Labour’s conference will be in full swing this weekend, RNZ has a good writeup:
Labour conference ‘a good test of party members’
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From the outside, Labour’s parliamentary wing appears to be stable and united, but whether that extends to its party membership will become clear over the three day meeting.
I’m a bit out of the loop these days, but I’m not picking up anything from party members that would be any reason for concern!
Labour leader Andrew Little said the weekend meeting was a time to regroup and start looking to 2017. “There’s a bit of clearing the decks, as we now take the policy platform and work out what’s needed to prepare ourselves for the next two years and the basis on which we start to think about the big ideas and the next big policy issues that we want to take forward next year.”
Under his leadership, the party’s level of public support has lifted back up into the low 30’s, after the disastrous 25 percent result Labour suffered at last year’s election under former leader David Cunliffe.
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Labour’s newly confirmed deputy leader Annette King said this year’s conference was not a time for big policy announcements. Very few parties made major policy announcements a year after an election, she said.
That’s an important point. Don’t expect policy fireworks this time.
This year’s conference has more “closed” (media excluded) sessions than most. Some of the media are a bit miffed about it – they need copy to file poor things. I would have gone for more open sessions myself, but it’s Little’s first conference as leader and he’s playing it cautious. No doubt the media will find something to fill the column inches with.
I’m not at conference this year, and lprent is overseas, but some Standardistas are going so no doubt we will get reports. Have a great conference all…
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