Congratulations Meka Whaitiri

Written By: - Date published: 6:13 pm, May 26th, 2013 - 51 comments
Categories: labour - Tags:

Meka Whaitiri has been selected as Labour’s candidate for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti.

Congratulations, Meka. Now it’s time to start the campaign.

51 comments on “Congratulations Meka Whaitiri ”

  1. karol 1

    Hmmm. if I was on the Maori roll, I’d vote for Marama.

    Congratulations to all 4 candidates – a worthy line up.

  2. Yes 2

    Big slide in labour and greens support on one news …this is about policy not campaigning and getting rid of the greens as a dominate third wheel. Labour needs to get back on it’s own unicycle and just be labour and nothing else

    • karol 2.1

      Then again, the TV3 News poll tells a different story – shows that taking one poll too seriously is like reading tea leaves.

      • Yes 2.1.1

        Umm tv3 results are the same. National can govern alone. Shearer support nearly single digit. Keys preferred prime minister. Also even Patrick gower says labour needs to shake the greens

        • Pascal's bookie 2.1.1.1

          “even Patrick gower” lol

        • karol 2.1.1.2

          Also even Patrick gower says labour needs to shake the greens

          Are you sure about that?

        • Colonial Viper 2.1.1.3

          Both polls have Labour on 33%, which is consistent with the latest Roy Morgan. Both show National with options in forming a governing coalition; Labour unfortunately has no options and falls short of being able to form a government in both TV1 and TV3 polls.

        • gobsmacked 2.1.1.4

          National can govern alone.

          As we heard after every single poll – yes, every one, you cannot find a single exception – in 2011. I may need to repeat that for you once more: every single poll in 2011.

          So why aren’t they governing alone now?

        • Ant 2.1.1.5

          The Green peril seems to be the Nat’s game at the moment – trying to convince everyone they are far left loonies.

        • Blue 2.1.1.6

          Ditching Shearer would be more productive than ditching the Greens.

          Labour has to earn votes, they are not magically granted to them by default. The fact that the Greens have been so successful in hoovering them up tells you that the problem is with Labour. Blaming the Greens ain’t going to fix it.

        • Saarbo 2.1.1.7

          Labour need to shake Shearer as Leader.

        • Murray Olsen 2.1.1.8

          Patrick Gower should plant himself head down in a tub of compost and do interviews using his toes to sign. It’d make more sense.

  3. Anne 3

    Well, if Gower says Labour needs to shake the Greens then clearly Labour needs to stick with the Greens. Gower, Hooton, Boag et al always advise the opposite in the hope Labour will fall of it.

    No self respecting political party of a left persuasion is going to take any notice of them.

    Anyway my congratulations to Meka Whaitiri.

  4. weka 4

    Has anyone seen an analysis of Ikaroa-Rawhiti and how it votes? Aren’t the Greens and Mana going to split the vote? Wouldn’t it have been better to collaborate? Or are they assuming Labour will win the seat and so are standing candidates strategically with next year in mind? Where does the MP fit in?

    The 2011 results http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikaroa-Rāwhiti#2011_election

    In the by-election there is only one vote, the party vote. How does that usually play out in by-elections?

  5. Yes 5

    It’s not the reporters..the polls show that the voters don’t want to combination. Time to get Labour to stand on it’s own two feet. The greens are slowly rebranding labour..need to wake up to this

    • Colonial Viper 5.1

      Labour has no practical or realistic options in trying to govern alone, it would require moving from 33% in the polls to 49% or 50% in the next 18 months. So it’s got to be with the Greens.

    • Anne 5.2

      Rubbish Yes. We’ve never had a single political party govern NZ since we changed to MMP. That is precisely why voters voted for MMP in the first place (and ever since) because THEY DID NOT WANT A SINGLE PARTY TO GOVERN US AGAIN.

      Btw Yes, this thread is NOT about MMP. It’s about the byelection (FPP) in Ikaroa Rawhiti. Are you trying to hijack it to make it about something else?

      • Tigger 5.2.1

        Agree. Anne. Thread is supposed to be congratulatory. I read several MSM pieces that were sure Taurima was a lock. Clearly wrong. Great choices from the left parties, will be a good contest.

        I really like Meka’s statement here. http://news.tangatawhenua.com/archives/22310. I wish her lots of luck.

      • Yes 5.2.2

        Not hijacking just saying when labour announced their candidate greens did too and on the same night two polls showed labour greens unable to increase support. Where is the planning? Labour will win the Maori seat…but greens have hijacked the by election AGAIN..or front seat popcorn eaters like me.

        Shake the greens ASAP..I want labour to stand on it’s own too feet. What is wrong with that. Norman is a communist …better you get your head around that the better.

    • gobsmacked 5.3

      I don’t understand what those cliches actually mean.

      Can you give examples of different Labour policies that would mean “standing on their own two feet”?

      • North 5.3.1

        Isn’t it correct that the TV3 conclusion that National could govern alone is predicated on NZ First not making the 5% ? Wouldn’t it be very different if it did ? There’d be a distinct 5% block in play at a percentage cost of only1.5%, less if the defections were from Labour AND National.

        Correct me if that’s nonsense. It’s a view reached without alot of thought or consideration of figures from any prior poll which had NZ First meeting the threshold.

        Good wishes Meka !

      • Yes 5.3.2

        I want to see labour policies…not labour green policies. I want to see labour Maori policies. Can anyone tell me one Maori labour policy.

    • Pascal's bookie 5.4

      There isn’t a character limit on blogs. Could you explain what you mean? Because it’s pretty incomprehensible.

      Individual voters state who they would vote for. There is no group ‘the voters’ who think a thing.

  6. Lanthanide 6

    And this sort of post is why people accuse The Standard of being a “Labour blog”.

    • Colonial Viper 6.1

      I think the selection of a candidate for an important by-election is worth noting.

      • Lanthanide 6.1.1

        So do I. Pity the Greens, Mana and MP candidates didn’t get special congratulatory posts.

        • Te Reo Putake 6.1.1.1

          They’re not going be an MP in a few weeks.

          • Lanthanide 6.1.1.1.1

            She hasn’t won yet. This post congratulates her for her candidacy, not for her incipient win.

            • Te Reo Putake 6.1.1.1.1.1

              I didn’t write the post; and I didn’t realise pointing out the bleeding obvious was somehow off thread.

          • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.1.2

            They’re not going be an MP in a few weeks.

            Seriously, expressions of electoral arrogance like this is annoying to voters.

        • QoT 6.1.1.2

          I think it’s a fair point. Marama Davidson had a whole post at The Daily Blog. Of course, she’s already a contributor there along with apparently every other candidate for everything.

        • ghostrider888 6.1.1.3

          that is a good point Lanth.

        • Colonial Viper 6.1.1.4

          If a Green supporter writes something up on their candidate I think it would go up as a notice on The Standard. An on to it Labour supporter simply beat them to the punch is all I see.

          • Lanthanide 6.1.1.4.1

            This was published under “NOTICES AND FEATURES”, rather than a particular author’s name. In this case likely because of the brevity of it.

            But my point here is that whoever wrote it decided it was worth mentioning that Labour had picked their candidate, but didn’t apparently give a second thought to any of the other candidates. Lynn repeatedly stresses this is a left-wing blog, not a labour blog. I’m just pointing out an instance where people rightly get the impression that it is a labour blog. I’m not telling people what to write, I’m just pointing out that someone took the effort to point out the labour candidate and it would’ve taken only a few minutes to fill out the others, but they didn’t make the effort because evidently they didn’t care or didn’t think about it.

        • karol 6.1.1.5

          The thing is the TS has a range of authors, and we are each capable of providing our own perspective. I’ve just posted mine.

    • Rhinocrates 6.2

      The Labour caucus front bench doesn’t! Mike Williams certainly doesn’t; “Nutters” is his epithet.

  7. millsy 7

    I dont know about anyone else, but I find her rather uninspiring…

    • Rhinocrates 7.1

      Well, she’s got some awfully big shoes to fill. Parekura was certainly a wonderful guy who is and will be missed sorely, but she shows that connection to the community and competence which is promising. I hope that she has his breadth of personality too, in her own way – or that Marama Davidson does if she wins.

      Glass half full and all that.