The MSM are talking up the contest between the up-coming 2 speeches by John Key today, and David Cunliffe on Monday. Both are targeting West Auckland for their first speech, setting the platform for their upcoming election campaigns. Key was chosen the Trusts Stadium in Henderson – Paula Bennett’s territory. Cunliffe has chosen Kelston – location of the new Kelston electorate, seen as solid Labour territory.
But there are other differences – too obvious for the stating:
John Key’s event as in an invite on the Accountant Blog:
The West Auckland Business Club and ATEED are proud to present a lunch with special guest speaker Prime Minister the Rt Hon John Key – in his first address of 2014.
The first Business Forum of the year on 23 January will be the sixth occasion the Prime Minister has agreed to speak to a Business Forum.
The lunch will be an ideal opportunity to network with leaders of the West Auckland business community, catch up with Business Club members after the holidays, and host your team and key clients at a table.
Come along and enjoy a buffet lunch amid lively conversations prompted by the Prime Minister’s insights.
Please register quickly before this event sells out.
The West Auckland Business Club is a not-for-profit organisation and for the past 21 years, all profits from events have been donated to the West Auckland community.
Date: Thursday 23 January 2014, 11:00am – 1.30pm
Venue: Genesis Lounge, The Trusts Arena, 65 Central Park Drive, Henderson
Cost: $90 + GST each, or book a table of 10 for $850 + GST (includes lunch)
Register here.
According to National Party cheerleader, John Armstrong, Key will:
Key has chosen education as the main focus of his speech because he believes elections are won and lost on how governments handle matters fundamental to people’s daily lives, such as law and order and economic management.
Last year’s disappointing PISA results showing that New Zealand school students’ performance in reading, maths and science had slipped against some countries has left National vulnerable in a portfolio area where it had previously felt it held the advantage over Labour in terms of putting forward policies that parents wanted to see implemented but which did not square with Labour ideology.
Cunliffe’s speech is a free, no frills event at Kelston Girls College:
Join Labour leader David Cunliffe for the State of the Nation Speech 2014: A Nation of Opportunity.
Be there at the new venue, Kelston Girls’ College Auditorium, Corner Great North Road and Archibald Road, Kelston, West Auckland.
If you can’t be there in person catch up later on YouTube. Have your say on Facebook, with Twitter#Labour2014 or email stateofthenation@cunliffe.co.nz.
This event is for members and supporters of the New Zealand Labour Party.
According to the Labour Party website,
State of the Nation
Join David Cunliffe for his State of the Nation address – at the new venue, Kelston Girls’ College Auditorium.
David will speak about creating opportunities for every New Zealander, no matter who they are or where they were born.
Cunliffe has already indicated some of the possibly less palatable parts of his policy platform: GGST to remain on fruit and vege; no $5000 tax free zone; superannuation age will stay ay 67 years with some adjustments for gender and social equity. And he has put some distance between Labour and the Greens in not totally opposing deep sea oil drilling.
Russel Norman has expressed disappointment about Cunliffe’s support of deep sea oil drilling (with legislation ensuring strong safety measures), and called it a huge mistake. This will test the Labour-Green relationship (as micky has posted on The Standard), but I don’t see it as insurmountable. It is one of the reasons why my party vote will still be for the Green Party. It also shows a clear difference betwen the two potential coalition partners, even though they have similar aims for society: a good thing about MMP, is that significant issues need be given some public airing, and the public can have some input on it.
What other differences will there be between these two upcoming important speeches by Key and Cunliffe?
[Update] Metiria Turei’s speech, Sunday: Picnic for the Planet
When: Sunday, January 26, 2014 – 11:00am – 3:00pm
Where: Waitangi Park, Wellington
Join Metiria and the Green team for Picnic for the Planet 2014.
Metiria will give her State of New Zealand speech at 12pm followed by performances by Nelson’s own Minuit and special guests.
There’ll be plenty of food and drink stalls to keep you refreshed, kids entertainment for the little ones and friendly NGO stalls sharing their good green message.
Picnic for the Planet is free so bring the family, your mates and enjoy the sun, music and hear about our Green vision for 2014.
No clues so far as to what will be in Turei’s speech.
[UPDATE] Key’s speech defensively slammed Greens and Labour then focused on the corporatising of education.
Key starts his speech by hoping everyone had a good Christmas like him – playing golf! He then put a diversionary gloss on the (to him on-) growth of the income inequality gap: he said it’s not tru what the opposition say: “”It’s not true that the rich are getting richer and the poor getting poorer.”
key attacked Lab-green power policy; Labour on taxes, super, decreasing competition; Lab-green power policy;
He got into a muddled attempt to reiterate the “neoliberal” focus on individual responsibility, with reference to his own, state-house-to-bankster-PM myth. He said Lab-green want to take us back to the 70s – the 70s from which he got far better support from NZ’s welfare state than low income people today.
Key claims he’s strong on trust and integrity
Then he got onto education – claimed NZ’s record has gone backwards since 2000. So, to help the kids, he’ll put the focus on improving teaching first, and leadership 2nd. His policy – outlined in this Nat press release, is about corporatising education, and increasing competition within the system: a system with extra layers of bureaucracy and hierarchy; with “Executive Principals” and “Lead Teachers” paid extra on top of their salaries.
[Update] Tweet from Metiria Turei:
Vote Green and you get both – great education policy and protected beaches. I’m making an education announcement in Sunday mx
Winston Peters responds to Key’s speech:
Rt Hon Winston Peters says the Prime Minister presented a particularly self-serving, selective view of what is actually happening in New Zealand.
Newstalk ZB: Transcript of Key’s speech.
Green Party responds to Key’s speech: ‘National fails to address inequality in education‘
Cunliffe’s stand up today – Key’s speech was “a six page apology for Hekia Parata”.
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