ika a Whiro ki o tini hoa kua ngaro atu ki te Pō ...2 weeks ago
- Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principles Bill
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Labour, Greens and Te Pāti Māori call on the Prime Minister to block the Treaty Principle...
The opposition parties stand united for an Aotearoa that honours Te Tiriti, rather than seeking to rewrite it. Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori are working together against the Government’s divisive Treaty Principles Bill. ...3 weeks ago
- NZ must pursue independent foreign policy
The Green Party says the need is greater than ever for Aotearoa New Zealand to pursue an independent foreign policy. ...3 weeks ago
- Climate Minister to see Antarctica research first-hand
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts is travelling to Antarctica on Monday to see the impacts of climate change first-hand and see New Zealand’s scientific work on the ice. “Antarctica is under increasing pressure from climate change, with rapid changes to the Antarctic ice sheet, ice shelves, sea ice, and biodiversity now ...1 hour ago - Joint Statement: Singapore-New Zealand Article 6 Negotiations reach consensus
Countries have reached a deal on carbon markets at the annual United Nations climate change meeting (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Co-chaired by Singapore’s Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu and New Zealand’s Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts, the negotiations on Article 6 (carbon markets) concluded successfully with ...2 hours ago
- Child Protection Investigation Unit established
A new Child Protection Investigation Unit is being established to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children in care, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “The report released by the Royal Commission into abuse in state care shows us all the risk of not acting immediately when there are serious ...3 days ago
- Speech at United States Business Summit 2024
Ka nui te mihi kia koutou. Ka mihi ki te mana whenua ko Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei. Kia ora and good morning everyone. Thank you Fran and Simon for inviting me here today, and importantly your leadership of this forum over several years now. I want to acknowledge David Gehrenbeck, Deputy ...3 days ago
- Record number of submissions received on granny flat proposal
Nearly 2,000 submissions have been received on the Government’s proposals aimed at making it easier to build a granny flat of up to 60 square metres without a resource or building consent, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk say. “This is the highest number ...3 days ago
- District Court Judge appointed
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Rebecca Guthrie as a District Court Judge. Judge Guthrie was admitted to the bar in 1997 following her graduation from the University of Canterbury in 1996 (LLB, BA). She commenced her legal career in Hastings in 1997 before moving to London in ...3 days ago
- Appointments strengthen Predator Free 2050
The latest Predator Free 2050 Board appointments will help to strengthen biodiversity efforts across Aotearoa New Zealand, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says. Mr Potaka today announced two appointments to the Board of Directors of Predator Free 2050 Limited, a key player in the wider Predator Free 2050 Programme. “The Predator ...3 days ago
- New facility in Christchurch will improve the lives of young New Zealanders
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey today opened Kahurangi, an innovative and much-needed facility for Canterbury’s Child, Adolescent, and Family Mental Health Services. “The new state of the art outpatient facility opened today will be a gamechanger for the way mental health is delivered for young people in Canterbury,” says Mr ...3 days ago
- Driver safety screens to be installed on Auckland buses
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) that bus driver protection screens will be installed across Auckland’s bus fleet by 2026.“The Government is committed to improving the safety of working environments for bus drivers, and Budget 2024 allocated $15 million of Crown funding over ...3 days ago
- Government action provides Southland farmers more time to meet plan requirements
The Government is taking action to ensure Southland farmers and growers are not affected by unreasonable regional farm plan deadlines, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard say.“Cabinet has agreed to provide more time for farmers and growers to comply with regional rules ...4 days ago
- Bill reaffirms Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending
The Oranga Tamariki (Responding to Serious Youth Offending) Bill had its first reading at Parliament today. The Bill reaffirms the Government’s commitment to crack down on serious youth offending, Minister for Children Karen Chhour says. “In recent years we have seen an unacceptable spike in youth offending. “This Bill makes ...4 days ago
- Critical milestones for earthquake buildings review
Fairer, more sensible rules about managing earthquake risks are a step closer with the passing of legislation and the appointment of an independent chair to provide expert advice, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The Government is committed to reinvigorating our cities and regions to support economic growth, ...4 days ago
- State of the art radiology machine for Auckland
People in Northland and Auckland will benefit from a new machine for cancer treatment installed at the Regional Cancer and Blood Service at Auckland City Hospital. The MV5 linear accelerator, or LINAC machine, officially opened today targets cancer tumours with pinpoint accuracy. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says this new, ...4 days ago
- Foreign Minister to visit Europe
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Europe for high-level talks with France, Germany and the United Kingdom next week. "Since taking office almost a year ago, the Coalition Government has emphasised the importance we place on New Zealand's traditional and likeminded diplomatic and ...4 days ago
- First arrests made under gang patch ban
Police have made their first arrests under the new gang patch legislation, with two gang members arrested, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “Just before 11 this morning, Police in Wairoa apprehended a gang member for wearing a patch to the supermarket. He has been arrested and will now face enforcement ...4 days ago
- Better support for victims of sexual violence
The Government is proposing two major changes to name suppression laws that will put the views of victims of sexual violence first, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “We are committed to restoring law and order and these two proposed changes will help ensure the victims of crime are put at ...4 days ago
- Government moving forward with Regional Deals
Cabinet has agreed to invite all regions to submit proposals for Regional Deals between central and local government that drive economic growth and deliver the infrastructure our country needs, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. Inviting all regions to propose a Regional Deal that boosts ...4 days ago
- MSA pilot participant update
One of the ten young men selected to participate in the Military-Style Academy Pilot has allegedly reoffended. Children’s Minister Karen Chhour is disappointed but says it would be naïve to think that none of these young men would reoffend. “I’m saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity ...4 days ago
- Fighting for Kiwis in Trade
Delivered at Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School Good morning and thank you Deputy Vice Chancellor Lithander for your warm welcome and for inviting me to open Auckland Trade and Economic Policy School today. A Special thanks to the University of Auckland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and ...4 days ago
- Attendance rates increase, again
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that school attendance is continuing to rise. In Term 3 of 2024 51.3 per cent of students attended school regularly, an increase of 5.3 percentage points from 46 per cent in Term 3 of 2023. “This Government has prioritised student attendance and it is ...4 days ago
- Improving the lives of young New Zealanders
Ensuring New Zealand is the best place in the world for children and young people is the vision at the heart of the Government’s new Child and Youth Strategy, Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston says. “Childhood represents a huge opportunity to set people on a positive path towards living ...4 days ago
- Government continues work to reinstate livestock exports by sea
The Government is reinstating the trade of livestock exports by sea while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare, says Associate Minister of Agriculture Andrew Hoggard.“The Government will introduce legislation changes to reinstate the trade, enhance oversight, and strengthen requirements for exporters to identify risks and manage the welfare of ...5 days ago
- Speech to the National Quality Forum 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa – it is a pleasure to be here today. I would like to begin by acknowledging the important leadership role you all play in ensuring a quality health system New Zealanders can trust. There is enormous clinical expertise in this room covering a wide range of disciplines. ...5 days ago
- New Zealand’s COP29 National Statement
Tēnā koutou katoa. Mr President, Excellencies, Delegates. New Zealand, and all nations represented here today, are already dealing with the impacts of climate change. Our households, businesses, and economies are bearing the costs of its effects. The choices we make now will shape the severity of these impacts for generations ...5 days ago
- Latest Quarterly Investment Report released
The Government has released its second Quarterly Investment Report (QIR) which shows substantial work still to be done by agencies to improve investment reporting and meet the Government’s expectations, Infrastructure and Acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “New Zealand has significant infrastructure and investment needs. The Government is determined to get ...5 days ago
- New Zealand supporting loss and damage fund
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand will contribute NZ$10 million to the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage while at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. “New Zealand is joining the global effort to address the significant challenge of responding to ...5 days ago
- Gang crackdown begins at stroke of midnight
The free ride for gangs is over when the clock strikes midnight tonight, with tough new laws officially coming into effect, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Police Minister Mark Mitchell say. “Gang patches will no longer be able to be worn in public. To earn the right to wear a ...5 days ago
- LGFA increases borrowing capacity to support high growth councils
The Government is welcoming the decision by the Local Government Funding Agency to increase access to financing tools for fast growing councils to support greater investment in critical infrastructure, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown says.“Communities across the country are facing an infrastructure deficit and significant population growth is projected in ...5 days ago
- Temporary Traffic Management costs revealed
The Government has revealed that over the past three years, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has spent an eyewatering $786 million of taxpayers’ money on road cones and temporary traffic management (TTM), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“When I became Minister, I was surprised to learn that that NZTA did ...5 days ago
- Jurisdiction of Disputes Tribunal to double
Legislation that will double the financial jurisdiction of the Disputes Tribunal from $30,000 to $60,000 has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith. “We need to improve court timeliness and access to justice so that Kiwis and get on with their lives. Court delays affect everyone, the ...6 days ago
- Protecting New Zealand from foreign interference
Legislation that will specifically criminalise foreign interference and strengthen espionage offences has passed first reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “It is normal and appropriate for states to interact and work to influence one another. This encourages cooperation and can have mutually beneficial outcomes. “However, the reality ...6 days ago
- Significant milestone for Canterbury Road of National Significance
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed news that the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Board has approved funding towards pre-implementation and early works on the State Highway 1 (SH1) Belfast to Pegasus Motorway and Woodend Bypass Road of National Significance (RoNS). “Reaching this significant milestone is a reflection of our Government’s ...6 days ago
- Health survey results to help drive change
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says findings from the annual Health Survey highlight the need to continue driving better health outcomes for New Zealanders. The New Zealand Health Survey is an annual snapshot of key metrics measured from July 2023 – July 2024. Findings released this morning include: In 2023/24, ...6 days ago
- Final push needed to get to Smokefree 2025
A renewed effort to get people to quit smoking will build on what has worked to date and target the groups who most need support, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said today. “The latest New Zealand Health Survey results show the daily smoking rate at 6.9 per cent and we ...6 days ago
- New diplomatic appointments
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced four new diplomatic appointments. “Our diplomats play an important role in ensuring New Zealand’s interests are maintained and enhanced across the world,” Mr Peters says. “It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign ...6 days ago
- Next steps for Regulatory Standards Bill
Regulation Minister David Seymour has today announced the next steps in the Government’s plan improve the quality of regulation by opening consultation on a proposed Regulatory Standards Bill. “New Zealand's low wages can be blamed on low productivity, and low productivity can be blamed on poor regulation,” says Mr Seymour. ...6 days ago
- Red Tape Tipline goes live
Minister for Regulation David Seymour has today announced that the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline is now live. “We want to hear about your red tape horror stories. From today, New Zealanders will have a say on how they are regulated through an online portal,” says Mr Seymour. The ...6 days ago
- Youth Parliament 2025 announced
The Minister for Youth Matt Doocey has today announced the eleventh Youth Parliament will be taking place in 2025. “Youth Parliament offers a unique youth development opportunity to young people from across New Zealand to experience the political process and learn about how government works,” says Mr Doocey. “The two-day ...7 days ago
- Police stats show promising change
After nearly a year in Government, Kiwis have seen significant change across law and order with promising early results shown across some Police statistics, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. “In August 2023, I told New Zealanders that if they had not started to see a change in public safety within ...7 days ago
- Better coordination of anti-scam efforts
With the launch of Fraud Awareness Week, the Government is committing to new coordination efforts across industry and government to combat online scams, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Online financial scams are a growing problem for New Zealand. New data released today shows that Kiwis lost nearly ...7 days ago
- Security breach as Christopher Luxon’s itinerary left on police car dashboard
The itinerary was visible in the police car in Queenstown on Sunday. ...1 hour ago - Why parents need to be like Big Ted and ‘talk aloud’ while they use screens with their kids
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Highfield, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education Academic Lead, University of Canberra Screen use and internet safety are two of the top concerns Australian parents have about their kids’ health and wellbeing – even ranking ahead of diet, exercise and depression. ...2 hours ago - TJ Perenara’s Tiriti haka addition welcomed by both Te Pāti Māori and David Seymour
The All Black used the side's haka ahead of their match against Italy to show support for the recent hikoi. ...2 hours ago
- Helen Clark Foundation Calls For Political Action To Reduce The Prevalence Of Junk Food And Improve ...
The report argues the long-standing government approach that relies on people taking sole responsibility for their health and the choices they make, will continue to fail unless the obesity conversation shifts from the individual to the wider food ...2 hours ago - Australia in a baby bust? It’s not that simple – and a panic won’t help
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edith Gray, Professor, School of Demography, Australian National University Photo by ADIEL MALKA/Pexels There is a seemingly endless stream of news headlines about plummeting birth rates. Many have alarmist narratives about the perils of “baby busts” and “population decline”. This reflects ...2 hours ago
- Why Monday is the most dangerous day on a building site
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Senior Lecturer of Urban Risk & Resilience, UNSW Sydney M2020/Shutterstock Australia’s construction industry employs more than 1.3 million workers. That’s about 9% of the workforce. But construction sites can be dangerous workplaces. There are also more accidents on a ...2 hours ago
- ‘Divorce’ in songbirds: extreme weather pushes couples past breaking point
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frigg Janne Daan Speelman, PhD Candidate in behavioural ecology, Macquarie University Coulanges/Shutterstock Like humans, many animals form lasting monogamous relationships. Most birds pair up to produce and raise offspring together over many years. However, as with humans, they also commonly “divorce” ...2 hours ago
- Green hydrogen could decarbonise entire industries in NZ – but there’s a long way to go
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jannik Haas, Senior Lecturer of Sustainable Systems, University of Canterbury Getty Images Hydrogen has been called the “Swiss army knife” of decarbonisation because it can do many things. But not all of them make sense. Today, the world uses about ...2 hours ago
- Creative sector welcomes draft government strategy, but calls for more funds
Many say NZ is well behind the rest of the world in developing and supporting its creative professionals. ...3 hours ago
- Peters’ push to turn Europe’s eyes south
The Foreign Minister is headed to Europe, where he will deliver the last of seven major speeches of the past year The post Peters’ push to turn Europe’s eyes south appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 hours ago - Death of a feminist legend
In March, on the twentieth anniversary of the death of a brilliant feminist thinker from Auckland who became a superstar in US academia, Justin Okin wrote a moving tribute to his mother, Susan Moller Okin, on International Women’s Day. “She was arguably the most influential feminist political philosopher of her ...4 hours ago
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Property and housing is Labour’s best shot at this.
Good work, and good luck, Mr Little.
No, I think Labour’s (and other Left parties) best shot would be to define how the purpose of the economy can be measured.
People will vote for change if they can see a plan that is good for their lives and has a credible chance of working. Property is a core anxiety of much of the populace now. It’s the right fight to have about the right thing, at the right time.
The problem being that property isn’t the solution but the problem.
I know, property is theft right?
All we have to do is shout that out and families wont have to bring up children in a car.
Nope.
Ownership of property encourages usury and that is theft.
The campaign slogans are rolling off your tongue this evening.
Little has it dead right, and it is precisely the Labour recipe from days of old. Plus he’s left space in the campaign to address rentals later.
You may not have noticed but it didn’t work too well in the days of old either. Sure, it worked better than what came before but he’s not really talking about a major change from we have now and what we have now isn’t working.
Housing is the issue – not ownership. Ownership is the problem.
Private rentals I assume? I truly doubt if he’s going to address the rentier capitalism that we have now.
If you are looking for something as big as MIchael Joseph Savage’s programme, that’s exactly what Labour has in mind. Regulating landlords, and targeting their ability to write tax losses off, is a precise target against rentier capitalists. The top 2% of New Zealand are addicted to precisely this ability.
However what Andrew Little and Labour are not proposing is nationalizing the whole of private real estate in New Zealand. If that is the kind of “addressing” you are looking for, it will never be in this country.
I’d be quite happy with MIchael Joseph Savage’s programme. It’s very similar to my Real Monetary Reform.
Hey, did you know that nobody in NZ owns the land that their house is on?
It is a point that most people don’t seem to grok.
Devine intervention will be required, god or Peters As PHIL Quin articulates labour have no show under angry Andy leadership, I suggest 2020 is a long shot unless Arden pushes labour back to the centre and reverses the alliance takeover of labour Election will Be alot of fun and wailing post election on about how dumb the voters are from the primitive left
Hiya’s Red, shame you are feeling so negative today, here have a Snickers.
Guess what? The day after the spring equinox EVERYTHING will change, EVERYTHING.
Looking forward to a link for the video of the next PM of NZ aka ALPHA ANDY delivering his speech, he’s an incredible public speaker, compelling, motivating and interesting. I guess that could be part of the reason that he has been speaking to packed venues up and down the country.
All the best to you and yours Mr Little, I watched you on Q&A this morning, great interview. Looking forward to the leaders debates in September.
Phil who? I have been involved in the Labour Party for some time and have never met the man. What would he know about NZ Labour?
Probably about as much as james.
I never I said I knew much about labour.
My knowledge of them is being on the outside looking at them.
Well if that’s the case james come with me and the likes of me into the inside and see what we see looking outwards. Give it a try, I think you will be surprised , possibly even a convert. I hav’nt given up hope on you like some others.
James when you use the word “I” in one very short sentence, your character is open to scrutiny;-))
Phil Quin fell foul of Labour a few years back. He came from the right-wing neo liberal sect (last one left in the Party) who supported Rogernomics. He has an almighty chip on his shoulder and grabs every opportunity to attack Labour with obsessive ferocity. He set himself up as a political commentator but no-one seems to take much notice of him anymore.
Oh, and he’s a friend of the self-promoting former Labour politico who has a propensity for advancing the obvious in the mistaken belief she was ‘the first to think of it’ Blairite, Josie Pagani. Click on to this morning’s Q&A panel section for a good example of her [lack of] genius.
Ok, here is the panel clip.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a/clips/extras/andrew-little-panel
Anyone know how to link to clip without the advert?
To Anne,
Nice to see presenter Greg Boyed doing a respectable job, in avoiding some of Josie Pagani pro-National bull-shit.
I think you not knowing him shows your lack of knowledge- not his.
A “centre” Labour is literally nothing. You lose the Left and gain nothing from the complacent Right.
Why is there a Labour Party at all?
Answer that EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU SPEAK, or you are wasting everyone’s time.
Let the “middle people” if they exist, buy into that. Let them be inspired by that.
Let them say “Oh yes! That is what it has always been to be a New Zealander; I always thought so!” or it isn’t worth trying to take power in the first place.
Who cares what some latte drinking gay hipster has to say about Labour?
I can hear the screams of anguish of the benefactors of neo liberalism from here with this speech from Andrew Little. I cannot wait for the change in govt that’s coming this September.
Like a healing balm on an inflamed and diseased limb.
Went to hear the speech. Majorly impressed. Little came across as articulate, genuine and witty at times. Actually found it a very engaging speech.
I think it was pitched just right
It reads extremely well. Anyone with an ounce of decency would not argue with any of it.
Yes, it reads well with a familiar ring to it.
What I will argue with is the strong nostalgic sentiment that is channelled in this and other (previous) speeches. I suppose this part & parcel of election campaigns and politics particularly in times of upheaval & uncertainty such as these, but is it truly being honest? That said, my dissonant voice is likely to be ignored and/or rejected by many here.
The only thing New Zealanders have to be proud of is their past.
It still, potentially, has mobilizing power.
With so many migrants the number of “pasts” will be huge and they will be as diverse as the people having/carrying them. What kind of message is it supposed to send and to whom?
” What kind of message is it supposed to send and to whom? ”
Semantics. And the message it sends is to all those New Zealanders left out of Nationals ‘ brighter future’ – of which there are now scores of them.
I welcome a Labour led govt this September.
A properly functioning government at long last.
Don’t be silly.
Individuals have history, sure, but there is a widely accepted national institutional history of which the country – all the country, not just those with a genetic connection to the actors – are rightfully proud.
From the impulse to establish a treaty with the indigenous population, if not it’s implementation, universal voting franchise and financial benefits for retired people, a country that was a world leader in egalitarian principles, our support for the UN and other trans-national equity bodies, our nuclear stand etc etc.
No one is suggesting for a moment that New Zealand’s history is without blemish, and many of these articles of pride are almost virtue by circumstance or accident, even.
But such is the mythology. It would be a mistake to imagine that a firmly held belief is without merit or consequence.
We see ourselves as a moral and ethical little country even as the last vestiges of the egalitarian state are under more threat than ever before.
And this self-image, in my view still has an enormous power to unite and direct the public will.
All good.
How long do you think it’ll take before an immigrant feels (like a) Kiwi and proud of this country? It is a rhetorical question, of course.
Most of us look for security, a sense of belonging, a desire & need for love, but we also look for a purpose, a meaningful existence. I think what you’re saying is that there might be such a thing as a ‘common’ or shared purpose, a nation-wide purpose. There are indeed some very interesting examples in history, not all positive; people tend to rally for and they tend to rally against …
typical speech by a cis male. i don’t care if he is the leader of the labour party! nothing in it for women, transgendered women, maori/transmaori.
~ tui
Having housing be affordable and healthy is very important for women, trans people and Māori.
Little also touched briefly on health, mental health, education, job, wages and worker rights. These are all important issues for women, trans people and Māori.
There’s really nothing in the speech that would justify attacking him for being a cis man.
Great speech by Little along with a superb delivery. Those who disagree are probably the ones who wouldn’t vote Labour/Green anyway.
Well, nothing unless they live in a house (or want to), use the health system, pay taxes or have a job (or would like one). But sure, for however many trans Maori who don’t want any of those things, there was nothing in it at all. Call me optimistic, but I’m picking it’s not a huge proportion of the electorate.
It needn’t be a lolly scramble for identity subsets.
We are, presumably, all in this together.
Except Tui, if Labour do as well as they are polling more Maori and Women in their caucus than ever.
Sorry (not being rude – genuine question) what is a transmaori? A trans person who happens to be Maori or something else.
someone born pakeha, for example, but who now self-identifies as tangata whenua.
~ tui
imo they aren’t tangata whenua – they may be whānau but you can’t wish whakapapa – it is or isn’t.
WTF?!
Im pretty sure that if I rocked on up to the local marae and tried to make out I was Maori, I would be told where to go.
someone born pakeha, for example, but who now self-identifies as tangata whenua.
I like this concept. It makes me transyoung, transbeautiful and transsexy, not to mention a transgenius.
I suspect you do not know what the prefix ‘trans’ means…
Apparently, it now just means self-identifying as something you’re not, if the quoted comment is anything to go by.
No, it means ‘opposite to’ or ‘moving from one state to another’.
E.g. transalpine, transaction, transport, transcendant, or trans- in chemistry.
Might not be what you were wanting out of your four neologisms.
Well, duh. It’s almost like Tui’s use of the prefix ‘trans’ has something wrong with it that commenters have picked up on, isn’t it?
You have said Little didn’t offer anything for this new group* you’ve coined at the end of your sentence – what did you want him to offer that group?
* to me the phase is disrespectful to transgender people and Māori so I’ll not use it.
Visually it was extremely good too Anne. Only a person who speaks from the heart can sound so natural while passionately powerful at same time. It certainly heartens me.
And this EXACTLY what we need. A leader who acts from the heart and conscience with creative pragmatism and cognitive reasoning .
We are all now completely over those callous ideologically driven neo liberals who view people merely as ‘economic units’ to be used to create their wealth and then thrown out in the trash when they cannot see a fiscal reason for their existence anymore. It is time we threw THEM out into the trash.
The one thing we have on the Left is discipline.
It’s not that Andrew Little is the ideal leader or his vision the ideal vision.
It is just that he is the ONLY leader, so he will have to do.
But everything anyone ever manages to do is a trade off between three poles: money, time and inspiration. The less you have of the one, the more you need of the others.
As time gets short before the election and it is not clear that we can outspend a Government in survival mode, that is when inspiration: style, ideas, swagger, philosophy, outreach…are needed. “Le mot juste”, that telling phrase, something that turns a head or the better expresses a national sentiment… a concept that makes someone say :”Yes! That’s just what I was thinking!”
Andrew Little is a trained lawyer. he is an experienced Union man. He is a tried and true Party President. He is a worthy and solid guy. But all his experience tells him: detail detail detail. What are the minutae of this situation. Discipline. Attention to detail. Big picture? What big picture? Knock heads together. Stick to the facts. Don’t get too flowery or get off the matter at hand.
But I, as an always-Labour guy, am frustrated and infuriated that no one is giving me a vision of a better New Zealand.
Poorer people doing better. Sure I’m all in on that. Housing for upwardly mobile young Aucklanders? Not so much, but if you have to. More money for this or that? Okay, if it helps. But none of that is going to swell the ranks by a single vote.
In every single area of national life: foreign policy, prisons, schools, housing, work and income, whanau ora, tax policy, trade, the Left have inspiring answers and a view that can be transformative, but nothing will happen if no one comes along. It isn’t policy that will change the equations. It is outreach and big-concept. What is wrong with the status-quo? What will be better in a Labour World? (Not housing or any other single thing; a country where we live like we used to: watching out for each other; and proud of our contribution to the world!)
What is needed is a single big-tent concept and it is this: National does not believe the Government can do anything. They spend just enough to quiet the population and not a penny more. $25 anyone? (“Now you can say no more about poverty, we’ve DONE poverty”). The environment? We have a “clean” water policy. Wade-able rivers and a predator-free New Zealand in the never-never. But God forbid we spend the money necessary to achieve those “ends”.
The Left believe the Government can and must help. The Right believe in buying off interest groups and tricking voters into believing they are doing something. They take that attitude because at heart they believe the government neither can nor should do anything but facilitate business.
If the Left can establish that concept they might just win.
If not, the only hope is that National lose from exhaustion and boredom.
Andrew Little is the guy we’ve got. So it is up to him to enunciate a vision. I’m sure he is getting advice from all sides, but it is up to him to take SOME of it.
Some good concepts and wisdom , there , Nick.
To quote the speech, the plan appears to be “build, sell, build, sell”
Although the speech does not provide numbers to be built, I presume it is the 100,000 houses over the next ten years being a mixture of first home buyers and state rentals. It seems surprising in such a keynote speech, the numbers were not restated. It begs the question as to whether it still applies.
i also see from Labours website Auckland stand alone houses will sell for $500,000 to $600,000. Not exactly cheap. They will be affordable for people whose family income is a bit above average but not for those on the average or under. Actually not hugely different to Nationals various hosing policies.
I presume the major difference is a big expansion of state rentals, but by how much? Is it say 2,000 or 3,000 extra state rentals being built per year?
The tax policies, well I guess not too many people will have big objections. I presume overseas buyers (who are aparently all described as speculators) will have to buy new build houses. Same policy as Australia.
Incidentally what are the heath cuts that he is going to reverse. Heath spending has been growing at a significant rate for many years. For instance 25% more doctors than in 2008, presumably many being immigrants.
And finally how do the various spending promises fit into the Labours Budget Responsibility Rules, keeping the core crown spending at 30% of GDP (rule 4).
In my view, if people want a house and can’t afford to buy in Auckland, come to the provinces. The government can spend some dosh on improving infrastructure to make it easier to commute and set up businesses in non-Auckland New Zealand, just as they used to, and the smaller towns will be revitalised.
An Auckland-or-bust policy is actually unpopular out of the Metropolis.
Try thinking outside the AK-box.
Agree Nick the market will eventually lead to this
@ Red
All the market has done so far under National is lead to a car being seen as the new luxury mobile apartment.
Thank goodness Labour’s on to it because National sure as hell are not.
“if people want a house and can’t afford to buy in Auckland, come to the provinces.”
All that does is replicate the problem elsewhere as Auckland money outspends local money.
Come to the provinces and be even poorer.
Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to be a winning slogan.
Housing is not just a location. People are in Auckland because their jobs are, their extended family are, their life history is.
Those who most vocally advocate a change of location, are often those who have made a change based on a higher paying job in a new location. Or who have their moving expenses paid, and have a higher disposable income that allows them to visit friends and family often.
Auckland is not just a place for higher income earners. Many Aucklanders are struggling to make ends meet primarily because of the high cost of housing. If this is addressed, they can remain in their city of birth and retain those connections with community and family that are the cornerstone of a healthy society.
And – given the amount of public money that has gone into Auckland’s infrastructure and amenities – and will continue to go – why would you leave those benefits to be enjoyed only by the well-heeled?
Thanks for letting Little and co. know how National plan to attack Labour during the campaign period Wayne. Awfully good of you.
Hard questions that need answers Ann, I suggest oh we will set up a working committee and work it out later won’t hold
As opposed to 40,000 kids in poverty , family’s sleeping in cars and garages and Nationals solution of putting up family’s in expensive motels and plunging said family’s into debt they can never pay off.
Yup. That’s a smart policy emanating from National ‘ brighter future’ , alright …
I really don’t think the far right wing has a leg to stand on if it wants to take shots at Labour at this stage leading up to the September elections.
Remember THIS , Red ? :
Aroha of McGehan Close flees NZ | Stuff.co.nz
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10468960/Aroha-of-McGehan-Close-flees-NZ
Anne,
Surely by now you must know my posts are personal. Political blogs that allow some debate are just one o my things, presumably as it is yours.
Yes, I am on the conservative side of politics (mostly) so I tend to look at policies through that philosophical perspective. If others make similar points to mine that is coincidental but hardly surprising.
I forgot to add the razz emoticon. Here it is 😛
At primary health level there use to be 6 sessions of therapy funded through the PHO to everyone. National have cut this funding and now it is very difficult to get anyone counselling if they have depression or anxiety disorders.
National didn’t include mental heatlh in one of the DHB’s health targets, so money has gone from there to ???????
Also mental health acute wards closed because of lack of staff. Lack of staff because psychiatric nurses cannot afford to live in Auckland, unless they already own their own home………..not a cut to health as such, but one of the many ways the National Govt has impacted negatively on health provision.
Many GP’s tell me (I work in the field, that they no longer bother referring patients for mental health treatment because they know they won’t be seen or given treatment. TRUST Me Wayne as someone on the frontline I know what I am talking about.
Re Labour’s budget promises, I think that information is out there. Besides, Labour’s track record on financial management outshines Nationals’. I think you might know this.
Just where do all OUR tax dollars go and WHAT do National do with all OUR tax dollars ?
Isn’t this the ‘ brighter future’ ?
Why so much poverty and degraded social services?.. are they trying to make this like some sort of east European bloc country from the cold war era ?
So what, Wayne? Whatever imperfections you might find in Labour’s announcement, what actually matters is whether their proposals are better than National’s approach of pretending there’s no problem and doing their best to support their property speculator constituency – and in those relative terms, Labour’s proposals are way, way superior.
What proposal is way superior, Milt?
1. The one to actually build some houses.
2. The one to scrap negative gearing (and I say that as someone who benefits from it under National).
3. The one to limit immigration numbers.
4. The one to prevent foreign property speculators from buying NZ residential property.
Come to think of it, all of those are pretty good in an absolute sense, let alone a relative one.
The tax policies, well I guess not too many people will have big objections. I presume overseas buyers (who are aparently all described as speculators) will have to buy new build houses. Same policy as Australia.
No they have hardened the rules,making it more difficult for foreign buyers(who apparently are described as frauds)
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/foreign-buyer-crackdown-as-new-identity-rules-applied-to-sydney-property-market-20160514-gov65h.html
http://www.budget.gov.au/2017-18/content/glossies/factsheets/html/HA_16.htm
@ Wayne
” Although the speech does not provide numbers to be built, I presume it is the 100,000 houses over the next ten years being a mixture of first home buyers and state rentals. ”
* Hence the policy “build, sell, build, sell”. Come on Wayne , – think of all the employment and injection into the domestic local economy that will provide – not to mention the ability to provide warm dry safe housing for family’s to prevent small kids from dying . Sure beats the hell out of family’s living in cars.
” i also see from Labours website Auckland stand alone houses will sell for $500,000 to $600,000. Not exactly cheap. They will be affordable for people whose family income is a bit above average but not for those on the average or under. Actually not hugely different to Nationals various hosing policies.”
* Which will be consistent with a graduated ability for those family’s ability to afford them. Obviously.
” The tax policies, well I guess not too many people will have big objections. I presume overseas buyers (who are aparently all described as speculators) will have to buy new build houses. Same policy as Australia.”
* Nothing wrong with that , mate.
” Incidentally what are the heath cuts that he is going to reverse. Heath spending has been growing at a significant rate for many years. ”
* Has it ?,… then why do we have people dying with preventable third world diseases in cold damp moldy homes?… oh I forgot… because of Nationals virtually non existent housing policy’s.
” For instance 25% more doctors than in 2008, presumably many being immigrants.”
* And just WHY is that , Wayne? ,… could it be the result of the neo liberal ‘deforms’ of the past ?.. and in particular the work of a grossly overpaid foreign consultant from England brought in to slash our health system to shreds by the name of Harold Titter?
OR could it POSSIBLY have something more to do with thinking New Zealander medical staff leaving for Australia for better wages, lifestyle and conditions of work because of those neo liberal ‘deforms ‘, – so that we had to import immigrants ? – or was it more to do with the introduction of privatization of education and massive student fees placing medical students into huge debt before they could even think about BUYING a house ???
On doctor numbers. A 25% increase in eight years would be impossible from our medical schools even if everyone stayed in NZ
” On doctor numbers. A 25% increase in eight years would be impossible from our medical schools even if everyone stayed in NZ”
Not so much if so many of our medical staff hadn’t left for Australia more than a decade ago , though , now is it….
And why did they leave again , Wayne?
Maybe that is a question best directed at the previous government?
Medschool intakes are just high to try and compensate for retiring baby boomers, otherwise the health service is buggered.
If you are going to build houses, where do rentals fit in?
To buy an “affordable” $450,000 house is fine, but to house the upwardly mobile young people is not going to help any of those over-crowded families.
I would say build with Government power and advantage and sell to the TOP of the market. Use the money to build rental accommodation. Force the speculators out of the rental market and low-end homes will come on the market of themselves. It also brings young people and money into deprived communities.
If people don’t want to buy there, let them leave Auckland completely. Not a bad result, either. House prices would sag and the churn would be way better.
There is no talk about international trade no talk about support for businesses.
It is trade and business that grows this country.
I am very disappointed in this speech.
No it’s not. In fact, it seems to me that those are what’s causing all the problems that we have.
And most certainly the excessive compulsion by the far right in only focusing almost exclusively on ‘ trade and business’ , – usually to the detriment of small businesses and definitely at the expense of those who are employed , ie workers.
How does inequality not rate as a NO1 issue in NZ
Should Labour be driving the big debate on fresh water and also on Foreign Water Exporters. The issue is huge outside of the big cities.
i am bit worried about the plan to sell houses at cost thats predatory pricing how can other developers compete and make a healthy profit its not a level playing field.
Developers don’t seem very interested in building small basic starter homes. The money seems to be in McMansions and trendy tarted-up townhouses and apartments. So I don’t see why they should object to the government filling a need in a market they’re not interested in.
It’s pretty much a replay of what was done in the late 70’s to solve the same problem then. Government was primarily financier through State Advances and capitalising family benefit. Housing Corp ( or whatever it was then) did lot, but mainly rental I think. Private developers came on board to, Neil, Keith Hay and Universal were cranking out very basic houses in huge quantities as well as the era’s McMansions. I worked for Neil and it was a very efficient process with a lot of very basic houses being built very quickly and surprisingly well.
@ Graeme
Indeed . I remember those days. I was a young fella back then , but I still remember news interviews with Keith Hay and the ads on TV. It struck me even as a 12-13 year old the man had a conscience, – as well as a good business head.
They were good years even though Auckland has always seemed to suffer from a housing problem of various degrees,… but nothing as it is now under this inept National govt.
I’m not sure it’s that much “worse” now. The scale of it certainly is, Auckland is twice the population now. But there were 3 families to the house / garage then too, and some of those houses were way beyond what we call grotty now.
The frustration of first home buyers was the same as housing price rises outstripped earning ability. It sounded very much like today.
And the cause was the same as today, a National government building the economy, and their personal wealth, through very high migration levels without the investment in housing and infrastructure. Auckland had a mayor in the late 60’s who wanted to build today’s passenger rail system, National killed it and said roads would do.
It’s really not the governments place to ensure that psychopaths can make a profit.
Yes,… the glory days are coming to an end. Now they will have to compete and EARN a living just like everybody else ,- and feel just what its like to have to operate on a REAL ‘ level playing field’ .
Maybe a few might start to realize just how it feels to have to earn a bit less,… JUST like far too many New Zealanders have had to for the past 33 years.
My heart bleeds buckets for them.
Interesting that didn’t mention Immigration at all.
I wonder if he’s going to back out of his 10’s of thousands comments.
Labour have not really given any direction on how they are going to do this (other than the student visas).
I bet Angry Andy’s mouth wrote cheques his party couldn’t deliver when it comes to stopping 50,000 people coming into NZ.
Would loved to be proved wrong.
Angry Andy.
Troll.
https://thestandard.org.nz/keys-powerful-speech-on-the-urgent-housing-crisis/
The National Party’s snake oil merchants are not interested in fairness.
With so many lies (tax cuts and havens for the rich, GST increases, public asset sales, Pike River, Afghanistan), and failures (the Flag, TPPA, housing and immigration, shitty water, declining public education and health standards), it’s time for a change.
Key got it.
L0L ! – he most certainly did !
What a coward! , still ,… I guess a weasel like him deserts the sinking ship and leaves it to the Double Dipper from Dipton to take another election defeat. Par for the course with the D. D . D , it seems.
And , … might I say simply getting the mans just deserts for being the neo liberal fiscal architect for imposing all these sadistic austerity measures on all the rest of us. Poor man,… he just doesn’t realize the world has turned and the policy’s of Milton Freidman and the Mont Pelerin Society have been soundly rejected around the world.
Nice announcement and about bloody time Labour leaders started talking about real people instead of spreadsheets of Chinese surnames (extra nice that Grant R I hear tore that sorry bit of history to shreads in his speech)
But that line about Maori is a bit random. Like it was droped in last minute and not really tied into the rest of the speech.
But on the bright side looking up – it does seem like all these predatory speculators are going to get their bonny comeuppance. Serves them right for for being such viscous snakes.
And I’ll support any party that deals to that ilk.
A Labour led government post September general elections.
HAPPY DAYS.