Posts Tagged ‘hekia parata’

Caption contest

Written By: - Date published: 1:55 pm, April 18th, 2011 - 29 comments

Par for the course for women

Written By: - Date published: 9:13 am, March 11th, 2011 - 13 comments

With the Government’s most useless Minister, Pansy Wong, gone under a cloud of corruption and replaced by a new MP who has been labeled by some as a future Nat leader, we might have hoped that the Women’s Affairs portfolio would get some decent treatment and we would see a real commitment to closing the pay gap. Well, we can stop hoping.

3 time loser wins

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, December 7th, 2010 - 25 comments

In a surprise to no-one, John Key has appointed 3 time election loser Hekia Parata to replace the latest of his corrupt ministers to walk the plank – Pansy Wong. I’m hoping Parata will be less of a disgrace than Wong. It wouldn’t be hard, she would just have to actually try to answer questions in the House and actually do something about the wage gaps.

Assessing Labour’s Mana result

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, November 21st, 2010 - 93 comments

Labour can be reasonably pleased with the Mana result. The majority is small but that does not mean anything for the wider party. To win Labour had to overcome 1) a weak candidate 2) a ferocious Key-centred National campaign  3) a threat to its left 4) a media narrative that damned it thrice over, and 5) a very low turn-out.

Who’s disrespecting whom?

Written By: - Date published: 7:42 pm, November 18th, 2010 - 38 comments

Mana locals rallied loudly against Key and Parata today. Key says “we treat them with respect even if they don’t treat us with respect”. Nah. McCarten talking to a guy who opposes him was respectful. Key could’ve shown respect by taking time to defend his record: wages down, no jobs, rising crime, service cuts. He didn’t. No respect.

Maori & Pacific Island incomes plummet

Written By: - Date published: 6:58 am, November 18th, 2010 - 93 comments

Here’s a little something that Kris Fa’afoi and his team might like to being to the attention of Mana voters as they prepare to go to the polls. On National’s watch, the median Maori income has fallen 11.5%. For Pacific Islanders the fall’s 19%. Pakeha are down 2.6%. No tax cut for the rich can cover the gaping holes in those family budgets.

$1mil Whanau Ora funding for Parata supporters

Written By: - Date published: 10:04 am, November 17th, 2010 - 33 comments

What little we know of Whanau Ora is that it is essentially the privatisation of government delivery of social services to private groups. Rather than deliver services themselves, government departments entrust taxpayer funds to small groups that often have little or no track record to do the job instead. It’s an invitation for corruption.

Different approaches to campaigning in Mana

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, November 11th, 2010 - 28 comments

The two major parties’ Mana campaigns are a prelude for 2011. Labour is focusing on boots on the ground and a strong candiate making personal contact with voters. National knows their candidate is weak so they’re turning to their one asset: Key. Meanwhile, Matt McCarten’s insurgent campaign is getting Left issues national coverage.

Caption competition

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, November 11th, 2010 - 13 comments

The image is from a flyer for Hekia Parata’s fundraiser at the ritzy Pauatahanui Inlet Lodge this evening (click through for full flyer). I bet there’ll be lots of working folks in Mana digging into their pockets for the $55 charge.

As for captions, here’s my suggestion:

‘The messiah feeds the 5,000 – for $55 a head’

Felix on the Mana debate

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, November 1st, 2010 - 24 comments

Q+A held a debate between the Mana by-election candidates yesterday. Felix has done a very nice summary of how the candidates came across. Fa’afoi is a good guy but we aren’t seeing his values coming through very strongly. Parata is a nasty piece of work. She continually interrupts others when they speak then gets angry at the slightest questioning.

Mana campaign heating up

Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, October 26th, 2010 - 55 comments

The Mana by-election campaign has largely been missing from the national political news in the last few weeks, due in part to bigger stories but also because National is purposely running an under the radar campaign. John Key is spending a lot of time in Mana, hoping to surprise Labour and the media. Time to fight back.

Strong field emerges for Labour

Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, August 12th, 2010 - 16 comments

Idle speculation about possible contenders to be the Labour candidate in a by-election seems to be the most important issue of the day. Labour has a good field to choose from it appears, while National will have to choose Parata or publicly slap her down. There are bigger isues at the moment but once the race is underway, it will be a microcosm of next year’s election.

Laban to step down

Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, August 11th, 2010 - 41 comments

Winnie has been a great MP for Mana and is a pillar of the Pacific community. Her focus on the electorate and community that put her in office is something that a lot of other MPs could learn from. There’ll be strong competition to be Labour’s candidate in the by-election. National’s will be Hekia Parata, who’s of the Melissa Lee school of campaigning. Should be fun.