tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post2606205896152417460..comments2024-03-29T00:44:42.046+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: A True RepresentativeChris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-8255602539167766642011-04-18T12:36:31.362+12:002011-04-18T12:36:31.362+12:00"Yes, I know, it was a different world back t..."Yes, I know, it was a different world back then."<br /><br />But this is the key point. I don't believe Labour politicos are necessarily any less sincere or grounded in communities now than in the 1930s. But, back in the day, Labour's philosophy had clear parallels with the Christian belief system that a large proportion of the NZers were raised into. People could intuitively grasp the moral imperative of helping others, relieving suffering, the "he ain't heavy... he's your brother" attitude.<br /><br />With the decline of this belief system, it has become all too easy for the right to depict socialism as materialistic redistribution, as a "politics of envy".<br /><br />And in some ways, sadly, given our addiction to the consumerist Babylon of the moment, there is some truth in this. With the loss of those old Christian values in NZ, the left needs to morally reinvent itself. I don't where they're going to get a new mythology but it's needed.<br /><br />Otherwise, its just let's get on with the next round of resource wars.ukenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-70219013065256766792011-04-17T16:58:30.038+12:002011-04-17T16:58:30.038+12:00Excellent post. Motivation is an aspect often ign...Excellent post. Motivation is an aspect often ignored in political circles - but not within the voting public.<br /><br />Especially among the crucial swing voters. Their cynicsm and aversion to pugnacity has them ranking politicians down with car salesmen and con-artists: by definition they distrust, and largely ignore, the synthetic "messages" from both sides. <br /><br />Hence the attraction to the widespread practice of imputing motives to the main players and the increasingly important "presidential" aspect. Couple that tendency with the overweening rightward media bias (the sole source of info for Mr + Ms Swing), and the current vote-determining conversation becomes "Key has millions, so his motivation must be selfless. Goff has never been anything but a pollie."<br /><br />Actions and record speak louder than words; particularly when your every word is filtered by the enemy. That Young Labour team had the right idea - what happened to them? <br /><br />Labour could do worse than announcing that this election campaign will consist of the following:<br /> <br />From now on, all prospective and serving MPs will spend all of every weekend helping volunteer groups such as foodbanks, benefit advocates, environmental projects etc throughout the country, followed by local meetings. <br />No specialist campaign workers will be employed, and all campaign and advertising funding will be directed to the promotion of existing volunteer projects and local leafletting.<br /><br />Labour's still the party of the underdog: it just has to get out there and prove it.<br /><br />akAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-49387005263753313372011-04-16T18:55:15.279+12:002011-04-16T18:55:15.279+12:00Can we really not make the distinction here betwee...Can we really not make the distinction here between identity politics, and the politics of inclusion? They are not the same thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-74397043860107431242011-04-16T18:53:52.643+12:002011-04-16T18:53:52.643+12:00Great post - my being a bum bandit notwithstanding...Great post - my being a bum bandit notwithstandingAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-81570744367310798862011-04-16T00:24:59.943+12:002011-04-16T00:24:59.943+12:00Occasionaly life and nature combine to throw a gen...Occasionaly life and nature combine to throw a gentleman from our bastard litter, but only from those that are disposed towards the restraints of that station in life. The world of dog-eat-dog and rat-eat-rat may as well be another planet to them.<br /><br />Thank you for reminding us of this rare breed. They stand in stark contrast to the current crew of chancers, wide boys and bum bandits that aspire to their opportunity at the trough.<br /><br />MickAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-47657531535535161292011-04-15T21:07:24.638+12:002011-04-15T21:07:24.638+12:00Good post Chris.
No doubt if Bob and his kind wer...Good post Chris.<br /><br />No doubt if Bob and his kind were selected on the Labour list today there would be cries, many from right wing bloggers, that the list was boring and staid, full of too many trade unionists, and lacking that "wow" factor. And no doubt the commentators, most of the right wing, would be claiming that Labour was heading to electoral oblivion because it selected worthy rather than newsworthy candidates.<br /><br />Give me Bob and his kind any day.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16293708548352713924noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-649780156403383542011-04-15T14:36:01.284+12:002011-04-15T14:36:01.284+12:00"Sufficient unto the day"
Chris, the c..."Sufficient unto the day" <br /><br />Chris, the children of the revolution today won't even know what you are talking about. <br /><br />Hence the gaggle and self-servers...Matthewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-33165102884020725942011-04-15T12:24:40.575+12:002011-04-15T12:24:40.575+12:00An intriguing column, and not just a history lesso...An intriguing column, and not just a history lesson, though I had not heard of Bob Walls. So once upon a time it was possible to be in the labour movement, a servant of the community, and a 'self-improver'/capitalist. In those days, there was also a high level of political party membership, and election manifestos meant something.<br /><br />It's very tempting to take from the piece that we now experience a category of career opportunists who control party lists, and the FPP system was better for community representation. Certainly, when one studies political science at certain universities, and the lecturers suggest getting a job as a parliamentary researcher through their contacts, it is a fast track to selection as an MP. Another route seems to be through journalism, and a period as a spin doctor in the leader's office. Some of these kind of recruits do become good parliamentarians, even electorate MPs.<br /><br />If we want better selection of candidates, or MPs that have actually come out of civil society, rather than being a career opportunist with a mediocre pols sci degree or journalism diploma, it is still up to the voter. Mana voters did not have to vote for Kris Faafoi when he was arguably the weakest candidate, but they remained loyal to the Labour brand. The academics told us that with MMP only the party vote really mattered, and this implied that the best electorate MP could come from any party, or even an independent. Until voters realise that the two 'major' parties involve representation of vested interests, based on the selection of career opportunists, we will get more of the same.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-67082866508961210512011-04-15T10:45:56.121+12:002011-04-15T10:45:56.121+12:00John A Lee ( force behind Labour's historicall...John A Lee ( force behind Labour's historically celebrated election victory in the 30s, state housing projects & NZ being one of the leading economies in the world during the wide-spread depression) was a 100% representative of the people when in parliament once. He soon got kicked out of the Labour party once they had political power & having given his best, went back to humbly means & obscurity.<br /> Bruce Beetham, who became the figure head & catalyst driving the Nuclear Free NZ agenda, forcing Labour's hand to implement the policy with 'his' solid leverage of Social Credit without media 30- 20% record of nationwide support & a political.media system looking at potential complete dis-array. So Labour ( having replaced Rob Muldoon P.M. who was openly admitting to consideration of using sovereign credit power for funding of national infrastructure in his associations with Bruce) did the Nuclear Free, hard work all ready done - but they really had too. Bruce suffered a heart attack,(NZ suffered Rogernomics which all the lefties had voted in via the usual prejudices being inflamed instead of a potential sovereign credit using lead Rob Muldoon Govt!) and then was shuffled out of the disposable (as they all are) political party that had formed in the coat tails of the efforts.<br /> But the case for proportional representation had irrevocably been imprinted on the public's consciousness, although the integrity of it's genesis being lost in it's application, has pretty much bought it very close to a used by date.<br /><br /> But both were 100% monetary reformers.<br /> I think it is very likely that those two are the greatest(& possibly only) 100% public servants that have been in the NZ parliament for the past 100 years in actuality - yes i know actuality doesn't count in the trade, but it's the only thing that counts in the infinite all the same.<br /><br /> Have a nice dayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com