Much has been written about the Ardern effect that has put Labour so enthusiastically back in the game. Just last night for example, Ardern is ‘standout leader’ of post-Clark Labour, and Ardern: The best thing to happen to Labour in a long time. Anecdotes abound of voters switching to Labour, and while we don’t want to count our chickens too soon, it seems likely that the next polls will be somewhat better than the last.
The elevation of Kelvin Davis is also looking like a very good move for Labour:
Kelvin Davis’ promotion to deputy leader will appeal to both Maori and Pakeha voters
Labour may have found the masterstroke it needed to win over more of the Maori vote – promoting Kelvin Davis to deputy leader.
There’s been plenty of prophesying that the new leader, Jacinda Ardern, is a Labour Party game-changer and the influx of donations and volunteers are supporting those claims.
But is the weight of Maori firebrand Kelvin Davis, the first Labour Maori deputy and son of the North, just as important?
Can Davis galvanise Maori who may have been looking to the Maori Party or NZ First, and convince them to give their party vote to Labour?
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The boost to Davis’ mana as a result of his promotion will have a ripple effect throughout Maoridom. As one source put it, he will give Maori hope that their voice will finally be front and centre in a potential future Government.
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Davis is related to both Jones and Peters and the new deputy made no secret of the strength of their friendship when he addressed media shortly after being voted into the job. … And now one of their own, former Labour MP Jones, has joined ranks with Peters, the connection between the two parties is a formidable force.
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So why is Davis so popular? One person close to him described him as someone who “exudes everything about regional New Zealand”. He’s the guy who is the backbone of the local rugby club, organises community initiatives and turns up at the marae to help out. … Davis has never been involved in the radical or activist type politics – in reality he appeals to Pakeha voters as much as he does Maori.
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…there’s no doubt he will appeal and speak to another group of voters – voters Labour hasn’t been able to count on until now.
‘Yeah, hell, why not?’ – How Kelvin Davis became Labour’s first Māori deputy
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The change in leadership has opened up the possibility the Māori Party could switch sides too. Co-leader Marama Fox phoned into RadioLIVE talkback late Thursday night, saying the leadership switch is a “phenomenal move – the best tactical move they’ve made”. …
Maori Party offers olive branch to Labour, who could vanquish them
The Maori Party has offered an olive branch to Labour’s new leader Jacinda Ardern, saying its members want it to work with Labour.
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Labour’s new Maori deputy leader Kelvin Davis could boost their vote in the single seat that the Maori Party hold, kicking them out of Parliament.
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“Maori people throughout the country are telling me they want our party to work with Labour if it’s in a position to form a government after September 23,” party president Tuku Morgan said in a press release.Davis said he was open to working with the Maori Party if it “stepped their game up” and made it back into Parliament in the first place. …
Kelvin Davis is NZ’s best hope for prison reform in decades
New Zealand’s prison population is ballooning, and no politician seems to have any good plan to stop it – except Labour deputy leader Kelvin Davis, writes Di White. …
Alan Duff: Why I’m thinking about changing who I vote for
A family member told me she’s switching her vote from National to Labour. As much for the Jacinda/Kelvin effect as her belief that National is not addressing her concerns at child poverty.
Many voters will be thinking this way, including yours truly. I have never voted for Labour, only National, and once I voted for the Maori Party.
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I’m possibly changing parties because, like everyone, I hate seeing politicians change from passionate idealists to dismissive egotists. The Jacinda factor is all too evidently real. So too the Kelvin factor.As a school principal who took over a Kaitaia school in a dreadful mess, he single-handedly turned it around. I know from personal experience that he keeps his word, genuinely cares for Maori, and is modest to boot.
Politically, Kelvin Davis is related to Shane Jones and Winston Peters, as well as good mates. It means he can work with New Zealand First who, in this election, will likely be a key player. The Maori Party have reached out to Labour after a long period of estrangement. I think this is the Kelvin factor. He’s easy to deal with because he’s genuine. …
Like I expect most lefties I want this election to deliver Labour in government with the Greens alone. But if other alliances are needed, it seems like Kelvin Davis is going to be a key factor in coalition building. What a smart appointment.
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