Our Jen on the Nation

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 24th, 2013 - 37 comments
Categories: labour, Media, The Standard - Tags:

Standard author and all around good leftie Jenny Michie will be appearing on the Nation this morning to discuss the Labour leadership.

Great stuff Jen, you’ll rock it!

Update: the interview’s not on the web until tomorrow but there are a couple of grabs from it in this story

Update: Anne has found the full interview

37 comments on “Our Jen on the Nation ”

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  1. IrishBill 1
    24 August 2013 at 9:48 am

    Nice work mate.

  2. Just Julie 2
    24 August 2013 at 9:52 am

    You done GOOD!

  3. Takere 3
    24 August 2013 at 1:47 pm

    I think “Roota Nash” is on the money. The team let Shearer down. Having other options too is a good thing, Jonesee! Having unity too is a good thing but the you’ve got to convince the public??

  4. Linz 4
    24 August 2013 at 3:33 pm

    Great to see you on the Nation, Jenny. Ditto:You done Real Good.

  5. The Pink Postman 5
    24 August 2013 at 3:35 pm

    Looking forward to watching Jen. Have known her lovely mum for more years then I want to admit. Will watch later thanks to recording .

  6. Rhinocrates 6
    24 August 2013 at 3:55 pm

    Jenny – so often dismissed even here as a fanatic, but so, so necessary. Keep up the fight Jenny!

    • Lanthanide 6.1
      24 August 2013 at 4:42 pm

      This is not the same person as Jenny, the climate-change conspiracist.

      • jaymam 6.1.1
        24 August 2013 at 4:53 pm

        But I thought almost everybody in here was a climate-change conspiracist.

      • Anne 6.1.2
        24 August 2013 at 7:29 pm

        Definitely not!

        Met Jenny Michie at the time of the Mt. Albert by-election. She literally lived at the campaign head quarters. Never seen anyone work so hard. Pure gold.

  7. karol 7
    24 August 2013 at 6:56 pm

    So was Mike Williams making Robertson’s sexuality an issue? Diversionary?

    • BM 7.1
      24 August 2013 at 7:08 pm

      Lots of die hard Catholics vote Labour.
      His sexuality would definitely be an issue with them, which is unfortunate.

      • Clement Pinto 7.1.1
        24 August 2013 at 9:25 pm

        Some may, but I think many would not dismiss a good politician just because he/she is gay.
        Times are changing. True Catholics subscribe to the teachings of Christ who did teach, ‘hate the sin, not the sinner’.

        • QoT 7.1.1.1
          24 August 2013 at 10:03 pm

          Yes, well unfortunately if you limit your definition of “true Catholics” to people who actually give a fuck what Jesus had to say the Church starts to look a hell of a lot smaller.

          For a start, Jesus did not teach “hate the sin, not the sinner” because Jesus wasn’t really about hating anything.

          /lapsedCatholicrant

          • Clement Pinto 7.1.1.1.1
            24 August 2013 at 10:25 pm

            Many Catholics I know do not hate gays these days. The attitude is evolving. Thanks for the correction. You are right that it was not a direct quote from Jesus, but has been attributed to him. What is true is that the quote symbolises Christ’s magnanimity, philosophy and teaching.

            • Raine 7.1.1.1.1.1
              25 August 2013 at 12:07 am

              as much as i’d love to just blame cathlolics for all the stinking thinking against gays i can’t because nearly half the country came out against them at the last reading of the marriage equality bill and i’m damned sure they weren’t all catholic or national voters … which means a good lot of them were labourites and we can’t afford to lose their vote next year. that alone rules robertson out.

            • Pete 7.1.1.1.1.2
              25 August 2013 at 11:22 am

              It’s a generational thing. I’m Catholic and in my mid-30s. Most, if not all, of my contemporaries support marriage equality. I really fail to see how an expression of love between consenting adults can be sinful. Robertson’s sexuality has nothing to do with my position on the Labour leadership. If Cunliffe were gay and Robertson hetero, I’d still be supporting Cunliffe because he has the skills and the ideology for the job.

      • Not a PS Staffer 7.1.2
        24 August 2013 at 9:31 pm

        BM
        You are NOT in a position stereotype or to speak for any type of Catholic.

    • Anne 7.2
      24 August 2013 at 7:37 pm

      I don’t believe so karol. There are many social conservatives out there who haven’t caught up with the reality of the issue. He was merely reflecting on that.

      Mike Williams has annoyed me often but even so, I think some people here are too harsh on him. He has an enormous amount of experience as Labour Party president and there is no-one in any political party who knows more about how to run election campaigns.

  8. Hanswurst 8
    24 August 2013 at 7:13 pm

    In the linked article we see again the unsubstantiated assertion that Robertson is “more popular”. Does he even register outside of parliament? The article is omitting the qualification that he is more popular with about twelve people. This is not intended as a slight on his abilities, about which I know next to nothing, but it really is just another instance of the navel-gazing media telling their readership what it thinks.

    • RedLogix 8.1
      24 August 2013 at 7:35 pm

      And the navel-gazing over Cunliffe’s supposed ‘ambition’ is more unsubstantiated piffle from Tory pundits telling us what to think.

      Sure there will be twelve other people in the Labour caucus who’ll be miffed because it’s as plain as dog’s balls that he’s the best man for the job. That’s their problem … not ours.

      • Hanswurst 8.1.1
        24 August 2013 at 8:30 pm

        I wouldn’t call it unsubstantiated, just irrelevant. He has been a cabinet minister and put his name forward to be parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the past. I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to guess that he might be ambitious. Why is that negative? Shearer, Parker, Jones, Ardern, Goff… they’ve all also obviously had ideas about becoming leader while occupying humbler parliamentary stations, so they’re clearly all ambitious in some way or other, yet only Cunliffe gets tarred with that brush. With no attempt to answer the question “ambitious for what?”, it’s not journalism, it’s just a hollow smear.

        • JK 8.1.1.1
          24 August 2013 at 8:53 pm

          I agree, Hanswurst. What it really is of course is the rightwing being scared sh–less of Cunliffe getting the job and proving he can foot it with Key (more than foot it, best him !) All the media commentators so far are doing their best to increase Robertson’s non-existent profile and downplay Cunliffe’s good points. Thank goodness Shearer did the decent thing, and departed.
          Now Labour might be in with a chance !

    • karol 9.1
      24 August 2013 at 8:47 pm

      Thanks, Anne. And now having viewed the interviews, I stand corrected: it was Smalley who raised Robertson’s sexuality.

      I would say attitudes towards Cunliffe are softening, Robertson can be a very good speaker, so I am looking forwards to reports of the roadshow debates.

      • Raine 9.1.1
        25 August 2013 at 12:27 am

        this is what worries me. it’s starting to appear people want the drama of a huge road-show and being allowed to vote in a primary more than they want a united party. what is up with that? can’t you imagine how much money it’s going to cost to get these guys on the road going around the whole country? it will be hundreds of thousands of dollars of money down the drain. it’s madness.

        • Raine 9.1.1.1
          25 August 2013 at 12:30 am

          and if anyone wants to question my motives for going on about money it’s because i earn minimum wage, so, of course i care about wasteful spending!

        • karol 9.1.1.2
          25 August 2013 at 7:04 am

          Well, there’s been tight rules set for the roadshow. I think, handled well, it could be good PR for Labour, helping to put their policies and talents out in the MSM.

    • veutoviper 9.2
      24 August 2013 at 9:10 pm

      Thanks Anne. Did not think this would be available yet, so I was really glad to be able to see the interviews. All three did well IMO and brought up some very good points to think about.

  10. chris73 10
    25 August 2013 at 12:02 am

    I don’t think its his sexuality thats the problem, its more his image. He looks like a fat, smug, “luxury loving” politician thats never had a job out side the belt way and thus can only pretend to empathize with middle NZ whereas Cunliffe looks more prime ministerial

    I know the above probably isn’t true and I know its also unfair but image counts for a helluva lot

    • felix 10.1
      25 August 2013 at 4:40 am

      I tend to agree. And I know this is going to piss people off but he comes across as kind of a fag, regardless of his sexuality.

      IrishBill: you’re right, this has pissed me off. Keep the debate civil or keep out of it.

    • Hanswurst 10.2
      25 August 2013 at 6:01 am

      All the more reason for Robertson to put his money where various right-wing commentator’s collective cakehole is and mount a serious, considered campaign for the leadership. I want Cunliffe to be the next Labour leader as much as anyone, but that is because I think that he would best a good campaign by Robertson or anyone else, not because I think he should be shielded from it. Long-term, the party profile can only benefit from being seen to have respected, well-recognised politicians at the top, and therefore Cunliffe, Robertson and a couple of others would be serving the party and the electorate by boosting their profiles through putting their names forward and showing that they stand for something over the next few weeks. That makes it harder for the MSM to dismiss them lazily as “ambitious”, “beltway”, “babe”, “fag”, “Minister of Porn” or whatever floats their boat any given week. I think Cunliffe would win easily in such a leadership contest, but if he can’t, he doesn’t deserve to be leader.

      • karol 10.2.1
        25 August 2013 at 7:09 am

        Helen Clark had a lot of sexist and homophobic comments sent her way in attempts to undermine her. Unfortunately there are those who will try those kind of tactics. Cunliffe has had his share of smears as well.

        Agree with Hanswurst: may the best candidate win: and that would be the one with the strongest Labour values, the best policies, and the best skills to lead the parliamentary wing as well as the most able to deal with the demands and stresses of the job.

  11. Tracey 11
    25 August 2013 at 11:30 am

    It saddens me how many people still consider they need to discuss people’s appearance ahead of ability.

    • chris73 11.1
      25 August 2013 at 1:47 pm

      and yet its still important otherwise david lange, helen clark etc etc wouldn’t have work done…rightly or wrongly its just the way it is

  12. tracey 12
    25 August 2013 at 6:42 pm

    I dont understand what you mean to say chris?

  13. Takere 13
    26 August 2013 at 8:52 am

    Great to see Jonesee putting his hand up …… now there’s an highly intelligent man. Ability to connect with the working classes and korero with Key and kick his arse. He’s got the best chance out of all the candidates to broaden the base for the party and tap into the 880,000 non voters instead of fighting over the swing-voters, 3 or 4 percent of them between the nat’s & the Greens. Labours last hope before oblivion!

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