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The democracy challenge

Written By: Jenny Michie - Date published: 2:20 pm, November 24th, 2013 - 101 comments

I’ve been thinking about what next years’ election is going to be like. Not like 2011 that’s for sure. Labour was in the doldrums and ran a largely negative campaign. Let’s assume that Labour has learnt its lesson about running an effective campaign and ticks all the boxes. The secret weapon that Labour and the Greens have eschewed for as many elections as I can remember is actually working together.

150 years: tell us your NZ Herald Story

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:47 am, November 22nd, 2013 - 29 comments

NZ Herald has a long history as the voice of the (most often white, masculine, middle/upper class, Pakeha) conservative establishment. Dr Hope shows how this happened in the past. NZ Herald online provides 21st century support for Key’s government. Tell us your NZ Herald stories.

Nat government treachery destroys public broadcasting

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:16 am, November 21st, 2013 - 30 comments

Key’s government has destroyed the weak attempts by Labour to enable some public service broadcasting on Freeview. The NActs have employed ideologically-driven, irrational, bad faith, underhand, agreement-breaking moves to protect commercial monopoly. The CBB is campaigning for non-commercial TV channels.

Nats’ demolition derby

Written By: karol - Date published: 5:20 pm, November 18th, 2013 - 107 comments

John Key’s government is going full tilt at dismantling everything of value in NZ, and selling as much as possible to the overseas investors. It’s the government of Drill It, Mine it, Sell it. Find out about the asset sales referendum & how to vote.

What the Waitakere Myth says about pundits’ attitudes to the working class

Written By: QoT - Date published: 7:00 pm, November 13th, 2013 - 99 comments

I finally found the words, in a comment at The Standard, to explain something I’ve been feeling for years about the Waitakere Man thesis: I keep thinking about how to express this exact idea: that the whole Waitakere Man myth says way more about Chris Trotter and Josie Pagani’s attitudes towards the working class than […]

Key rewrites history for “Crazy Colin”

Written By: karol - Date published: 5:00 pm, November 13th, 2013 - 68 comments

Answering questions on the up-coming Asset Sales referendum, John Key spoke some appalling un-truths. He is rewriting political history to suit “Crazy” Colin Craig’s possible coalition bottom lines on the “anti-smacking” law. Cunliffe finally got there in the General Debate, but the opposition was too slow in countering Key’s lies & spin.

Crony Capitalism, Chorus and Pike River compensation

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 6:41 pm, November 12th, 2013 - 98 comments

Today in Parliament David Cunliffe neatly skewered John Key with a series of questions that showed the Government will decline to ensure that the Pike River families are paid out because there is no legal obligation to do so, yet it is happy to pay out large sums to its corporate friends even though there is no legal obligation to do so.

It’s not just about cyber-culture, Judith

Written By: karol - Date published: 7:59 pm, November 4th, 2013 - 310 comments

The reports of the Roast Busters are chilling. Watching 3 News tonight was very upsetting. Reported responses by the police, John Key and Judith Collins are inadequate. Key & Collins seem to be shifting the focus to cyber-bullying and away from the brutality of the physical acts. [Update: Scuba Nurse – positive steps to make a difference]

The Kiwibuilt announcement

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 12:15 pm, November 4th, 2013 - 69 comments

David Cunliffe has announced further proposals regarding Housing with a Christchurch flavour. The temporary use of red zone houses that are otherwise habitable, the proposed construction of 10,000 houses over four years and the recreation of New Brighton into a vibrant and modern beachside community are amongst the announcements.

Doing what works

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:21 am, November 4th, 2013 - 88 comments

One of Steven Joyce’s favourite refrains is that Labour is trying to take us back to the 1970s. You know, those dark days when unemployment was near non-existent, wages were high, growth was strong despite external shocks, we had nearly no foreign debt, profits stayed here, were we one of the richest and most egalitarian countries. He’s not far wrong.

Why the 2013 Labour Conference set course for Government in 2014

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 9:15 am, November 4th, 2013 - 11 comments

Ad reports on the 2013 Labour Conference and why the left should take heart for the next election.

Video of David Cunliffe’s speech to the 2013 Labour Conference

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:16 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 22 comments

David Cunliffe’s speech is now on youtube. Enjoy …

Kiwiassure

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:45 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 87 comments

David Cunliffe announced yesterday Labour’s intention when it becomes Government to set up Kiwiassure, a NZ Post Insurance Company that will go in direct competition with the Australian owned insurance companies that dominate the local market. And today there is talk about an announcement on affordable housing.

“A Tale of two countries” – NZ/Aotearoa

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:11 am, November 3rd, 2013 - 81 comments

Yesterday David Cunliffe told a Tale of Two New Zealands. Today 2 NZ Herald articles show where NZ has gone wrong with its fractured and increasingly unequal society: our ailing state supported TVNZ; a high-living property-buying elite. Will Cunliffe talk about state housing today?

Take us this day our daily statins

Written By: lprent - Date published: 3:53 pm, November 2nd, 2013 - 11 comments

Reflecting on the generational changes of the Labour party membership, it isn’t hard to see why the more elderly have problems with such large changes. But after all not all of the population are dependent on their daily statins like me. Some of them are interested in if their kids will grow up to have jobs and will stay in this country.

David Cunliffe Speech to 2013 Labour Party Conference – Building a future for all

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:57 pm, November 2nd, 2013 - 142 comments

David Cunliffe’s speech notes for his speech to today’s Labour Party Conference

The prescient oracle

Written By: lprent - Date published: 11:38 am, November 2nd, 2013 - 13 comments

Over the last year or two, our prescient oracle Irishbill has been writing posts on need for the Labour party to make themselves relevant. As the number of regular lurkers on this site are somewhat larger than the number of members of the NZLP, I suspect that he has done more than his share in assisting the doubling of the size of the party.

Labour conference 2013 – day two

Written By: lprent - Date published: 9:37 am, November 2nd, 2013 - 30 comments

The social was rather packed last night. Unlike the 2012 conference where I started optimistic and wound up as depressed the following day after an evening where caucus members were chasing voting delegates around a nearly empty social. This was followed by a incredibly silly set of stories from caucus asserting that a vote about how […]

John Armstrong is labouring under a reality delusion

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:05 am, November 2nd, 2013 - 91 comments

John Armstrong’s column in this morning’s Herald is an interesting collection of ideas. Apparently David Cunliffe is too left yet too wishy-washy, a remit that was voted down is offered as evidence that the party is “lurching” to the left, and the party is too boring. And he decries the lack of new material before David Cunliffe has given his keynote speech. Don’t you think you should wait for the speech first John?

Labour conference 2013 – day one

Written By: lprent - Date published: 9:24 am, November 1st, 2013 - 54 comments

Well I made it down to Christchurch to cover the Labour party conference for The Standard. While I’ll probably run out a few posts while I’m here, I figure that I’ll write a post per day for the more general discussion and impressions. Plus do that actual “blogging” of my experiences.

The test

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 7:46 am, November 1st, 2013 - 114 comments

Fairfax has decided to go a bit mental on Labour and Cunliffe. An endless stream of stories trying to tweak Cunliffe’s nose over every little thing. Part of this is covering the embarrassment of their own rogue poll. More importantly, it’s a test that all new leaders get. The wave of hypercritical stories don’t mean much in themselves, how Cunliffe’s Labour responds does.

Labour Party proposes radical idea that Parliament should be representative

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:11 am, October 31st, 2013 - 168 comments

At this weekend’s Labour Party Conference there will be a number of interesting constitutional and policy proposals. One of them will try and direct the party’s Moderating Committee to select list candidates who are truly representative of New Zealand society. Some have suggested that this is a radical proposal but you really have to question if this is so …

Delegates: vote down the NZ Super age increase

Written By: Colonial Viper - Date published: 8:28 am, October 30th, 2013 - 160 comments

Raising the super age is not only unnecessary, it further entrenches intergenerational inequity, reduces community incomes and makes Māori and Pasifika pay too high a price. Conference delegates: make Labour think outside the orthodox economic box and vote it down.

KiwiFund: nationalisation or competition?

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:05 pm, October 21st, 2013 - 61 comments

Winston Peters’ KiwiFund proposal would nationalise KiwiSaver. Russel Norman supports it, but in competition with private schemes. Cunliffe is open to negotiation. Key is dismissive, but says Peters is so untrustworthy he is likely to back down & form an alliance with National anyway.

Tat Loo: Viper Pilot

Written By: Colonial Viper - Date published: 12:40 pm, October 20th, 2013 - 333 comments

You can get buried in the minutiae of policy detail, House speeches and daily news cycles, thinking that success there will win an election. Outside the Thorndon Bubble however, nothing is further from the truth. A reconnected Labour Party presenting gutsy alternatives using a narrative quite different to the old neoliberal consensus is starting to get serious voter attention. Now is the time to press ‘turbo boost’.

Note to Labour leader: Rudimentary thoughts I

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 12:51 pm, October 18th, 2013 - 98 comments

In a series of short opinion pieces The Black Rod examines the road to victory for Labour in 2014.

“It may upset some Labour members who position themselves to the Left in the Labour camp, but in broad terms Labour should seek to target and capture the support of those who generally consider themselves centrist. And those who would consider themselves to be an intermittent Labour voter. This is the real ground to be captured in 2014.”

Roy Morgan – easy win for Labour/Greens?

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 6:54 pm, October 17th, 2013 - 104 comments

The latest Roy Morgan poll has Labour 37%, Green 12.5%, and National down to 41.5%. As Roy Morgan says, this is the closest Labour has been since 2008. Morgan’s comment: “If a National Election were held now the latest New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows that a Labour/ Greens alliance would win easily.” The Conservatives have dropped from 2% to 0.5% – no help there.

This is how it’s done

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:56 am, October 15th, 2013 - 37 comments

This morning Cunliffe shows how to front the media on current issues, and respond to journalists questions clearly and decisively while being informed on the issues. Questions about Kōhanga Reo National Trust, US government debt crisis, affordable housing, need better skills training, Euthanasia Bill.

What should Labour do with Red Alert

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:28 pm, October 14th, 2013 - 130 comments

Red Alert started as a promising foray into social media over four years ago and was very successful for quite a while. But lately it has lost its way. What should Labour do with it?

From “Cost-based to Value-based”

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:34 am, October 10th, 2013 - 8 comments

Cunliffe’s CTU speech is significant, rousing and inspiring, laying out a shift “from a cost-based to a value-based” strategy- for an inclusive society and one that provides a good life for “all” Kiwis, with opportunities for all. Video of the speech is a must see. And social security? [Update: Gordon Campbell] & Turei’s speech

Freeview, SkyTV & IT

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:41 am, October 9th, 2013 - 88 comments

NZ’s broadcasting and digital communications policies, provisions and regulations do not provide the capability for widespread democratic engagement. Cunliffe has twigged that broadcasting and digital communications policies need to be inter-linked in the 21st century context. NZ’s policies, provisions & regulations on both need major restructuring.