labour

Labour’s greatest challenge for 2011?

Written By: Campbell - Date published: 12:04 pm, January 9th, 2011 - 59 comments

The Sunday Star-Times has produced an interesting article on the role of emotion in people’s voter choices leading into this year’s General Election. While the results are not great news for Labour supporters, it’s the first poll of its kind to be made public in NZ. There’s a lot of controversy over whether we ought […]

Last Roy Morgan of the year

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 1:00 pm, December 22nd, 2010 - 37 comments

It’s First Past the Post thinking to look at the polling gap between National and Labour and conclude National will romp home. MMP is here and set to stay – it means the coalition with the support of a majority of MPs governs, not necessarily the largest party. The final Roy Morgan of the year lets us look at the trends in support for Left and Right.

Phil Twyford for Te Atatu candidate

Written By: lprent - Date published: 6:01 pm, December 18th, 2010 - 25 comments

Phil Twyford is selected as the new Labour candidate for Te Atatu from a strong field.

Phil Twyford is a formidable campaigner, as I know from past experience. I almost pity whatever sacrificial lamb that National put up in that electorate.

Labour Selections

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 9:04 am, December 12th, 2010 - 19 comments

Today Labour choose their candidate for Manurewa to replace George Hawkins.  It’ll be a show of the party in good health, with 500 expected to turn up and vote on 7 candidates.

Next week there are 8 going for Te Atatu.

So in a week’s time we’ll know which 2 quality candidates will replace 2 over-inflated egos in 2011.  It looks good for the future health and direction of the party.

A smart speech from Goff

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:16 am, December 7th, 2010 - 87 comments

Goff has given several excellent policy speeches this year, and the last one was no exception.  Squarely targeted at a middle New Zealand that saw little of National’s tax cuts and far more of their job losses and rising prices.  Pointing out the obvious, that National has failed to deliver on the economy, and has no viable plan to do so.  In short, a great platform for election year.

Re:Cunliffe re:me re:his speech

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 10:30 am, December 3rd, 2010 - 20 comments

It was pretty cool that the next Finance Minister wrote a post about my post yesterday. Even if was to say I was dickishly misinterpreting him  😀 I’ve got a couple of points in reply but the biggest is why is Labour talking about (restrictive) privatisation and PPPs policies when there are much more important economic issues at hand?

Government cuts bite back

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 6:42 am, November 13th, 2010 - 26 comments

So our kiwifruit industry is in peril.  PSA may be here to stay, vines may start being burnt today, and a $1.36 billion industry is in trouble. Last year National sacked 54 front-line biosecurity staff, and slashed the budgets by millions. The PSA (Public Service Association) warned at the time that inevitably disease and pests […]

Neoliberal dominoes

Written By: r0b - 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: r0b - 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!…

Granny Herald opening eyes?

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 11:43 am, October 25th, 2010 - 10 comments

There was an excellent piece in the Saturday Herald by John Armstrong.  A large 2-page spread, fairly prominent in the paper, and not critical of Labour.  Not fulsome praise; just great, unbiased reporting.

Now admittedly I shouldn’t get excited by such things, but the steadily slipping standards of New Zealand’s papers, combined with a media love-in with National at the last election, leaves good quality newspaper  journalism a sight to behold.

Labour policy Maori policy

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:18 am, October 23rd, 2010 - 20 comments

In a press release last week Tariana Turia claimed that Labour’s new policy directions are all Maori Party policies.  That puts the Maori Party in an interesting position after the next election.  Will the major party that they support be dictated by their policies, Labour’s policies, as Turia claims?  Or will their support be dictated by other, non-policy factors?

Key’s economic bravado now reduced to whining

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:04 am, October 21st, 2010 - 25 comments

In three short years John Key and National have gone from economic bravado, to failure, to lies, excuses and whining.  As the economy languishes they will have nothing to offer except more lies and excuses.

This is a time for fresh thinking, both globally and locally.  But we won’t get it from National.

Phil Goff: The Leader Emerges

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 1:22 pm, October 18th, 2010 - 43 comments

Phil Goff made an excellent speech yesterday.  One that showed far more direction, and a lot of promise for going forward.  Hopefully Labour can capitalise on this much better than they did on the excellent “The Many, Not The Few” speech.  They should be able to – yesterday’s “Kiwi Dream” speech contained much more meat […]

Owning our future

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 7:20 am, October 18th, 2010 - 139 comments

It’s great to hear Phil Goff announce that a Labour government won’t let overseas interests to own more than 25% of monopolistic companies, like ports and airports, and farmland. In the new world economy we’re moving into, a global scramble for vital natural resources like farmland, we need to keep the foundations of our economy in Kiwi hands.

The failing polls..

Written By: lprent - Date published: 4:58 pm, October 16th, 2010 - 12 comments

An article in The Economist looks at the failing basis of polling techniques in the USA. It isn’t that much different to the circumstances here.

“The proportion of those called who end up taking part in a survey has fallen steadily, from 35% or so in the 1990s to 15% or less now, according to Mr Keeter. Reaching young people is especially difficult. Only old ladies answer the phone…”