Grant Robertson’s speech to the 2015 Labour Conference
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11:43 am, November 7th, 2015 - 68 comments
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It is a pleasure to be back in Palmerston North, the city of my birth. It is true to say that my family left Palmy reasonably soon thereafter, but there is no truth to the rumour that as a 16 month old I went to my mother to request a transfer!
Coming to Palmerston North these days is to see a city and region that is bursting with potential. A strong university, science organisations to build on on the primary industry base, the potential for new and innovative businesses. Now, if we could just get a government that backs the regions!
Delegates, it is school prize giving season. For anyone cynical about future generations, attendance at these is a life-affirming experience. They are heart-warming celebrations of success, albeit a bit of a marathon for parents and unsuspecting MPs.
Success comes in many forms at these prizegivings. From the students winning subject prizes, to the awards for leadership, sporting and cultural achievements, to the students who have proudly made it through five years of school. All of them are celebrated, because as one principal put it to me, we don’t judge our success on the marks our dux gets, we judge our success on producing a cohort of confident, resilient young people.
But how do we judge the success of the economy? There are many people devoting many column inches every day to opining on this. Every morning we hear or read of the rises and falls of stocks and the trade weighted index.
We hear about businesses that do well, and not so well, we hear about who is and isn’t on this year’s Rich List and what they are worth.
They are all measures that tell us something about our economy, but are they adequate to measure its success?
From this government – we hear about the surplus. The yardstick they set to decide if they are good managers of the economy. Success has been declared, and job done so far as Bill English is concerned.
Well, if you ever wanted evidence that some measures of success in our economy might not be all that they appear, then this is it. Having set the political target of a surplus in 2014/15, a political solution was found to make it happen.
The Earthquake Commission returned nearly half a billion dollars to the Crown accounts this year because they decided they did not need it for Canterbury. Just ask the people of Christchurch if all the claims are settled and that money is not needed. It was a cynical ploy to meet a political target.
And worst of all, there is no consideration of making these surpluses sustainable. In the Labour Party we know about sustainable surpluses. We had one. Every single year when we were last in government. But not even Bill English is predicting that there will be a surplus in coming years. It was plain and simple – manufactured for one year to meet the propaganda needs of the National Party.
But, beyond the manufactured surplus, can we judge the economy a success when
– 151,000 New Zealanders are out of work, and the rate of unemployment is six per cent, with projections that it will head towards seven per cent next year. 151,000 people. Think about that. It is nearly twice the population of this city out of work. It is nearly 50,000 more than when National took office. In Gisborne one in every ten people is out of work. It is clear that John Key and Bill English see levels of unemployment like this as collateral damage in their blinkered economic vision.
– Where exports as a percentage of GDP are now the lowest they have been since 1997, coincidentally the last time Bill English was given the keys to the car.
– When wage growth is the weakest it has been since the depths of the GFC five years ago, and in the coming year working people are expecting the smallest wage increases in over a decade.
– Where there is such a disparity of wealth in our country that we see some corporate CEOs paid salaries of four or five million dollars a year, while 115,000 Kiwis survive on a wage of $14.75 per hour.
– Where 305,000 children grow up in homes where fridges are often empty or where their parents cannot earn enough money to buy the shoes and clothes they need.
– Where the house price to income ratio for housing in our biggest city is 9:1,there is the lowest home ownership rate in 60 years, and where thousands of New Zealand families live in cold, damp, overcrowded rental accommodation, or worse in garages and sheds.
That is not success.
If Dan Carter got World Rugby Player of the Year, but the All Blacks lost the Rugby World Cup, would we be hailing the year a success?
As American businessman and philanthropist John Paul DeJoria has said, ‘success unshared is failure’.
And this is not just because of our inherent sense of fairness. It makes economic sense as well. The OECD has recently joined the chorus of those who are acknowledging that a fair go for everyone means a more wealthy society. They said that the increase in income inequality in New Zealand over two decades from the 1980s had reduced our growth rate by more than 10%.
And income inequality is only part of the picture. Those statistics do not take into account wealth inequality- the assets, like houses some of us are lucky to own, and the security and choices they provide. These assets, this wealth, are now concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer New Zealanders.
Addressing wealth and income inequality is fundamental to our future well-being as a society. As a recent report from the Centre for American Progress said “for democracies to thrive rising prosperity must be within the reach of all citizens.”
That is the challenge we must meet.
So what is a successful economy? Of course it needs careful management. Remember, while I started life here, I grew up in Dunedin and I’m from a long line of parsimonious Scottish Presbyterians. I have also taken the extra pre-caution of having the Rev Dr David Clark as my Associate Spokesperson in case I get too profligate.
In government we must be disciplined and treat each tax payer dollar with the respect for the hard work that went into earning it.
But that cannot be the end of the line. The economy does not exist for its own purposes.
The economy is not a person with feelings that we need to protect. It’s there to serve the interests of people, to be the means to a better life for all our people. It’s not an end in itself.
Many New Zealanders have expressed their concerns about the TPPA. When I listen to those concerns I hear the overwhelming feeling that the corporation matters more now than the citizen. Companies got the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while ordinary people were kept in the dark with our interest treated as an irritant.
We need an approach to the economy that turns this view on its head. One where we don’t just measure the health of the government’s books but also the health of the people.
We need to embrace a new economic order- people first. A focus on prosperity- not just for some, but a chance for all to share in it.
I come to the job of Finance Spokesperson with a clear mission.
It is time to reject the idea that our country will prosper by waiting for wealth to trickle down, and instead to embrace building wealth from the ground up- through our small businesses, iwi, our regions and our innovation.
It is time to reject the idea that the success for the 1% is the best we can hope for, and embrace the value to our economy and society of a fairer share for all.
It is time to reject the idea that the government should stand aside and let the market determine the opportunity of future generations, and embrace the transformational role of government to help New Zealanders build their dreams.
It is time to reject the ethos of success based on privilege, selfishness and greed, and replace them with a fair go, opportunity and a relentless pursuit of shared prosperity.
That is our mission. The economic goal of the next Labour government will be shared prosperity- an opportunity for everyone to meet their potential.
We are a fortunate country, blessed with tremendous natural resources, and talented and driven people. New Zealand businesses and workers work harder than most of their equivalents around the world. We are in many senses already a wealthy nation.
There is an opportunity to work with businesses and regions to be prosperous, to create decent work. Our record demonstrates that when we do this, the country grows.
There is an opportunity to build an economy and in turn a society that offers the quality of life to all its citizens that is the envy of the world.
I want New Zealanders to be proud of what we make possible in our country.
The economy that I will manage on your behalf in government will have specific goals to support New Zealanders to all have the chance to build the future they dream about.
I want our success in building the path to shared prosperity to be judged in five core areas:
– The opportunity for decent work wherever you live in New Zealand. Our goal will be to reduce unemployment to below 4% by the end of our first term in government. There are many changes ahead in the world of work. In the next few years we must continue to put the income, security and dignity that work provides at the forefront of our economic thinking. We must invest in our regions to create opportunities and to relieve that pressure on Auckland. We must support small business to thrive, to innovate and to provide decent work.
The dramatic drop in dairy prices and the slowdown in China point to the need for urgent and aggressive support for diversification- of products and markets. The government’s plan to wait for one industry to fail in order to see diversification happen is simply not good enough.
– Lifting incomes. We must lift wages. There is no single silver bullet to do this, but the government can play its part through investing in the infrastructure, innovation, research and development that will help create high wage work. We can do it by lifting the minimum wage and showing leadership by ensuring that anyone who works for the government is paid a living wage. We can do it by restoring rights of workers to bargain collectively. And we can do it by preparing for the new world of work, which I will return to shortly.
– Zero tolerance for child poverty. We will measure the success of our economy against how fast we can eliminate child poverty. Andrew will speak more about this tomorrow, but suffice to say that we will put that goal at the centre of our economic plan.
– Access to affordable and quality housing. This is vital to reducing wealth inequality and to building safe and stable communities. We need to harness the power of the government to invest to build affordable housing. We will crack down on the speculators who are shutting people out of buying their first homes. And we must improve the quality of our rental stock and the security of tenancy.
– Our ability to create a sustainable future. There is no point crowing about economic success if it comes at the cost of the environment or the well-being of future generations. Our economic approach will be dictated by what is good for the well-being of future generations, not the next news cycle. We must restart our contributions to the Super Fund as soon as possible, and build on the success of Kiwisaver. We must take urgent action to build an economy that transitions us to a low carbon economy and gets real on climate change.
This will mean moving beyond the simple measures of success that fuel the news cycle and the vanity of politicians. Measuring GDP has a place – it is a decent proxy for activity in the economy. But what does it say about the quality of that activity? The earthquakes in Canterbury were horrific events for the people who lived there- but by god they have been a boon for GDP. Earthquake recovery has contributed up to a third of the country’s growth in recent years. But waiting for natural disasters is not a plan.
We need to measure ourselves on the quality of life our economy can create, how it improves the environment, how many kids it lifts out of poverty and how we are building our prosperity for the future. They will be the benchmarks of the next Labour government.
Delegates, no issue highlights the importance of a government that is focused on shared prosperity than the Future of Work.
Massive change is underway. A report prepared by NZIER last month estimates that 45% of jobs currently in the New Zealand economy are at high risk from automation. The New Zealand Herald headline of 26 July this year was ‘Robots Cleaning Auckland Airport’. The change is happening and it is happening now.
There is no doubt that the future of work is full of opportunity. New technology is set to drive a wave of productivity and innovation that will generate significant wealth for those who seize the opportunities.
On the other hand it is also set to grow inequality and leave many behind, with work and income less secure and success more reliant than ever on having skills and expertise that you can apply widely.
In the face of this there are two paths to take. We could sit back and let the market dictate what happens to New Zealanders, we could be the passive recipients and let the wave of change sweep us along or drag us under at its will. Or we could lead the change, seize the opportunities and protect the values we hold dear while building a new path to decent work.
We have chosen the latter path The Future of Work Commission has now released all of the discussion papers that we outlined to you at regional conferences earlier this year.
We have had thousands of responses to our on-line work survey, and hundreds of submissions on the discussion papers. Along with the Lead MPs for each of our workstreams, I have spoken to dozens of businesses, unions, LECs and community groups about the Commission, and the importance of a plan for the future of work.
I even managed to be on the panel at an event organised by the Chartered Accountants Association of Australia and New Zealand that was hosted by a hologram and had a drone and a driverless car taking the attention of attendees.
Why would the accountants care about the future of work- because accountancy is one of the most at risk professions that there is. This is not just about manual labour, it is a revolution in the nature and experience of work. The changes coming from the future of work have the potential to be scary, but the opportunities are vast as well.
The Commission will produce a final report at this conference next year which will include a range of policy proposals. It’s tempting to say that we know all the answers now, but it is important to us that we spend this year listening to what New Zealanders want, fear and hope for in the future of work.
I can say this – the work of the Commission has shown us already that there is a huge desire to continue to put work at the front and centre of our future. The Labour Party was born 100 years ago next year by people who wanted their contribution at work to be fairly valued and respected. Nothing has changed in terms of our values, but much has changed in the experience of workers. We know that the future of work will look very different from the 9-5 job of the past. We need to consider a future where many workers will hold down six to eight careers, and have multiple different employers at any one time. Where being your own boss is not only more possible it will become the default position.
Paul Mason, the economics editor of the Guardian newspaper, has written a book called the End of Capitalism, which foreshadows a future of work that redefines the economic order that has governed our lives. With technology breaking down barriers to old forms of employment, and the power enabled by access to information and data, there is the opportunity for working people to take more control of their lives- to develop a new system that is defined by a shared prosperity.
Imagine for a moment if we could find a solution to the poverty wages experienced by the cleaners at Parliament, by giving them the chance to be their own bosses based on a cooperative business model. Or to support more profit sharing or so that workers can have a real stake in the organisations they work for. Or supporting social enterprises that are productive, profitable and improves the well being of people and the planet.
This is an opportunity for us in the Labour movement to once again lead and innovate. We need to be at the forefront of ensuring the new economy develops with our values at heart. New models of business are sprouting up everywhere that use technology to break down barriers. This represents the so-called peer-to-peer capitalism or the sharing economy. We have to make that technology available and support the creation of those businesses.
There are legitimate concerns about the rights of workers in less formal working environments. What appears as flexibility can actually be a front for exploitation and a loss rights and conditions. Labour would never allow that. The flexibility we strive for is to allow you to build your work around your life- not the other way around.
To take the opportunities of the future of work we need to equip our people with the knowledge and skills to adapt and thrive, ensure income security and begin to value unpaid or non-traditional forms of work.
Some clear messages are already emerging from the Commission’s consultation. We urgently need to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Information is now so readily available to us, the real focus of education, and indeed what employers are telling us they want are the soft skills- collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking.
But employers also want school leavers to have the basics well covered – a driver’s license, digital and financial literacy, entrepreneurial skills and a sense of citizenship and civics. We also urgently need to professionalise careers advice and develop it as a partnership between students, schools, businesses and training providers.
We also need to turly create life-long learning. Alvin Toffler’s words from several decades ago, have come true, “ the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Every worker is going to need training and re-training in the future. We need to work with businesses and workers to ensure this is possible for all, including those in small and medium businesses who traditionally struggle to fit training into their lives. We are investigating a range of options for this, but it is certain that this will be a significant outcome from the Commission.
Delegates, former Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam once said his country was faced with a choice between the habits and fears of the past and the demands and opportunities of the future.
As a country we face that choice today.
The challenges are real, but the opportunities enormous. Decent work, income security, lifelong learning, safe and warm homes for all and thriving and resilient regions are not only possible, but essential to a successful country.
The path to shared prosperity that we will take will be founded on opportunity and optimism. If we give every New Zealander a fair go, they will repay us many fold.
Over the coming two years together, we will develop our economic vision on that basis, and we will build for New Zealand a path to shared prosperity.
Thank you.
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While Parliament struggles with David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill, a Christian scholar and some heavyweight mainstream church leaders have developed a different perspective on the Treaty of Waitangi. Theologian Alistair Reese presented a petition to Parliament’s Petitions Committee on Thursday asking Parliament to legislate to recognise the oral agreement “4th ...5 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on why so many young males like Donald Trump
To foreigners, the fact that so many millions of Americans are buying the used and poisonous goods that Donald Trump is selling is an unfathomable mystery. However, some clues to the allure of Trumpism can be found in the gender gap of unprecedented size that has opened up between those ...5 days ago
- Building a Safer Future for Every Worker
Every New Zealander deserves a workplace that puts safety and wellbeing first. Too often, we’ve seen the real cost of a system that doesn’t fully protect workers. Lives are lost, families grieving, and communities bearing the burden of preventable tragedies. That’s why, alongside Business New Zealand, the New Zealand Institute ...6 days ago
- Not all authoritarians are fascists.
A few days ago I responded to a post about Trump being a fascist on one of my friend’s social media page, then made a few comments on the consultancy social media page by way of follow up. Given the … Continue reading ...6 days ago
- Keep the Vampires From Your Door
I'll protect you from the hooded clawKeep the vampires from your doorWhen the chips are down I'll be aroundWith my undying, death-defying love for youEnvy will hurt itselfLet yourself be beautifulSparkling love, flowersAnd pearls and pretty girlsLove is like an energyRushin' an' rushin' inside of me, ehSongwriters: Brian Philip Nash ...6 days ago - The Odd Couple.
Strange Political Bedfellows: Matthew Hooton’s support for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund reflects the Radical Right’s newfound reluctance to bet everything on the efficacy of market forces.AS IF HE WASN’T IN ENOUGH TROUBLE, Matthew Hooton has now come out for Winston Peters’ New Zealand Futures Fund (NZFF). Not only ...6 days ago
- Your Friends Should Be Close By
Hi,I’ll never forget the time the guy next to me on the plane got really angry because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. Here we were, 40,000 feet in the air, and he couldn’t get Facebook. He was huffing, he was puffing. He was insufferable.I’m constantly amazed you can get the internet ...6 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #43
A listing of 30 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, October 20, 2024 thru Sat, October 26, 2024. Story of the week As an experiment, we asked Google's Gemini for help categorizing the articles we shared during the week. ...6 days ago
- Labour Weekend
Stand up all victims of oppressionFor the tyrants fear your mightDon't cling so hard to your possessionsFor you have nothing if you have no rightsLet racist ignorance be endedFor respect makes the empires fallFreedom is merely privilege extendedUnless enjoyed by one and allSongwriters: Eugene Edme Pottier / Petrus Christianus De ...7 days ago - Fact brief – Do volcanoes emit more CO2 than humans?
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 members from our team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Do volcanoes emit ...1 week ago
- People of Courage & Decency. And Everyone In Between.
Today, news broke that Jeff Bezos, the American billionaire with a net worth of $206 B (NZ $344B), personally vetoed Washington Post’s Editorial Team from endorsing Kamala Harris.That stops the decades-old tradition of the Wapo for endorsing Presidential candidates. And editors have resigned - that includes Editor at large Robert ...1 week ago - Let’s Talk About… Anything.
Can't we talk about anything else but love?Love that launched a thousand shipsPlease! Let's talk about anything else but loveLove that causes war and famineCan't we speak about real estate?Love of wifeWatergate?Love of children!Seasonal fluctuations in the prime interest rate?Love of chocolate, you must love chocolate, everybody loves chocolate, say ...1 week ago - Can you hear me now?
1 week ago - Why Nations Fail
This year’s Nobel awards in economics raise critical issues about the future of the world.I was not alone with high hopes when the Soviet Union collapsed. It has been good to see various nations leave the yoke of the Soviet Empire and move towards liberal democracies with thriving economies although ...1 week ago - All very instructive
1. Who played the sax solo on Gerry Rafferty’s Baker Street?a. Kenny Gb. Lisa Simpsonc. Bill Clintond. Raphael Ravenscroft2. What did Nicola Willis, addressing a large gathering of senior public servants this week, ask them to do?a. Come up with fresh ideas and innovative audacious out of the box thinking b. ...1 week ago - More Sabotage
The Waitangi Tribunal has been one of the most effective critics of the National government and its racist, anti-Māori agenda. So naturally, they're sabotaging it with a crony appointment: Former ACT Party leader Richard Prebble has been appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal. Prebble, a Commander of the British Empire, ...1 week ago
- Ghost of a (Mad) Dog
How can that dog be barkin' in the backyard?We ran over him years agoHow can that dog be runnin' by the backfence?We ran over him years agoGhost of a dogBarkin' in the backyardSongwriters: Edie Brickell, Kenny Withrow.I have to say this one caught me by surprise. I had to check ...1 week ago - David Seymour’s School Lunch Provider Has Questionable Record – Including Listeria, Hors...
Yesterday, I looked into Seymour’s school lunch provider and found out it was Compass Group - a group that has had a long list of food quality issues and settled out of court for corruption and bribery of officials.Never mind the food looked like slop - heavy, process laden food ...1 week ago - After years of cover ups and hacks, the truth on gas is out
Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:Gas is worse for the climate than coal, over any timeframe that is relevant for a ‘bridging strategy’. The ...1 week ago
- Brown orders motorway building to start before business case done
Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, October 25: Scoop of the day: Oliver Lewis reported for BusinessDesk-$$$ this morning that Transport Minister Simeon Brown ordered construction to start on the four-lane Hawkes Bay ...1 week ago - The Hoon around the week to October 25
The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts & talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate news, including another extreme climate event in the United States; on the escalating conflict between Israel, Iran ...1 week ago
- Weekly Roundup 25-October-2024
Happy Friday, even more so as we’re head to a long weekend, so welcome to another round-up of interesting stories about what’s happening in Auckland and other cities. Feel free to add your links in the comments! This post, like all our work, is brought to you by a largely ...1 week ago
- Skeptical Science New Research for Week #43 2024
Open access notables The rate of global sea level rise doubled during the past three decades, Hamlington et al., Communications Earth & Environment: The rise in globally averaged sea level—or global mean sea level—is one of the most unambiguous indicators of climate change. Over the past three decades, satellites have ...1 week ago
- Does New Zealand need Vegas-style transit security on our busses?
There’s a reason why people are supposed to stay on the Strip when they go to Las Vegas, and it’s not just proximity to the best attractions. This city of fluorescent lights and gambling halls extends in all directions across the Nevada landscape, for as far as the eye can ...1 week ago - No Enemies To The Left – Or The Right.
Wrong Turn: Labour and National can only reduce the toxic influence of their electoral competitors by rejecting their extremism.“NO ENEMIES TO THE LEFT” has always been Labour’s rule-of-thumb. What, after all, does a moderate, left-of-centre party gain by allowing its electoral rivals to become repositories for every radical (i.e. congenitally dissatisfied) ...1 week ago
... 
- Greens call for bottom trawling ban and call out Minister for lacklustre response
The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to ban bottom trawling, following news a New Zealand bottom trawler caught 37kg of coral in international waters, prompting the suspension of all fishing in the area until 2026. ...2 days ago - Mark Patterson: Farmers understand we have their backs
Spring is here which means the start of the A&P show season. Those treasured community days where town meets country. There's no rural-urban divide here, just a chance to meet up with family and old friends and celebrate all things that make rural New Zealand so special. I'm embarking on ...3 days ago - Release: Funding for Gumboot Friday should pause
The National Government should review its support for Gumboot Friday after unacceptable comments by its leader and champion Mike King. ...3 days ago - Louise Upston cherry-picks data to punch down on the poor
The Government has very conveniently cherry-picked data from the latest MSD projections to justify its cruel agenda and punch-down policy when it comes to people living in poverty. ...3 days ago
- Luxon needs to address the cow in the room
The Green Party was appalled to hear Prime Minister Christopher Luxon claim we are “doing everything we can” on climate change, while his government does nothing to address emissions in our most polluting sector. ...5 days ago
- Govt Must Clean Up ‘Its Shit’ From Sunken HMNZS Manawanui
Te Pāti Māori is calling out the Government and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) for their inaction and disgraceful downplaying of the impact caused by the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa. “We demand the Government move without further delay to clean up its shit from the sunken HMNZS Manawanui in Samoa,” said co-leader Debbie ...7 days ago
- Jamie Arbuckle: Inquiry into Banking Competition
This week was the start of the bank inquiry hearings into banking competition. The inquiry was confirmed in the NZ First/National Coalition agreement. 140 submissions were received on the inquiry, and we will hear from over 60 submitters including all the major banks. ANZ, New Zealand's largest bank, was first ...7 days ago
- Tanya Unkovich: It’s time to start the debate on palliative care as a ‘right’
There is one topic that is the great human leveller, and that is of death and dying. One day, we will all have to face it, and I am of the belief that being able to pass away with grace and dignity is a vital, basic, human right. How we ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour backs Christchurch City Council sanctions on Israel
Labour is backing Christchurch City Council’s decision not to do business with firms involved in Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories. ...1 week ago
- Release: Government driving away offshore wind industry
The Government has created a hostile environment for companies seeking to build offshore wind farms. ...1 week ago
- Another step towards Pasifika justice
The Green Party acknowledges the historical importance of MP Teanau Tuiono’s Member’s Bill, Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill, passing its second reading in Parliament today. ...1 week ago
- Sanctions Soar, Jobs Vanish – National’s Cruelty Exposed
Te Pāti Māori is enraged at the National government’s ruthless punishment of beneficiaries, all while jobs are disappearing. MSD data shows a 133% increase in sanctions over the past year, with over 14,000 sanctions in just three months. The kicker? The jobs this government insists people should find are nowhere ...2 weeks ago
- Police Perpetuate Siege on Ōpōtiki
Te Pāti Māori MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi, says today’s police-sponsored terrorism in Ōpōtiki is a continuation of the State’s predatory behaviour towards the iwi of Te Whakatōhea. "Ōpōtiki is once again being intentionally targeted and is the direct byproduct of this Government’s 'tough on crime' legislative changes,” said MP ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt cuts school lunches even further
The Government has gone back on its word and cut the full school lunch programme in primary schools after saying it wouldn’t. ...2 weeks ago
- Time to shut down failed Youth Justice Residences
The Green Party is calling for Youth Justice Residences to close, following a protest in which a group of young people spent the night on the roof of an Oranga Tamariki justice facility. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Appalling process on three strikes law
The Government is subverting parliamentary process on laws the evidence already shows don’t work. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour calls for investigation into tobacco tax cut
The Government’s decision to award a $216 million tax break for Philip Morris’ heated tobacco products reeks of tobacco industry interference and needs to be thoroughly investigated. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Delay to retirement village review won’t help residents
The National Government is treading water on a much-needed review of the Retirement Villages Act, kicking any amendments down the road till the next parliamentary term in 2027. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Serious concerns ignored in Govt’s fast track bill
National’s fast track bill enables the most radical and unbalanced consenting regime in living memory. ...2 weeks ago
- Fast-Track, off the rails: Submitters show strong opposition to Bill
Despite resounding public opposition, the fast-track legislation is being pushed through Parliament with provisions that could have real consequences for people and planet. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour supports continuing fight for dairy access
Labour welcomes the National Government’s decision to further pursue our access to the Canadian dairy market under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Job losses devastating for Timaru
Confirmed news that the Smithfield meatworks will close is devastating for the hundreds of people who work there, Timaru and the wider region. ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand First Member’s Bill to Improve Access to Palliative Care
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill which aims to improve access to palliative care for all New Zealanders, ensuring kiwis have better access to the compassionate palliative support they may need. The ‘Improving Access to Palliative Care Bill’ seeks to guarantee that every New Zealander has the right ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Further uncertainty for Kiwirail as jobs set to go
KiwiRail offering voluntary redundancy to all its staff is hugely concerning given the future of New Zealand’s rail system is under threat. ...2 weeks ago
- ASA Declares Hobson’s Pledge Advertising Misleading and Socially Irresponsible
Te Pāti Māori Co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer welcome today’s ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which found that a Hobson's Pledge advertisement regarding customary marine titles was misleading and socially irresponsible. The two-page wraparound ad, published in The New Zealand Herald, suggested that nearly the entire coastline ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Benefit numbers continue to soar under National
National’s all pain approach to beneficiaries has yielded no gain as benefit numbers continue to surge past projected figures. ...2 weeks ago
- Casey Costello: What Once Was…
Entering politics is a privilege afforded to very few and, as the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Being an MP is a call to service. Whatever your politics you have a duty to show up. Whatever your party's policy, you have made a promise to those who ...2 weeks ago
- Soaring benefit sanctions push more into poverty
Sanctions on beneficiaries have sky-rocketed since the Coalition Government came to power, pushing more families into poverty. ...2 weeks ago
- International Energy Agency issues wake-up call on climate action
Today’s report from the International Energy Agency highlights how far this Government’s actions are dragging us backwards in the fight against climate change. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Lack of funding puts pressure on frontline Police
News that 173 roles are being cut at Police will only put more pressure on the frontline. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Bipartisan agreement on outdated marriage law
Changes to outdated relationships legislation has passed its third reading giving family violence survivors the power to quickly dissolve abusive marriages. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Cuts to Apprenticeship Boost will fail future NZ
The Government’s cuts to the Apprenticeship Boost programme will leave New Zealand without the workforce it needs to build homes, schools and hospitals. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Sluggish economy means struggles ahead for Kiwis
While today’s inflation numbers are good news for Kiwis, there are still struggles ahead with rising rents, rates, insurance and high unemployment. ...3 weeks ago
- CPI figures show rents continuing to soar
Stats NZ has confirmed that higher rent prices were the biggest contributor to the annual inflation rate. Almost a fifth of the 2.2 per cent annual increase in the CPI was due to rent prices. ...3 weeks ago
- New Charter to guarantee better access for hunting and fishing
Minister for Hunting and Fishing Todd McClay has today launched an Access Charter (the Charter) to ensure better access for recreational hunting and fishing on public conservation land (PCL) across New Zealand. “This Charter establishes guiding principles for the Department of Conservation (DOC) to provide clear and transparent decisions on ...22 hours ago - Pou Whenua blessing honours Tongariro
A beautiful new Pou Whenua at the beginning of the Tongariro Alpine Crossing will introduce visitors to the sacred landscape they are entering, says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. Mr Potaka attended a blessing for the specially carved Pou Whenua at Mangatepopo, at the start of the track on 1 November. ...2 days ago
- New members appointed to the NZTA Board
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today announced two new appointments to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Board. Mary-Anne Macleod and Mike Rudge have both been appointed as members for three-year terms commencing 1 November 2024 and ending 31 October 2027. “Transport is a critical part of our Government’s plan ...2 days ago
- Welcome relief from new oestradiol gel funding
Associate Health Minister David Seymour is welcoming Pharmac’s funding of oestradiol gel, following global shortages of oestradiol patches earlier this year. “I’m well aware of the stress caused by the global shortage earlier this year. At the time I said I was confident Pharmac was working hard to find a ...2 days ago
- Deputy Prime Minister visit to Australia
Foreign Minister and Racing Minister Winston Peters will visit Australia next week. “Australia is New Zealand’s closest partner, and we are pleased to make this second official visit there for 2024 following the first ever Foreign and Defence Ministers 2+2 Meeting between our two countries in Melbourne in January,” ...2 days ago
- Applications now open for new training pathway
Applications have now opened for tertiary education organisations to seek Government funding to develop New Zealand’s first postgraduate diploma programme for associate psychologists, Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey announced today. “Investment in this new training pathway supports the Government’s target to grow our mental health and addiction workforce and ...2 days ago
- Increased medicines access continues following budget boost
Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour is pleased to see further increased availability of medicines for Kiwis following 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 this Government assumed office, ...2 days ago
- New Zealand concludes high quality trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
New Zealand and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement that will open up significant opportunities for New Zealand exporters in the Gulf region, Minister for Trade and Agriculture Todd McClay announced from Doha today. Today’s announcement follows significant reengagement with the GCC following meetings ...2 days ago
- Government seeks views on remote court attendance
The Government is exploring how to modernise the law around people attending court remotely, to support access to justice and enhance court performance. Courts Minister Nicole McKee says the current law has not kept up with evolving court practices and public attitudes to the use of remote technology, nor been ...3 days ago
- Breast screening age extension begins in Nelson Marlborough
Free breast screening has been extended for 70 to 74-year-old women living in the Nelson Marlborough district, ahead of a national roll-out late next year, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today. “Breast cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand with about 3,400 women diagnosed with the disease ...3 days ago
- Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust Board strengthened
He toi whakairo, he mana tangata. The reappointment of one trustee and the appointment of four new trustees to the Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust Board will enable the legacy of Te Māori to be carried forward into the future, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka and Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith ...3 days ago
- Affordable housing project supporting home ownership
Up to 300 affordable, healthy, community-tailored homes helping to support home ownership are set to be built in eastern Porirua, supported by Government funding for Our Whare Our Fale through the Building Homes for Pacific in Porirua initiative, Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti and Associate Housing Minister Tama ...3 days ago
- Dire benefit forecasts show the need for Welfare that Works
A new report that forecasts young people on benefits will spend an average of 20 more years relying on welfare underscores the need for the Government’s reforms, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. MSD’s latest Benefit System Insights report, released today, which estimates how many future years different ...3 days ago
- Trade Minister travels to Doha for GCC trade discussions
Trade Minister Todd McClay will hold trade discussions with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) trade ministers in Doha this week. Minister McClay will meet with all six GCC Trade Ministers, as well as the GCC Secretary General. “This will be my seventh visit to the region this year including two Ministerial ...4 days ago
- Podiatry prescribers will boost patient care
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister David Seymour say it’s great news that podiatrists will soon be able to prescribe medicines, meaning patients with painful foot and leg conditions don’t have to make a separate trip to the doctor. “This simple step means a big change for people ...4 days ago
- Historic redress inequities finally resolved for Lake Alice Unit survivors
The Government is addressing historic redress inequities for some survivors abused at the Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit. In 2001, the Crown reached a $6.5 million group settlement with 95 survivors subjected to abuse at the Lake Alice Unit. Law firm Grant Cameron & Associates (now GCA Lawyers) represented ...4 days ago
- ERO report shows Government’s truancy emphasis is vital
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says that the Education Review Office’s (ERO) timely report on chronic school absence released today is further evidence of a truancy crisis. “Chronic absence has doubled since 2015. This report reinforces that action is needed to ensure this generation reaches its full potential,” says Associate ...4 days ago
- Minister welcomes business view on AML
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee welcomes BusinessNZ’s report which addresses reducing the compliance burden on small businesses. “The challenges outlined in the report released today echo many of the concerns I have heard from businesses, which have informed my Anti Money Laundering/Countering Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) priorities,” she says. “I have ...5 days ago
- Mangamuka Gorge opening in time for Christmas
State Highway 1 through the Mangamuka Gorge will be open for Christmas, with critical work currently underway to clear the large slips and dropouts that have caused significant disruption for Northlanders trying to get where they want to go quickly and safely, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The Mangamuka Gorge ...5 days ago
- Trusted building professionals able to self-certify
The Government is proposing further significant action to reform the building and construction sector to support more affordable homes and a stronger economy, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “If we want to grow the economy, lift incomes, create jobs and build more affordable, quality homes we need a ...5 days ago
- New appointments to the TEC board
Dr Alan Bollard CNZM and Mr Bharat Guha have been appointed to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) board, Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds says. “I would like to welcome the two new members joining the TEC board,” Ms Simmonds says. “Dr Alan Bollard CNZM is an experienced public ...5 days ago
- Move to fast-track overseas doctors welcomed
Fast tracking applications for registration by eligible specialist doctors wanting to practice in New Zealand is in line with the Government’s push to improve the health outcomes for New Zealanders, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says. This fast-track pathway applies to specialists trained in anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, ...5 days ago
- Address to Western Sydney University: Constitutional and Rule of Law challenges in current global en...
Tēnā koutou Nau mai haere mai ki tenei hui Thank you to Vice Chancellor Williams, and the University of Western Sydney, for inviting me to speak today. I speak to you today in my capacity as Attorney-General – the New Zealand Crown’s Senior Law Officer. In this capacity, I serve ...5 days ago
- Security advice for start-ups welcomed
Minister responsible for the security and intelligence agencies Judith Collins has welcomed new guidance that aims to protect New Zealand’s start-up and emerging technology sector from the threat of economic espionage. “We are a nation well-known for our ingenuity, and our willingness to openly collaborate in the spirit of enterprise ...5 days ago
- Funding support to strengthen frontline volunteer service organisations
The Government has approved $23.1 million for four critical frontline volunteer service organisations to replace storm-damaged assets and provide training and equipment to improve New Zealand’s response to future emergency events, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Transport Minister Matt Doocey says. $14.6 million for Surf Life Saving New ...6 days ago
- Jones heads to international mining conference
Resources Minister Shane Jones will speak at Australia's largest annual mining event in Sydney this week to mark New Zealand’s return to the international industry stage. Mr Jones will attend the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) where he will update the sector’s most influential players on the work the ...7 days ago
- NZ investing in Pacific disaster preparedness & climate resilience
New Zealand will contribute $20 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters have announced. “The Pacific Islands region faces severe challenges from natural disasters and climate change impacts and New Zealand is committed to doing its part to help meet them,” ...1 week ago
- Police to increase presence on Auckland public transport
Aucklanders will see a greater Police presence on public transport services to boost safety and reassure public transport workers and passengers, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. “Minister Brown and I are working together, alongside Police and Auckland Transport in response to the horrific ...1 week ago
- Government funds helicopter replacements
The Government is investing in eight new emergency helicopters to replace some of New Zealand’s ageing air ambulance fleet, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello and ACC Minister Matt Doocey announced today. “Our air ambulance helicopters play a vital role in saving lives around New Zealand,” Casey Costello says. “This is ...1 week ago
- China and New Zealand strengthen organic trade
An uplift to New Zealand’s organic product trade is expected through a new upgraded arrangement with China, Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard says.“The upgraded Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for organic products will deliver opportunities for our organic export sector.”The upgraded MRA was signed in Central Otago today by Andrew Hoggard ...1 week ago
- Judicial appointments announced
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced two Court of Appeal and two High Court appointments. The four appointments will take effect on 21 November 2024 and are: Justice Christine French Justice French, who has been appointed President of the Court of Appeal, graduated with an LLB (Honours) from the University of Otago ...1 week ago
- Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track becomes New Zealand’s 11th Great Walk
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka joined tangata whenua from Ngāi Tahu and local community members today to celebrate the opening of New Zealand’s eleventh Great Walk – the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track. “The 60km upgraded track provides the opportunity to do one of New Zealand’s world-class multi-day walks, and will bring ...1 week ago
- New Chief Criminal Cases Review Commissioner
The Honourable Denis Clifford has been appointed Chief Commissioner of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. Hon Clifford brings a wealth of expertise and experience that will prove invaluable to the Commission. “He has served as a judge at both the Court of Appeal and High ...1 week ago
- Changes to improve building fire safety
The Government is progressing changes to better protect Kiwis and their property from fires, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Following the tragic Loafer’s Lodge fire in 2023, 37 boardings houses across the country were assessed and I am pleased to say that all fire safety recommendations from the ...1 week ago
- Germany and New Zealand partner to support agriculture and tackle global emissions
New Zealand and Germany have announced the official start of a partnership aimed at supporting the agriculture sector and tackle global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “The partnership, called the Alliance for the Climate – Dialogue on Climate and Agriculture between New Zealand and Germany (Agri-DENZ project), ...1 week ago
- New members appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka today confirmed the appointment of two new members to the Waitangi Tribunal, as well as the reappointment of Kevin Prime. The members appointed and reappointed are: Hon Richard Prebble (CBE). Mr Prebble is a former Cabinet Minister where he held a broad range of portfolios. ...1 week ago
- New appointments to the Local Government Commission
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has today announced the reappointment of the current Chair and the appointment of a temporary member to the Local Government Commission.Current Chair Brendan Duffy ONZM has been reappointed as Chair for a one-year term ending 23 October 2025, while Gwen Bull CNZM will be joining ...1 week ago
- New Electoral Commission Chair appointed
Today the House agreed to Justice Simon Moore KC being appointed chair of the Electoral Commission, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Justice Moore brings with him a high level of legal acumen and decision-making ability, strategic planning skills and unquestionable personal integrity and independence. “He retired from the High Court ...1 week ago
- Education Minister attending conference in Australia
The Education Minister is travelling to Australia today to attend the 23rd edition of public policy conference, Consilium. “New Zealand and Australia share common challenges and aspirations for education. New South Wales has recently introduced a new curriculum that is explicit, sequenced and knowledge based while Victoria is requiring structured ...1 week ago
- Launching VisAble to enable safer lives
The launch of new community advocacy group VisAble signals an important development in community advocacy to achieve more focus on the needs and rights of disabled people in the family violence and sexual violence system. Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, Karen Chhour, and Disabilities Issues Minister, ...1 week ago
- Parliament Library became haunted house for Halloween
Most people might not call Parliament a normal place, but some call it a paranormal place. ...1 hour ago - Healthcare needs go beyond the physical
Opinion: Recent Census data highlights our increasingly secular and multi-faith context. More than half of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population does not identify with any particular faith tradition, and just 32 percent are Christian, down from 36.5 percent in 2018.For people whose spirituality is not associated with a faith or belief ...1 hour ago - Three reasons America’s democracy is under threat
For just a few weeks shy of eight years now, a certain class of Americans have been walking around in something close to a daze. The election of Donald Trump in 2016 blew to smithereens decades of conventional wisdom about the way many Americans view politics.The ensuing years have seen ...2 hours ago
- Palau newspaper sued by president’s family company ahead of general election
By Stefan Armbruster of BenarNews Palau’s largest newspaper is being sued for defamation by the company of President Surangel Whipps Jr’s father, just days ahead of general elections in the Pacific nation. Surangel and Sons alleges “negligence and defamation” by the Island Times and its editor Leilani Reklai for an ...10 hours ago - Cook Islands PM calls for easing of tensions in New Caledonia
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has returned from New Caledonia saying it is not a simple “black and white situation”. Brown returned from a three-day Pacific fact-finding mission in the French Pacific territory alongside the Prime Ministers of Solomon Islands, Tonga and Fiji. ...18 hours ago
- Another Palestinian journalist killed in Gaza as Israel ‘suffocates the truth’
“In his message for the day, the secretary-general underscores that a free press is fundamental to human rights, to democracy and to the rule of law,” Dujarric said. ‘Alarming rate of fatalities’“Recent years have seen an alarming rate of fatalities in conflict zones, particularly in Gaza, which has seen the ...19 hours ago
- Chris Penk lays foundations for self-certified building scheme
As the government sets about laying the foundations for tradespeople to sign off their own work, RNZ sits down with the minister responsible to hammer out the details. ...21 hours ago
- The making of Donald Trump
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Good speech. A couple of highlights …
“We will measure the success of our economy against how fast we can eliminate child poverty. Andrew will speak more about this tomorrow, but suffice to say that we will put that goal at the centre of our economic plan.”
And …
“There is no point crowing about economic success if it comes at the cost of the environment or the well-being of future generations. Our economic approach will be dictated by what is good for the well-being of future generations, not the next news cycle. We must restart our contributions to the Super Fund as soon as possible, and build on the success of Kiwisaver. We must take urgent action to build an economy that transitions us to a low carbon economy and gets real on climate change.”
And about TPP
“Many New Zealanders have expressed their concerns about the TPPA. When I listen to those concerns I hear the overwhelming feeling that the corporation matters more now than the citizen. Companies got the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while ordinary people were kept in the dark with our interest treated as an irritant.
We need an approach to the economy that turns this view on its head. One where we don’t just measure the health of the government’s books but also the health of the people.”
Oh dear.
I did try to read through that entire post. But remember that scene from ‘The Simpsons’ where Bart is talking to Santa’s Little Helper and all the dog can hear is “blah, blah, blah”?
These speeches where people tell me that they’re good guys and inform me that they will do ‘x, y and z’, all the while talking at me and never to me (just like all royalty tends to do)… where they address abstracted ideas or notions that inhabit bubbles in the air instead of directly addressing all of us people down here with our feet on the ground.
Their real world, or day to day life concerns and experiences, aren’t the same as mine. And it shows. They abstract mine into a mix within that bubble in the air, to be dealt with from a distance by a benevolent royal ‘we’ that doesn’t include me.
Bill
It presses my buttons and I feel good (lasts for about five seconds.)
So what are you wanting them to do or say, then?
It’s not the ‘what’, it’s the ‘how’. (See below in response to Ad. 2.1.1)
Ahh, I see. I agree.
I feel the same way. A disappointing speech from someone who has had long enough to get his head around economic ideas and develop a credible plan. Grant’s goals are laudable and his diagnoses of New Zealand’s economic challenges are impeccable but he fails to propose a credible plan to deal with them. The only positive is that Robertson – and Labour – will have many more years in opposition to ponder the missing ingredients.
Robertson in TPPA:
“Companies got the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while ordinary people were kept in the dark with our interest treated as an irritant.”
Wrong! 1,000% Wrong! Corporations WROTE the TPPA.
How can Labour MPs fall prey to the extraordinary belief that the nastiest men with the nastiest of motives wrote TPPA for the good of all?
(Modified Chris Trotter quote)
So what exactly?
So Labour will cede NZ sovereignty to transnationals exactly like National would. A few of our 1% will profit handsomely, the rest of us will be sold out.
that doesn’t actually follow from:
it’s ambiuous though. What does it mean?
Well, to “turn that view on its head” would be for “ordinary people to get the inside word on the negotiations and the special briefings, while company interests are treated as an irritant” (given that companies are made up of people, they can’t be kept in the dark).
I don’t think it’s ambiguous. And it certainly doesn’t sound like “ceding NZ sovereignty to transnationals exactly like National would”, because national did it in secret.
Notice how few of the rightie trolls are in here kicking Little about like they did Cunliffe.
He’s speaking in a code they understand. (And I’d love nothing more than to be proved wrong … )
I think it’s more down to the idea that the tories are quite good at finding the most damaging buttons to push. Cunliffe was a hero-figure, so you attack the man. Shearer was more diplomatic than forceful, so you call him weak. They tried with the “angry andy” meme, but it never really took off. So now they’re working more on trying to create the illusion of schisms, eg King vs Ardern, Little vs Robertson, and the conference must be in bitter disarray with knives drawn. All bullshit.
And on the flipside, the self-loathing labourites aren’t gnashing their teeth quite so much as they were with Shearer, either. The tories love the polls at the moment, but it’s too early to worry about them yet. I’m just enjoying a period of stability in the parliamentary left…
You think that was a “good speech”?
The average voter would have simply heard one of those annoying white noise buzzing things after the first 30 seconds.
How about some real policies that would make a difference? 10 would be a nice round number. I’ll give you suggestions for the first 5. You can pass them on in Palmerston North.
1. Ensure that all young people achieve at education by serious education reform.
2. Stop middle class capture if early childhood education. Ge the best ECE services into South Auckland and Northland. I can tell you how to do it if you like.
3. Seriously embrace the NZPC report on housing affordability.
4. Progressively increase the NZ Super eligibility age to 70 over the next 20 years. Lots of time to adjust.
5. Adopt policies for older men to respond to labour market shocks and economic change through retraining opportunities.
6. (a bonus) Put a price on carbon by adopting an emissions trading scheme that works.
Now I know you love abusing me so go ahead. But instead of waffly rhetoric crap, Andrew and Grant could have announced an overarching strategy and 10 good policies. And they could do a lot worse than the ones I set out here. But they are paralysed.
If they want my phone numner I am happy to give them a quote on advice.
“seriously embrace” is your best at concrete policy?
Stick to your day job Srylands.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn
It’s vastly amusing that you think preventing ecological disaster is a “bonus”. That has to be the fundamental policy for any party that care about the lives of anyone under the age of 50.
If you read the post on kiwiblog, you will realise the whole ‘stopping climate change’ will never happen.
As I said many years ago on here. If China didn’t pull its head in, might as well forget it.
At least they had the opportunity to listen to a speech by someone who speaks English as a first language. Unlike the fuckwit in charge who speaks an advanced form of gibberish.
I think srylands’ recommendations are positive and later objections are really just hairsplitting. They are better than anything in Robinson’s speech.
That really isn’t a nice thing to say about Grant’s boss, Andrew Little.
On the other hand Little would probably best be described as speaking a primitive form of gibberish
Really positive stuff from Robertson. I think he’s enjoying the responsibility he’s been given to drive the Future of Work project. Really great to see the caucus members working well and in a genuinely united way.
And kudos to the Palmy Labour crew! What a fantastically well organised conference this is. I count 450 in the hall at the moment, which is up there with the best of recent conferences. I guess the turnout is helped by how easy it is to get to Palmy, with it being only a couple of hours drive for people in Welly, Hawkes Bay and the ‘naki and not much tougher for folks in the Waikato and Ak. It’s great that the LP are showing their commitment to the provinces in a really practical way.
Great to see you back TRP.
I really enjoyed that.
Bill, try to keep up with the pointy-headed kids will you?
Robertson does rather set himself up for a “but where’s my jetpack?” thing i.e. the future is generally more mundane than the projections, less scary because actually we got there, and less worrisome because we’re pretty adventurous and methodical as a species when it comes to facing the big ones.
Plus, I’ve never heard a futurist speech that could forecast the eradication of the need for politicians to blather on.
Good to hear Labour stretching into multi-syllable words and expect people to watch policy formation in action. Plenty of time for the ‘I-personally-wanted-more-of…” lists later.
I am personally buoyed to hear a good turnout.
I’ll try my best there Ad 😉
But see how academics can do the pointy-headed kid routine and that’s okay because we expect academics to be a wee bit pointy-headed and detached? And know how politicians are meant to connect?
This isn’t a go at Robertson – the following example, plucked readily and at random, seems fairly ubiquitous in Labour politican’s speeches.
and where thousands of New Zealand families live in cold, damp, overcrowded rental accommodation
Can you see the disconnect? Any politician worth their salt would be saying something like
and where thousands of us live in cold, damp, overcrowded rental accommodation
The entire speech – and I commented similarly on a previous Andrew Little one – is riddled with a kind of positioning that, when taken in totality, leaves an impression that reality (our reality) is being addressed as something akin to a piece of dog-shite on a pointy stick that they’d rather not touch, aren’t touched by, and would rather not, or can’t, identify with.
Late edit – Why not ‘New Zealanders’ in this bit? “like houses some of us are lucky to own“
Cmon bill if any politician said it they would be howled down and the media would focus for 2 weeks on the persons house… i dont know the answer so to that extent your idea cant hut.
Remember turia being slammed by collins and bennett… did it backfire or not?
So hang on Tracy! It’s fine to use the distancing or detached (‘Not us, not me!) language of ‘New Zealanders’ when talking of bad shit like crap rentals, but fine to use the all inclusive (‘Me and maybe you too!’) ‘us’ when talking of good shit like owning a house?
No bill… i get my comment was confusing. I was tryi g to work out if it works or doesnt…
Clearly saying i grew up in a state house got someone traction in a misleading way as we know.
I was genuinely musing whether turei came out better than the snipers cos if she did it is some support for your preferred phrasing?
Yeah, nah. It’s not about ‘back story’ or any such. It’s about how people talk and what their choice of phrase suggests about what or who they identify with.
As I said elsewhere, I reckon a montage of Corbyn, Sturgeon and others speaking – people who just naturally or effortlessly resonate – being put together and then contrasted or compared with the stand off-ish and somewhat cold language of Robertson, Little et al would be….interesting.
And OAB, if you’re reading this, I got your email. Lynn added a link to a programme I might be able to play around with.
can you link to 3 of the best speeches/interviews you have handy to give an example? It’d be useful to compare while Robertson’s speech is still fresh.
Sorry Weka, missed your comment. I have no ‘handy’ speeches.
Here’s a link to Sturgeon’s UK election launch. Now I know people will say Robertson and Labour aren’t launching policy etc and that makes a difference to tone and message. Here’s the thing though. I don’t think Sturgeon uses the term ‘Scots’ once. It’s ‘people’ or ‘ordinary people’ or ‘working people’ etc. I think there’s one mention of ‘the people of Scotland’ – a far broader and inclusive net than ‘Scots’. And when there is is talk of ‘we’ it is clear what ‘we’ she’s referring to…and it’s quite humble in spite of being strident.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13210531.In_Full__Nicola_Sturgeon_s_SNP_manifesto_launch_speech/
Or here’s the one she gave at the last SNP conference.
http://newsnet.scot/?p=115813
cheers, will have a look.
Dropping in now I have proper computer access to add that I love everything Mhairi Black has ever said.
The accent probably helps a little …
https://bootstheory.wordpress.com/2015/10/18/mhairi-black-im-tired-of-being-told-that-pain-and-misery-are-necessary-for-a-stronger-economy/
Good 🙂
Reading and agreeing. Treating a constituency as an abstract rather than a family.
they are removed…good point
The provinces can NEVER thrive until they have local autonomy on critical issues.
This begins with:
1. Clear regional boundaries (like Australian states)
2. Clear regional responsibilities which central government cannot override.
3. A solid regional tax base. Examples: Per capita tax rebates to regional governments or a fixed percent of personal and corporate taxes remaining with the regions they came from.
Fine words and good intentions cannot overcome the reality that on a whim Parliament will ALWAYS interfere.
So you want more Auckland amalgamations?
The public have soundly rejected them.
Actually it sounds more like AmaKiwi wants to prevent things like the government takeover of ECan.
i like the fact labour are planning ahead for the wave of automation we already starting to see the changes with journalists being layed off why hasn’t the government with the awsomness of john key doing the long term planning what are we paying john key for its his job that john key is a fukwit and in the herald our rock star government has delivered 102 houses why are national fukwits. fukwit government lead by a fukwit leader in a time dymamic changes we have fukwits
Christ where to start?
“We must take urgent action to build an economy that transitions us to a low carbon economy and gets real on climate change.””
________
How exactly? The last Labour Government, in 9 years, and despite all the rhetoric, did nothing to reduce the trajectory of GHG output:
http://tinyurl.com/pj9ggco
How is Andrew Little going to succeed? He won’t.
We would do more for climate change mitigation by helping pay for low cost GHG reductions in other countries. It would be good for us and good for the climate. The last Labour Government refused to do that. So they achieved nothing. Which has been repeated by this Government. The marginal cost of GHG reduction in NZ is very high. It is the last country in the world to start doing it.
Fuck I have run out of energy to tackle the child poverty bullshit.
You’re still expecting something more than solid but non-revolutionary reform from any kind of alternative NZ government?
Just spend more time with your children rather than mindlessly spewing here. Theres a chance if you do that they may avoid the middle upperclass pitfalls of class a drugs idle self righteousness and smugness…
srylands is the only one talking sense here. These speeches are the same recycled bullshit.
It’s just a sell. That’s it.
Points from Graant Robertson’s speech that I noticed.
There is an opportunity to build an economy and in turn a society that offers the quality of life to all its citizens that is the envy of the world.
Goal of 4% unemployment
The opportunity for decent work wherever you live in New Zealand.
If talking about paid work which I think he is, that misses the vast opportunity of getting people working as volunteers. Let them choose to work where they can get hours and travel and are wanted and then get approved for education for that role, so they can establish a CV.. People can add to the functions of the country instead of being despised bodies and statistics going to rot waiting for some flaky business to throw them some bones of hours. Volunteer work needs to be spelt out as a viable and acceptable option for any unemployed.)
Referred to – The New Zealand Herald headline of 26 July this year was ‘Robots Cleaning Auckland Airport’. The change is happening and it is happening now.
The Future of Work Commission has now released all of the discussion papers that we outlined to you at regional conferences earlier this year.
We know that the future of work will look very different from the 9-5 job of the past. We need to consider a future where many workers will hold down six to eight careers, and have multiple different employers at any one time.
We also need to create life-long learning. Mentions Alvin Toffler.
(I went back to education 40 years after leaving secondary, and now have a loan to repay. That extra training has been essential in keeping up with today’s hype, will this further ed be on the student’s shoulders? )
Lifting incomes – minimum hourly wage lift. Government living wage. Bargain collectively.
Zero child poverty – something will be done.
Affordable quality housing –
Various measures, rental housing must be improved.
More houses built. Developers not to shut out people.
Government not going to have any useful activity it seems in the rental housing stock.
100% behind you on the volunteering stuff. We’ve got a ton of work that needs doing in our communities, and a ton of people who can do it. Why can’t we put two and two together and have ~0% unemployment?
It’s not even a particularly original idea. Labour need to look back to their roots and programmes like PEP during the 80s. Expand on that to allow a certain level of decentralisation – empowering communities to recommend work that needs doing, be it painting the hall, looking after elderly or writing poetry.
Andrew Little said this:
“We need an approach to the economy that turns this view on its head. One where we don’t just measure the health of the government’s books but also the health of the people.”
__________
He must have missed this:
https://www.ssc.govt.nz/better-public-services
and this:
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/abouttreasury/higherlivingstandards
__________
Either he is ignorant and is actually unaware of the current Government’s policies, or he thinks he can lie and get away with it. I have no idea which is correct but either is concerning.
He was commenting about the political emphasis placed upon reaching an annual government budgetary surplus, as did Robertson. Not long term Treasury policy.
You need to understand a basic difference between Treasury policy and political emphasis.
Slylands needs to spend more time and energy deconstructing national who as the governing left wing party, in his opinion, must be more dangerous to his self interested view of how things should be.
Your last paragraph displays the most self awareness I can recall from you here, apart from referring to yourself in the third person that is.. But will you seek to change or carry on?
Except that it is clear from the way in which the public service has been functioning, that the SSC and the government are not interested in providing better public service. Similarly it is also clear that treasury and government are not interested in providing higher living standards.
Which is why participation in education centres needs to be free and encouraged.
It could be said about those Labour MPs and supporters who can’t unlearn neo-lib economics.
Can’t or don’t want to?
This looked interesting,
Imagine for a moment if we could find a solution to the poverty wages experienced by the cleaners at Parliament, by giving them the chance to be their own bosses based on a cooperative business model. Or to support more profit sharing or so that workers can have a real stake in the organisations they work for. Or supporting social enterprises that are productive, profitable and improves the well being of people and the planet.
Although Bill’s point above about language and positioning takes the shine off a bit. Other than that, how realistic is that the Future of Work Commission will actually result in these kinds of things?
ten to the power of six, against.
Labour will not upset the capitalist order of society, its purpose is to defend it.
Yeah, but he’s not talking about wholesale dismantling of the capitalist order, just supporting some selective socialist addons (acceptable to capitalism ones). I was just curious if that’s actually something the commission will be working on or if it’s just sounds nice.
The point is that the only way that we’re going to get society working for the majority of people while also being sustainable is to get rid of capitalism. The knowledge we now have of the physical limits of the Earth make that imperative.
True, but I was asking a more foreground question about the current Labour party, the commission and what Robertson said.
some pretty sadsack comments out there.
so this is the vision, and we can judge the party by how the policy platform stacks up against it.
as a vision I like it. I can’t think.of anything he’s left out.
Blairites vs Corbynites.
Labour has to be either one or the other otherwise they’ll never be successful, I think that’s Andrew Little most important job, get rid of the Corbynites otherwise they’ll destroy the party.
ABC.
Anyone but Corbynites.
Well said.
When I listen to Bernie Sanders, he just says No to TPPA…. No messing around with 5 bottom lines (which is just plain confusing and vague).
Oh hey. Someone saying what I said.
Labour doesn’t have any “Corbynites”. What it does have are a fair number of members who see the need for an alternative to the New Right status quo and most of its power holders (caucus and officials) committed to maintaining it. This is what hollowed-out democracy looks like in reality.
really labour is the only party where the members get a vote to elect the leader
not national, not nz first ,not the greens , and changes made at 2012 conference mean a Rodger Douglas neoliberal wanker can never hijack the party ever again they will be removed by the governing council by deselection
What labour need to do is to win the next election as a left wing party.
If they cant get at 40 % of the vote, nz will continue with trickle down economics, will continue to ignore climate change, and will continue with all the big brother stuff.
When i hear bernie sanders i hear someone who beleives what he is saying, wants things to get better for everyone, and understands normal people.
Weres our bernie sanders.