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An Auckland view on Labour’s changes

Written By: - Date published: 8:46 am, July 20th, 2012 - 75 comments

Here’s a guest post from an Auckland Labour Party member with a different take on the constitutional changes. It’s interesting and challenging. Good food for thought. – Let us consider Labour’s proposed constitutional reforms in its moment. New Zealand’s progressives continue to splinter, just as conservative variation contracts. As the progressives splinter, they are also […]

Labor Right v Greens

Written By: - Date published: 5:29 pm, July 13th, 2012 - 37 comments

This weekend the NSW ALP Conference and the New Zealand Labour Party Council will both debate and decide proposals for reform. Prospects look decidedly better on this side of the Tasman for internal reform as well as for relations with the Greens.

A day of wins for the Left

Written By: - Date published: 7:27 am, June 13th, 2012 - 67 comments

We should remember to celebrate our victories, and yesterday was a day full of them. First, there was the announcement of a settlement in the Oceania rest-home dispute. Then, the man the Nats selected to push through ACC privatisation was sacrificed to protect Crushless Collins. Finally, the Nats gave up trying to stop caregivers getting paid.

The Only Vision….Left.

Written By: - Date published: 7:09 pm, March 24th, 2012 - 53 comments

Is it not strange and a bit disquieting that the parliamentary left, or more precisely, the Labour Party, is all at sea with regards vision? The vision of the left…the only vision there is for the left… is the same now as it always was. So why is the Labour Party struggling to articulate a vision? We know that the labour Party has lost touch. And we know that people are more or less disengaged from parliamentary politics. Why this should be isn’t very difficult to figure out. How to rectify the situation isn’t very difficult either.

Remember 1984

Written By: - Date published: 6:52 am, March 19th, 2012 - 70 comments

Labour moving to the right would be a disaster for the left. It doesn’t need to, in order to lead a winning coalition at the next election. The last time a small cabal in Labour tried that strategy was in 1984 – it proved to be a disaster for New Zealand and for the Labour Party. I’m not sure that the Labour leadership is making a definitive shift to the right – more like a tentative search for the marshmallow centre. As a strategy, it is a recipe for failure.

Two Left Feet, or a Kick Ass Combo?

Written By: - Date published: 8:45 pm, January 20th, 2012 - 26 comments

David Shearer – The Backstory

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 pm, December 14th, 2011 - 44 comments

One of David Shearer’s campaign volunteers organised this video as a surprise for David on the night of the Mt Albert By-Election in 2009. We played it to David and the Labour Party activists during the election night celebrations and I’ve had it sitting on my computer ever since. After re-watching it with my partner […]

Labour should not rush to judgment

Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, November 28th, 2011 - 171 comments

One can understand why John Key is ‘speed dating” to form a one-seat majority in Parliament.  His honeymoon is likely to be a lot shorter in the next term of government. It is quite different for Labour. The caucus would be wise not to rush to decide  who leads Labour into the next election.

The Greens’ clever election strategy

Written By: - Date published: 12:11 pm, October 5th, 2011 - 97 comments

Once again, the Greens have the best billboards and a great policy platform. But the really clever bit is their positioning. A lot of people don’t like National’s policies and don’t want them having a majority. They like Labour’s policies but not the personnel. Enter the Greens: good policies, nice people, and, officially, willing to work with and counterbalance National.

The Mana Party & the Money Party

Written By: - Date published: 12:13 pm, April 25th, 2011 - 48 comments

Hone Harawira is set to launch his Mana Party next weekend, possibly triggering a by-election in Te Tai Tokerau at the same time. At the other end of the spectrum, Don Brash’s haphazard to take over ACT may actually just be casus belli for him to establish a New Right Party.

The Politics of the Three R’s: Roads, Reconstruction, Resentment

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, March 29th, 2011 - 11 comments

In Sunday’s Baden-Württemburg state election, the Green party was the highest polling party. Their leader will become the first Green ‘Minister President’ in Germany. Regular guest poster ChrisH takes inspiration from this victory for New Zealand, and sees a formula for a Left victory this year.

Our election

Written By: - Date published: 12:19 pm, February 3rd, 2011 - 68 comments

John Key has been less cunning than some thought he would be. Going for a November election, he thinks, will let him leverage off the World Cup mini-boom, and enhance running Michael Jones and Inga Tuigamala as candidates. But it means 5 months for the Budget cuts to hurt and gives us 5 more months to work. So, what are we going to do?

Ten ways to beat our snowballing debt

Written By: - Date published: 7:22 am, December 9th, 2010 - 70 comments

Even Fran O’ Sullivan has been moved to admit that debt is getting out of control and our current Emperor has no economic clothes.  She sets out a top ten action list, the usual regressive right wing stuff.  What would a leftie action list look like?  What would be on your top ten list for reducing debt?

New Left Party coming, or is it?

Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, November 29th, 2010 - 100 comments

Matt McCarten is doing the dance of the seven veils on the issue of a new Left Party. He and the other players have been denying they have anything planned but, at the same time, have spoken of the need for such a party, as Labour paddles around in circles, and said they might join were such a party to eventuate. I say go for it.

Can the Left save the world?

Written By: - Date published: 7:37 am, November 22nd, 2010 - 196 comments

It takes many people working together to achieve anything really worthwhile. This also applies to our biggest project yet. Saving a planet. So why can’t we get started? Because human society based around the market can not do it. The answers will only com from the Left. The Left parties, Labour in particular, need to get serious and move Leftward.

New Left Party?

Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, November 7th, 2010 - 209 comments

The rumour mill has been buzzing since a couple of commenters here let slip about Matt McCarten’s run in the Mana by-election. Word around the traps is the campaign will be used to launch a new Left Party with McCarten, Hone Harawira, Sue Bradford and others. It’s an exciting possibility.

Neoliberal dominoes

Written By: - Date published: 9:55 am, November 6th, 2010 - 51 comments

According to some, the very definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  In economic terms the world, and NZ, have been doing the same neoliberal economic agenda over and over for the last 30 years.  It hasn’t worked.  It’s time for a change…

Matt McCarten standing in Mana

Written By: - Date published: 2:07 pm, October 27th, 2010 - 96 comments

Matt McCarten is chucking his hat into the ring for the Mana by election.  This is a typically gutsy move by McCarten, but a third candidate on the left simply isn’t going to find the space for a win.  My guess is that he will split the Green vote.  But with Key quietly campaigning in Mana, Labour needs to stay on top of their game. Labour activists — with greetings and thanks to you all — get out there and give it all you have!…

Enjoy Dave Kent

Written By: - Date published: 3:28 pm, September 24th, 2010 - 1 comment

You’ve only got a day left to see “Dave Kent, a Listening Eye” at Enjoy Gallery on Cuba Street. If you’ve got the time and are near the place, it’s well worth a look. The exhibition is centred around Dave’s work for Wellington’s Media Collective, a group who worked with unions and community organisations as […]

McCarten not going down without a fight

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, September 5th, 2010 - 33 comments

Almost as an aside, Matt McCarten has announced that he has the “killing kind of cancer” in his column today. Matt is one of the lions of the Left. His union, Unite, has defied the skeptics to become a real success story. Temp and low-paid workers have found an avenue for collective action, and learnt they can win. Matt makes it clear he’ll never flinch from fighting for the workers. Good on ya, mate, we’re with you.

Pro-choice responses to Chadwick’s Abortion Bill

Written By: - Date published: 9:47 pm, July 5th, 2010 - 157 comments

Been a bit disappointed that there hasn’t been a post up here yet on the news out on Saturday that Steve Chadwick is seeking support for a Member’s Bill to make abortion truly on demand in NZ, to 24 weeks.  Then I remembered that I still have posting rights from doing the 2008 General Election […]

Great Leftie Debate

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 pm, July 1st, 2010 - 15 comments

If you’re at a loose end in or near Palmerston North tomorrow. This looks interesting and will help raise campaigning money for next years election. See some of Labours finest go head to head in a war of words. Featuring Palmerston North’s own MP Iain Lees-Galloway, Jacinda Ardern (Future MP for Auckland Central), Lianne Dalziel […]

Understanding and trust

Written By: - Date published: 9:50 am, May 2nd, 2010 - 10 comments

Nat MP Michael Woodhouse was speaking on the amendment bill weakening workers’ rights to a break and said “I was heard it said that political discourse requites two things: trust and understanding. And it’s certainly true here. Labour don’t trust us and we sure as hell don’t understand them”. I think it’s very enlightening that he chose to put it that way.

Can we save the Maori Party?

Written By: - Date published: 12:37 pm, April 21st, 2010 - 125 comments

Rodney Hide was furious at John Key for signing the Declaration of Indigenous Rights behind his back but he’ll get over it. ACT is getting tonnes of real policy wins. What’s disturbing is seeing the Maori Party celebrating a ‘win’ then meekly rolling over when Key tells them it’s meaningless. Why does this keep happening? Because the Maori Party is stuck. And, sadly, each loss just mires them further.

Nats offer Maori flags & baubles, not representation & jobs

Written By: - Date published: 11:13 pm, December 15th, 2009 - 12 comments

NZPA: The Maori Party has withdrawn its support for a government bill after its bid to have Maori members on polytechnic councils failed. The Maori Party put up an amendment which would have ensured that councils had at least three Maori members. The Government didn’t accept the amendment and it was defeated. The Maori Party […]

The moral centre

Written By: - Date published: 1:00 pm, October 22nd, 2009 - 14 comments

I thought I would take the time to point out this excellent article by Tapu Misa. It has gone with out saying that the emotional and intellectual centre of the Labour movement in New Zealand, from Wally Nash, the welfare state and the first Labour government, has often been from the Bible. It doesn’t hurt […]

A sad day for the parliamentary Left

Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, September 25th, 2009 - 40 comments

Stuff has announced the resignation of Sue Bradford from parliament. Over the years Sue has championed more pro-worker legislation than just about any MP I can think of and has in the last few years been a backroom powerhouse for the Greens through her ability to deal with people with a warmth and sincerity that […]