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Defending Nanaia Mahuta?

Written By: lprent - Date published: 8:58 pm, December 4th, 2011 - 33 comments

I’m afraid that I don’t know much about Nanaia Mahuta. In fact probably way less than I should have, bearing in mind that she stayed in the Labour and didn’t decamp over the Foreshore and Seabed. But there was this post “in support of nanaia” at the Hand Mirror that I found interesting so I’m quoting a […]

Questions for DS and DC

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:55 pm, December 4th, 2011 - 82 comments

What questions would you ask David Cunliffe, and why? What questions would you ask David Shearer, and why?

A two horse race

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 6:50 am, December 4th, 2011 - 194 comments

A tough decision for Labour looms – go for the gamble on the hero, or back the proven performer? (This post should have been on Friday night but got munched by Wordpress…)

The little I know about David Shearer

Written By: Jenny Michie - Date published: 1:55 pm, December 3rd, 2011 - 134 comments

I ran David Shearer’s campaign headquarters in the 2009 Mt Albert by-election. That gave me unique perspective to get a good hard look at a man in a pressure cooker environment. David arrived from the middle east literally a few short hours before the candidate selection speeches. It showed. He looked tired. But he went […]

Post election commentary

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 11:51 am, December 2nd, 2011 - 51 comments

A lot has been written in the aftermath of the election. I want to quickly note two excellent pieces that you might have missed in the rush.

Parker withdrawing

Written By: lprent - Date published: 5:20 pm, December 1st, 2011 - 314 comments

David Parker has withdrawn from the leadership race of the Labour party according to Stuff. Predictably Kiwiblog, Stuff, and probably the other right-wing media fools are using this as an opportunity to hype up David Shearer as an easier opponent for John Key. It is not for nothing that David Farrar has “Fomenting Happy Mischief […]

Labour’s decision and Labour’s alone

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 12:34 pm, December 1st, 2011 - 84 comments

It worries me that the media and right wing are trying to take control of the Labour Leadership contest. There’s no great hurry with Christmas around the corner (no new leader is going to get a lot of traction over the summer holidays), but the consequences of making a hasty decision will be disasterous for the party, and disasterous for New Zealand.

Annette, Save Us!

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 2:18 pm, November 30th, 2011 - 47 comments

Labour would do well out of a long, positive leadership contest with all the contenders getting well-known by the country as they express their vision. If we can’t get Phil to stay, how about we have Annette hold the reigns as interim leader for the duration of the contest?

Two weeks to choose

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 3:42 pm, November 29th, 2011 - 160 comments

Have just received an email from Labour’s President Moira Coatsworth. Phil Goff and Annette King to resign Labour’s leadership effective December 13. Moira is urging all Party members to make their views known to their MPs about the new leadership.The caucus will make the decision but members will have their say. Good.

Choosing our next PM

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 8:43 am, November 29th, 2011 - 172 comments

Looks like Labour will have a proper leadership comp with Goff as caretaker till early next year. Good. Let’s get to know the options. Labour needs to get this right. Because the next Labour leader needs to be the next PM in 2014. Needs to be able to win. The poor people of NZ can’t afford another lost 3 years being squeezed and ripped off by the Tories.

Leadership Elections: Getting it Right

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 4:35 pm, November 28th, 2011 - 37 comments

In 2005 the UK Conservatives badly lost a third election in a row and their leader announced his intent to resign. But they organised a well-run contest to replace him, and by the time he won David Cameron had gone from unknown outsider to popular public figure, and the once ‘toxic’ Conservatives were electable again.

Thought for the Day

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 2:51 pm, November 28th, 2011 - 62 comments

Not wanting to get into a fight with my fellow lefties who advocated a vote for NZ First, but did you want an 8th NZ First MP instead of the excellent Raymond Huo?

The dangers of voting strategically…

Islands in a sea of blue

Written By: lprent - Date published: 1:59 pm, November 28th, 2011 - 25 comments

Moira Coatsworth is looking at a review of what worked and what didn’t this election. I’d participate, but I’ve long since found that the internal communications of the NZLP are too sclerotic to pass operational information through. Quite simply the message gets munged by political types with limited understanding of electorate campaigns long before it gets to the people who need to hear it – the mechanics in other electorates.

My views on one thing that does work – concentrating on electorate canvassing data.

Labour should not rush to judgment

Written By: Mike Smith - 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.

Skirmish, battle, war

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:15 pm, November 27th, 2011 - 31 comments

I’m just back from cleaning up our election day HQ after last night’s party. With apologies to lefties who aren’t feeling too flash today, and with particular sympathies to Labour MPs who didn’t make it back, I had a good election night.

100,000 reasons to vote Left

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:20 pm, November 25th, 2011 - 10 comments

In the end its pretty simple for me. I’m asking you to vote for the Left this election, for 100,000 reasons.

Both Labour and The Greens have policies that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty.

Labour’s closing address

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 7:03 am, November 25th, 2011 - 13 comments

The parties’ closing addresses screen tonight on TV1 at 7:30pm. Here’s Labour’s – a strong finish to a strong campaign.

How we got where we are

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:35 am, November 24th, 2011 - 39 comments

Last election we had a choice between competent economic management and a bunch of hollow promises. We made a poor choice then, and the record shows that we have wasted three years as a result. Coming up to this election we don’t need more tired Nat excuses, we need solutions. Bring back Labour!

Will Key sign pledge not to sell Kiwibank?

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 11:42 am, November 23rd, 2011 - 97 comments

Phil Goff has signed a pledge that Labour will not sell Kiwibank if it becomes government. Other party leaders have been invited as well. I expect the Greens, New Zealand First, Mana, and the Conservatives will (who knows about the Maori Party). But will Key sign? National is secretly itching to sell Kiwibank, Bill English got caught out admitting as much.

Five days to Save our Assets

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 6:42 am, November 21st, 2011 - 152 comments

Phil Goff said yesterday we had “Six days to save our assets” – now we have 5. Here’s what University of Auckland’s economics professor thinks about asset sales, and some more reasons why we desperately need to avoid a National-led government on November 27.

What would he have thought?

Written By: the sprout - Date published: 8:39 am, November 20th, 2011 - 57 comments

Labour’s jobs policy

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:04 pm, November 16th, 2011 - 34 comments

Now that we’re all over Nice Mr Key, maybe we can focus on minor details like the environment, the economy, assets, and jobs…

Labour moves on slave fishing

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 9:42 am, November 14th, 2011 - 15 comments

Labour’s fisheries policy will phase-in a requirement for fishing vessels to be at least 50% Kiwi-crewed and at least 50% of processing would have to occur here. Good start. It’s our fish – it should be harvested sustainably to create Kiwi jobs with fair pay and adequate conditions. The shame of slave fishing has to be ended.

Nats fail own asset sales tests

Written By: James Henderson - Date published: 6:29 am, November 14th, 2011 - 67 comments

Labour’s David Cunliffe put out a press release judging National’s proposed asset sales programme by the 5 tests that Key laid down in an effort to reassure us that sales would only go ahead if they made sense and were good for the country. Cunliffe’s analysis shows asset sales clearly fail the Nats’ own tests. The only reason to go ahead is blind ideology.

Are we a caring country?

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:02 am, November 9th, 2011 - 125 comments

Nothing separates the political Right and Left like their attitude to welfare. The difference is very starkly highlighted in the recent policies from National and Labour. Which approach better serves the children of New Zealand? How much do we care?

Labour on the environment

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 10:59 am, November 8th, 2011 - 38 comments

I was going to write about the release of Labour’s environmental policy – and the resounding silence from National – but NRT has done a great job aleady.

Economic credibility – mote and beam

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:11 am, November 8th, 2011 - 20 comments

The focus of attention has moved on to costing the policies, promises and projections of the major parties. The Nats’ are desperate to have the media focus stay on the mote in Labour’s eye, and ignore the beam in their own. In the interests of informed choice, let’s hear both sides of the story…

Greens go red, Labour goes green

Written By: Eddie - Date published: 10:08 am, November 7th, 2011 - 67 comments

We live in a time of inter-related crises of the environment and the capitalist economic system. So, I guess it’s not surprising to see Labour becoming more environmentally aware at the same time as the Greens propose economic policies that would normally be out of Labour’s playbook. Don’t worry about them becoming too alike, welcome the solid platform for a new government.