Historic joint party Inquiry: Crisis in Manufacturing

Written By: - Date published: 3:07 pm, October 12th, 2012 - 43 comments
Categories: business, david shearer, Economy, employment, greens, jobs, labour, nz first, political parties, Politics, russel norman, uncategorized, winston peters - Tags:

Today, at the end of the EPMU Job Crisis Summit in Auckland, leaders of 3 opposition parties took part in an historic press conference.  Winston Peters, David Shearer and Russel Norman jointly announced the launch of a parliamentary inquiry into the crisis in manufacturing.  It was accompanied by a handout headed with the logos of their 3 parties.

With Peters and Norman seated on each side of him, Shearer kicked it off.  He said this inquiry was necessary because of the “ostrich” behaviour of the New Zealand Government, in failing to deal with the crisis.  He said they would welcome other parties joining them.

The handout says:

The aim of this inquiry is to ascertain the problems confronting manufacturing and policies that political parties can adopt to best deal with these problems.  While each party will develop its own policy platforms for the next election, this inquiry aims to provide concrete ideas that can get manufacturing in new Zealand working again.

Norman said they are looking for a more specific identification of the problems. They invite submissions from industry, stakeholder groups, and the public on this crisis.  This will be open until 30 November 2012.  Hearings for oral submissions will begin in December.  The report will be released in 2013.

The leaders were asked if this would be a “blueprint” if they formed the next NZ government together?  Shearer said it was too soon to consider such things.  Peters said it was going to be good enough to be a blueprint for any government, and that they were jointly concerned about the crisis in employment and manufacturing.

Chris Trotter asked if this was the first time the 3 parties had sat down together like this?  Shearer replied that they would welcome other parties to join them.

Exciting times!

PS: As usual, please excuse my amateur photography on the front page – but I wanted to capture something that I thought could turn out to be historic.

Update: articles on the inquiry launch:

RNZ, Stuff (includes Key’s attempts to dismiss the inquiry as “manufacturing a crisis”, and anyway he already did a jobs summit), One News, 3 News, NBR, NZ Herald, MSN News (in which Key calls it a “stunt”)

43 comments on “Historic joint party Inquiry: Crisis in Manufacturing ”

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  1. Lanthanide 1
    12 October 2012 at 3:19 pm

    So, how about National – NZ First 2014, anyone?

    • blue leopard 1.1
      12 October 2012 at 3:26 pm

      …A stoney silence emanating stifled horror…
      ….or was that a smothered laugh I heard?…

    • PlanetOrphan 1.2
      12 October 2012 at 3:35 pm

      C u need an “Ironic Sarcasm” emoticon as well 😮

      I doubt Winston will ever willingly work with the current Gnat administration
      You can only say Rhubarb so many times ……

    • Bill 1.3
      12 October 2012 at 3:37 pm

      Why not? Peters has always been left on economic issues…which is what the inquiry is all about. But then again, he’s unabashedly right wing on social policy.

      So would Labour or National offer the best fulcrum for Winston-esque post election leverage? Open question, innit?

      • Lanthanide 1.3.1
        12 October 2012 at 5:14 pm

        Once the gay marriage bill is passed, there’s not going to be a hell of lot left when it comes to revolutionary social policy in this country.

        I guess euthanasia and proper recognition of abortion are the last biggies.

        • freedom 1.3.1.1
          12 October 2012 at 7:41 pm

          you want revolutionary social policy?
          how abour fair wages, a tax system that does not punish the poor and health care and education for all

          don’t worry
          i know
          i’m a crazynut who refuses to understand how capitalist oppression is so very good for everyone

  2. marsman 2
    12 October 2012 at 3:20 pm

    A joint Parliamentary inquiry by the Oppostion is a great idea and hopefully it will shed light on the decline of manufacturing in NZ. It certainly shines a light on John Key’s Mickey Mouse Administration.

  3. blue leopard 3
    12 October 2012 at 3:23 pm

    Excellent to see these parties working together; giving NZers a vision of the next Government, Good stuff.

  4. Kotahi Tāne Huna 4
    12 October 2012 at 3:27 pm

    I for one remain skeptical about Peters: clearly he can work with the left. The question is, come the day after the 2014 election: will he?

    • alwyn 4.1
      12 October 2012 at 3:40 pm

      I suspect Winston, who has as many positions as the Kama Sutra, would be able to work with anyone who will pay his price.
      If he was in a position to be the king-maker after the election I suspect his price would be a hefty one.
      How would you believe deputy-PM, Minister of Finance and a knighthood?
      Would the Greens go along with that if the number of MPs was, say, Labour 40, Greens 14 and NZF 9?
      What would the Greens do if the alternative was, say Nat 53 NZF 9.

    • blue leopard 4.2
      12 October 2012 at 3:43 pm

      I would credit Mr Peters with some intelligence. It would only need to be observed what happens to parties working in conjunction with National to work out that such a choice wouldn’t be a good bet (depending on the election numbers of course).
      I think one would have to be a complete fool to agree to work with this National party in its current state of disorganized incompetence (I mean they can’t even lie effectively). I don’t think Mr Peters is a fool. Even if he was to base the decision out of entirely self-interested motives I don’t believe that National would be a likely choice if they carry on the way they are going.

      • alwyn 4.2.1
        12 October 2012 at 4:09 pm

        I think your first sentence could be worded as “parties the work in conjunction with either of the major parties” rather than just with National.
        Every minor party in Government tends to get slaughtered at the next election.
        In 1999 NZF, in Government with Nats lost 12 seats
        In 2002 The Alliance, basically renamed the Progressive party, went from 10 to 2.
        In 2005 United Future went from 8 to 3.
        In 2008 New Zealand went out of Parliament.
        I suspect the only reason the Green Party is still strong is that they have never been in a Government.
        If they go in as a MINOR party in a Government the same thing will probably happen to them.

        • blue leopard 4.2.1.1
          12 October 2012 at 5:31 pm

          @alwyn
          Yes the thought did cross my mind as I was writing that. I was under the impression that those parties that worked with Labour managed to get some core aspects of their manifestos enacted; such as Kiwibank (Alliance) and the Gold Card (NZ First), whereas those parties working with National appear to simply be entirely compromised and then disintegrate. I don’t think that you could blame the Labour government for NZ First’s demise in 2008.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.2.1.2
          12 October 2012 at 5:52 pm

          NZF lost out in 1999 because they went with National after everyone thought they’d go with Labour.

          The Alliance imploded in 2002 due to internal ructions (Jim Anderton leaving etc).

          UF, well, I’d say that people started to wake up to the fact that it’s a wishy-washy party that doesn’t have any principles except to get the Hairdo back into power

          NZF in 2008 was under attack from the RWNJs in Act and National.

          If they go in as a MINOR party in a Government the same thing will probably happen to them.

          I don’t. I think they’ll get stronger.

      • Dr Terry 4.2.2
        12 October 2012 at 7:33 pm

        bl – While I detest National, is it really true that they cannot lie effectively? Oh, yes, Key lies so compulsively that he does not know what a lie is (if he ever did). But since the last election he and his government have lied and lied and lied, and appear to have got clean away with it all, especially on account of memories being so short that there IS virtually no memory at all! (Look at “memory” in the USA after all those gaffes by Romney, it takes only one current debate to put him ahead). Memory in politics at least, seems an extremely short-lived thing with the voting public. I hate to say it, but probably Key is on the point of triumph after yet another lie. Hope I am wrong.

        • blue leopard 4.2.2.1
          12 October 2012 at 11:41 pm

          Yes, this point is certainly debatable.

          My view of effective lying is when people don’t cotton onto even a hint that that you are, or might be, being dishonest; where it causes barely a ripple.

          If people still believe Mr Key and this Government are straight-up after the incredible series of fiascos that have occurred this year, alone, then I consider that it reflects more on those peoples’ credulity than any real skill on Mr Key-and-his-cronies’ part.

  5. Rosie 5
    12 October 2012 at 3:36 pm

    This is positive, this is action and this is very rare to see such cross party commitment and unity – hats off to them. Hopefully this is also embarassing for the govt.

    • LynW 5.1
      13 October 2012 at 8:30 am

      +1 and even more hopefully a sign of things to come from further united cross party opposition. Such powerful potential.

  6. ad 6
    12 October 2012 at 4:02 pm

    Really encouraging. Hope there are follow-ups. Love to see any of the presentations if people could get links. Just give this lot the boot.

    • karol 6.1
      12 October 2012 at 5:41 pm

      I aim to do a post on the summit itself over the weekend, if that’s what you are referring to, ad.  The launch itself didn’t take that long, and the TV news cameras were there.
       
      They were also there throughout the summit.  But I doubt there will be a video online of all the speeches.

    • Dr Terry 6.2
      12 October 2012 at 7:36 pm

      The awful thing is that it appears that no single witness to that gathering is prepared to speak up. No film, no backer (thus far, anyway).

      • freedom 6.2.1
        12 October 2012 at 7:47 pm

        a decade ago there was still plausible reasons for the lack of transarency when general social policy was discussed between special interest groups ( which everyone is a part of like it or not)
        today, not so much

        live broadcasting of events like the job summit can only breed social dialogue and as it developed the media would have no choice but to adjust their dogma to accommodate the market

        but it would be a shit day for the propaganda machines so i guess again it’s off to the corner for me 🙂

  7. Stephen 7
    12 October 2012 at 4:07 pm

    It may yet turn out that one of Shearer’s less visible but useful abilities is to manage a coalition of people who don’t get on and have different interests. He seems to be managing with the Labour caucus after all…

    • ad 7.1
      12 October 2012 at 4:20 pm

      Too droll!

    • karol 7.2
      12 October 2012 at 5:18 pm

      It’s possible. During the EPMU summit, I didn’t know anything about the upcoming inquiry announcement.  In the middle break, I was a little intrigued to see Norman and Shearer in earnest conversation, and that other party people were involved.  It did look like they were cooperating on something.  Shearer did look quite authoritative in that context.
       
      I am curious to see where this co-operation goes and the outcome of the inquiry, and the role Winston takes in working with the Greens.

      • Stephen 7.2.1
        12 October 2012 at 5:56 pm

        Yeah despite what ad thinks I meant that in earnest. I’ve seen him at close quarters a couple of times recently and he projects very differently at that range.

    • Dr Terry 7.3
      12 October 2012 at 7:38 pm

      Sorry, Stephen, as much as I would like to agree, I think guesswork is not good enough.

  8. HG 8
    12 October 2012 at 4:32 pm

    Ineffective stunt. Also, if you think Winston will go into a govt with the Greens you are dreaming.

    • Colonial Viper 8.1
      12 October 2012 at 5:54 pm

      Winston of today is not the Winston of 5 or 10 years ago 😉

      • freedom 8.1.1
        12 October 2012 at 7:51 pm

        Now the country is in straights so very dire, I would go so far as to suggest he regrets much of his wasted energy the last ten years and is doing what he can to straighten the tiller

      • Jack 8.1.2
        12 October 2012 at 9:03 pm

        I agree.. He seems to be mellowing out a bit but still as sharp as a tack. I don’t think he’ll go with National. He did the whole 9 yards getting out and meeting the people for about 2 years before the 2011 election. That is a lot of work! No media coverage and he was getting a following because people were disappointed with National. He was gaining momentum before the teapot tapes. I watched him for 2 years and grew to respect him. I voted for him in 2011 and so far, he’s doing what I voted for him to do, be a good opposition. He’s also been very consistent.

      • Pete 8.1.3
        13 October 2012 at 2:04 pm

        And the Greens of today are not the Greens of 5 years ago, either. The likes of Gareth Hughes, Russel Norman and Holly Walker are very different, at least in style, to Sue Bradford, Nandor Tanczos and Keith Locke. Green views around the environment, self sufficiency and energy conservation are becoming more mainstream now too.

  9. Robert Atack 9
    12 October 2012 at 5:15 pm

    Yep the sooner Norman can dig up the planet and shove it through a factory the better.
    Clearly he doesn’t give a stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8

  10. marsman 10
    12 October 2012 at 7:34 pm

    Stuff has no mention anymore of the Opposition Parliamentary Inquiry. It seems to have been replaced by National Party spin re Dotcom and the Housing NZ scam.

    • karol 10.1
      12 October 2012 at 7:46 pm

      marsman, Stuff certainly did move the article off the front page pretty quickly.  But it’s still there in my link in the update at the bottom of my post above.

  11. Dr Terry 11
    12 October 2012 at 7:41 pm

    There you go, faded memories again! (Alternatively, “selective” memories).

    • karol 11.1
      12 October 2012 at 7:51 pm

      Ah, yes, Dr T.  And Peters did address that in his speech on the EPMU summit panel. He made some quip about the memories of the public, linking it to Key’s (lack of) memory – I missed the first bit.  But he ended saying this:
       

      Our greatest problem, our greatest enemy, is the apathy of our own people.
      If we do something about that today, this summit will have been well worthwhile.

  12. Jack 12
    13 October 2012 at 8:51 am

    Our greatest problem, our greatest enemy, is the apathy of our own people.
    If we do something about that today, this summit will have been well worthwhile.

    Judging by the results of the last election, apathy is Key’s friend. Winston hit the nail on the head.

    • Robert Atack 12.1
      13 October 2012 at 6:40 pm

      Yes you are right we are going extinct because the apathetic masses don’t give a flying fuck about the future for their children.
      The idiot greens were meant to be for the future generations, but as their brain dead voters have shown by their ignorant support of this absolute fool Norman and his push to speed up the destruction of the planet, the fuckwit doesn’t understand that GROWTH equals not only more employment but the utter destruction of anything that would/could lead to the survival of future generations. The green party being involved in this bullshit talk fest is just another example of this dysfunctional Orwellian culture.
      And only when you are eating raw human flesh will you realize how fucking stupid most of you where to be discussing most of the utter crap that you do.
      But what the hell you have Kiwi Saver and you can vote …………….. God save us. cause no other fucker can LOL

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