Speech time

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, May 21st, 2024 - 6 comments
Categories: chris hipkins, Christopher Luxon, climate change, labour, national, Unions, workers' rights - Tags:

I attended the Auckland Regional Labour Party conference last weekend.

It was very well attended, with more than 200 people there at its peak.

What was really pleasing was that the average age of attendees has come down dramatically. There were many familiar older faces of people who had worked for decades trying to make New Zealand a better place. But there were a number of younger faces as well, newer members obviously motivated by the country’s current track.

The mood of grim determination is reflected in the recent Talbot Mills poll where 52% of those polled said the country was on the “wrong track”, up from 41% in February. And only 38% thought the country was headed in the “right direction” and 10% were unsure.

And only 16% thought the economy was good or excellent while 84% felt economic conditions were poor or “not so good”, an increase of 11 percentage points from February.

There was much talk about how this could be a one term Government. And there was a grim determination that this will occur.

Chris Hipkins spoke on Saturday. His speech was a carefully crafted response to Christopher Luxon’s pre budget speech given a few days earlier.

They both talked about their vision for New Zealand in 2040.

Luxon tacked left early on and talked about ethnic diversiity. He then stated that his vision included a more dynamic and productive economy, with higher living standards and more opportunity.

He also claimed that National wanted a “comprehensive response to climate change, both on track to achieve our ambitious emissions targets, and resilient to the challenges of a more volatile world”. Someone should tell him about the importance of delivery and many things that National has done are not the things you do when you are wanting to reduce emissions. But at least he did talk about the subject.

He painted a rosy picture of what his Government has achieved so far, much rosier than most of us think is appropriate. And the focus areas were clear, “rebuild the economy, restore law and order, and deliver better public services.”

In his speech Chris Hipkins summed up the Government well:

To be blunt – it’s been a shambolic start to the Parliamentary term. This Coalition Government is taking Aotearoa backwards at such an alarming rate it’s quite honestly hard to keep up sometimes.

New Zealanders voted for change last year, but I don’t think what Kiwis are getting is what they thought they voted for. There is no thought and no care in the decisions this Government is making. But above all – there is no vision.

No vision for a society that takes climate change seriously. No vision for doing right by Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi. And certainly no vision for a future focused on reducing inequality so everyone can succeed.

His contempt for the Government’s treatment of Maori led to this zinger:

I wondered how a person who has done so much to take Māori backwards could seriously stand in front of the country and claim he was looking forward to that date with pride.

Otherwise Hipkins’ speech was a well crafted colleciton of goals for 2040.

There was a jarring absence. The word “union” did not appear in the speech at all. And “worker” was mentioned only once, and that in the context of workers getting better qualifications.

Meanwhile David Parker has proposed that the Party’s policy platform includes a commitment “to use the democratic political process to advance the interests of working people”. My personal view is that we should talk about class. The interests of the top 1% are being prioritised over the interestes of ordinary people and we should not be afraid to point this out.

The tone of Labour’s campaign will be all important. While Hipkins’ speech was a good start I think he needs to start talking about class. And Unions.

6 comments on “Speech time ”

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  1. Darien Fenton 1
    21 May 2024 at 10:56 am

    Good on you Greg for going along. Interesting to hear about the younger audience. I always want to hear the word "union" in any speech from a Labour leader. On class, it's an interesting discussion. It certainly was a thing when I was growing up, when my mother used to say we were middle upper class or vice versa despite us living in a State House and my miner Labour MP grandfather! Obviously something she aspired to. I see the CTU use "working people" – no doubt to accommodate the predominance of state sector unions and professionals. I would like us to find a way to talk about class too, but am not sure how. The 1% is a good start.

  2. tc 2
    21 May 2024 at 1:23 pm

    "… I think he needs to start talking about class. And Unions."

    The fact he omitted those is another reason hes not fit for the role micky.

    We just had a repeal of fair pay legislation and reintroduction of 90 day fire at will provisions which to paraphrase one union leader makes this the most anti-worker govt ever.

  3. Corey 3
    21 May 2024 at 4:25 pm

    I genuinely do like reading your content Mickey.

    I still stand by my statements in 2023, that neither major party was actively trying to win the 2023 election, both seemed to want to be in a strong position for 2026.

    It really was a poisoned chalice due to the global economy and the PTSD the electorate and world has following a traumatic global shared experience like covid 19.

    I also stand by the fact that neither Chris would (or should) be leading their party come 2026.

    This government is truly awful, it's unpopular. It could very possibly be a one term govt.

    I'm continuously shocked by how many people who either dont do politics or who id peg as more National inclined openly complain about it in IRL day to day encounters.

    The problem is many of them will follow up with something disparaging about Labour having no ideas, vision, or offering the same shit as national but with a concerned smile.

    When you mention the greens they like the economic policies but hate the party and think it's only interested in identity issues. Hopefully Chloe can change that perception.

    Labour is doing OK in the polls but it still needs to do some soul searching, it doesn't seem like Labour understand or care why they lost public support.

    Its policies for 2026 cannot be more neolib bollocks like working with property developers to bulk buy over priced freemarket created houses.

    It needs a couple Keynesian policies inregards to infrastructure and housing.

    It cannot just triangulate its way into office.

    Labour needs to remember that without the left it cannot win the center, whenever Labour focuses solely on the center and lets the left flock to the Greens, Labour automatically goes under 30% in the polls and when a party is polling under 30% centerist voters write it off and won't even consider voting for them

    It needs to compete with national and the greens not just national.

    Whatever it does though Chris Hipkins has been tuned out by the public, for the better part of a year, whatever Labour has to say if he's the one saying it only the faithful are going to listen.

    Labour shouldn't rush to replace him but early next year he should step aside and give Kieren… Sorry I mean whoever the party chooses enough time to reinvent itself for 2026.

  4. Nigel Haworth 4
    22 May 2024 at 7:20 am

    I too have used “working people” as a euphemism for class and as a signal about for whom and why the Labour Party was created. A return to class analysis is overdue as the globalisation of wealth differences requires that understanding. There remain within NZ Labour – as in Starmer’s UK party – currents vehemently opposed to class analysis.

    Why so angry is interesting. One explanation is the effect of post-modernism, which substitutes a contemporary pluralism for class analysis. Foucault et al. were in part a response to monolithic structuralism (ie Althusser and ilk). Another is the legacy of “Third Way” approaches. Yet another is the long road from Socialism, begun three generations or more ago, which seems to see the idea of class as an unwelcome indictment of backsliding.

    This is an important discussion. Hackles will be raised!

    • Res Publica 4.1
      22 May 2024 at 8:14 am

      My only worry is that classical class analysis lumped the middle and professional classes in with the bourgeoisie e.g. the enemy.

      I think a more modern approach is needed that recognizes that the division between classes isn't so much about owning the means of production, but between those of us that have to live in the state, and those that are so wealthy and influential they can live above it and capture the state for their own benefit.

      The 'us' in this case is the working + middle classes. The them is the landlords, the chamber of commerce crowd, mining, and agriculture.

    • mickysavage 4.2
      22 May 2024 at 1:14 pm

      This is an important discussion. Hackles will be raised!

      Good to see you are happy to raise those hackles!

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