Shearer Says

Written By: - Date published: 5:03 pm, September 28th, 2012 - 60 comments
Categories: david shearer, labour - Tags:

Show us the jobs, John

This week, miners from the state-owned company Solid Energy came to Parliament asking the Government to help save their jobs.

I was there with other Labour MPs to welcome and support them. Unfortunately their plea was rejected in a decision that is devastating for the hundreds of workers affected, their families and communities.

It’s all related to National’s plan to privatise Solid Energy. It’s effectively winding down operations by mothballing the mine and cutting jobs until coal prices go up and the company is more attractive to private investors. This is wrong.

Labour’s approach would be very different. We don’t believe in selling the country off. We’d treat Solid Energy as a viable business that is suffering a downturn but has good long-term prospects.

Labour has always stood for decent jobs with decent pay, and for the communities those jobs support.

That’s why we’ll take steps to encourage job creation, including supporting Kiwi exporters to help them grow and changing the tax system to encourage more investment in productive businesses rather than the Auckland property market.

We’ll also help Kiwis into jobs in the trades by paying employers the equivalent of the dole to take on apprentices. We won’t sit back and watch 1000 people a week leave for Australia.

We want to create a country that we can be proud of again – built on jobs, opportunity and fairness. That’s our plan and we appreciate your support in getting there.

Warm regards,

David Shearer
Leader of the Labour Party

 

NEWS IN BRIEF

The Government is so consumed by the Kim Dotcom saga that it’s taken its eye off what matters most to Kiwis – jobs.

The buck stops with John Key. He has sole democratic oversight of our intelligence agencies but his handling of this issue has been incredibly lax. His claim that he knows nothing about what went on beggars belief. This incident undermines New Zealanders’ confidence in our intelligence agencies, it’s also embarrassing for us internationally and damages our reputation as one of the world’s most honest and transparent countries.

60 comments on “Shearer Says ”

  1. Dr Terry 1

    Seldom is the Government not involved in some (serious) saga that conveniently takes our eyes off a MAJOR issue. They would use sport for a distraction, but unfortunately for them the World Cup is now well and truly over! (Moreover, we know that the All Blacks will beat all-comers anyway, rather a bore really! And we hardly want to follow progress of our cricketers).

    • AmaKiwi 1.1

      John Key “has sole democratic oversight . . . ”

      Wrong! A contradiction in terms. “Democratic” means all the people have equal say.

      Key’s oversight is autocratic: “An autocracy is a system of government in which a supreme political power is concentrated in the hands of one person.” (Wikipedia)

      The sooner people stop abusing the word “democracy” the sooner we might have systemic change.

  2. Dr Terry 2

    Meant to add that Shearer, who names the big issue correctly, scarcely manages to excite me much!

    • Craig Glen Eden 2.1

      yeah excitement machine he is not, Dr Terry.

      • Jim Nald 2.1.1

        Ok, so Shearer for general elections 2014, if Grant Robertson does not roll him then.

        And Grant Robertson runs for either 2014 or 2017.

        Cunliffe for, maybe, just maybe, 2020, at 57 years old.

        This is good news for Natz in Government, and also for the Greens to increase their votes, for the next 8 years.

  3. Craig Glen Eden 3

    Shearer Say’s that was it then, wow, not.

  4. J. Andals 4

    We’ll also help Kiwis into jobs in the trades by paying employers the equivalent of the dole to take on apprentices

    This is an example of expressing ideas that I would’ve been embarrassed to hand in at high school.

    • Poission 4.1

      This is an example of expressing ideas that I would’ve been embarrassed to hand in at high school.

      No this an excellent example of imparting a lot of information, in as succinct way as possible,an abstract containing problem, some options and mechanism.

      Similar techniques are nudging
      http://www.economist.com/node/21551032

      The SFO is using this to impart that they have become proactive (an ounce of prevention etc) and those who want to have their hand in the till,should ensure they have their best suit pressed for their forthcoming court appearance.

      In the area of financial regulation Paul Volcker suggested that the regulations be 4 pages,a small group of heavily empowered regulators ,some harsh penalties ( and photo of a supermax perhaps,) would have led to significant response in the ‘markets” behavior.

      In essence reducing complexity, reduces uncertainty.

      • Colonial Viper 4.1.1

        WHAT. That sentence was ratshit, long winded and could have been easily improved. And you know it. Allow me to demo.

        We’ll also help Kiwis into jobs in the trades by paying employers the equivalent of the dole to take on apprentices

        Could easily have been:

        We’ll also help Kiwis into new trade apprenticeships by paying employers the equivalent of the dole

        Poission said:

        this an excellent example of imparting a lot of information, in as succinct way as possible,an abstract containing problem, some options and mechanism.

        I just imparted the same information with 30% less words. Simply by using English a bit better-like.

  5. Jenny 5

    Labour has always stood for decent jobs with decent pay, and for the communities those jobs support.

    That’s why we’ll take steps to encourage job creation, including supporting Kiwi exporters to help them grow and changing the tax system to encourage more investment in productive businesses rather than the Auckland property market.

    David Shearer Leader of the Labour Party

    Yes!! The government should have listened to the miners plea to invest in their communities. Whether that investment should go into more coal mining might be a separate question.

    And…

    We’ll also help Kiwis into jobs in the trades by paying employers the equivalent of the dole to take on apprentices.

    David Shearer Leader of the Labour Party

    Great!!! And Labour should also abolish the youth wage, so that these young people are not used to just replace higher paid trainees. With no overall gain.

    • xtasy 5.1

      Solid Energy has high costs for just turning over piles of coal, that cannot be sold and exported, just to avoid it heating up and catching fire!

      The economic aspects are not sufficiently addressed by David Shearer and most of Labour. They still dream of the good old Blackball tradition days.

      What Solid Energy should be doing is invest more in alternative, re-generative energy generation. Nothing stops an enterprise doing this, hence even some leading US oil giants have increased investement in alternativ energy.

      Even McDonalds now offers more variety in food they sell, rather than the traditional junk food burgers, chips and so.

      Innovation, sound, future proof investment in alternatives, that is what makes a business succeed, not just doing more of the same, and then cutting down production and jobs when the world market reduces coal purchases.

      NZ exports about half of all coal mined, and like with logs, milk powder, raw fish and so forth, it is “primitive” economic activity, more like a “third world country” would follow.

      Smarten up, get real and create new industries, and I thought, that Labour wanted this as much as the Greens. So maybe get honest with the miners affected, rather than sell them emotive medicine that has too harmful side-effects.

      And why is NZ not using more coal at home by the way, rather than sell it to the Chinese and others?

  6. Bloody good speech M8! – Go David Shearer!

  7. gobsmacked 7

    David Shearer is appearing on the Nation tomorrow, TV3, 9.30 am.

    You’d think that would be worth mentioning, since it will reach more people than any newsletter. “Shearer says” should be a daily update from his team, telling us where he’s going to be, which media, etc. This should be backed up by Twitter, Facebook, Red Alert, and so on. Communicate every way, every day, every chance they get. Not some half-assed box-ticking weekly newsletter.

    I have just listened to Russel Norman on Checkpoint, and again (simultaneously!) on Radio Live, after seeing him on TV One and Three lunchtime news. Plus the various news websites, all afternoon. I predict you will see him again on the six o’clock news, shortly.

    That’s communication. That’s campaigning to win.

    • Rhinocrates 7.1

      I’m sure that any day now he will discover Morse code, or rather a focus group will tell him about it. Eventually he might even hear about telephones.

      • fatty 7.1.1

        Don’t be silly rhinocrates, Morse code was phased out years ago. Newsletters are now the preferred form of communication thanks to the creation of the postal service and the printing press.
        Telephones are no good for Shearer. Speaking in sentences are…um…er…well…not his…um…strength.

    • xtasy 7.2

      Well, I saw and heard the interview of Shearer on ‘The Nation’ a while ago. Shearer appeared to start off all right, when commenting on the embarrassing developments in regards to the Dotcom saga, Key’s never ending excuses and so forth. But when it came to economic issues, he soon was caught out again by the journalists questioning him.

      He should have had clearer answers on the overvalued NZ dollar, instead of his frequent comment, that they would “look into it”. What is wrong with openly supporting Winston Peters’ bill to amend the legislation for the Reserve Bank?

      Re job creation and other economic policies Shearer rejected an allegation that Labour would rather run a “managed economy”, yet a bit later in the interview, he defended a more “interventionist” approach.

      Sadly it was a case of getting stuck on details and answers again, making Shearer look weak and unconvincing. He was not sufficiently informed about matters re the Denniston Plateau and RMA objections holding up plans by Bathurst to mine there. Other points were not addressed well either.

      This way the polls will not move up, I am afraid. A missed opportunity this was for Shearer.

      He was for the first time even asked about the “beneficiary roof painter”, and by the moderator suggesting this comment in his former speech not having gone down well with the activist base, Shearer defended his comment. Welfare should only be granted until a person is well enough again to get back to work. In principle that is ok, but how can he make judgments about a sickness beneficiary, while he is no doctor or other specialist, who must have found his “roof painter” too sick to work in open employment.

      Anyway does the sickness benefit not require a person to be totally unable to work. It is also granted where people can only work reduced hours. I hear nothing about such truths being commented by Ardern, who only picks certain “populist” issues with the Minister. Does she actually know and understand the legislation? Shearer does not seem to know much about the Social Security Act.

  8. Colonial Viper 8

    Yeah sorry, Labour tinkering around the edges is pretty pathetic.

    Please create 50,000 jobs ASAP, not providing ‘market incentives’.

  9. Rusty Hellback 9

    We want to create a country that we can be proud of again – built on jobs, opportunity and fairness. That’s our plan and we appreciate your support in getting there.

    hardly a plan. more a wishlist, statement of intent but i’ll support you dave !!!

    its nice to be appreciated:)

  10. Rhinocrates 10

    As Shearer would have written it, if it hadn’t – obviously – been written by some underpaid party hack:

    I’m late, I mean to say what I meant to say that ah, there was meant to be press release… you can take that… I said to the press that there was a release, an “e-newsletter” because I heard that the “Internet” had been invented or developed. No. Yes. There’s the internet. Some think it has a capital “I” and I might agree. There’s an internet or an Internet. There are e-newsletters. That’s better than mimeographs.

    My focus groups told me to shit today, so I did. It felt good. I’ll do it again, if they tell me to.

    I also have an opinion. I mean they told me that I should have an opinion.

    Is this switched on?

    I mean to say, unemployment is bad. Especially if you’re working.

    Except when you’re painting your roof. Painting roofs is bad, especially in a coal mine. Labour wouldn’t sell any roofs or beneficiaries, except the bludging scum.

    What I mean to say is that John Key is bad and he doesn’t listen to people who don’t have their roofs painted. The Greens said so and they’re the opposition. My focus groups told me that Labour are the opposition too and opposing this is good, so I mean to say that it’s a bad thing, painting coal mines,, that is.

    We stand for good things and oppose bad things. Good things are, I mean, well, ah, good things are things that most people think aren’t bad. I mean there are a range of opinions about what is good and bad, but I’m sure we can all agree that there are good things and I support them, as Leader of a party. That party. A party. It might be the Labour party. Some people agree with that and my focus groups tell me that I’m leader of the Labour party and I think I – on the whole – agree with that.

    A thousand GCSB staff left for Australia last week and they didn’t paint any roofs at all. There are a lot of roofs that aren’t being painted because GCSB staff are busy tying me kangaroo down, sport. Rolf Harris paints a lot, though not roofs because they’re on the benefit. I mean to say that it’s a bloody disgrace that there are kangaroos on the sickness benefit, lying to us. My focus groups told me that lying kangaroos are a threat to employment, or security. They said I had to say this because the Greens have already said it and they’re the opposition and being the opposition is what I should be doing because I don’t want Liz Hurley or something. I should be copying the Greens and not the mangoes, I’m told. I mean I’m a mango. I mean Liz Hurley isn’t painting Kim Dotcom… or was that Phil Goff who said that Kim Dotcom is a kangaroo?

    I’ve got to say what lots of bloggers have been saying already for a week about John Dotcom not overseeing the kangaroos in the GCSB because if lots of people are saying something, I should wait and listen and then pretend I’m the first to say it when everyone else has said it already.

    I mean to say that John someone is spying on kangaroos and we oppose that, whatever party it is that I’m in. I mean I lead a party.

    Trevor said “boobies” and as far as I’m concerned, that’s true.

    Is this switched on?

    Warm regards,

    Christ I hate the smarminess of that last. Piss trickling down my leg is warm and that’s what his fake bonhomie feels like. If a dog pissed on my leg, I’d kick it and I’d like to kick Shearer for doing the same.

  11. captain hook 11

    any body who reads that last load of piffle will be moronised.
    just like old bignose.

  12. Poission 12

    Japans unemployment figure just released. down to 4.2% in Aug.CPI 0.3% year on year,

    Production down 1% a lot due to factory closures,following earthquake .Looks like the retraining of the factory workers (fast tracked) to become construction workers is showing some reward in the stats.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      Small issue of their total public and private debt now standing at 500% of GDP. It’s going to be an ugly finish mate, as masses of baby boomer Japanese workers are now retiring and are going to be wanting the pensions they have been promised.

      So instead of providing the Japanese govt with plenty of internal savings to finance deficit spending and debt servicing with, these new retirees will be drawing down on the savings that they think they already have.

      A lot of Japanese are going to be very disappointed in the next 10 or so years.

  13. Rhinocrates 13

    This is what Labour has come to? Waiting a week to hear what everyone else has been saying, pissing about with focus groups to see if it’s safe to repeat what’s already been said and then putting together a bland “e-newsletter”? Jesus fucking aitch Christ in a sidecar. If those jellyfish actually had a spine and a central nervous system, they’d have a chance of developing some principles and speak according to them. You actually earn respect by having principles and standing by them and by articulating them clearly right away. Waiting to see what everyone else thinks, pandering to focus groups and then sending out a mind-numbingly bland and patronising “e-newsletter” only gains the contempt that it deserves.

    This is not a government in waiting. The opposition should lead even in opposition. It shouldn’t look at some spurious research saying that it should pander to whatever someone somewhere thinks supports their prejudices about beneficiaries or what would vaguely be “nice” to believe. It should lead. Maybe I’m being hyperbolic, but Martin Luther King showed his leadership by saying that he had a dream and that he was going to teach people what it meant. Shearer, on the other hand, is a nothing, a weathervane turning to the faintest and most transient breeze after its blown, and waffling even about that.

    • Colonial Viper 13.1

      Wait a mo, let me get the focus group together first before I give you some authentic and timely feedback on your comment.

    • David H 13.2

      Yep never was a truer word spoken. Come on we all know that Shearer has the appeal of a having a tooth removed with out the pain killers. Labour needs to have a complete overhaul and soon. E-Letter. Christ on a crutch..

      How much more has this bunch of incompetents got to fuck up, to shake the Labour party out of their fucking torpor.

  14. Nunya 14

    Don’t be so hard on whathisname. This was a tricky one for him – as he learned when he was busy enabling imperialism, er sorry handing out United Nations lollies to afghans and iraqis who had been invaded by hordes of redneck thugs, you can’t do anything until washington says that its OK to, and washington was really slow providing direction on this one. In the end whathisname was told mild criticim was alright as long as none of the amerikans and englanders who dominate NZ’s security and intelligence services got ‘picked on’. Key or whathisname makes no diferrence to the empire, since they’re both happy to do as they’re told.
    See NZ has really grown up. We’re almost as grown up as amerika, where it doesn’t disturb the bosses who gets elected, rumnuts or oblamblam, they both stick to the neo-liberal agenda, happily destroying amerika’s manufacturing, education, welfare and health infrastructure, while sending amerika’s poor off to the other side of the world to murder rape n otherwise maim a less compliant mob of poorfellas.
    Just watch the same thing happen here in nz, if by some mischance enough kiwis take sufficient stupid pills to vote for whathisname and his band of desperate careerists.

  15. Draco T Bastard 15

    The Government is so consumed by the Kim Dotcom saga that it’s taken its eye off what matters most to Kiwis – jobs.

    No they haven’t. The economy is losing jobs just as NACT planned it so that wages will decrease, profits will increase and people will become more and more dependent on the capitalists that they’re selling NZ out to.

    • Jim Nald 15.1

      + 170,000

    • Thanks Draco

      Thank goodness somebody understands how these Tories work. The aim power ,Unemployement ,low wages and their main objection crushthe unions.

    • Conal 15.3

      Exactly. What’s implied by Shearer’s comment? That if the Nats hadn’t been distracted by the Dotcom corruption and spying scandal, they would have been done better on maintaining employment? That is so much bullshit, but it speaks volumes about Shearer’s middle-class technocratic political views. Labour would have a better employment policy because they would be less distracted and more professional and just all round better managers of the economy. Actually the reason the Nats have performed so badly in this area is that their policies aren’t actually directed towards full employment but to maximising the rate of profit. For them, a recession is an opportunity to squeeze a bit more out of the working class. The difference in policy is not due to incompetence but to malevolence towards workers.

  16. xtasy 17

    Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, dear David, am I supposed to take that last bit seriously?

    “This incident undermines New Zealanders’ confidence in our intelligence agencies, it’s also embarrassing for us internationally and damages our reputation as one of the world’s most honest and transparent countries.”

    Are you for real? This country is NOT the clean, green, honest country that I and many others see, who have some insight and REAL life experiences.

    This comment proves yet again, you and your party are part of the problem, only offering a “lighter” version of what NatACT deliver us.

    I have NO trust in the SIS and the agency that is supposedly only meant to investigate “foreign” suspects and threats. Indeed, we have the SIS keep files on a number of MPs, many of the Green Party, for simply coming from a background of activism, which they (SIS) think is reason enough to spy on them.

    We also have a police force that breaks the law itself in many cases, that suppresses true information that may expose wrongdoing, that also is the usual “investigating agency” to follow up Independet Police Conduct Authority complaints. Look up the relevant legislation, please, and you will see what it is all about.

    I have little trust in SIS, police and so forth. Kim Dotcom may not be quite “kosher” to some, but he still has rights. His case has revealed how secret service agencies and police breach rules and laws, and “serve” the interests of US government agencies. I suspect you are comfy with all this?!

    As for Solid Energy, I would have preferred a more competent comment on this by David Cunliffe, as you are NO economic expert at all, and I have enough proof of this.

    Your “warm regards” are not received “warmly” by me, as I have noted your shallowness and hollowness on many issues now. It was Russel Norman and Winston Peters hammering the government for the recent scandalous failures re the Dotcom case. You are a “runner up”. You and Jacinda Ardern are also not sufficiently convincing on your opposition to Bennett’s welfare slashing. Where do you stand, please? This e letter is just more wishy washy bullshit to me and others.

    Take the decent step and hand over leadership to a true leader in opposition, thanks, it is disgraceful to hang onto the job and ruin more week by week. Labour will suffer badly from all this and maybe never recover.

    Thanks

    Xtasy

    • David H 17.1

      Personally I would like to heart Cunliffe’s views on quite a few things to do with the economy as he is the sharpest knife in the drawer and what the fuck is Shearer up to keeping him quiet ? I was waiting for him to stand up and tear Key and co a new one but no, as usual the Greens and Winston lead the way with the waffely party a sad 3rd in the cue. What is happening in the labour party that Key and co can embarrass the country lie cheat and probably steal and NOTHING is said. They have to get rid of the ones hanging on by their fingernails the ones that should have gone last time. Shearer would be much better suited to being his childrens ministry thats what he does best, he is not a cut and thrust politician and it’s rubbing off. Anything goes because there is no opposition to Key and co.

      My son is 16 months old what sort of NZ is he going to inherit I wonder.

      • Jim Nald 17.1.1

        You may have to wait a while. A former Wellington workmate of mine said Shearer is keeping the seat warm for Grant Robertson.

  17. ak 18

    Huge improvement lately, and good report. Short, clear, concrete proposal that passes the common sense test, and above all a bit of fire returning to those pagani-softened bellies. Finally sloughing the goff hangover and regaining a whiff of Hels’ balls.
    Keep it up and watch those polls stiffen.

  18. Hmm, if there is to be no change in the leadership of labour re: shearer, then all
    labour supporters need to get in behind the party and support it,the latest polls
    show that labour has increased by 7%,so obviously people are
    getting used to shearer’s style and opting for labour anyway.
    Cunliffe would have been the better labour leader and so that decision to
    vote in an inexperianced leader may come back to haunt all concerned,even
    now they are probably thinking ‘what if ‘

    • xtasy 19.1

      starlight: The truth is rather, that Key and his incompetent, ideological lot have made so many stuff ups, have been exposed for so much hypocrisy, telling lies and not having any real plan to get NZ ahead. So it is rather the disillusionment with this NatACT government that has “helped” Labour and Shearer to get a bit more support. It is certainly not for what the opposition has been delivering, although there have of course been some positive moves.

      Chances are that National will be voted out of government in 2014, and Labour only be given the default opportunity to try and form an alternative government. That is not good enough, I am afraid.

      • Jim Nald 19.1.1

        The impression conveyed by the Shearer leadership is not that it will, or wants to, be in government, but that it is shuffling around and waiting for the current lot to lose.

  19. Conal 20

    The coal business has good long term prospects? Heaven help us. Coal mining has an almost mythic value to Labour nostalgics, but for God’s sake! Get over it! Leave that shit in the ground where it belongs!

    • Colonial Viper 20.1

      Approx half of the increased energy use of the global economy over the last 10 years has been fuelled by coal. Coal extraction has been massively increasing over that entire time, the largest portion of it in China.

      • Conal 20.1.1

        Oh indeed! And yet, unless the world’s economy can pretty much entirely kick the fossil fuel habit within the next few decades, we will face environmental catastrophe on a global scale. The Greens know this, but apparently Shearer’s vision doesn’t extend far beyond the next election. He probably thinks coal mining has a “good long term future” just because it had a past and has a present.

        • Colonial Viper 20.1.1.1

          Indeed, one way or another, the world is going to lose its love affair with fossil fuels in the next 25 years. I’m predicting a hard breakup, myself.

  20. I wonder how many ofthe above are in fact members of the LP. The fact is David Shearer is the leader and its up to us tro support him and help,him win the next election.
    May I remind you all that the above comments are just a repeat of what was said about Helen Clark (in fact the insults to Helen were disgusting. ) Those of you old enough to remember Bill Rowling will recall how the Right labelled him weak and incompetent theye were that clever they even had our own people joining the bayers. Helen turned out to be one of the best ,personally I think the best PM ever for NZ.If Bill Rowling had won his election we would have had his pension scheme well in place and we would have been one of the riches countries in the world. Instead the sheepish public believed the moaners and we had Muldoon .enough said.

    • Absolutely agree, she directed the Labour Party with eloquence.
      The team she was working with holds equal credit.

    • Colonial Viper 21.2

      Those of you old enough to remember Bill Rowling will recall how the Right labelled him weak and incompetent

      In this case the Right have labelled Shearer a top man and definitely the guy for the job. Is that more reassuring to you? Because it isn’t really more reassuring to me.

      • Jim Nald 21.2.1

        Shearer must run as PM for 2014, and if not, 2017, and in any case, the Labour Membership must unreservedly give him till 2020 … at which stage he will definitely show himself to be a really good, excellent strong leader that NZ history will record for posterity, governing NZ for three terms (2020-2029).

        I am joining the Labour Party on Monday 😛

    • Te Reo Putake 21.3

      Cheers, postie. There’s a copy of ‘Bill Rowling; the Man and the Myth’ gathering dust in the garage, must dig it out. The defensive title says a lot about the attacks Rowling suffered and if it wasn’t for the pro-Tory FPP system we used back in his time, he would have been a great PM for 2 or 3 terms.
       
      Just musing on Shearer, I do wonder why we socialists get hung up on the leader. Surely we are all about teamwork and common cause? It’s the blue team that thinks that all credit must go to the top dog.
       
      I was told yesterday that Cunliffe was asked at a union meeting earlier in the week when he was going to roll Shearer and his response was to laugh it off and point out that he was proud to be part of the team that was going to roll Key. That’s the kind of atitude that is going to make the next election a good one for the left.

      • I agree TE R.P/ After all it s the majority of the caucus who bring make the laws possible .via the policy committee.

        The Tories keep trying to convince the public and members that there is going be a membership coup .They might find that the coup will be in the Nats ranks. I know one thing If I was a Nat I would not be very happy with the way their incompetent leader is carrying on.

      • Colonial Viper 21.3.2

        Surely we are all about teamwork and common cause?

        You must have noticed that the team work on the Right is much sharper and more organised? Much better resourced too. Of course, it’s certainly not for the common cause.

        • BloodyOrphan 21.3.2.1

          Hahahahahahahahahaha LOL, damn that hurts , Hahahahahahahahahaha LOL , damn that hurts ….

          No amount of money can save them from their own incompetence, and the “Left” is wise too you guys rippin us off now, so read it and weep CV, ur buddies are going down for the morons they are.
          Have yas’ been watchin the polls recently?, organise them M8!
          Do ya cut and paste right and left wing words on this board too M8!?
          Some more “Communist Crap” to scare them perhaps ?

        • ak 21.3.2.2

          Aye, CV, it’s almost as if they have a sympathetic and untouchable intelligence-gathering service at their disposal…

    • xtasy 21.4

      the pink postman: Maybe it is more a case of utter desperation, trying to find any positive signs of competent, convincing leadership in David Shearer, that most here have. The criticism does not come easily, as most will be well aware that any alternative government will need a strong, capable Labour Party as being at least part of it. Traditionally one would have expected Labour to “lead” the opposition.

      That though has only happened in part and often only sporadically. It was due to Key and National ministers stuffing up big over recent weeks and months, that this has made Labour look a bit better.

      People are screaming out for a stronger leadership and clearer policies from within Labour, but to our greatest dismay, it is not coming forth sufficiently. To be “patient” and wait another year or so for Labour to sort itself out is just too much of an ask to put up with.

      Sorry, I used to vote Labour, and I did vote for the local Labour candidate (who actually lost to a Nat one). But my vote was cast for the “lesser evil”. My party vote has gone to the Greens, but I expect them to deliver too, or else I may consider yet another alternative.

      So do not blame people for “bagging” Shearer, they may have good reasons to ask questions and be critical.

  21. I.E A good leader knows’ how to delegate, and they are mastering that leadership with a team.

  22. sukieDamson 23

    Shearer, Wake the f*ck up!

  23. Jokerman 24

    Regretably, Shearer Says-not very freakin much (gotta call it how it appears, else it is just denial)
    however,
    Teamwork, with a couple of Strong Props like Cunliffe and Damian O’Connor may be the hook..

    • Best approach really, keeps people available when horsepower is required.
      Just gotta delegate/share the load.
      The Gnats are isolationists and could never truly delegate, which is why John Key kept taking the reins back, all J Edgar Hoover in his mind.
      I’d expect those captains wanted to drop the case.

  24. karol 25

    Uh-oh:

    http://tumeke.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/shearer-on-nation-review.html

    One thing you can say about Shearer’s interview on The Nation in the weekend, is that he is getting much better and manages only a few cringe worthy moments per interview.

    I was left wondering ‘if only John Hartevelt was this brave when asking questions of Joyce’ during this weeks show, but the moment of joy has to go to Alex Tarrant who fed Shearer Cunliffe’s words and Shearer walked into it by denying those words. It’s worth watching the entire thing just to see the look on Tarrent’s face while Shearer’s answer goes deeper and deeper.

    Hey I said Shearer’s performance had gotten better, but from the point he was starting, staying clothed during the interview is a win.

    And Bomber goes on to be critical of Shearer for not reading some of the best and/or most prominent left wing blogs.

    I hope the Labour Party members and caucus manages to come up with a better leader in the next few months. The left needs a more dynamic Labour leader right now. I’d prefer Cunliffe, but Robertson would also be better than Shearer, even though he leans too far to the right for my liking.

  25. Chris 26

    So why isn’t bomber our pm in waiting?

  26. BM 27

    Hmmm,umm, ohh, aye?,what’s my name?, where do I live?

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