“I had been hoping that this election would resemble 2005 more than 2014. Clearly this was not the case.” So said the pseudonymous “Mickey Savage” on the Labour-leaning website, The Standard, the morning after. A spectacular understatement, obviously, but the observation also confirmed just how out of touch Labour’s membership has become.
The election-night which Saturday evening (14/10/23) most resembled wasn’t the election night of 2014, with its calamitous Party Vote of 25.13%, but the election night of 1990 when, after six tumultuous years in office, Labour was punished with exemplary viciousness by an electorate which had, very clearly, had enough. 1990 was the other occasion when the voters of the “safe” Labour seat of Mt Roskill ejected their local MP (one Phil Goff) in favour of the National candidate.
It’s that element of punishment – that mood of ‘anyone but Labour’ – that Labour stubbornly refuses to accept. Certainly, it wasn’t evident in Chris Hipkins concession speech. Although politicians invariably reach for tidal metaphors when confronted with significant defeats, the identification is far from apt. Politics is not a matter of gravitational attraction, it is constructed out of the hopes and fears – and rage – of human-beings. When parties lose, it’s not on account of the position of the moon, it’s because they have done things that cause even their supporters to vote for someone else – or stay at home.
The things that Labour did between 1984 and 1990 – “Rogernomics” and all that – turned New Zealand upside-down. Concepts and theories which had guided the politicians of both parties for decades were jettisoned with a speed and a ruthlessness that made effective opposition extremely difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. The New Zealand in the 1980s was still the sort of society in which dissent and debate, even in regard to what was fast becoming the state’s official ideology, was still permitted. The mainstream news media still saw the virtue of offering citizens both sides of the story.
Herein lies the difference between that earlier wholesale clean-out of Labour, and the 2023 General Election. Between 2017 and 2023, the Sixth Labour Government also turned New Zealand upside-down – but not in the same way as Roger Douglas and Richard Prebble.
When the Fourth Labour Government closed down freezing-works and sold state-owned enterprises, it was front page news. Protests were staged and documentaries were made. The responsible Cabinet Ministers were forced to explain and justify their actions publicly which, to a creditable degree, they did. The introduction of neoliberalism in New Zealand did not end up requiring (as one trade union leader had predicted) tanks in the streets.
That’s not how it’s been for the past six years. Massive changes in education and health policy were introduced without adequate explanation or justification. Jarring changes in the linguistic structure of official communications were implemented without consultation, leaving many New Zealanders feeling culturally disoriented and politically ignored. Distracted by the Christchurch terrorist attack and the sudden onrush of the Covid-19 pandemic most of these developments went unnoticed until Labour, freed from NZ First’s moderating influence by the “Thankyou Jacinda!” election of 2020, began stepping up the pace of change.
Missing from this “revolution” (as Dame Claudia Orange described it) was anything approaching the coherent explanatory framework provided by Roger Douglas and his colleagues, courtesy of the neoliberal intellectuals in Treasury, the Reserve Bank and the Business Roundtable.
The highly controversial report He Puapua, for example, proposed wholesale constitutional reform – to a degree which would make the New Zealand of today unrecognisable. Far from being conceived as the starting point for a wide-ranging public debate, the report was prepared in secret and only released by the Sixth Labour Government after it was leaked to the Act Party.
Although disavowed by Jacinda Ardern, sharp-eyed members of the public recognised a remarkable degree of congruence between He Puapua’s recommendations and government policy. They were told, none too politely, that they were seeing things.
But, those taking a close interest in public policy noticed something else: the deep reluctance of Labour ministers to engage in the sort of head-to-head ideological confrontations that were common during the unrolling of Rogernomics. After 2020, all attempts to debate the future of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori-Pakeha relations tended to be framed as manifestations of racist, white supremacist, prejudice. Tellingly, a long-delayed discussion document on Treaty-based constitutional reform was deemed too inflammatory for public release by Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson – it still hasn’t seen the light of day.
Even more concerning was the mainstream news media’s extreme reluctance to entertain any debate over the many contentious issues – “co-governance” in particular – that were growing out of the Crown’s newfound commitment to “indigenisation” and “decolonisation”. Increasingly, voters came to understand that there were topics which could not be questioned or debated without “consequences”. Around this new ideology they further observed the erection of a complex array of protective barriers. Those who attempted to breach these barriers were accused of spreading “misinformation, disinformation and malinformation” or, worse still, of deploying “hate speech”.
Inflation, the cost-of-living, rising mortgage interests rates: if the pollsters’ efforts were to be believed, then these were the issues driving the voters towards National, Act, and a change of government. Concerns about co-governance did not feature in these lists of voter concerns. But, they persisted. In places where no one was likely to cluck their tongues in disapproval, or send an anonymous complaint to the HR department, the state of ethnic relations in New Zealand was the subject of intense unease. It kept Act’s numbers at record levels and fuelled the re-emergence of NZ First. It was the political dissidence that dared not speak its name, but it existed nonetheless – and it has proved extraordinarily motivational.
When the defectors from Labour punished their old party in 1990, it was an act of bitter revenge. David Lange and Roger Douglas had promised “transformation” and they had delivered it. New Zealand the way Muldoon’s followers wanted it no longer existed. The votes of those who lamented its passing were cast against Labour in anger and despair. A final “Take that!” gesture of defiance before the new order became irretrievably bedded-in.
Thirty-three years later, voters threw their support behind National, Act and NZ First with much higher hopes of achieving something positive. While freezing works could not be re-opened or privatised state enterprises repurchased, the indigenisation and de-colonisation of New Zealand society can still be halted at the stroke of a ministerial pen.
It is to be hoped that New Zealand’s new Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, understands this. That among all the other things he has to do, he must not fail to honour the expectation of his conservative voters to defend democratic “New Zealand” from Te Tiriti-Centric “Aotearoa”.
The 2023 election result signals a decisive shift of the non-Māori, non-Pasefika, and non-Woke elements of the electorate to the right. Labour’s massive losses in Auckland put it at serious risk of being reduced to a South Auckland-based Pasefika party. In forthcoming elections, what National, Act and NZ First haven’t already taken is in grave danger of being stripped off Labour’s electoral carcass by the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
For as long as its manifesto fails to overtly distance itself from the authoritarian radicalism of today’s “progressives”, the party of Mickey Savage, and “Mickey Savage”, seems destined to fade into historical irrelevance.
From where it stands now, Labour has run out of places to grow.
*Chris Trotter has been writing and commenting professionally about New Zealand politics for more than 30 years. He writes a weekly column for interest.co.nz. His work may also be found at http://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com.
182 Comments
It was very apparent in 2017 that Labour had spent very little time in opposition constructing any worthwhile policy and really commenced in government as per what used to be called “on the job training.” As Mr Trotter explains here, nothing could have been more the opposite of the 1984 incoming government and nor did this last lot have anything remotely near the calibre, acumen and strength of personalities. Two things created a second term. Firstly covid, the fit for purpose initial response as demanded by the heath experts, academics and officials.Then not long after, exposure of a really rotten core in National leading to an appalling performance in opposition, ironically even worse than Labour themselves had been.
I’m no fan of CH but he had an impossible task. Jacinda should have fought this election and then resigned and let him take over, give him 3 years to reshape the party.
I cannot emphasise just how selfish her resignation was, the most cowardly act I’ve seen in NZ politics.
As I posted here before the “facade of the charade” took too long to be exposed . Partly that was because National were ineffectual as an opposition but even more so, sections of the media that were not far off sycophantic. The show pony & entourage were thus allowed leniency beyond measure and ran away with the spoon. When the tide did finally turn though, the empress simply fled camp with a clean set of high heels.
It doesn't get mentioned enough. He may have been an effective opposition Labour leader but is now so tarnished having to reshape the Party and fight an election in 6 Months that he may well resign. All because "Dame" Jacinda didn't have anything left in the tank.
Yep, completely unlike brave Sir John Key (who changed the law to make sure he was called Sir) who rode off into the sunset 9 months before an election, leaving Bill English to lose it. Completely different - just make sure you call him Sir.
Rubbish! National polled higher than other parties on the day, but did not have enough of the vote to govern. They needed a coalition partner to get into government, and Bill English was unsuccessful in his negotiations. That is how MMP operates - on negotiations and finding points in common to get a coalition partner.
Well...to be fair..Winston had already decided who he was going to go with even before the negotiations started .He holds snitches and held one against someone in the National party for supposedly 'telling' on him around some issue to with him getting super and not declaring other income..Does show that MMP can, under certain circumstances, be used for someone's personal agenda.
I agree, she knew how angry Aucklanders were/are because of the long lockdowns which decimated central Auckland businesses. She passed a lemon on to CH .Not been an Aucklander and not really ever (along with Grant Robertson) bothering to show some empathy or show up to find out how Aucklanders were doing has resulted in them being punished at the polls in which were once safe Auckland seats for them.
Labour rolled into 2020 off the back of the two disasters in 2019 (the Christchurch shooting and the White Island eruption) and into the Covid March lockdowns and claims of saving 80,000 people from a disease that the Govt promoted as a existential threat to every healthy man, woman and child (instead of just the extreme elderly and those already at deaths door). International media had basically made Jacinda a saint by then, with murals being painted of her in places like Melbourne. With her relentless 1pm live daily press conferences on TV there was simply no airtime for anyone in opposition to get a word in. We got conned into buying the image that was presented, not the substance. A bit like buying a cubic zirconia because it sparkled like a diamond in store.
Don’t disagree with your thrust, but you cannot say they were underprepared and therefore I think, disagreeing predominantly with the direction(s) undertaken by that government. In other words the policies undertaken rather than actual ability to perform. You could have added that Douglas pillaging the National Disaster Fund had a dire consequences for the victims of the Canterbury EQs some 25 years later particularly the lower social echelons that Labour traditionally have aspired to tend. But in terms of the relative personalities involved, you could not fail to conclude that those of the sixth Labour government are a very pallid and undynamic lot compared to the fourth. Perhaps your position might be explained by advice from my best CEO. You are better to employ favouring attitude over ability. The former will invariably create the latter, but the other way round is always to invite problems as you hardly need experts at making things go wrong. I suspect that might encapsulate your view on Douglas & co?
It is to be hoped that New Zealand’s new Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, understands this. That among all the other things he has to do, he must not fail to honour the expectation of his conservative voters to defend democratic “New Zealand” from Te Tiriti-Centric “Aotearoa”.
Nailed it. Labour are no longer the party of the working class. They represent a sneering inner-city elite, more concerned with policing language than policing. They value equity across races above all else. Any difference in outcome is automatically attributed to racism and colonisation, ignoring any cultural differences, while claiming to value diversity (in everything but opinion).
Good riddance. I hope that our new Prime Minister is serious about deconstructing the racist policies implemented by his despicable predecessors.
Well said. The commandeering of the MSM through the "journalism" (propaganda) fund controlled by criteria straight from the Labour manifesto engendered enormous distrust in the media and government. It is one of the most subversive policies in our history. Here's hoping the new government put a bullet through it asap.
Speaking of subversive. The attempt to clandestinely entrench three waters was an act not only defying the PM & cabinet, it was an undermining of accepted parliamentary protocol and a middle finger to democracy itself. The law passed at the eleventh hour before the Xmas break enabling the IRD to demand disclosure by NZ citizens of their private assets overturned over 800 years of our law that specifically forbids crown intervention in the legitimately owned property of its citizens. A government that is prepared to break and/or manipulate law for its agenda is basically corrupt.
I agree with your comment. The MSM have lost all credibility following the woke idealogy of Labour. My family 'tuned out' and I know we are not the minority.
There were no real in-depth interviews this election and the presenters (won't call them journalists) with their "yes or no", "yes or no" responses were cringe-worthy.
Well you will recall the very first address from the podium of truth the very first question from the attendant media was how much is our package going to be and when will we start getting it. Now that did more than just set the scene for what followed I would suggest.
Far right maybe but not fascism.
The definition of fascism:
A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls, violent suppression of the opposition, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government
Oppressive, dictatorial control
This can be left or right, if you choose to be racist against white people it doesn't make it any less racist. Fascism is about the extreme government control, this is what I see the Labour government leading us down with all the best intentions in the world.
Anyway extremes in any direction to me are usually bad, and to me a good indicator that you are getting extreme is you won't even tolerate an opposing view.
Speaking of predecessors:
Prime Minister John Key announced today the New Zealand Government has given its support to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The statement in support of the declaration:
- acknowledges that Maori hold a special status as tangata whenua, the indigenous people of New Zealand and have an interest in all policy and legislative matters;
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/national-govt-support-un-rights-dec…
You forgot to add
"Will Māori get a veto right on government decisions?
The Treaty of Waitangi continues to be the basis for the Crown-Māori relationship. In some instances this does involve mutual agreement on proposals, notably Treaty claim settlements, but right of veto is not conferred."
100%. Like attributing poor health outcomes for Maori to a racist health system whilst completely ignoring the fact that Maori have double, or even triple, the normal rates of obesity, smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and unemployment. If the Govt focused on fixing those problems instead of banning non-Maori from accessing healthcare, then Maori health outcomes would dramatically improve. But that would mean making Maori take responsibility for their health instead of being able to blame white people and demanding reparations.
We could tackle obesity with a fraction of the vigour that we did Covid. It is far more deadly after-all. This doesn't need to be race based.
I'd prefer that these issues weren't a government problem, but as long as we have a public health system it'll need to be dealt with at this level.
It was a huge shock to me during Covid to see the devastation of so many people when they could not access KFC, etc. This very fatty and overprocessed food is bad for health and yet a family staple for far too many people.
There used to be much more in the curriculum that gave young people a few basic skills, such as experience learning to cook and plan meals, learning to do woodwork and make things, learning to make and fix clothes. This all may seem very "old worldy" but we have instead whole families who eat and rely on takeaways and have no idea how to maintain their homes as healthy places.
I do think the primary curriculum should include some focus on the basic skills that would reduce eating takeaways and leave more money over to buy and cook nutritious food because basic care needs around the home could be managed within the family.
Why not? Surely that's the whole purpose of it. If not, then what is the purpose?
Just like kura kaupapa seeks better educational outcomes for Māori - and nothing prevents any child of any background/whakapapa to attend if they and their parents so choose. We sent our children to kohanga reo when young - they loved it and were as welcome and nurtured by the kuia in exactly the same way as the other children.
First, all schools and pre-schools should be wanting and promoting the best learning outcomes for all their children. This expectation is not limited to kohanga reo. You had the choice where to send your children. You took it and are happy, which is great. But it is or should not be better or worse than any other public education outlet. And such a learning place should also ensure that the mainstream curriculum is followed and understood, rather than promoting division.
In my view, learning about Maori culture and speaking Maori language is fine, if you are interested. But it should not be used to divide. In the old days it was in the curriculum to a memorable extent for every child, but there was no ranking or claims of being "the superior or alternative culture" role attached to it. Maori language should not be forced down everyone's throats by taking away non-Maori speakers' rights to understand the names of government departments, listen to a news broadcast and understand it, read and understand safety signage, etc. Nor do I want to be addressed in Maori in official correspondence - as has been fashionable under this government. Much time and money has been wasted too in forcing many public servants to go to Maori language classes as a condition of their employment. English is the language that virtually everyone in New Zealand understands - especially new migrants with English as a second language - and English should be made an official language - it is not one at the moment.
We live in an international world where, outside of NZ, Maori language is not spoken, and would be no use to a child wanting to do further study overseas or even work overseas. Our children must first and foremost be able to exist in the international world if they have to.
The point is that funding of government services should not be allocated by race - everyone should have the opportunity to go to a well-funded school or pre-school. Similarly Health - treatment and services allocated on need, not race. There may be varied ethnic providers of particular services, but they should all come under the umbrella of a central government Ministry that ensures fairness in funding, standards and delivery to all.
Excellent article.
As I have said before, Labour have totally lost their way. No longer the party of the everyday worker earning a low or moderate wage. They are now the party of beneficiaries and ‘progressive’ or ‘woke’ interests.
They only have their mediocre selves to blame.
Why I find thee RFK Junior movement in the US interesting - he can see the corruption/stupidity in the democratic party, hence he's running as a independent.
If this is successful, it could have a ripple effect around the world (as it changes the face of the relationship between wealthy vested interests and western governments).
It is the classic issue that never happens. Politicians will never, ever ask the most probing question of all "WHY?"
On Sunday I saw many commentators speaking on the swing and not one got it right. No one indicated that Labour had lost the election, rather than National winning it, and here CT gets it right "anyone but labour".
My biggest hope now is that Luxon as PM in waiting can use his brain and step up to representing ALL Kiwis, not just the National and Act voters, and somehow work to deliver better living standards, stronger national resilience and a fairer society for all.
By 'the protest' do you mean the Christchurch Mosque attacker, as that is what she said that in regard to : https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/news/they-are-us-voted-new-zealands-quot…
PM Ardern was heavily insulated by protectors, researchers, advisors & others, an almost impenetrable cushion. In fact I would argue head nodders, news massagers and cheer leaders were employed in general by this entire government, all the time letting them know just how right and good they were, that they were seduced by their own image. That lack of self awareness was so very evident in not only Hipkins. They don’t seem to have a clue as to what they have done wrong. Even worse than Clark & Cullen who couldn’t believe how ungrateful the electorate had been in 2008. Labour now though have left in an even more parlous state. Quite honestly they have nothing greater than themselves to blame. As Mr Trotter ably explains, no government should ever seek to impose any policy based on racial selectivity on its people. This is not Malaysia. The like of Bumiputera is not welcome here, past, present and future.
It was why I quit working in Wellington and unless the culture changes, will never do so again.
The case of chinese whispers between the real world and the reports going to the minister for each department were horrendous. And if you tried to break the chain of miscommunication (so the reality of the situation was clear to the minister - not just the good, but also the bad), you got hung out to dry for being insubordinate/not a team player - and being a direct threat to the management you were working for. i.e. because you were highlighting how f%#@ things were and there was no interest in fixing anything by the management. Left Wellington realising that despite NZ'ers thinking that we live in a country free from corruption, that we are actually a highly corrupt nation (our government officials are constantly being lied to and are also lying to the public about what is going on in society) - we just like to pretend that we are not.
It is no different in private industry.
Many people are telling you what you want to hear for the benefit of their own careers, agendas and egos.
The only way to get the true picture is to cross check what you are being told from any source you can, including a healthy amount of time watching and talking to the front line troupes. The outrage of the bureaucrats when Shane Reti toured the front line and revealed the huge disparity between reality and what the health department was saying illustrates the point.
That is also the problem Chris - the corrupt relationship between large corporates/interst groups and the state.
Hence why I'm taking interest in RFK Juniors run in the US as an independent as his desire is to break this broken relationship so that power is bad with 'the people' (per the constituion) and not with the large donators/support groups of the DNC/GOP.
If this happens, it could change the landscape of politics in the west.
I don't think this is unique to Labour.
As politics has become more professionalised politicians have become constructs. They are nothing more than a summary of the outputs of focus groups, surveys, social media samples and polls.
They don't stand for values they stand for what they are told values should be.
Both Key and Ardern had four press secretaries. Why would a single person need four press secretaries? Because the message forms the politician the politician doesn't form the message.
There is an obsession with "communication"...we were told ad infinitum that Ardern was a great communicator; like this was some sort of super power, as if there aren't at least 20 other useful qualities for a leader. Why? Because the narrative is more important then the substance, and we have bunch of useless-degree, no-real-world-experience, political constructs (and "journalists") who understand that with a slick message and an appeal to tribalism, you really can fool most of the people most of the time. And keep getting paid.
Until the real world bites and it all comes crashing down.
Good riddance Labour, but I don't have much hope that National will be much better. They play from exactly the same book.
They won't ask "WHY?" because that invites an answer that they deem racist, sexist, client-denying or transphobic.
The answer to the "WHY?" is people do not want Aotearoa. They want a Democratic New Zealand. The people don't want cultural reports, they want justice. Te Aka Whai Ora or a fair public health system? Purple cycle lanes or good roads? Maths and English or gender indoctrination? Farmers or pine trees?
I don't think Luxon will represent ALL Kiwis - he left a third of them out of his victory speech (reflecting what I surmise is his view that tenants exist to pay the owners' mortgages).
How hard would it have been to add 'and tenants want reprieve from their rent increases so they can afford to buy food and pay their bills'?
Well, at least he didn't lie - unlike Hipkins list of achievements that were either un-provable or the result of serious industrial action by the affected parties (pay rises for nurses and teachers were hard for, but not by labour).
Time will tell whether National can actually be better than Labour on these things. Just because cost of living has got worse doesn't mean that it wouldn't have happened just as bad under National. It will be interesting in a few years, if there are still cost of living issues whether they then start saying it's a global issue etc and not our fault (hopefully they will have stopped blaming Labour by that point).
The cancellation of no cause evictions has been a huge benefit for many renters - it was awful when for no reason, a tenancy could be cancelled. Happened to one of our kids - 2 months into moving in they got a one month notice that the landlord wanted to move in his daughter. They moved out and within a month, the property was re-let - and a new letting fee charged to a new tenant. They approached the letting agency and were told the daughter had changed her mind.
Getting rid of letting fees was another big benefit to renters.
School lunch programs and free public transport for school children have been other big benefits to family budgets.
Labour are now really going to struggle to find a decent leader. National had to pull one out of the real world and I suggest that Labour now needs to do the same. People are sick to death of virtue signalling career politicians. I think National are in now for as long as Luxon wants the job, really its just a repeat of John Key.
And yet I couldn't wait to see the end of John Key (just as I couldn't wait to see the end of Jacinda Adern).
The Wellington environment appears to destroy the character of our so called leaders.
As I've said before, I think corrupt ministries in Wellington are in control of the country, not the parties that are leading the government.
Will be interesting to see how long before Luxon is just another puppet of these ministries with no ability to act based upon what he has campaigned upon and promised to deliver.
Saying he's a repeat of Key is a bit of a stretch, Luxon is nowhere near as popular with the electorate - he's an improvement over the last few National leaders in that regard, but JK had a charisma and likeability that Luxon is a long way off (just compare their approval ratings, they're completely night and day).
Ae Chris. LINO is all they are and have being for the last 20 years or more.
They jettisoned the working class for the 'most highly educated' generation ever! For what? A self interests selfish class of 'I know best' types that knew nothing and all of NZ'ders paid dearly for it.
As for the Mowrees. A purge needs to happen. All of this Te o Maori is a new religion that is some homogenous concoction brewed up inside some intellectuals head that makes no sense to Maori unless you've taken an indoctrination course, NZ Ed, and ceed your allegiance to a self appointed 'leader' who you dont know and have never met! So yes, out with the long knives.
As for the lil ole Banana Republic of the South Pacific. We're doomed! This new government will just carry on as if nothing has happened in the last 6 years and will make the same if not similar mistakes, economically, socially and structurally. Look north to the Middle East & Europe. Its the same culprits with the same argument(s) and more deadlier weapons!
As a Labour voter I'm sick of being categorised as living in South Auckland. I'm a business owner that lives in Wanaka. I was a National voter in a previous life but find them too short sighted and full of BS these days. Things are going to be far less rosy than they are promising, except maybe for those with property.
Ultimately we need a CGT like everywhere else rather than resorting to selling property to foreigners. National might get my vote back if they are willing to go there but that's very unlikely.
Yip likewise - I emailed Luxon/National and said if you match Labours policies on property you've got my vote as I agree with most of you other policies.
I now have no party in government whose policies I agree with.
We need something that combines Labour/Nationals policies in the middle - but such a party doesn't exist (that actually has a chance of governing).
Rest in Piss Labour.
A cultural revolution was pushed and forced through by radical elements within Labour, with no discussion, with widespread public censorship on the topic via the term disinformation. Radical legislation was passed under urgency with no discussion (Abortion reform, Ten (Three) waters, gun reform). The media was the Jacinda Defence force from July 2017 till the Parliamentary Protests unfortunately didn't guillotine the lot of them.
Not prepared for government at all in 2017, incompetent and arrogant, starting with promises of the most transparent government ever to become the most secretive, cynical and arrogant government of my life time.
May you wander in the wilderness for 20+ years before being allowed office again.
Great post. My hopes are more modest and more ambitious at the same time. On one hand, I hope not to see Labour in government for at least 6 years.
On the other hand, I would like to see a new Labour coming out of the corpse of this woke, racist, wasteful, incompetent, patronizing, supremely arrogant, gaslighting and mis-informing Party which, let's not forget it, had its worst expression with Jacinda and co., who managed to direct one of the worst governments in modern NZ history.
New Zealand needs a decent, honest, competent and non-woke moderately progressive Party, which we currently do not really have.
It won't happen unless you systematically remove these people from their positions. Throw them all on the unemployment line or up against the wall for ventilation. The appropriate move is to systematically remove them with an inquisitorial manner using dedicated methods. They do nothing for working people who they claim the represent, but pad themselves out enormously off the government dime as parasites.
You have an enormous university educated caste who are huffing each other's balls on twitter and will enter into virtue signalling cycles on twitter to propel these narratives. They deeply believe their ideologies and will impose them via radical legislation when given a chance.
Made some effort to move away for an economy based on ever increasing house prices.
Nat/Act are about to prioritise foreign buyers and landlords over NZ people.
And you said it ...100k imported people and now that will rise even more.
I hope they prove me wrong. Growth forever types now in charge.
International tourism was at 17.5 billion at March 2020.
Over the next 2 years it earned a little more than 2 billion.
That is around 33 billion, in foreign currency, missing from our economy. That's just tourism.
Where has that money gone? What has filled that gap? Debt right?
And for what? For the 71 billion pissed down the drain on covid what do we have to show for it? Inflation and massive hospital waiting lists.
And that's being generous.
But sure, world class or something.
Amen and add Tech, there are many small tech companies trying to get finance for expansion or development that cannot access credit. If we could solve for that issue we would be a great place to base a development capability. Aussies do it so much better than we do, hello Canva, Altassian...
@wingman - you're so adamant it was all one party to blame. Nothing is ever so simple.
What the hell is the "airline industry" when Air NZ is an SOE? Govt kills airlines so it can bail out its airline?
Explain the causal link from Labour to each of those issues, otherwise that's all a mindless rant.
Yip and state intervention in the 'free market' housing market to prevent prices from falling and keeping the 'free market' banks from failing (because they have extended too much debt/leverage against he market) and the chairman of the largest NZ bank is also the ex-PM, who has also come out before the election backing National. But nothing to see here.
What happened to Air NZ during the dopey lockdown? Why are NZers currently being gouged for airfares...to make up for lost revenue, that's why. Labour hate oil, coal , mining, any kind of natural resource exploitation and farming, but love gouging the hapless car owner with extortionate fuel taxes.
It's what socialists do, haven't you read about 3 Waters? How about the billions this useless government has spent on boondoggles like Pike River, the abandoned Harbour Bridge Walkway, the moronic gun buyback, 3 Waters, Light Rail, and the now defunct Income Insurance Scheme.
There's one thing you can guarantee about socialists, they just love spending other people's money.
Rastus you are a joke. If it was not for Covid Labour would have been running 100,000 new immigrants every year and we would currently be in an even bigger mess. National will get onto immigration and tighten up the requirements, we need skilled people not more Uber drivers.
I lived in Wellington for 35 years. Courtenay Place was becoming a shith*le back in about 2010 with underage drinking (by 20 year olds then 17 year olds), crime, top-end restaurants closing (Il Casino and others), and a general lack of dynamism. The ongoing impact of the Seddon earthquake just made it worse.
Absolutely correct. A Wellington City council which is anti-business and a Green party MP who will also be anti-business.
Wellingtonians need their heads read, they are all in lala land. The city will not progress as long as the people are brainless.
Time to leave wellingtonians to their green shitthole
On the issue of donations the National president said on Saturday night when asked about the fairness of having 7.5 times the donations over labour: "Not not at all. People choose to donate and they choose to donate because of the policies and the values that the National party has". (I just replayed it to get this quote)
I thought this was a very weak answer in the context of there being a small number of big donors with vested interests.
Down here in the People's Republic of Christchurch I definitely saw more Labour ads in terms of billboards, electronic 'out of home' ads in the shopping mall etc and the CTU attack ads were very visible (I thought they had pulled the 'Out Of Touch' one but obviously not).
I can't comment on TV or radio advertising as I don't watch the idiot box except for streaming services, and I'd rather do a Van Gough and cut off my ears than listen to the average radio host ... maybe National spent it all there?
As somebody in the marketing/advertising industry I actually spent some time wondering this campaign where National was spending its vast war chest, as I certainly saw far more Labour and Labour-aligned ads.
It wasn't until I went to Auckland recently that I saw an anti-Labour attack ad that wasn't an actual National billboard (it was some 'crime is up under Labour' thing from an aligned group)
We've had 6 years of socially divisive shambles.
There wasn't much tolerance when they were locking people down and forcing them to take vaccines they didn't need.
The Maori party are far and away the least tolerant party in New Zealand although the Greens are pretty close. Both manage to be both racist and sexist but racism and sexism are cool for the left now and also tolerant and kind, or something.
Only 'common' in your mind, wingman;
https://www.stats.govt.nz/indicators/unemployment-rate
We have one of the lowest rates of dole bludgers in the world, and I suspect of the 3.6% of unemployed NZers, the vast majority would rather be working.
because horticulturalist pay #&$!, the jobs are in the middle of nowhere, and peak season for most fruit is a matter of weeks.
There are a few good eggs out there, but the business model for most of them largely relies on the exploitation of migratory workers or cheap RSE labour, while the real money is the equity in their ground.
Only a handful of the team are kept over winter, and the dislocation required to do the job simply doesn't work for most.
At least you no longer lose your benefit for doing it (which used to be the case - a few weeks of picking meant paying rent for 2 locations if you wanted to keep your normal abode, and then a 13 week stand-down).
Unless you're a super star picker, you're financially better off on the benefit. Especially if you have kids.
Seconded, someone I know who came back from working overseas wanted to do some seasonal work in horticulture until they decided where they wanted to live permanently and they said they applied for jobs but never heard back. They asked around why that might be and were told that the employers were only interested in RSE workers.
Well, you may have indeed seen such posts, but it doesn't change the statistics - only 3.6% unemployed. And circumstances when unemployed would be so much better if a government dealt to the issue of 'claw backs' with respect to temporary/casual, part-time work. That is what disincentivises many unemployed to take short-term employment, such a seasonal work - the marginal tax rate, not to mention the administrative nightmare/mistakes are both horrendous.
In only 2 of the 14 general electorate seats that Labour won, did their party vote exceed the vote for their candidate.
Think about that for a minute.
In 12 out of 14 general electorate seats that Labour won, significant numbers of people who voted for the Labour candidate, gave their party vote to someone else.
In many cases, I suspect, this party vote went to the Greens. In those same 12 general electorate seats the Greens party vote was higher than their candidates vote (though that wont be unusual across the country).
Chippo gets the axe.
Hardly surprising after 6 years of economic vandalism - even diehard Labour strongholds defecting to National.This election will give confidence to the business and construction community to plan ahead without being gouged.
Luxon will get the show on the road.
yes pretty much it is only old people, people at markets in far flung places and bottom feeders that use cash.
the RB have been looking for awhile on how to make us a cashless society
It does! Pure mathematics does not really deal with much in the way of arithmetics and money has special rules with regard to the handling of irrational numbers and the vast majority of smaller decimals (computed in cardinalities of infinity). It is failure of the modern education system that there are still innumerate people out there who don’t even grasp this.
Our political landscape is in flux for good. I suspect left vs right, majority centrist parties are moving toward becoming a thing of the past in NZ. I don't think that divides us at all. More diversity in the specialisation of interests in parliament has to be a good thing. And it needn't be only race-based special interests. But we have to accept that TPM is doing a great job at advancing Māori interests; just as a Polynesian-focused party would serve to advance PI New Zealanders specific interests. NZ First have advanced OAP interests; Greens have advanced the interests of the environment and ACT have advanced libertarian/free market interests. National have traditionally advanced agricultural interests and Labour have typically advanced the interests of working class.
I'd like to see a lot more of getting back to the knitting and a maturing knowledge between these different parties in respecting the areas of specialisation of each separate political entity. Hence, no matter who is in power - if the issue is environment, one looks to the Greens; if the issue is Te Tiriti, one looks to Te Pāti Māori and so on. I envisage a cabinet of Ministerial specialists drawn from host of different parties.
There is no reason why we have to continue down the path of Westminster democracy with its binary oppositional politics. The largest party post election could just choose the best individuals from across the political spectrum to lead the executive effort in their area of community and/or specialty focus.
As a nation, I think we would be fools to reject the notion that for Māori by Māori is the best way forward. Or that for educators by educators; of for small business by small business; or for environment by environmentalists is not the way forward. These interests need not be in competition with others. Everyone's needs can be addressed and satisfied as long as we set aside greed, ignorance and prejudice.
"working class"... whatever that means in today's society.
It's quite simple. If you work for an income, and without that income you would struggle to provide food & shelter for yourself or your family, you are working class. If you derive an income from assets that you own, and do not need to work to provide food & shelter, then you are the other class.
It means the folks who do not work in speculative industries, i.e., the FIRE sector. Those people whose income is not derived from commissions, bonuses and profit dividends, but rather from hourly/wage labour.
So, traditionally, the civil service; nurses, doctors, teachers, fruit pickers, farm workers, road workers, etc.
The two main concerns of such a party would be the cost of accommodation/housing for working people/families and labour market relations.
Our current social make-up is not homogeneous. Just as people with physical disabilities have specific needs, so do people of each and every unique culture. All deserve specialist/focused representation. Where politics/policy development currently does not serve us well, is that many parties are trying to be all things to all people.
In many cases yes, needs are different - but more to do with culture, than race I think. Race is a matter of skin pigmentation (a mere physical characteristic) - whereas culture is a matter of life environment, social experiences and upbringing (matters of the heart and soul).
"Everyone's needs can be addressed and satisfied as long as we set aside greed, ignorance and prejudice"
Your last sentence is the most important Kate (in my opinion).
People are so afraid of the future and their ability to survive, that it is causing people to act with even more greed, ignorance and prejudice. i.e. as people are more threatened and less certain of the future, these lower states of human behaviour/paradigms surface and people move away from cooperation and more towards conflict. e.g. we stop using our pre-frontal cortex and start using our limbic system. In NZ those with wealth are acting with more greed and ignorance, and those with nothing are getting more desperate and want more help from the state (and in some cases just giving up - see our suicide/depression stats). As Jesus said: Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. I believe this was no intended from the perspsective of material possessions, but in faith - but appears to also be true when it comes to greed/ignorance, as well as depression/despair. i.e. what is playing out in our society right now and causing the rift between people and political parties.
It would appear that we are on a downward trajectory now around the world - just as we last were in the 1920s-1930's which resulted in the depression and war of 1930's-1940's and other atrocities between people with different beliefs/values.
I'm not sure if it (this long term cycle) can be stopped. Perhaps it is a bug in collective human consciousness (or is it a feature? - because after the fighting is done, we unit again for a few decades in a state of improved unity and cooperation and move forward as a species - until we forget the pain caused by the last major war and head back down the path we are currently on - but at each major war we move away from local tribalism and more towards and global collective - think the creation of UN etc after WW2 and other international cooperation initiatives with align values/principles).
I do not believe that TPM are doing a good job for "Maori". Who are "Maori"? I think TPM are speaking for far more people than are their supporters - far more people than they have a right to speak for.
I also think TPM have taken it upon themselves to push a very divisive approach that will leave many young people feeling very resentful and less likely to take responsibiity for their own pathway in life. There are many Maori ( not TPM supporters) who are doing well in our community, who are high achievers of their own goals, who do not feel dispossessed or in conflict with others in the community who are not of Maori ethnicity.
If you take a look at the party vote for TPM as against the percentage of self-identified Maori in our community, you will see TPM do NOT represent feelings of the majority of Maori in this country. However, they are determined to spread their propaganda across young people - which is sad for the whole country.
I agree with most of what Chris Trotter has written here. However, he has not mentioned that the extent of the propaganda of the last few years, and the placing of conditions on many - such as expectation to learn Maori to hold onto a public service job, has produced some degree of fear in the general population.
The propaganda has also produced another problem in the young - a distorted view of our history as a country, with no mention of pre- European Maori history as a fairly violent tribal society with warring tribes. Britain was approached by a large group of Maori chiefs to colonise New Zealand and bring peace and an end to inter-tribal killings, enslavements and land confiscations after raids.
Young people have been taught that colonisation was 100% evil and that Maori had everything taken from them. We heard over the last week or so - and the media applauded as a winning line - Waititi - leader of TPM talking about Maori have been homeless and fighting colonisation since 1840. This was ridiculously untrue. So there are now many young non-Maori children who have been influenced at school to feel guilty for mythical actions of their ancestors - which probably did not happen, and any incidents of which these children had absolutely nothing to do with - and nor did the Maori children sitting alongside them in school today - who have been taught to be aggrieved and expect to make special gains from taxpayer money simply because of their mixed ethnicity.
With respect to pre-European Māori society, best to understand it from a pre-colonial explorer. No axe to grind, just his description of the landscape, the health/physique of the people and their cultural ways;
https://www.enzb.auckland.ac.nz/document/?wid=298&page=0&action=null
No one's interested in "pre-colonial times". Maoris get billions thrown at them, every year, and the excuse is almost always 'colonialism'.
It's time to get over it. My ancestors were evicted in the Scottish Highland Clearances. I don't whine and grizzle incessantly about how so awful it's been .
My Irish ancestors had to deal with the English buying up all the food during the potato famine, resulting in 1 million of our people dying of starvation and then the famine clearances (evictions) that followed displacing an estimated 0.5 million from their rented homes.
This all happened 5 years after Maori suffered such atrocities such as the signing of a Treaty document.
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