A couple of weeks ago we asked readers to suggest questions for written answers from the candidates. We chose / edited six questions, and sent them to the four campaigns. The questions were:
(1) Can you outline your strategy for winning the next election.
(2) How prepared are you to work with the wider left, with the other parties of the left? Would you form a coalition with the Greens, before the next election – why or why not?
(3) How will you combat the attacks that will most certainly come from National and their fronts such as the “Taxpayers’ Union” and blogs? How do you shift the narrative so that “middle New Zealand” stop believing propaganda and start engaging with the real issues going on in New Zealand?
(4) Rural communities and towns have been declining for many years. What’s your plan to stop urban drift and the loss of vital services to these areas?
(5) Do you intend for Labour to develop policy specific to Work and Income beneficiaries? (as opposed to policy directed towards low income people in general). Do you recognise that many WINZ beneficiaries have vulnerabilities not being addressed by other Labour policy?
(6) Do you have the courage to acknowledge the predicament presented by Anthropogenic Global Warming and take the bull by the horns? Do you agree with the statement: “Coal mining is an unacceptably dangerous and ecologically unsustainable industry in the 21st Century”, and if so what are the implications for NZ?
Grant Robertson is the first to get back to us with a reply…
(1) Can you outline your strategy for winning the next election.
Labour needs an election strategy that will enable the party to reach out to a wider set of voters. Under my leadership the key planks of that strategy will be a clear policy agenda, and ensuring that the Labour Party is unified and fit for purpose. That means lifting the standard of our internal organisation. We need to form our 2017 Campaign Committee right now, including representatives from the membership. We need to develop clear, focused messages that underpin all our communications throughout the three year period. We must overhaul Labour’s capacity -its resources, processes and skills – to ensurethe party is equipped to build its support base. I would like to see regional organisers on the ground as soon as possible. You can find out more about my proposal for a Labour in the Community programme at www.grantrobertson.co.nz/labourinthecommunity
Policy development is critical, but so too is how we communicate the way in which Labourpolicies will make a difference to New Zealanders’ lives. This will mean developing a limited number of core messages that highlight our focus on work and opportunity through education, health and housing. It will also mean highlighting the impact and purpose rather than the means. The absolute imperative is consistency. We must be true to our values and inspire confidence that we can deliver what we are promising.
(2) How prepared are you to work with the wider left, with the other parties of the left? Would you form a coalition with the Greens, before the next election – why or why not?
The first priority is for Labour to be clear and confident about what it stands for. We need to clearly establish our identity with the electorate and show that we are united team. We are simply not credible as the lead party of an alternative government at 25%. Labour can, and should be a 40% party again. We must use this as the basis of a mature and confident relationship with the Greens and any other parties who, like Labour, believe the country should be run in the interests of all New Zealanders, not just the wealthiest. By the time we reach the 2017 election campaign New Zealanders need to know what an alternative government looks like.
(3) How will you combat the attacks that will most certainly come from National and their fronts such as the “Taxpayers’ Union” and blogs? How do you shift the narrative so that “middle New Zealand” stop believing propaganda and start engaging with the real issues going on in New Zealand?
We will achieve that by being true to our values and ideals, so that we define Labour rather than allowing our opponents to do so,. We must develop coherent and affordable policies that give all New Zealanders hope for the future. We must keep a relentless focus on the coreissues – work, education, health, housing and having a plan for the big challenges of our time- climate change, the gap between the rich and the rest and the changing nature of work. Our parliamentary team has to be better prepared and more vigorous in holding National to account and exposing their failings. Once we have developed our narrative it will need to be communicated effectively through a variety of channels – traditional media formats, social media, direct mail and, most importantly, by going out to communities, especially in the regions, and talking with people face-to-face.
(4) Rural communities and towns have been declining for many years. What’s your plan to stop urban drift and the loss of vital services to these areas?
We must invest in our regions to create opportunities for jobs, education and training. Our Regional Investment Fund is a good basis for this, supporting projects that are part of a sustainable regional development plan developed by the region itself. We can also make a difference by ensuring that we invest in regional tertiary education. One policy I developed in the last term was Centres of Vocational Excellence to be housed at regional polytechnics built around an area of expertise or job growth. We also need to use the power of government procurement to support local industries. What happened with Hillside Workshops in Dunedin must never occur again. We need to ensure local firms that are producing local jobs get a fair go at government contracts. It will also be possible to ensure that some government services are delivered in the regions- e.g. call centres that would make a big difference to those cities and towns and that National has centralised to Wellington.
(5) Do you intend for Labour to develop policy specific to Work and Income beneficiaries? (as opposed to policy directed towards low income people in general). Do you recognise that many WINZ beneficiaries have vulnerabilities not being addressed by other Labour policy?
We will develop policy that is specific to Work and Income and those who use the services. As an electorate MP with an office across the road from Work and Income I deal every week with the impact on my constituents of the policies that National has put in place. These include matters such as Work and Income clients’ entitlements,through to correcting policy changes that are forcing people to undertake low paid precarious work rather than allow them to train and study for more sustainable jobs. More broadly we need to see better integration of other services that beneficiaries are using such as housing and health with Work and Income so that people do not fall through the gaps.
(6) Do you have the courage to acknowledge the predicament presented by Anthropogenic Global Warming and take the bull by the horns? Do you agree with the statement: “Coal mining is an unacceptably dangerous and ecologically unsustainable industry in the 21st Century”, and if so what are the implications for NZ?
I have stated that one of my priority issues in terms of facing the future is climate change. We need a clear plan to reduce emissions and to transition to a low carbon economy in a way that is equitable and just. We must set a price on carbon that can apply across the economy. Labour in government developed an ETS that achievedthis, but the scheme has been gutted by National and never fully implemented. We should be open to the mechanism that will ensure that the price applies in the fairest and most equitable manner. We need sector plans in agriculture, energy and transport that are clear and bold. For example I think we should set the goal of 100% renewable energy generation. In terms of coal I do not see it as part of our long term energy mix although I accept it will be necessary in the short term.
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