tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post4814272773346809623..comments2024-03-29T17:12:19.648+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: The Real Deal: How Labour Could, Once Again, Become A Workers’ Party.Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-880760245618907072015-06-12T12:31:55.544+12:002015-06-12T12:31:55.544+12:00If Labour can't get into Government (although ...If Labour can't get into Government (although once the economic shit hits the fan it will - 1935 didn't happen out of thin air) then they should concentrate on controling all the Councils. Let Central Government become so small that it destroys itself. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-7594195625948236582015-06-11T16:59:01.402+12:002015-06-11T16:59:01.402+12:00I certainly agree that three terms should be the m...I certainly agree that three terms should be the maximum for an MP then two terms away -well perhaps three terms in government.... We need fewer professional politicians. The ones Anomymous mentions above are all in that category and few of them seem to have much idea of the thoughts of average New Zealanders-lots of indignation but that's about all. Talk of ways of raising money for a political party makes you realise just how out of touch they are in no one wants to fund them.Jigsawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13906156865367357834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-56906589741269920832015-06-11T16:31:17.906+12:002015-06-11T16:31:17.906+12:00Chris,
A very astute observation of who the Natio...Chris,<br /><br />A very astute observation of who the National Party is. Not the 1%, but a much wider group of New Zealanders. It is why the party has a membership of several tens of thousands.<br /><br />And of course these are the groups who vote National, including people who have aspirations in this direction.<br /><br />The electoral success of National over 7 decades should show that a large part of New Zealand comfortably identifies themselves in this way.<br /><br />Davo Stevens and greywarbler, I would encourage Labour to go for compulsory unionism - it will pretty much guarantee National success at the next election. But I suspect Andrew Little is smart enough to know that such a policy would be electoral suicide. He only needs to look to the political attitudes of his own parents.Wayne Mapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12906396523791648270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-44531575513878043292015-06-10T18:09:58.217+12:002015-06-10T18:09:58.217+12:00The Labour Party Members are all Labour pretenders...The Labour Party Members are all Labour pretenders some carry it off better than others, Grant Robertson, Jacinda Ardern, Phil Twyford and Phil Goff should get Oscars.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-3820395151084956212015-06-10T15:26:50.852+12:002015-06-10T15:26:50.852+12:00" I don't notice that the present are sup..." I don't notice that the present are superior to the monkeys we had before when paid peanuts."<br /><br />On reflection, that's probably the best comment I've seen about New Zealand politicians for a long time. (Come to think of it some of them are the same people.) Wish I'd said it.Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-10882673951167295432015-06-10T13:02:57.494+12:002015-06-10T13:02:57.494+12:00@David Stevens Gerrit and RMJ1
I agree. Limited...@David Stevens Gerrit and RMJ1 <br />I agree. Limited terms in parliament to three terms in a row - have to be out for two terms before being back again. Have to have had a near full time job before putting name forward, no boy/girl wonders. <br /><br />Compulsory unions with some financial controls. Rises to not go above CPI annually plus 1% for uncounted inflation. Pegged salaries for MPs. I don't notice that the present are superior to the monkeys we had before when paid peanuts.<br /><br />But don't throw off at MMP. That is most unfair, to blame it for the present situation. The business of rejecting MPs but them still getting in on the list could probably be solved by changing a small clause in the legislation, not throwing out the baby with the bathwater.<br />It is one thing that we have been able to prevail with, in our struggle to escape the grip of the neolib econo-missed. Listening to the OECD give a report on our degression and recommend we build more roads in Auckland reminds me of the effect of belonging to that club. As a commentator I think Todd Nial said, the government politely listens and then does its own thing - or similar.greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-40722529782342265432015-06-10T08:16:49.455+12:002015-06-10T08:16:49.455+12:00Whilst tithing may fix the financial problem for L...Whilst tithing may fix the financial problem for Labour, it wont fix the distance that the MP's have placed between themselves and the Joe Average voter. Labour should limit their MP's serving in parliament term to 3 (nine years)<br /><br />This means they will have worldly experience before entering parliament.<br /><br />How can anyone (looking at Mr Goff as a prime example) spend over 30 years in parliament and still have any semblance of empathy with the voter? <br /><br />Gerritnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-64860895642897592712015-06-10T00:08:04.861+12:002015-06-10T00:08:04.861+12:00Hmm you are on the money Chris
A little of history...Hmm you are on the money Chris<br />A little of history- of South Auckland that is..<br />I grew up in Manurewa in 70's, worked at Westfield (Freezing Works that is) Ford , Formica went to University and now am an aged Kiwi in law in Australia.<br />Union then ..dead set was then and still am....<br />Worked with long haired then Phil Goff socialist repeat that SOCIALIST<br /> ..... you know Labour New right functionary who has amnesia about his antecedents.... as do most of them in the Parliament<br />I would not recognise the chap I worked with now and neither would any minimum wage worker in South Auckland today...but for that matter neither would most of that coterie who are an out of touch assortment in the tribe masquerading as Labour <br />in NZ.<br /><br />THEIR REMOTE connection with Struggle St in NZ is an indictment of the MMP electoral system where you cannot vote out the dross. PATHETICALLY MOST OF IT NOW IS LABOUR. <br /><br />So who represents the poor and marginalized and refugees who flee here now? <br />Not Labour. They no longer stand for working people, if anything.<br /><br />RMJ1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-44828891495733572192015-06-09T23:43:58.150+12:002015-06-09T23:43:58.150+12:00THOUGHT PROVOKING THOUGH.THOUGHT PROVOKING THOUGH.peteswriteplacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04474922953916383101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-43154417895145815092015-06-09T20:50:33.571+12:002015-06-09T20:50:33.571+12:00If you check back on my responses you will see tha...If you check back on my responses you will see that I have advocated that Labour needs to get back to it's grass roots again. Start supporting the ordinary workers not the rich pricks but therein lays their problem. They must go to the same sources for money as the Nats consequently they who pay the piper call the tune.<br /><br />Compulsory unions again would be a start and then get their finance from there. I know that the thought of compulsory unions is an anathema to the rightie wingnuts but it protects the workers from the exploitation that is happening now. <br /><br />For years the MP's salaries were pegged to the average income and they got some reasonable perks as well. That way we got genuine people who weren't in it for the money unlike today.<br /><br />Another suggestion that has been laid on me is that all potential MP's should spend two years on the benefit as their sole and only source of income. That would give them a grounding in what it's like at the bottom of the heap.Davo Stevensnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-31172559225331630682015-06-09T18:28:15.881+12:002015-06-09T18:28:15.881+12:00Very stirring Chris. I think, broadly speaking, ...Very stirring Chris. I think, broadly speaking, that what is needed is fewer lawyers and university graduates who talk about best practice etc. I am tired of these middle class people who are more concerned about look and style and the current angst than getting service to the people where it is most needed.<br /><br />I realise you used the median? wage as a talking point. But I think Green turn part of their salaries back into the pot, and if Labour actually cared about the Party trying to get into government to make real changes that would help the strugglers, they would do the same. I remember though Labour MPs being criticied as too keen to get into the corporate boxes for events, so it might be uncomfortable for them to be outside the sweetshop without the pennies. <br /><br />It would be a nice sign if real Labour men turned up to Parliament in cardigans. That would give a finger to the snobby, the sneering, stylistas of the right wing persuasion, in or out of the Beehive.greywarblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-42187174326694833082015-06-09T15:39:57.969+12:002015-06-09T15:39:57.969+12:00How could you possibly hope to recruit competent m...How could you possibly hope to recruit competent men and women to stand for Parliament on an offer of the average wage?”<br />Most of them as very people have said, would crawl over broken glass to get that job. I'm not at all sure why, but there you go. Not a bad idea, but I think they'd want a little bit more than the average wage somehow. :-)Guerilla Surgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03427876447124021423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-717083473529288682015-06-09T14:43:44.468+12:002015-06-09T14:43:44.468+12:00Isn't the problem that Labour voters do mostly...Isn't the problem that Labour voters do mostly resemble the caucus, it just isn't a wide enough cross section to command a governing majority? <br /><br />I wasn't sure Chris, whether you were suggesting "the professional middle class, or farmers, or small business owners, or upwardly mobile tradespeople" were workers Labour shouldn't even be trying to represent?<br /><br />Heck, the next Prime Minister could be a former beneficiary and I'm not thinking of a Labour Prime Minister.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-194092467741758222015-06-09T13:34:42.811+12:002015-06-09T13:34:42.811+12:00A very noble idea, that lies in the most preposter...A very noble idea, that lies in the most preposterous realm of fiction.Brutus Iscariotnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-13945458528612959062015-06-09T13:18:15.642+12:002015-06-09T13:18:15.642+12:00Not a a bad idea to tithe them, but that rate is f...Not a a bad idea to tithe them, but that rate is far too high.<br />No one with any ability would sign up.<br />Your description of Labour is entirely accurate (it could have come from Kiwiblog! ) , but indicates it is at the 'disband' point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com