David Shearer’s opening speech for the year has received good media coverage. From One News:
Fired up Shearer outlines party agenda
Job creation and housing were big issues in David Shearer’s state of the nation address at a rugby club in Wainuiomata today. …
With his leadership woes a distant memory, Shearer hit the stage saying he felt “refreshed, fired up and rearing to go”.
3 News summarises…
Shearer promises clear policy initiatives
Labour leader David Shearer is promising there will be no airy fairy concepts in policy his party is developing this year ahead of the election in 2014.
He signalled a hands-on approach by a Labour Party preparing to govern in a speech at the Wainuiomata Rugby Football Club today that contained no new policy initiatives.
“Jobs are our number one priority. We have concrete ideas that will help, including creating thousands of jobs and training opportunities through our plan to put 100,000 families into affordable first homes,” he said. …
He said Jacinda Ardern, Labour’s social development spokesperson, would produce an alternative white paper setting out ways to lift children out of poverty.
Stuff’s Vernon Small likewise summarises the main points…
Labour sets scene for 2013
Labour’s top priority would be jobs, boosted by its promise to build 10,000 affordable houses a year, leader David Shearer said today.
In his scene-setting speech for 2013, which contained no major new policy initiatives, Shearer said the country was looking for a government that would roll up its sleeves and back them.
Only The Herald’s Claire Trevett headlines National’s reaction…
English slams Shearer’s speech
… but the coverage of the speech is OK…
The speech was short on actual policy – and instead aimed to set out his reasons for advocating more interventionist policies, saying the market-based approach had failed.
Setting out Labour’s goals for the year ahead, he said its top priority was jobs – including working with local councils on local projects to ensure people did not have to leave their hometowns for work.
All in all a decent reception for what was, without policy to chew on, a slightly risky speech for Shearer. Labour will be pleased with the coverage, and especially so when compared (source by source) with John Key’s hapless effort last week.
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