Mana up and running

37 comments on “Mana up and running ”

• Comments are now closed

1. lprent 1

   2 May 2011 at 10:37 am

   I was talking to Matt McCarten at the pub while avoiding the royal wedding on Friday. He seemed to think that they were ready.

   Personally I’m a skeptic about new political parties. Seen them come and seen them disintegrate… 😈
   • Carol 1.1

     2 May 2011 at 10:41 am

     Well, some new ones stand the test of time. I think is too early to say for Mana, but I like its focus on issues for less well-off Kiwis.
     • lprent 1.1.1

       2 May 2011 at 11:38 am

       Last one I can recall (I tend to look at parties having to last more than a decade or so before they’re interesting) was probably Values/Greens.

       NZF has disintegrated several times – at present we’re looking to see if it recovers in this election.

       Act essentially fell apart as apart in the mid-00’s. It looks like the remaining shell has been taken over again. Be interesting to see if it survives this election.

       The parties that made up the Alliance apart from the Greens are gone or just about to in the case of the Anderton party.

       United Future became the Dunne party.

       Maori party has been running for a few years, but I suspect will have a significant setback this election. There is now a good probability that it will drop to a handful of seats and possibly even to another personality party.

       There are a pile of “parties” that had MP’s at various stages and disappeared. Just think of the breakaways from NZF in the late 90’s or Fields personality vehicle last election.

       But you know I’m a political cynic…
       • Tigger 1.1.1.1

         2 May 2011 at 11:54 am

         I would have loved to see Sue Bradford leading a party with this approach. I sincerely doubt Harawira’s ability to lead through anything but bullying. Totally rate Sue and wish her the best but I suspect this wide tent will collapse once she, Harawira and McCarten start pushing at the edges.
       • Rich 1.1.1.2

         2 May 2011 at 11:55 am

         Maybe this is different.

         For the last 100 years, capitalism has survived in the developed “democracies” by maintaining a large, pseudo-affluent middle class. Peak oil, climate change and globalization are removing the ability to do that – people are now expecting to be substantially worse off than their parents were.

         Labour are committed to managing capitalism – that’s their core ideology. So are all the other parties and independents in NZ politics, in one way or another (with the possible exception of the Greens).

         So there is a gap for a party that wants to replace capitalism, not manage it. Obviously capitalism holds all the cards, and it will try and frustrate such a movement at birth. But they’ve left a tiny opening in the form of Far North Maori and Hone Harawira.

         It might be too early – NZers are comfortablists, and will tolerate a lot before they withdraw consent. But things are going to get steadily worse as fuel prices increase, crops fail and jobs get shifted overseas. Eventually people *will* demand a real change.
       • McFlock 1.1.1.3

         2 May 2011 at 1:03 pm

         The Alliance was originally an FPP collaboration between multiple previously existing parties. The Greens, or course, still exist after going their own patth in MMP, as do the Democrats (ISTR formerly known as Social Credit).

         The Alliance also still exists, around a core of former “New Labour Party” members who didn’t want to kiss Anderton’s arse, general Alliance party members (when it was literally an “allaince” one could also join without being a member of a constituent party), and a variety of other party members who chose to stay (e.g. Democrats who decided that “A+B” = bunkum or Greens who actually want a left wing party). It’s actually pretty effective for its size, but its lack of popularity strikes me as being a self-fulfilling prophecy – nobody thinks it will get anywhere, so they don’t support it with money, votes, membership or publicity. Pity, because it’s the only party I’d actually call “primarily left wing” (as opposed to “left-ish wing, but primarily environmental/Maori sovereignty / keep a particular MP in a job”).

         It all comes down to your definition of “disappeared”. And it seemed to me that a major justification for MMP was that it allowed a certain amount of electoral mobility into and out of parliament – NZ1 being a good example at the moment. As soon as the gap for unrepresented left wing voters reaches a significant number, somebody will go for it. Labour made a half-arsed attempt with “some past actions were regrettable”, Hone’s trying to become more than a Peter Dunne / Jim Anderton-style singleton by tapping some more votes in that core, but I still think there’s several percent of folk who will vote for a solely left-wing party if it looks like several percent of people will vote for it (if it doesn’t look like they’ll vote a party into parliament, a national party sword of Damocles looms large so they go Labour, Greens or anyone else. I really wonder about the Maori Party vote from last time being carried over, even without the Maori/Mana competition).
   • Lanthanide 1.2

     2 May 2011 at 11:58 am

     They don’t have any way to donate on their site. If you click on ‘Support’, they don’t even have it as one of the check box options.
     • Rich 1.2.1

       2 May 2011 at 4:47 pm

       Given the banks take ages to set up a credit card facility and PayPal have form for stealing donations, I’d guess this was quite hard to get working quickly.

       I’m sure emailing Mana could obtain some bank details to send donations to.
   • PeteG 1.3

     2 May 2011 at 12:24 pm

     “Personally I’m a skeptic about new political parties. Seen them come and seen them disintegrate… “

     And this one will be as potentially volatile as any. As observed by Claire Trevett:

     In his speech, Mr Harawira sought to make a virtue out of refusing to compromise. The trouble is that those feeling out the new party to see if they wanted to be involved are equally as uncompromising as Harawira. Harawira, Annette Sykes, Margaret Mutu, Mereana Pitman, Sue Bradford, John Minto. There was not a second fiddle among them.

     There could be some screeching from the fiddles.
2. vidiot 2

   2 May 2011 at 10:54 am

   And Goff says F’ Off to working with _any_ Mana MP’s.

   http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10722845
   • ianmac 2.1

     2 May 2011 at 10:55 am

     Suppose that is to try and retain Maori voters?
     Great Mana site too. C/f with National’s official site!
     • vidiot 2.1.1

       2 May 2011 at 10:56 am

       Either that or he’s worried that some of his own MP’s are looking to jump whaka.
   • Draco T Bastard 2.2

     2 May 2011 at 11:09 am

     Now that really is cutting off your nose to spite your face. It seems Phil’s upset that another party is springing up in the gap that Labour left when it went to the right and stopped representing workers.
   • Richard 2.3

     2 May 2011 at 12:35 pm

     I’m sure that, if needed, Labour will change their mind about working with Hone, after the election results.

     Goff is just trying to prevent Labour votes hemorrhaging to Mana.

     If Hone was a genuine extremist with no popular support, then Goff wouldn’t need to ‘rule him out’; because he wouldn’t gain significant votes. It is precisely because he is not an extremist that Labour is worried.

     Depending on policies etc, which remain to be seen, I think I will quite likely vote for Mana — every other election I have voted for either Green or Labour.
3. higherstandard 3

   2 May 2011 at 11:08 am

   Does it strike anyone else that the two parties that will undoubtedly get the lions share of the vote are also those that are close to facsimiles of each other.
   • Draco T Bastard 3.1

     2 May 2011 at 11:12 am

     You talking Nact and Labour the presumed “centre” parties?
     • higherstandard 3.1.1

       2 May 2011 at 11:18 am

       Yes dear, no need to drop in your usual comment about where they sit on your spectrum, we all know that in your universe anything to the left of the borg are right wing nut jobs.
       • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.1

         2 May 2011 at 12:25 pm

         No, the Borg would be Stalinists otherwise known as State Capitalists.
         • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1.1

           3 May 2011 at 8:00 pm

           Well it is the Borg Collective after all 😉
4. Salsy 4

   2 May 2011 at 11:20 am

   If Hone and Goff keep going head to head then those are votes lost to the left – free fodder for the right. Its plain fucking dumb and they need to sort it out… As pointed out by Bomber – we dont ususally see the right fighting in public. This spat is disgraceful, stupid and plainly unprofessional.
5. dave` 5

   2 May 2011 at 11:21 am

   Yeah apart from calling hone “Hon.Hone and getting the name of his electorate incorrect on one page, it’s not a bad site.,
   • Draco T Bastard 5.1

     2 May 2011 at 12:30 pm

     Pretty sure that MPs are referred to as Honourable. So, until he resigns tomorrow it is correct to refer to him as Hon. Hone.
6. SHG 6

   2 May 2011 at 11:37 am

   The new party should make up its mind what its domain is. Is it mana.net.nz or mana.org.nz?
   • felix 6.1

     2 May 2011 at 11:51 am

     I admire your steely determination to stay focused on the important issues that the rest of the country is ignoring.
     • SHG 6.1.1

       2 May 2011 at 12:54 pm

       You may not have noticed this, but the topic at hand is the Mana Party website and whether or not it suggests they have someone handling communications who knows what he or she is doing.
       • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1.1

         2 May 2011 at 6:03 pm

         And any competent communications officer would have secured both (or more) and have them directed to the same web address.
7. mickysavage 7

   2 May 2011 at 12:03 pm

   Very good website and it is interesting watching the twitter feed.  Why is it that some (RWNJs) use the opportunity to abuse rather than discuss?
    
   As for Goff’s statement can I venture an unconfirmed possibility but I am sure that Labour are thinking about contesting the by election.  It presents an excellent chance for Labour to regain the seat.  They have an excellent candidate, Kelvin Davis and the likelihood that the Maori Party and the Mana Party will cancel each other out.  Kelvin could come through the middle.
    
   The Mana Party presents a couple of quandaries for Labour.  If it is able to get over 5% or wins Hone’s seat then it will have a presence.  If it achieves neither then it will be wasted votes for the left.  It may also have the same effect on Labour that ACT will have on National, that is scare some of the middle.
    
   And there is not much time before the election.  To get going would require a herculean effort.
    
    
8. Green Left 8

   2 May 2011 at 12:23 pm

   Mana Party is all go. Maybe Goff should quit and Parker or Twyford should take over. A green left govt with the greens, labour and mana parties would be interesting.

   John and Don want to privatise NZ and sell off land and assets to China and foreign corps. Time to mobalise, and get a counter plan.
9. Green Left 9

   2 May 2011 at 12:25 pm

   Goff is a goner, no one in labour thinks he will be PM.
10. deemac 10

    2 May 2011 at 12:37 pm

    being very old, I have seen many new left parties come and go. They always end badly, the only question is how long it is before they go down in flames – or out with a whimper.
    The far left seem keen on endlessly repeating this “infantile disorder” – much more fun than the hard slog of getting the party that working class people actually vote for to adopt left policies. But I’m not sure why the sharp minds of Standard poster should be so keen to be its cheerleaders.
    • lefty 10.1

      2 May 2011 at 1:01 pm

      “The far left seem keen on endlessly repeating this “infantile disorder” – much more fun than the hard slog of getting the party that working class people actually vote for to adopt left policies.”

      A cynic might reply that the labour party has got so cemented into a right wing worldview that helping build the support for a party to the left of it is the only remaining option for party activists who want to move it to the left.
11. Green Left 11

    2 May 2011 at 2:04 pm

    Better to attack Brash, get an anti privastisation coalition, and see how well that works together and then look at who would make a government, later in the year.
12. Green Left 12

    2 May 2011 at 2:07 pm

    § But most importantly I want us to be a movement to rebuild the MANA of our people…

    § MANA tamariki, MANA wahine, MANA tangata, and the MANA of our kaumatua and kuia

    § the MANA of beneficiaries who are treated like a blight on society

    § the MANA of workers who have been reduced to near slavery

    § the MANA of our Pacific cousins who continue to be used as cheap labour and exported home every season
13. ianmac 13

    2 May 2011 at 9:24 pm

    Put this on the wrong page. Sorry.
    Just watched Native Affairs on Maori TV. Julian did well in his interview with Hone and Peta Sharples.
    They seem to have a rebroadcast but I don’t how to access the particular item @ http://www.maoritelevision.com/default.aspx?tabid=636&pid=212
    Peta looked unwell and unassertive. Hone seemed relaxed and fluent. His philosophy is pretty clear in spite of spinning from some commentators. They discussed Brash/Act. The part for workers/unions. The gap in the understanding about standing by Maori Party in Tai Tokerau. Clearing up the understanding about Hone Heke Tax.
    A fascinating program.
    Repeats on MT on Sunday evening 5:30pm.
14. freedom 14

    3 May 2011 at 10:21 am

    went to see the Mana Party site and found the Bandwidth limit exceeded, surely if they were wanting to reach poeple during the launch of a new party they would have had this covered, not the best opening furlong

    National is frazzled, Act is on life-support, Labour is M.I.A. the Maori party are wearing blue, United who, and Progressive to where, which leaves the Greens looking like the only mildly stable & competent bunch out there right now, and with all the bruhaha on the horizon a little stability might go a long way
    • Colonial Viper 14.1

      3 May 2011 at 7:59 pm

      went to see the Mana Party site and found the Bandwidth limit exceeded, surely if they were wanting to reach poeple during the launch of a new party they would have had this covered, not the best opening furlong

      Some marketing gurus would say that this is a good sign, not a bad one.
15. Rodel 15

    3 May 2011 at 7:50 pm

    Website looks a bit like a Tui ad

• Comments are now closed

• Log in
• Donate
• Contribute post

• Articles RSS