David Cunliffe’s speech to the Labour Party congress
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3:41 pm, July 6th, 2014 - 109 comments
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The text of David Cunliffe’s speech to the 2014 Labour Party congress.
Tena tatou e te whanau o te Roopu Reipa i tenei ra.
Tenei te mihi kia koutou katoa.
It’s 2014. It’s election year. And we are going to win.
President Moira Coatsworth, ALP Leader Bill Shorten, Deputy Leader David Parker and colleagues, delegates, invited guests, ladies and gentlemen, New Zealanders.
I’m standing in front of you today and I’m asking New Zealanders to make us the next government of New Zealand because we believe in the Kiwi dream.
I believe that New Zealand can be the fairest, most decent society in the world.
I believe that New Zealand can be a country where everyone who wants to work can find a job with decent pay and fair conditions.
I believe all our families can live in homes that are warm, safe, and affordable.
I believe New Zealand can be a country where child poverty is a story about the bad old days, not a daily scourge on too many of our families.
I’m a great believer in hard work, and making the most of the opportunities available to us.
These are the values the Labour Party was founded on.
These are the values that ordinary Kiwis like me grew up with.
They are the values I want to pass on to my own children. They speak to the opportunities that all our children should have.
Over the past months, I have been around the country, talking with people about their lives – their concerns, their successes, and their hopes for the future.
Two weeks ago I was in Northland. I was talking to an exporter who was in danger of losing his business.
His job, and the jobs of all the people who work with him, are under threat because the high dollar is making it too difficult for Kiwi businesses to compete, no matter how hard they work.
We are seeing New Zealanders lose their jobs and factories shut their gates all the time, with a devastating impact on families and communities.
The point is there are still too many New Zealanders who are doing everything right – they work hard and they make sacrifices – but they just can’t seem to get ahead.
The odds are stacked against them.
Challenging the Status Quo
On September 20th we will change that. Because New Zealanders deserve more. They deserve better.
The current government has no plan for a better future for hard working New Zealanders.
This year alone, they’ve said no to raising the minimum wage to $15. No to fair pay. Instead they tried to steal your smoko breaks and your lunch breaks, the protections you deserve for the fair day’s work you put in every single day.
An economy can’t succeed for all if it is run just to benefit the wealthy few.
As Kiwis know, an economy doesn’t grow from the top-down – it grows from the hard work of the middle and from the grassroots up.
We all do better when we put people first. When there is a fair go for all.
That’s the New Zealand way.
That’s what I believe in.
That’s what Labour believes in.
That’s what we’re all fighting for.
And that’s why on September 20 we will win.
This election campaign should not be about dirty tricks or dodgy deals; smear campaigns or a personality cult.
Let me be clear what it is about.
It is about you. It’s about your families. It’s about your friends and your communities.
These are the kinds of things your Labour team fight for every day in Parliament.
It’s what all politicians should be working together for, because these are the things that matter.
Election 2014 is about challenging politics as usual.
It’s about restoring New Zealand to being the fairest, most decent society in the world.
Today too many of our kids are living in poverty.
Too few of our families have decent housing.
And too many of our people can’t find secure work.
Let’s look at the facts:
- 285,000 children in poverty,
- 42,000 more Kiwis out of a job since National took office,
- 46% of Kiwis haven’t had a pay rise in a year – and I’ve met some who haven’t had a pay rise since the last time Labour was in government.
- Median incomes are going backwards after inflation in 13 out of 16 regions since 2008, because regional New Zealand is ignored.
- One in three women will suffer domestic violence, and 20,000 mums and kids needed refuge shelters last year. It’s disgraceful and it has to stop.
New Zealand was founded on the idea that everyone – no matter where they came from, poor or rich, city or country, older or younger, new New Zealander or Kiwi of many generations – that each and every one of us would have the opportunities to get ahead and make the most of our lives.
But today our society is more unequal than it has ever been.
The top 10% own more than the other 90%.
Between 1984 and 2011 the incomes of the top 1% rose nearly 10 times as fast as the bottom 10%.
I have said it before and I say it again: trickle-down economics – neoliberalism – does not work.
It has failed around the world. It has failed New Zealanders. And the government I lead will close that chapter for good.
Investing in our future
What we must do is build a better, fairer and more prosperous future.
One where every New Zealander matters, not just the privileged few.
The Sixth Labour Government will be true to New Zealand’s core values.
We will build a fair and just society.
We will transform our economy to create better jobs with higher wages.
We will protect and preserve our beautiful environment.
We will nurture a diverse, creative, exciting culture.
We will not tolerate tax dodgers or greedy monopolies or racism or unsafe streets.
And it is possible to do all of this and to balance the books… David Parker.
A positive vision, smart policies, driven by decent values will mean the public – including business – will have confidence in our shared success.
Investing in work
Only Labour has a powerful strategic plan to forge a path for New Zealand’s future econmy.
We will build new partnerships with our regions, businesses and communities to deliver.
You know the last Labour Government paid down net debt to zero, increased savings, and rejected the short-sighted clamour for unaffordable tax cuts.
We saved for a rainy day. It came, and we were ready.
And we ran nine fiscal surpluses out of nine.
National won’t tell you that all that is propping up the so-called recovery is Canterbury rebuild insurance cheques and dairy exports from the deal Labour cut with China.
Exports that have been falling in price for nearly six months now.
That’s their plan right there – milk and disaster.
But just ask most New Zealanders: Where is your recovery?
Are you really feeling better off?
Or are rising housing costs, power bills and school donations making it harder for your family to get ahead?
Labour will make sure our economy works for all New Zealanders.
Jobs
We know that secure, skilled, well-paid jobs are at the core of a decent society. Without jobs our progressive vision remains just that – a vision.
Labour has a long term plan to upgrade this economy from low value commodities to focus on high value goods and services.
Labour will create an economy where the best way to make money is to innovate and invest for productive growth, rather than speculating on houses and locking young families out of owning a home.
We will boost investment through universal Kiwisaver, pro-growth tax reform, and channelling foreign investment into productive business where it can do the most good.
We will lift Innovation through R&D tax credits, centres of research excellence, and boosting small business growth.
We will drive Industry development in all of our regions, and support businesses’ journey from volume to value.
We will support this Economic Upgrade with modern monetary policy that uses saving rates as well as interest rates to stabilise prices with lower mortgages.
And we’ll do it on firm fiscal foundations that deliver budget surpluses – and pay off National’s record debt by the end of our second term.
We will make taxation fair by cracking down on avoidance, and asking trusts and those earning over $150,000 to pay an extra 3%.
And will crack down on multinationals and others that have been avoiding tax.
If we want a fair society we need to make sure that everyone pays their fair share.
The result of these transformational changes will be better jobs and higher wages.
In our first 100 days we’ll raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and we will lift it again in April 2015.
And it’s why we’ll also be changing employment law to make sure that the Kiwi workers who generate the wealth get their fair share of it.
The next Labour Government won’t just work for New Zealanders. We’ll work with them, because we’re not going to change our nation for the better unless we do it together.
Investing in housing
Our homes are the foundation of our lives: and not just the buildings, but the earth they stand on, and the communities they’re part of.
Housing is a huge issue for New Zealand. Indeed, for many young Kiwis the idea of owning a home has become an impossible dream.
That’s not good enough.
Home ownership is a cornerstone of strong communities, strong families, and for making sure all our kids can get ahead.
But it has fallen to its lowest level in over 50 years. And as that’s happened we’ve seen communities fragment, we’ve seen kids’ education suffer.
How are kids supposed to learn when they shift from school to school or live in cold, damp rentals?
Since 2008, more than 40,000 children have been hospitalised due to poverty related illnesses. That is not acceptable.
That’s why we’ll build 100,000 affordable homes with our KiwiBuild policy.
Our Capital Gains Tax will reduce speculation on homes.
We won’t let offshore speculators drive up prices.
And for those that still rent, we’ll introduce the healthy homes guarantee so that rental properties must be warm and dry.
We want Kiwi families to have a healthy and secure home to grow up in.
Investing in learning
Nelson Mandela wasn’t speaking lightly when he described education as “the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
I know the power of education in my own life. I am only here because of the opportunities created by great state schools and high quality teaching.
That’s not just my story. It’s the story of my colleagues and many other New Zealanders who have succeeded because of the opportunities given to them by our education system.
I passionately believe that the same opportunities must be available now for every Kiwi kid.
I commit to you today that the Labour Government I lead will restore strong, first class state education to maximise the opportunities for every Kiwi kid.
Labour will reinvigorate education by:
Throwing out national standards – that are neither national nor standardised – and we’ll replace them with flexible, reliable, appropriate information for parents.
We will end the nonsense of charter schools and ensure that all schools using public money teach the curriculum with fully qualified teachers.
We will resist the drive for league tables and performance pay that is set to rip the heart out of the state education system.
Instead of these internationally discredited ideas, Labour will ensure schools are able to equip our kids for the future.
That every child, no matter what their background, can benefit from a 21st century education.
That’s why part of our plan to balance the budget includes putting aside a billion dollars a year, every year, to ensure that the real value of education and health services is maintained.
That’s why Labour will make it a strategic priority to upgrade our schools over the next 15 years so that they are all modern, healthy and warm places to learn.
And that’s why yesterday I announced that we will ensure every child from Year 5 upwards has access to a portable digital device in the form of a laptop, tablet, or similar.
And Labour will make sure that these tools will be affordable for all.
We will end the digital divide in our schools.
Alongside this, we will provide professional training for all teachers so that they can do the very best for our kids.
Labour will not only fix the digital divide, we will fix the other major divide in schools, the one between haves and have nots.
Too many of our schools are having to put pressure on parents for donations that they cannot afford to make.
No public school should have to ask parents for help to keep the lights on and no child should be stigmatised because their parents can’t afford to pay. It’s wrong and were going to stop it.
So this week we’ve announced we will offer $100 per student per year to schools that drop donation demands to parents.
And today, I’m making a further firm to commitment to our children’s education.
The current government’s policy of taking good teachers out of their schools and creating a competitive, part-time bonus-driven teaching environment will not help New Zealand’s children.
We are going to put that money to better use.
Today, I am proud to announce that Labour will reduce class sizes by employing 2,000 more teachers. This will help all our kids get a world-class education.
This policy will reduce secondary school class sizes from 26 students or more per class to just 23. Year 4-8 classes will shrink from 29 students down to 26.
It is a far better use of our education resource to increase the number of educators we have and make sure they receive the best training possible, that more money for performance pay and part-time principals.
That’s backed up by a wealth of academic evidence and it’s something parents know instinctively. One of the best things we can give our kids is more one to one time with their teachers.
A Labour government will mean smaller classes, up to date equipment, modern schools, and a better education for all our children.
Our promise to all New Zealanders
In a couple of years, our Labour Party reaches its centenary.
It was formed with a single, united purpose: To fight for and realise the dreams and aspirations of New Zealanders. Labour was formed by ordinary Kiwis and it remains the party dedicated to the values that all New Zealanders share.
The theme of this Congress is that people matter most. That’s the reason we are all here today.
As I look out across this auditorium I am immensely heartened by the strength, the dedication, the common purpose and the raw talent of the whole Labour movement.
We’ve got the best ground game the Labour Party has ever had. Our voter outreach has massively increased over 2011, and our party is the biggest it’s been in decades.
We often say that National campaigns with money and Labour campaigns with people – well this year our campaigning power has doubled.
And I back our thousands of people against their millions of dollars any time.
We reckon we can increase our result by two to three percent just through the work of ordinary Labour members on the ground.
In a tight campaign, that’s the difference between being able to make the changes that our country needs or watching the New Zealand we love slip away.
It will be a tight campaign. That’s something both sides agree on. In the last two elections National has shed six percent in the three months running into the election.
National are nervous. And they should be.
They are tired, they lack vision and ideas.
Labour is fresh and growing in membership.
We have strong and focused affiliates.
We have support from decent, progressively-minded New Zealanders across the country, and of course, our staunch and immensely capable caucus and candidates.
We are ready to win. We are ready to govern.
I am so privileged to lead this team of brilliant, innovative, passionate New Zealanders.
And even though our opponents will fight to divide and distract us with ads and attacks from now till September, I truly believe that we have the power to win and to change this country for the better.
We’re going to run a positive campaign because people matter most. We will campaign on decent work and better wages. On a strong, smart economy.
We will campaign on warm, dry homes for all.
And a country we can once again be proud to live in.
We will campaign for our families, lifted today by progressive education policies that will restore our world-class public education system.
Let’s make this election about what matters. This election is about people. This election is about New Zealanders’ hopes and dreams, and their right to live in a society where they are valued and respected. This election is about our children and your future.
This is what we are fighting for in these next 76 days.
For New Zealand to be the fairest, most decent society in the world.
To dare to dream the Kiwi dream.
That’s why this election we will be asking New Zealanders to vote positive; to vote Labour.
Let’s do this for a better New Zealand.
And let’s do it together.
lprent updated: This is the final delivered version of the speech.
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Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...7 days ago
- Can Brown deliver his roads
The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...7 days ago
- New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X
Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...1 week ago
- Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”
In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading ...1 week ago
- Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil
A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...1 week ago - Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?
On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...1 week ago
- Israeli Lives Matter
There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...1 week ago - Luxon Cries
Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...1 week ago
- Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland
A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...1 week ago - Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?
This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...1 week ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35
A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...1 week ago
- An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...
And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...1 week ago - Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears
I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...1 week ago - When Do We Look Away?
Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...1 week ago - The decades just fly by
You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...1 week ago - 2024 Reading Summary: August
Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...1 week ago - Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...1 week ago
- White Noise
Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...1 week ago - The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.
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- Claims and Counter-Claims.
Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...1 week ago
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- The Principles of the Treaty
Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...1 week ago - The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.
An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...1 week ago
- A Big F U to this Right Wing Government
Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Cabinet should stop the Treaty Principles Bill
National Party Ministers have a majority in Cabinet and can stop David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, which even the Prime Minister has described as “divisive and unhelpful.” ...13 hours ago - Release: Staff gagged to keep fast track list secret
The National Government is so determined to hide the list of potential projects that will avoid environmental scrutiny it has gagged Ministry for the Environment staff from talking about it. ...13 hours ago
- Release: Labour challenges Te Whatu Ora gag orders
Labour has complained to the Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission about the high number of non-disclosure agreements that have effectively gagged staff at Te Whatu Ora Health NZ from talking about anything relating to their work. ...17 hours ago
- Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders
The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders calls for the proposed legislation to be dropped. ...22 hours ago - Sign the petition: Keep military-style firearms off our streets
Help us tell the Government that reintroducing military-style firearms should not be up for debate. ...2 days ago
- Vast majority of councils support Māori wards
Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what is a significant setback for the Government. ...3 days ago
- Release: Government on the wrong side of Māori wards
The National-led government has been given a clear message from the local government sector, as almost all councils reject the Government’s bid to treat Māori wards different to other wards. ...3 days ago
- Release: Labour congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki
The Labour Party congratulates Kuīni Ngā Wai hono i te po Paki on being crowned as the eighth Te Ariki Nui – head of Te Kiingitanga. ...5 days ago
- Green Party welcomes new Maaori Kuiini
The Green Party welcomes the coronation of the new Maaori Kuiini, Te Arikinui Nga Wai Hono i te Po, today in Turangawaewae. ...5 days ago
- ECE teachers deserve better than this Government
The Green Party is unsurprised but disappointed by today’s announcement from the Government that will see our Early Childhood Centre teachers undermined and pay parity pushed further out of reach. ...6 days ago
- Urgent intervention needed on supermarkets
The Green Party is calling on the Government to intervene in the supermarket duopoly dominating our supply of groceries following today’s report from the Commerce Commission. ...6 days ago
- Release: Rainbow youth neglected in mental health funding
Labour backs the call from The Rainbow Support Collective members for mental health funding specifically earmarked for grassroots and peer led community organisations to be set up in a way that they are able to access. ...6 days ago
- Release: Transport in NZ has to be more than just roads
As expected, the National Land Transport Programme lacks ambition for our cities and our country’s rail network and puts the majority of investment into roads. ...7 days ago
- Speech: Barbara Edmonds Building Nations 2024
Tēnā koutou katoa, Thank you for your warm welcome and for having my colleagues and I here today. Earlier you heard from the Labour Leader, Chris Hipkins, on our vision for the future of infrastructure. I want to build on his comments and provide further detail on some key elements ...7 days ago
- Govt transport plan deepens fossil fuel fix
The Green Party says the Government’s new National Land Transport Programme marks another missed opportunity to take meaningful action to fight the climate crisis. ...1 week ago
- Greens call for public to back Wrybill in BOTY and beyond
The Green Party is calling on the public to support the Ngutu Pare Wrybill not just in this year’s Bird of the Year competition but also in pushing back against policies that could lead to the destruction of its habitat and accelerate its extinction. ...1 week ago
- Building consents data bad news for construction
News that the annual number of building consents granted for new homes fell by more than 20 percent for the year ended July 2024, is bad news for the construction industry. ...1 week ago
- Te Pāti Māori Pay Tribute to Kiingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII
Papā te whatitiri, hikohiko te uira, i kanapu ki te rangi, i whētuki i raro rā, rū ana te whenua e. Uea te pou o tōku whare kia tū tangata he kapua whakairi nāku nā runga o Taupiri. Ko taku kiri ka tōkia ki te anu mātao. E te iwi ...1 week ago
- Release: Gaps still to be addressed in callouts response
The Government must guarantee New Zealanders will not be at risk after making changes to the way mental health callouts are handled. ...2 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Kiingi Tuheitia passing
Haere e te Kīngi o te kotahitangi Haere ki o nui, ki o rahi I te pō ...2 weeks ago
- Green Party pays respects to Kiingi Tuuheitia
The Green Party is paying tribute to the Māori King, Kiingi Tuuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero XVII, after he passed away earlier this morning. ...2 weeks ago
- Potaka Brings Whakaata Māori to its Knees
Today’s Whakaata Māori announcement is yet another colossal failure from Minister Potaka, who has turned his back on te reo Māori, forcing a channel offline, putting whānau out of jobs, and cutting Māori content, says Te Pāti Māori. “A Senior Māori Minister has turned his back on Te Reo Māori. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National restricts access to disability care homes
With disability communities still reeling from the diminishing of Whaikaha, a leaked document now reveals another blow with National restricting access to residential care homes. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt must help save 230 manufacturing jobs
Labour is calling on the Government and Mercury Energy to find a solution to the proposed Winstone Pulp mill closure and save 230 manufacturing jobs. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt shirks its responsibility to Whakaata Māori
The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and programming cuts were announced at the broadcaster today. ...2 weeks ago
- NZ First Member’s Bill To Disestablish Auckland Transport
Today New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill that will restore democratic control over transport management in Auckland City by disestablishing Auckland Transport (AT) and returning control to Auckland Council. The ‘Local Government (Auckland Council) (Disestablishment of Auckland Transport) Amendment Bill’ intends to restore democratic oversight, control, and accountability ...2 weeks ago - Release: PM fails in constitutional role and leadership
The failure of the Prime Minister to condemn his Minister for personally attacking the judiciary is another example of this Government riding roughshod over important constitutional rules. ...2 weeks ago
- Waititi urges Rotorua Lakes Council to immediately stop works at Lake Rotokākahi
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and Member of Parliament for Waiariki, which includes Rotorua, has written to Rotorua Lakes Councillors requesting they immediately stop sewerage piping works at Lake Rotokākahi in Rotorua. “Mana whenua have been urging Rotorua Lakes Council to stop works and look at alternative plans to protect the ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Patient care at risk from redundancies
Patient care could suffer as a result of further cuts to the health system, which could lose thousands of staff who keep our hospitals and clinics running. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens call on Govt to wake up on child poverty
The Green Party says the latest statistics on child poverty in this country highlight the callous approach that the Government is taking on this issue of national shame. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Police are off the beat under National
Foot patrols around the country have decreased 15 percent since National took office, despite National’s Mark Mitchell claiming otherwise. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Climate denial is an insult to Pacific leaders
Winston Peters’ climate denialism at the Pacific Islands’ Forum is an embarrassing new low. ...2 weeks ago
- Govt must end solitary confinement
The Green Party is urging the Government to end the use of solitary confinement within our prisons after new research revealed some prisoners have been held in confinement for more than 900 days. ...2 weeks ago
- Fossil fuels never the answer in climate crisis
The Government’s moves to enable the import of Liquefied Natural Gas is another step away from the sustainable and affordable energy network that this country needs. ...2 weeks ago
- Government must respect Court’s Uber employee decision
Today’s court ruling upholding the rights of Uber drivers is a message to the Government that it must not tamper with employment protections. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Uber court decision recognises workers’ rights
The Court of Appeal decision that Uber drivers are entitled to employee rights such as minimum wage, sick leave, holiday pay and collective bargaining is welcome news for the drivers involved and their unions. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls on Govt to divest from illegal settlements
The Labour Party is calling on the Government to tell the two major wealth funds, the NZ Super Fund and ACC, to withdraw investments from companies listed by the United Nations as complicit in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt backtrack on fast-track still not enough
Labour welcomes news that the National Government is backing down on its reckless proposal to give Ministers final sign-off on significant projects, but it’s still not enough. ...2 weeks ago
- Fast track still on track to environmental destruction
Our environment remains at risk despite the Government's proposed changes to its controversial fast-track legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Ohinemuri River pollution highlights mining risks
The harrowing images of the severely polluted Ohinemuri River caused by an old mining shaft could become a more common occurrence under the mining regime the Government is looking to roll out. ...2 weeks ago
- Action to grow the rural health workforce
Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...13 hours ago - Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...13 hours ago
- Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians
Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris. “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...15 hours ago
- Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations
A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report. “It will have the mandate ...3 days ago
- Passport wait times back on-track
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...4 days ago
- New appointments to the FMA board
Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...4 days ago
- District Court judges appointed
Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...4 days ago
- Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand
Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...4 days ago
- New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender
New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...5 days ago
- Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease
Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...5 days ago
- Improving access to finance for Kiwis
5 September 2024 The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...5 days ago
- Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia
As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...5 days ago
- Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer
Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations. “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...5 days ago
- More choice and competition in building products
A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...5 days ago
- Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul
On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...5 days ago
- Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...5 days ago
- International tourism continuing to bounce back
Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...6 days ago
- Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency
The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. “That is ...6 days ago
- Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape
The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...6 days ago
- Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...6 days ago
- Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review
Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...6 days ago
- Government backs women in horticulture
“The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says. “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...6 days ago
- Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout
The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...7 days ago
- Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants. “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...7 days ago
- New priorities to protect future of conservation
Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...7 days ago
- Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti
A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...7 days ago
- IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand
The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...7 days ago
- Delivering priority connections for the West Coast
A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...1 week ago
- Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington
A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...1 week ago
- Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato
A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...1 week ago
- Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki
A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...1 week ago
- Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland
A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...1 week ago
- Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland
A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...1 week ago
- Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure
A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...1 week ago
- Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui
A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...1 week ago
- Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay
A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that ...1 week ago
- Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne
A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...1 week ago
- Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury
A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...1 week ago
- Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty
A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...1 week ago
- Getting transport back on track in Auckland
A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...1 week ago
- Albanese promises to legislate minimum age for kids’ access to social media
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will introduce legislation this term to enforce a minimum age for children to access social media. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will make the formal announcement on Tuesday. This follows a discussion at ...2 hours ago - Pro-Palestinian activists hold protests to disrupt defense expo in Australia
By Efe Özkan Pro-Palestinian anti-war activists in Australia have protested in Melbourne, disrupting a defence expo set to open on Wednesday. Protesters gathered yesterday in front of companies connected to weapons manufacturing across Melbourne as police were called to prevent an escalation of the events, according to 7News Melbourne. Many ...4 hours ago
- ‘Didn’t care enough’: here’s what the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide foun...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wadham, Professor, Director, Open Door: Understanding and Supporting Service Personnel and their Families, Flinders University After three years of investigations, the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has delivered its final report with 122 recommendations. The commission has carried much ...6 hours ago
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It was fantastic to be there. It was an inspiring speech. Great policies. We have to win!
“We have to win!”
Just quietly, I think we will. I feel it in my waters……….
And this time, unlike 2011 I’m not suffering pre election depression.
Watched it online. A couple of minutes into the speech DC started enjoying himself and then it was a little ripper.
Yep he really enjoyed the speech. Good to see and he is at his best when he is enjoying things.
“People matter most”, is the theme of the congress says DC. This could be a slogan for the campaign!
The other side to that coin of course is National’s slogan “Multi nationals matter most”
Wow – I think it’s safe to go back to the Labour fold!
+100 Wow yes great speech! …yes agreed…safe to go back to Labour !…or at least support a Labour /Green/Left coalition
…am still hoping for more on tertiary education and more financial relief for tertiary students however..maybe closer to the Election?…this would clinch it for me
DC is the right Leader for Labour. But the members and the Left in general have to put continuous pressure upon Labour and its caucus to keep left, to do the right thing by the most disadvantaged in society and push back hard against neoliberalism.
CV..agreed
+1
I listened to the speech online and was very impressed and have just listened to the interview that appeared on Q & A (I can’t bear to watch the programme itself) and was again, very impressed. Well done David.
This is the Q & A interview
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/labour-would-look-buying-back-state-assets-cunliffe-6020104
I watched Q+A, which was before the speech was held. What a hopeless panel, except that dark haired woman from the university (I am not sure whether she is from Victoria Uni or AUT).
This was a rather poor standard kind of edition of Q+A.
The media really stir up so much about Cunliffe’s comments on the other day, saying he felt sorry to be a man (taken out of context).
The media are the biggest challenge for Labour and the left of centre parties in this election, a a bigger one than National and their ridiculous small allies.
Awesome. I have been waiting to hear something like this from a Labour leader for some time now. David Cunliffe demonstrates here that he truly gets what it’s all about and he will fight for it. If this message gets through to the people then we will win.
Lets hope the MSM don’t starve it of oxygen, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they do.
A positively Prime Ministerial speech from David, well done.
Do you know, for the first time in a long time I am really, really angry about what those sorry excuses for humans who are now cooling their heels in the Act Party while they await their fate in the hereafter did to us. How dare they!!!!1 If they’d had a shred of decency they would have left Labour to do their dirty work not hijacked us all without any scruples whatsoever.
It’s been along journey back
Jan M @8 100+
Spot on in education policy. Well done Labour.
I listened to the speech and on that sentence the last part about the grassroots sounded like an afterthought. It’s disturbing hearing a political party famous for its classlessness dividing the workers into classes.
And I still haven’t heard anything about what they’re going to do with the changes that National did to tertiary education. Seems like they’re going to leave them in place.
Well DTB – here’s hoping you are aren’t asked to write anything important if that is how you interpret a very straightforward statement.
It wasn’t actually dividing up anything….but then again you seem to be looking for an opportunity to criticise or complain.
You are doing exactly what the various RWNJs do when responding to statements from the left…..picking out some words, twisting them out of context, and then basing some self-serving criticism on the result.
When you read a book do you determine whether you like it on just one part?
But it did – it excluded those at the bottom. That’s generally what happens when someone only talks about the middle.
What about this part of the speech?
“I have said it before and I say it again: trickle-down economics – neoliberalism – does not work.
It has failed around the world. It has failed New Zealanders. And the government I lead will close that chapter for good.”
With a $6 rise in taxes for the rich?
Sounds nice – where’s the 80% tax bracket and the dropping of GST?
Or, at least the same as Australia.
Can hardly claim that people are leaving for lower taxes, then.
Well, it’s certainly up to us to get the 6th Labour govt into power, and then hold them to account when they are in there.
Is there a video of it? I really can’t be assed reading but would happily watch/listen.
Also I like to hear Cunliffes’ delivery.
Yep. The video is at http://new.livestream.com/nzlabourlive/davidlive
The LiveStream has the video up now.
Thanks guys 🙂
I’d suggest adding that to the OP.
Thats a good speech, great to see education featuring so highly.
There are 2,000 excellent trained teachers currently unemployed ready to start on September 21st. Yeah Right. Totally unbelievable.
The evidence clearly shows that better teachers are far more important than more teachers. The difference is clear. National wants quality in education. Labour wants quantity at the expense of quality. The speech certainly revved up the true believers but let’s see what the next poll shows. Given the confidence alleged above then the Labour figure will surely start with a 3. My pick would be 25%. This is the flagship speech. The turning point. The rallying call. BUT what lingers in the public perception is the man ban, the tree ban, the moa hunt and the shame of being a man. If I am wrong then surely the polls will show support for Labour growing sharply. I am , as always, not wrong.
If National really wanted quality there is no way they would have introduced national standards – hard to know whether you are cynical or duped, fisiani
fizzyanus is a liar to boot according to what Labour is actually saying about increasing the number of teachers. The implementation date is staggered over several years, not to be achieved the day after National loses the election.
Plenty of highly capable Kiwi teachers from within NZ and overseas would gladly take up full time permanent positions around the country when they open up.
What a weird argument even for you Fisi? Where did Labour promise that the positions would be immediately filled? Something like this takes time.
I think the TV3 graphic suggested staggered drops in class sizes through to 2018.
Your lies and spin are totally unbelievable.
@fisciani….National doesnt want trained teachers…what are you talking about? National has done everything possible to undermine teachers as professionals in their own right and as educators
There are probably close to that. Teacher unemployment is quite high. Many would like full time positions, and can’t get them. An old friend of mine was doing relief work for ages.
Part of it is that the saggy old boomers won’t retire.
The National Party doesn’t understand education, just like it doesn’t understand economics, social policy or basic human decency. Conservatives are like the weird uncle you have to accommodate every Xmas who can’t stop going on about the gay agenda and fractional reserve banking.
The way to ensure you have better teachers is to keep training all teachers. To enable continuing education of teachers you have to have lower pupil-teacher ratios to allow a school to juggle class-time and teacher training time. Just paying the “better” teachers more money won’t raise the level of training throughout the education system. In my view the Nats also seem to have designed a programme that will remove those ‘better’ teachers from in front of pupils and leave the rest of the teachers with even less time in which to be trained. It does not seem to have any logic.
David has improved his delivery. It’s less shouty, high octane throughout, and more nuanced.
It was a very measured speech that sounded from the heart – about values of a fair and decent society.
It certainly seemed to rally the troops. Strikes a great note going into the election.
hope there will be follow through to maintain the momentum, and live up to those values.
His wife probably had a word in his ear.
Yes it was generally toned down and less 98 octane the whole way through. He does the US style from the pulpit damn well when he needs to though.
Certainly a comprehensive set of policies being presented this year by Labour, including increasing the minimum wage to $16, according to TV3. Exciting times to be a Labour member, I cant see how any lefty can say that these policies don’t strongly underpin Labour principles. Hoardings going up this week, if the MSM are fair and these policies are communicated widely then there is no reason why Labour wont get well into the 30’s percentage wise in September.
It’s pretty good now…the single fly in the appointment is the Super age…a technical fly in the appointment is this damn insistence to get back to surplus (which typically drains money and services from poorer households).
I’ve got my fingers crossed that Labour will have 2 or 3 more killer policies to bring out: I would love to see some solid detail on ASAP transitioning to a low carbon economy (because that is as much time as we have).
+1
On one of the TV news shows on Sunday, the reported asked Cunliffe about asset sale buy-backs and he said that they’d do it as the opportunities arose, but that we’d definitely hear more about it between now and the election.
neolibralism dead thank god !
polls fuck the polls i door knocked a lady yesterday i had her information from 2011 election with one differance the land line had gone she was off the grid these polls are fiction very few people we talk to have land lines, we finding plenty unregiserted voters so to any green or labouer nz first
we must talk to people to a green, nz first if there no activity in area join the labour volenteers and vice versa boots on the ground we need to dig out every vote every street ,bus stops, laudry matts ,taxi stands ,outside super markets in the homes
Ipredict uses real money. It is really accurate. More accurate than the polls and it reacts instantly to new information and insider trading. If The Cunliffes speech was a game changer then the price would change substantially. It is stuck at 18.5%
🙄
What rich idiots with money to waste waste their money on is irrelevant.
Spending real money on Cunliffe is indeed wasting money, I agree but Ipredict is not for the rich. Twenty dollars is sufficient. You just have to be knowledgeable. That’s why the Left are jealous.
burning money is still for the rich idiots, no matter what the denomination.
Mugs like you are fodder for the bookmakers.
I gather you clearly do not understand the difference between a prediction market and a bookmaker. A prediction market makes you put your money where your mouth/laptop is. You obviously have no courage to invest actual money so just pontificate here.
PS Why does the picture show Te Cunliffe trying to thumb a lift?
LOL
fucking semantics. A thousand folks like you, convinced they have the necessary knowledge to make a “prediction”, walk into the TAB offices every day.
See, the funny thing is that you seem to think that money is the only measure of commitment. Which makes me speculate as to why you bother coming here every day just to tell outlandish, demonstrably false lies. Or are you so stupid you think people actually believe your shit?
Im sorry but Ipredict (and bookmakers) are emperically proven to be the best predictor of election outcomes. Much better so than the polls and as such fisiani is correct.
any actual evidence of that? Or are you just making stuff up?
Prediction markets are insanely bad at predicting election outcomes. Why? Because players in a prediction market suffer from all the same biases that affect the general punditry but are actually worse because market/herd mentality also applies.
Nassim Taleb cuts through all the crap around prediction markets very well. You should read his stuff.
Also your statement that iPredict and Bookmakers are similar is BS. Bookmakers are NOT prediction markets and operate completely differently.
Bollocks, Ipredict decisions are largely based on polling data, comparing it to a single data-point of a poll and and saying it’s somehow ‘more accurate’ is disingenuous because it essentially averages out the data provided by multiple polls.
There’s nothing ‘more accurate’ about Ipredict because it’s a false equivalence… Without the polls for data Ipredict wouldn’t be able to function because people wouldn’t have enough information about ‘the market’ to base decisions, it would just be random guessing.
Compare it to a ‘poll of polls’ or bias corrected poll and see how it goes for accuracy…
IMO iPredict is actually very bad at predicting elections because of the very right-wing bias on the site.
Labour to win the 2011 election was around 10%, despite the fact that the current government only just scraped in by 1 seat for their right-wing agenda. The ‘true’ prediction for NZFirst was around 3%, ignoring the last-minute market manipulation that occurred.
Of course it’s possible that MP would have sided with National anyway, but I suspect they would rather have gone with Labour (and they’ll be paying the price at this election).
An example of how a market-based poll like iPredict is open to self-interested manipulation:
This is a good example of why the ‘signals’ iPredict sends out are stuffed for predicting this year’s election.
Ipredict is best used as a measure of the right-wing’s irrational and manipulative exuberance – which appears to be running pretty high-as-a-kite currently.
Compare FiveThirtyEight 2012 US election prediction to bookmakers and prediction markets and I think you’ll find that FiveThirtyEight was more accurate.
I seem to recall that when hoots was wanking about ipredict’s so-call accuracy a while back, QoT pointed out that the result he’d cherry-picked from six months out of the 2011 election was more accurate than the bets placed just prior to the election.
i.e. as it got closer to the event, the predictions became more inaccurate – indicating random bullshit rather than anything but the most tenuous connection to reality (if at all).
I think it is going to be less accurate this year … although I wasn’t that convinced of the claims of accuracy after the last election anyway….it will be worse this year…vested interests are manipulating the numbers as the example I provide above shows.
I got thinking about the USA guy who was supposed to be good at predicting elections.
http://www.theguardian.com/science/grrlscientist/2012/nov/08/nate-sliver-predict-us-election (November 2012)
and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2229790/US-Election-2012-Statistician-Nate-Silver-correctly-predicts-50-states.html
Nate Silver, 34, used an elaborate series of calculations to correctly call the outcome in all 50 states
He ran thousands of computer calculations based on innumerable factors such as polling results and voting outcomes in previous elections
Gave Barack Obama a 90.9 per cent chance of success, attracting widespread ridicule from traditional pundits in what was regarded as the closest race in years
His achievement opens the door for a more statistics-based approach to polling, say experts
And just an extra – an elephant that was freed after 50 years of bondage. Humans do bad but also good and thoughtful things. Lets do more of them.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2682388/Incredible-sight-elephant-cried-Raju-held-chains-beaten-abused-fifty-years-day-released-tears-rolled-face.html
All great stuff but what about the climate?
Not a single mention.
Even a utopia without a climate is a hell.
Maybe he is reserving this topic for a speech of its own.
Perhaps, later in the campaign we will get to hear David Cunliffe’s speech on the climate.
Let us hope so.
On the other hand could we be seeing a repeat of THIS?
Mr Cunliffe is making good and sure those at the bottom of the heap are absolutely clear Labour does not want their vote.
Devastating critique, lefty. I’m convinced.
What else can you say when he misses the reality of the lives of the poor by so much.
They have heard the soaring rhetoric combined with austerity economics before.
Nothing about how those who are struggling most are going to be better off right away, like setting benefits at a reasonable rate and pulling Work and Income into line.
We have heard all that bullshit about jobs through regional development at some time in the distant future over and over again. All that eventuates is more handouts to the rich to build businesses they sell off to overseas owners.
A detailed critique is a waste of time because it would be recycled just like Cunliffe’s speech. I have heard it dozens of times from different parties over the last thirty years.
No wonder people are turning to the dotcom cargo cult in desperation.
Lefty, I think you are misreading TIP if you think it’s a KDC ‘cargo cult’. For many on the left, the attraction of TIP is Laila’s record and the team she can build, and the party’s position on spying and independence.
“Nothing about how those who are struggling most are going to be better off right away, like setting benefits at a reasonable rate and pulling Work and Income into line.”
You certainly have a valid point made re that!
Labour have 75 days to prove they also care for the ones at the very bottom, not just those “deserving” a pay rise as workers on the minimum wage. Their silence in welfare is very worrying indeed.
On 29th June 2014 David Cunliffe did a Q & A here on The Standard in which he said…
“I’m not going to announce our welfare policy here. But what I can tell you is that the systematic victimisation and demonisation of beneficiaries we’ve seen under National has absolutely no place in Labour’s values or a Labour Government.”
From the policies that Labour have put out thus far, feel extremely confident that they have that one covered very well too, and will no doubt announce it when the time is right.
“Nothing about how those who are struggling most are going to be better off right away, like setting benefits at a reasonable rate and pulling Work and Income into line.”
Because with the MSM and National’s popularity as it is, such policies are anathema to the electorate and would ensure Labour wouldn’t win the election. Why bother promising a policy, no matter how valid it is, if you wouldn’t be able to implement it?
Much better to focus on something like a UBI.
Um Lefty did you read the speech? And did you understand it?
I dont think lefty did either, and I don’t think lefty is a real lefty at all.
Yep, I read it. I have read all the other speeches from the other Labour leaders over the years saying the same things too.
Fine words and an austerity programme only fool those who want to be fooled.
Please describe what parts of Labour policies so far amount to an “austerity programme”, because at the moment I must “want to be fooled”.
David Cunliffe outlines the three specific things that Labour will be fighting this electoral campaign over.
All very worthy, but this list leaves out one thing, and it is a glaring omission, being only the biggest challenge that humanity, and the most dire and pressing problem that humanity has ever had to face.
Bigger than war, bigger even than famine, or global pandemic, though it will trigger and be a cause for all three of those dread horsemen to stride the world stage in its wake.
It’s climate change and for any leader who seeks high office not to directly address this threat is a dereliction of duty.
Patience Jenny.
+.5
Yes Poem there is always hope.
In the unfunny comedy movie “Clockwise” 1986, John Cleese character is desperately late but sees that his mental agony is caused by the fact that he still has an outside chance of being on time:
“It’s not the despair Laura. I can handle the despair. It’s the hope!”
Sorry for my impatience Poem. I agree, there is still time for Labour and Mr Cunliffe personally to face up to this issue. It is this hope that is killing me.
You are quite right and climate change could emerge as an issue at the elcction. A plus in this speech is that he only mentions economic growth, the main threat to the environment, twice. labour at last are clearly focused on REDISTRIBUTION, the answer to all this inequality and unfairness which Cunliffe is quite good on. However, the most heartening thing David says is “Trickle-down economics – neoliberalism – does not work. It has failed round the world. It has failed New Zealanders. And the government I lead will close that chapter for good.” Since it was introduced by Labour and never rolled back by Clark “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Labour needed to state fair and square where it now stands. Cunliffe is the right man to say it.
There is still a need to go from “redistribution” to “pre-distribution.” That is, to recognise that “redistribution” in our current political economy is needed because of how unfairly wealth gets generated and distributed in the first instance – primarily to shareholders and owners, and not to those who do the bulk of the productive work.
“We will campaign on decent work and better wages”.
While David Cunliffe delivers his inaugural electoral campaign speech carefully and deliberately not letting the two words “climate change” escape his lips. HOT TOPIC NZ issues a “call to arms”
Case in point:
That was 2 years ago.
Yes that was two years ago. And Labour have been deliberately avoiding the issue ever since. Just as David Cunliffe is doing now with this speech.
Jenny, there has been no “deliberate avoiding” of the issue. Look at David Parker’s speech to Congress from Saturday. Maybe you’re the one deliberately avoiding any information which clashes with your “Labour denies climate change” worldview.
https://www.labour.org.nz/media/speech-david-parkers-speech-new-zealand-labour-party-congress-2014
+1
You are right Stephanie, in guessing that I couldn’t bring myself to read David Parker’s speech. I imagined that it would be full of generalities, vague platitudes and none of the bluntness that characterised the talk he gave at the breakfast for the Mood of the Boardroom chief executives.
Am I wrong?
Is there something in this speech to indicate that David Parker has reversed his previously expressed support for the government’s fossil fuel extraction policies?
Is there a reverse of his position that Labour’s “policies on oil, gas and mineral extraction are close to those of the Government”?
Is there any acceptance by David Parker, of HOT TOPIC’s assertion that, “being hell-bent on further fossil fuel discovery and exploitation is hardly compatible with action to rein in climate change….?
So what is it Stephanie, what exactly do you want me to look at in David Parker’s speech which indicates that he has turned a new leaf and is now honestly concerned about climate change and intends to something concrete about it?
What part of David Parker’s speech do you want me to look at that tells us that “The tepid and ambiguous climate concern which characterises governments such as our own in New Zealand” will be over under his watch?
Christ, you’re as irrational as the average climate change denialist. And this faux martyr shit is really tiring. Just read the speech and if you don’t like it, tell us why.
You could have read the speech in less time than it took to write that!
So Lynn, tell me what I should be looking for in this speech by David Parker?
Does he utter the phrase “climate change” once but not twice just to get it out of the way?
Is there even one single concrete pragmatic policy to cut back on our Green House Gas emissions?
Is there an honest acknowledgement that his previous support for unconventional oil exploration and new coal mines, is in the words of HOT TOPIC, hardly compatible with action to rein in climate change?
The shocking thing is that this is the government’s weakest performing portfolio. It is where the opposition could garner many votes. It could be the issue that clearly demarcates between the two political blocks. Labour/Greens and National/ACT
What is going wrong?
David Cunliffe did say in his speech…
“We will protect and preserve our beautiful environment.”
Hopefully more details will be released on labour’s stance on climate change when the election proper is under way.
This is a deliberate evasion of the issue, as Naomi Klein and other leading activists have pointed out, climate change is not an environmental issue. Sure just like nuclear war, climate change will impact the environment. But you wouldn’t call nuclear war an environmental issue, that would be deliberately understating the case.
“CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE
This is my hope too. Maybe David Cunliffe deliberately left mentioning climate change out of his speech because he intends to fully address this issue at a later time. and give climate change tthe full attention it deserves in a dedicated address.
Put another way.
Ask your self just for argument’s sake:
“What if climate change is not an environmental issue?”
“This is a deliberate evasion of the issue, as Naomi Klein and other leading activists have pointed out, climate change is not an environmental issue. ”
This is the first time I’ve come across this framing, and actually it makes a hell of a lot of sense to me, Jenny. It’s all very easy to ‘other’ climate change and dump it under the environmental banner, but it really isn’t an environmental issue and shouldn’t be treated as such.
I think the sooner climate change is divorced from environmental discussion, and thereby no longer seen as an issue only for the greens, but for everyone to engage with, the better.
If Cunliffe saved a baby who had crawled on the road, Corrinn Dan would probably attack him for disrupting traffic.
Reminds me of an oooollllllddd joke I shall update for our current environment:
John Key and David Cunliffe are on the Interislander.
John Key falls overboard and starts to drown.
David Cunliffe immediately jumps over the side, walks on the water over to John Key, picks him up and carries him back to the ferry.
Herald headline the next day: “David Cunliffe Can’t Swim”.
Well thats it in a nutshell isn’t it Papa Tuanuku and McFlock, to the likes of nats/msm etc, David Cunliffe is damned if he does, and damned if he doesnt.
He has found his stride, and it was a joy to be there.
I had wondered how he could possibly manage the intense negative publicity, and still inspire, galvanise and set the movement on a forward roll, but he did.
Marvellous!!
+100000000 Wondered that myself, just shows what a truely strong leader David Cunliffe is.
Great speech David. Great vision and the team to implement it. Come September we shall have a Labour led govt and DC as PM! I feel sure of it and I welcome it.
Is it any wonder people don’t trust politicians. I’m hearing a lot of generalities but where is the “how” in all of this. Given how bad things are “blue sky speeches” have little impact and I’m a New Zealand voter so I’ll wager I’m not the only one with this perspective.
What I’d like to hear and see is a lot more about how all these wonderful things are going to be achieved by Labour. I’d like to see concrete policy, I’d like Labour to stop being complacent and make more of a “conspicuous” effort to stay in touch with their voter base.
No doubt I’ll be criticized for these comments but that’s the feeling of at least one left leaning voter. I’d also like to know why Labour seems so adverse to enter into alliance with other political parties. This is MMP after all….
My prediction and I’m loathe to admit it, because I believe the current National government are a disloyal disgrace, is they will be back in office after September.
Details of policies that have been released by Labour here:
https://www.labour.org.nz/policy
Mr Cunliffe’s Q & A thread conducted on The Standard about a week ago:
http://thestandard.org.nz/david-cunliffe-qa/
xox
Has Labour ever apologized to the public of NZ for its betrayal by its Neolabs from within? Once bitten!
Good speach. My electorate vote for the Labour candidate is now a definite. That’s based on Cunliffe’s education announcement and neo-liberalism.
Now to earn the party vote, there’ll need to be:
– a commitment to SUBSTANTIAL investment in public service broadcasting as today’s public sphere (I’ve just heard the latest RNZ news bulletin in which Labour Party policy is framed from the perspective of John Key, rather than Labour is going to do this – #TeamJonky disagrees)
– A shakeup of the public service senior and middle management fiefdoms
– A more sympathetic/empathetic attitude to the plight of the ‘unpeople’ (aka beneficiaries not playing the system – of which there are VERY few)
– Cleanup of the environment, and charging costs to those responsible
– Ceasing any and all corporate welfare except where it clearly has benefit to a public rather than a corporation
– Reform of banking systems, unregulated privately owned monopolies and duopolies
That should be enough for a first term (given the manner in which urgency has been abused over the past 6 years).
Oh, and to progress things mid to longer term:
Aside from the requirement for referenda and 2/3rds, 3/4s majorities – I think there is a way (I’m not a constitutional lawyer – but it would involve Madge or a President’s mandate should we ever decide to give the Trough of Windsor the flick)