Hard News: Democracy Night
779 Responses
First ←Older Page 1 … 20 21 22 23 24 … 32 Newer→ Last
-
stephen walker, in reply to
how could National win by a smaller margin than they've got now?
National + Banks + Dunne will probably end up as 61/121. without the Maori Party, they have a majority of one vote. how does a smaller margin work?
-
Email
Policy is not the problem. The Labour Party has so much policy it isn't funny. (And it is good policy, too!)
What the Labour Party does not have is a translation of that policy into message. And that is largely a failure of the party organisation, and has to be fixed at that level. And a large part of that is process issues, as much as getting mired in process sucks.
-
Russell Brown, in reply to
So I’d like the left to balance that out by drilling into the media the kind of phrases that promote the egalitarian ethics we’ve traditionally associated with nz society – “the social contract”, “protecting the vulnerable”, “second chance” , that kind of thing. The way to sway the national dialogue – specifically the “gut feelings” of people that aren’t interested in politics – is sheer repetition.
And that’s what the right did – albeit it took them three terms to get the message home.
I’ve just been talking to some Green voters who lamented what they’d felt Labour had become under Clark – too much government, too much regulation and compliance. And yet, what regulation has National rolled back apart from energy standards, electoral finance and a broadcasting review no one’s heard of anyway? All of which were backed by the Greens.
But the Greens have successfully used their libertarian thread to reach those people. Others went National – but I know of three people now who voted Green + Kaye in Auckland Central, and of course Craig voted Green + Maggie Barry.
This seems, then, a principal challenge for Labour. New Zealand’s regulatory burden is way lower than most OECD countries, including Australia, which is conjured as a model by centre-right parties, even though governments there impose a regulatory model that makes NZ look like some libertarian paradise.
So as well as seeding the national conversation with the phrases you propose, they need to re-frame ideas around government and governance. And not via the prescriptions of John Pagani and Chris Trotter, because I think neither of them have any real idea of what people are actually thinking.
-
Russell Brown, in reply to
What the Labour Party does not have is a translation of that policy into message. And that is largely a failure of the party organisation, and has to be fixed at that level. And a large part of that is process issues, as much as getting mired in process sucks.
I think Mojo Mathers -- who I really hope squeaks in on the Greens' list -- illustrates that pretty well.
She's deaf, and comes from disability culture. She'd never have reached a similar position in Labour's list, because Labour's culture is institutional, rather than personal. Which is not to say that Labour is not aware of the disabled as a constituency -- far from it -- but to get in on Labour's list you'd need to be the chair of something.
OTOH, the presence of career politicians also absolutely benefits Labour. Who do we all think are good? Grant Robertson and Jacinda Ardern. Career politicians -- and very good at the job they've chosen. We need those people precisely because they're very good at their jobs.
The other end of that spectrum is the likes of Joyce and Key, non-politicians who can't see what's wrong with sending the cops into newsrooms during an election campaign to solve a political problem -- or with legislating National Standards under urgency to avoid their slogan running into any evidence. On both counts I utterly despise their actions.
-
Hebe, in reply to
Policy is not the problem. The Labour Party has so much policy it isn't funny. (And it is good policy, too!)
What the Labour Party does not have is a translation of that policy into message.Exactly! Too much policy. Too many committees. Organise it under half a dozen broad headings, then work on those headings to make easily understable bullet points, and you have a party that the voter can look at and decide if they want to vote for without having to read a book.
-
Had to have a quiet snigger at Brian Edwards on his blog saying he could not understand the swing against Labour in Christchurch because all the tv coverage suggested they (the people in Chch) were not happy with the Governments efforts
Don't believe everything you see on TV Brian
-
Russell Brown, in reply to
Don’t believe everything you see on TV Brian
Try discussions here. There are Christchurch people happy with the government’s actions. But they don’t tend to be (a) poor, and (b) in the worst-affected areas. Most of those people have simply had to leave.
The idea that their problems are some TV confection is really quite insulting.
-
DeepRed, in reply to
And yet, what regulation has National rolled back apart from energy standards, electoral finance and a broadcasting review no one’s heard of anyway? All of which were backed by the Greens.
The introduction of the 90-day employment probation period. Also, they’ve actually tightened restrictions on union officials visiting workplaces.
This seems, then, a principal challenge for Labour. New Zealand’s regulatory burden is way lower than most OECD countries, including Australia, which is conjured as a model by centre-right parties, even though governments there impose a regulatory model that makes NZ look like some libertarian paradise.
I suspect misplaced nanny-statist antipathy is partly attributable to the long-term breakdown of civic pride and the social compact, and the weakening of the middle class.
What better way to justify certain needed regulations, than with the ‘Wild West’/’law of the jungle’ mantra?
-
Sacha, in reply to
their libertarian thread
I'm not clear what you are talking about - examples?
-
Graeme Edgeler, in reply to
I’m not clear what you are talking about – examples?
Marijuana decriminalisation springs to mind.
-
Sacha, in reply to
Mojo Mathers -- who I really hope squeaks in on the Greens' list
Jon Johannson was touching on Q&A about the prospect of her getting in.
She's deaf
Side note. As I've said to a few journos, it's actually Deaf with a capital D for the community and NZ Sign Language for their language (much like English, Korean or Farsi have capitals).
-
Sacha, in reply to
New Zealand’s regulatory burden is way lower than most OECD countries
Exactly. To me this is in the same category as our world-leading education curriculum. Evidence at odds with ideological messaging about it.
Oh noes, our schools suck, we need national standards
-
Sacha, in reply to
they need to re-frame ideas around government and governance
I agree. Countering the idea of taxes as a "burden" (deliberately imported from neolib fellow travellers in the US and UK) will take way more effort than has been applied in the last decade. The Greens seem closer with their core message of "richer" this time.
-
Russell Brown, in reply to
Side note. As I’ve said to a few journos, it’s actually Deaf with a capital D for the community and NZ Sign Language for their language (much like English, Korean or Farsi have capitals).
Noted.
-
Sacha, in reply to
I've learned some useful stuff. Just not widely valued. :)
-
Heather Gaye, in reply to
Winston cornered the one that should speak best to all of us - "fair".
I would've thought so, but I've actually heard that word a lot from the right. They want a "fair" society where you're not penalised for being successful, etc.
-
Ian Dalziel, in reply to
Email
Mantroll, it's a govern...
...could someone please remind him
that his only mandate on record
= John Banks, a cuppa, and a microphone?What about that three way he had with
Macaw 7 and the head of the IRB, and
wasn't there a cup involved there, too? -
Islander, in reply to
Email
t's usually Deaf Maori (etc)
-
Sacha, in reply to
Ngati Turi
-
slarty, in reply to
Email
Yeah, there’s some cases. Pretty few, I’d have thought.
Estimates vary, but about 1,500 people commute from Waiheke. I'd guess maybe half of us have to use a second form of public transport. Personally I used to get a bus every day (the monthly passes cover most of the buses, both ends).
To me the train thing is more about the quality of central Auckland - a bit like the waterfront. And for all the FUD, such things tend to be self funding in the long term (imagine Sydney or London without decent rail...)
-
Sacha, in reply to
The main benefit of the extra rail link is to double network capacity across the whole region. Being painted as a CBD-focused thing but in conjunction with bus feeder and circle routes will transform how many people can reliably get around the whole place.
-
Islander, in reply to
Email
O, and I thought that was an in-joke!
-
Email Twitter
The main benefit of the extra rail link is to double network capacity across the whole region.
Don't get me wrong, you or Slarty, I think a loop is a great idea. I was just countering the idea that Auckland Central should have been all woody about it out of self interest. They're the electorate that will benefit least from it because they already live in the city, so commuting just isn't much of a hassle for them. I imagine most of them would want it anyway, though, who is ever against massive infrastructure spending right in their neighborhood?
-
Craig Ranapia, in reply to
The idea that their problems are some TV confection is really quite insulting.
It is, but if you didn't take the six o'clock news with a grain of salt and a shot or twelve of delicious Zumwohl (leave the cheque in the usual place, guys) you'd believe South Auckland's miserable poor can't leave their hovels without tripping over dead abused children, under-age prostitutes, Triad warfare and mounds of used P-pipes. Doesn't mean there aren't problems, but you can make a pretty strong case that the media presents a pretty distorted picture. After all, if it bleeds it leads, right?
-
Oh noes, our schools suck, we need national standards
And that was one really really big regulation!!! Nanny statish bigtime even.
And Craig?? Voted for the Flower Girl???
Post your response…
You may also create an account or retrieve your password.