Nanaia Mahuta: Let’s Get Back On Track

Written By: - Date published: 9:37 am, November 13th, 2014 - 26 comments
Categories: labour, Nanaia Mahuta - Tags:

A message sent out by Nanaia Mahuta last night to all Labour members.

Teenaa Koe

We finished the membership husting meetings in South Auckland last night and it is clear that we need to make necessary changes to become Government. Members have identified a number of issues that must be addressed to restore trust and earn the confidence of voters.

We must commit to getting out House in order:

Under my leadership there will be a clear expectation that our sole objective is to promote the values and policies of our Labour Party. We need to utilize the diverse skill set of our caucus and continue to modernise our party organisation and fundraising capacity to be campaign ready for 2017.

The perception of factional interests is not helpful to our cause and it is my view that greater accountability between that Parliamentary and Party Wings will be required in order to achieve greater discipline. Our LECs may well have a constructive role in this process. We will need to change the way in which caucus operates and the external response should be that we are fresh, energized and reaching out to people, communities and stakeholder groups in different ways.

The benchmark for success should be a change in external perception about the way we are presenting as a Party that is in step with the lives of ordinary New Zealanders who seek a fair go.

We must review our Policies:

Our Party has a robust policy development process. We need to define the ideas that will help make New Zealand a better place to live, raise children and support economic growth.

I believe that our point of difference is that in standing up for a fair and decent society we champion the need to reduce inequality. We will advocate towards an inclusive economy that will go hand in hand with caring for the environment and working for those who are most vulnerable. We can show that our point of difference is that in upholding the value of fairness, we will ensure that the ladder of aspiration and opportunity is there for everyone as they move from one rung to the next and we will not pull it up or leave anyone behind.

We must put People and Communities First

Our strength has always been connected to our working class origins and our grass-roots approach in relating to people. We have a proud legacy and we can redefine our relevance to workers and people in the productive sector as we seek to earn the confidence of more New Zealanders.

We can utilise the next three years to get alongside and engage with community, business, iwi, industry, education, health and social sector organisations to listen and respond to the issues that require new solutions.

We must be a strong and constructive voice in Opposition

Members were unanimous in their expectation that we must be relentless in holding the Government to account. We need to push for accountability and transparency in decision-making and not associate with the tactics that have brought all politicians into disrepute.

I believe that we cannot be distracted by the politics of personality and must be focused on the issues that will lift outcomes for ordinary people.

The measure of our success will be when people are talking about our ideas and solutions and criticising the lack of action by the Government.

The Way Forward

I have discerned that members are confronting the choice of leader with sober reflection. We are in unchartered waters, our Party vote has declined since 2005 when Labour was accused of no longer listening and therefore could not be trusted. While I have some personal insight into this time, like the effects of decisions in the 1980’s we either learn from past mistakes or we are doomed to repeat them.

I believe that we can make the necessary changes to clear the way and move forward. Your support means that you have determined to change from the old style of politics towards this approach.

 

Thank You

Signature.doc.png

Nanaia Mahuta
nanaiamahuta.org.nz
together@nanaiamahuta.org.nz

26 comments on “Nanaia Mahuta: Let’s Get Back On Track ”

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  1. Kiwiri - Raided of the Last Shark 1
    13 November 2014 at 9:50 am

    Open letter of reply to Nanaia:

    Thanks for this.
    Your approach and thinking shines through your message.
    Looking forward to you helping guide the Labour Party to take new and different steps that will bring about changes in a collaborative spirit.

  2. Jesse 2
    13 November 2014 at 10:28 am

    Good letter, Nanaia could be a game changer. I voted her my first preference, I hope she does really well in the leadership election.

    • Chooky 2.1
      13 November 2014 at 1:10 pm

      +100 Kiwiri and Jesse…and I would like to see co-leadership with Andrew Little….this really would be a game changer for Labour ( clearly for women, Maori and the working class)

      ….and a winning combination against John Key and all he stands for

  3. Antoine 3
    13 November 2014 at 10:28 am

    Hehehe ‘getting out house in order’

    A.

    P.S. unchartered waters?

    • greywarshark 3.1
      13 November 2014 at 11:20 am

      @ Antoine
      If you haven’t a good point to make don’t make any. And no-one is asking you to go through an spell check or proof read.

      • lurgee 3.1.1
        13 November 2014 at 4:43 pm

        Can we apply that principle to all the inane +1, +10, +100 type comments that are appended to posts, vacuously?

        P.S. Go on, ‘ironically’ +1 one this. You know you want to.

        • greywarshark 3.1.1.1
          13 November 2014 at 5:36 pm

          @ lurgee
          -1
          No reason to stop +1 etc. It takes the place of the anodyne ‘Like’. When someone puts something themselves they are indicating a real opinion and encourager. And usually people don’t put a minus but you are a special case.

  4. bruhaha 4
    13 November 2014 at 10:40 am

    I like Nania a lot but this open letter doesn’t say anything. It’s well meaning platitudes. Something a bit more concrete please.

    • Tracey 4.1
      13 November 2014 at 12:02 pm

      I agree. This is empty rhetoric. I would still like to see her as deputy.

    • lurgee 4.2
      13 November 2014 at 4:46 pm

      The benchmark for success should be a change in external perception about the way we are presenting as a Party that is in step with the lives of ordinary New Zealanders who seek a fair go.

      Translated – “We will know we have succeeded when ordinary people think we are on their side.”

      Can’t politicians talk like normal folk?

  5. greywarshark 5
    13 November 2014 at 11:18 am

    @ bruhaha
    I agree with you. I like the sound of Nanaia’s message. It probably mentions ensuring that there is firm support for families, work and a livable wage, and affordable housing somewhere but I skipped past it. And these four matters are crucial, alongside anything else that is done.

    The country is calling out for regular, sufficient work hours at decent wages, giving more money circulating, and in the hands of workers and constructive beneficiaries. This is a term I have just invented and refers to those who receive welfare who put lots into the community, who are committed to their work and its satisfactory outcomes, and doing things the community needs, through part-time work or quality volunteering.

    And this can be working to help people personally, or to assist tourist and community projects – a wide range of interaction that will result in advantage to the community, possibly increased income flow to the area through tourism, sporting or festivals, bringing jobs and wealth growth. (Some volunteers are not constructive as though being helpful, they are mainly involved to fill their time and for the social interaction.)

    • Antoine 5.1
      13 November 2014 at 11:29 am

      > It probably mentions ensuring that there is firm support for families, work and a livable wage, and affordable housing somewhere but I skipped past it.

      To save you the trouble of a second read – it doesn’t.

      A.

  6. hoom 6
    13 November 2014 at 11:21 am

    So in the interests of unity she will withdraw so that there are ‘only’ 3 candidates?

    Also:

    We must commit to getting out House in order:

    the whole thing kinda goes down the drain after this…

    • Tracey 6.1
      13 November 2014 at 12:04 pm

      Have you bumped your head? Contesting leadership in the open isnt disunity.

      Leaking to the media, speaking against the leader and distributing leaflets with no labour logo when you are a fucking list MP… Are signs of disunity.

    • greywarshark 6.2
      13 November 2014 at 1:54 pm

      hoom Antoine
      You come across as RW trills. Are you? Be clear and in the open about it won’t you. That is what we would like to as the standard.
      Edited

      • hoom 6.2.1
        15 November 2014 at 11:59 pm

        Bit late coming back to this but:
        Absolutely not. (though I’d certainly love to have spots going ‘all the way down’, I am assuming that you meant Shill)
        I am consistently thoroughly in the Left Liberal quadrant of politicalcompass.org.

        I just find it utterly outrageous that so many years after Helen the Labour caucus still hasn’t gotten rid of the tainted old chaff, settled behind a new leader & won an election.

        Meanwhile Nact are completely getting away with fucking our country & society over even more than they did the last time they were in power.

        • greywarshark 6.2.1.1
          16 November 2014 at 9:14 am

          @ hoom
          Well that answer makes sense. What about making sense in everything you write and offering careful criticism not just having a go at Labour when there’s a spelling mistake. As you say we are in a serious situation so lampooning is best when done to The Other (Dark) Side.

          • hoom 6.2.1.1.1
            16 November 2014 at 10:39 am

            Because this situation is beyond just a bit of careful criticism.

            I’ll go back to that when they seem worthy of it, meanwhile I will just laugh bitterly at their stupid self destructive antics.

            And the Right will keep on with their socially & economically destructive antics unfettered.

            • greywarshark 6.2.1.1.1.1
              16 November 2014 at 11:08 am

              @ hoom
              A bit of satire can contain careful criticism. Why don’t you try to up the cleverness of your laughing comments? Humour is the only way to keep our sanity in this ‘situation’. I look forward to some from you. Did you listen to Dave whatsname who wrote Radionz Down the Line. Perhaps you have the creative genes in you for similar.

              • hoom …
                16 November 2014 at 11:46 am

                Well I’m obviously no comedy genius but I did say ‘down the drain’ in reference to ‘out house’…

                Its not that I have anything against Nanaia or the sentiments expressed, its just that she pretty obviously has no chance of winning so shouldn’t have even stood.
                Its nice to have a ‘not a white middle age male’ stand but thats not enough, there needs to be an actual chance of winning.

                Instead Labour publicly shows itself utterly riven with factions that can’t get along with each other even enough to coordinate a Party Leader win let alone an actual Election.

                And yes Down the List was epicly good.
                He’ll probably never work in NZ again :-/

                • greywarshark …
                  16 November 2014 at 3:43 pm

                  @ hoom
                  I’ve written to Radionz to ask if he can come back again but I don’t hold my breath. May I be hopelessly stupidly wrong, but I feel that Radionz is getting further down on its knees to the government.

                  And about Nanaia and whether she should have stood. We have only been going on for some years now as to how its not enough for Labour to win it must be with someone who will do things for the ordinary person in the street (because they haven’t a garage to call their own). We need someone who is a game changer.

                  The country’s policies have to have another shake up and possibly it will have to be equivalent to Rogernomics in a way that will take us back to a position where we can manage then regroup to move forward into the 21st century. Our present stance is going back to the 1800s. We signed the Treaty in 1840.

                  I think it was 1838 that Britain abolished slavery. We in NZ had numbers of recessions and one in Britain after that, WW1 after which the major countries further b..ggered up, until the Great Deep in the 1930s. Then WW2. We are not going back there or into an automated serfdom.

                  So Nanaia could be the person we need. A game changer. With a solid man of mixed principles and pragmatism beside her. (Thinking Andrew Little.)

  7. goldbloom 7
    14 November 2014 at 7:57 pm

    The letter is cringeworthy. If she can’t get something so simple right it hardly bodes well for the more complex tasks a future pm has to deal with. All wind and no substance, kind of like her parliamentry career to date.

  8. greywarshark 8
    16 November 2014 at 9:16 am

    @ goldbloom
    Boomerang. Try applying your criticisms to yourself. Hit yourself on the nose why don’tcha.