tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post1278790652039395486..comments2024-03-29T14:26:19.827+13:00Comments on Bowalley Road: A Change Gonna Come (Labour Abandons Neoliberalism)Chris Trotterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-11225014221225355392010-10-21T18:25:26.598+13:002010-10-21T18:25:26.598+13:00I don't personally know Goff or Carter. The qu...I don't personally know Goff or Carter. The question is whether the LP are a party of principle or opportunism though.<br /><br />There are plenty of dedicated, principled, hardworking LP activists throughout the country. They've got some good MPs and you've got to respect that. the LP also has plenty of hacks- technocrats, opportunists and yesmen.<br /><br />You know it and I know it. They are not a party of principle. <br /><br />war in afghanistan? sweet as.<br />free trade with the butchers of beijing? no worries.<br />massive child poverty? you bet.<br />thousands of maori and pacific youth locked away with no rehabiliation? done.<br /><br />they might not sell their grandmas for votes but they don't mind killing afghani grandmas for votes.omarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-5844106589330123202010-10-21T08:37:17.130+13:002010-10-21T08:37:17.130+13:00Michael- thank you and the Labour party for being ...Michael- thank you and the Labour party for being prepared to buy a fight with the vested interests. I thought the Labour party was going to cynically concede the next election and then aim to come back as National lite in 2014 and it would be business as usual. You have given me hope, and if you and the party are going to fight for us then I will get out and fight for you. Even Phil Goff, who I had written off for dead, seems to have revealed hidden depths and after the weekend I can actually imagine him as a successful prime minister.<br /><br />Anecdotally, the next election may not be as difficult for Labour as current polling would indicate. I live in a National stronghold, and at the time of the last election my daughter was nearly lynched at school for saying she was a Labour supporter. Yesterday she came home and told me the parents of a couple of her friends will be voting Labour next election. No idea what these people thought they would be getting from John Key, and what has disappointed them, but disappointed they are and seemingly already resolute in their desire to see him and his government gone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-14515829351169256732010-10-20T23:29:40.920+13:002010-10-20T23:29:40.920+13:00I want to hear Goff say, "In the 80s we got i...I want to hear Goff say, "In the 80s we got it wrong - we went too far, too fast and the NZ people payed the price for the enrichment of a few." Then, and only then, will I believe he and the Party have changed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-79100546915269561712010-10-20T22:53:39.211+13:002010-10-20T22:53:39.211+13:00Heart warming post.
Great pic.
Not sure the "...Heart warming post.<br />Great pic.<br /><br />Not sure the "no gst on fresh fruit and vegetables " is going to help.<br /><br />Still too much "nanny state" hangover.peterpeasanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07258344040688251441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-42733268270061329512010-10-20T22:21:53.300+13:002010-10-20T22:21:53.300+13:00Best thing about that conference was the new editi...Best thing about that conference was the new edition of Anti Capitalist from the Socialist Aotearoa stall out front ;)Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960995458664423354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-14022034812341059992010-10-20T21:19:14.147+13:002010-10-20T21:19:14.147+13:00I was reading about a developer in todays Press.He...I was reading about a developer in todays Press.He is from Auckland but finds Christchurch land cheaper, and he is building "cheaper" apartment blocks for "workers". I bet they don't have sound proofing in the walls?<br />It reminded me of the "worker" housing built around Riccarton early last century. Many of the workers worked for the railway workshops. Those workers had a vege garden.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-22173557402528101782010-10-20T17:19:15.488+13:002010-10-20T17:19:15.488+13:00So there is finally some Labour policy worth voti...So there is finally some Labour policy worth voting for after nearly 30 years! repeal the Reserve Bank Act first.Shonanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-18873074983607231792010-10-20T16:02:16.128+13:002010-10-20T16:02:16.128+13:00I would like to thank Labour for conceding the ele...I would like to thank Labour for conceding the election so early. Very decent of them.<br />Their acolytes will love it and middle NZ will not. I wonder if they have heard of preaching to the converted? Now all we have to do is find a way to subvert the wealth consuming non wealth producing Greens and it's a landslide.Mark Wilsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-5051876608554714592010-10-20T11:14:21.579+13:002010-10-20T11:14:21.579+13:00To be fair Andrew was rather unwell last year. He&...To be fair Andrew was rather unwell last year. He's always been a great speaker, something I first noticed back in 2005 in the fair share campaign.tobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-83753243433732644802010-10-20T10:49:18.459+13:002010-10-20T10:49:18.459+13:00I'm one of those hacks anonymous, and I can as...I'm one of those hacks anonymous, and I can assure you that the new positions put forward at conference are far more than cynical strategic positioning. If anything, they actually buy the party a major fight with powerful vested interests - a more cynical approach would have been to "play it safe", waiting for National to make mistakes and positioning oursleves to be better managers of the current structure.<br /><br />Chris touches on one of Phil Goff's, generally unacknowledged, strengths as a leader. He has genuinely democratic instincts and is prepared to put old positions to one side, allow the party to engage in debate, and then work with the consensus positions that emerge.Michael Woodnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-73391083932706966192010-10-20T08:20:12.100+13:002010-10-20T08:20:12.100+13:00Do you know Jordan, Anonymous? Have you met Phil G...Do you know Jordan, Anonymous? Have you met Phil Goff? If not, I'd urge you to avoid "sell their own grandmas for votes"-type comments.<br /><br />On Bowalley Road we strive to maintain civility in our debates.Chris Trotterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09081613281183460899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-29031721075635620452010-10-20T02:56:28.985+13:002010-10-20T02:56:28.985+13:00Yes, Labour are moving left but lets not overplay ...Yes, Labour are moving left but lets not overplay it. <br /><br />neo-liberalism has been a dead duck internationally since the 2008 credit crunch and subsequent market meltdown.<br /><br />promising tighter controls of the labour market, foreign ownership, and better early childhood state intervention is excellent but the core problems with neo-liberalism are untouched.<br /><br />this is lurch left represents a strategic grasp for votes, just like goffs lurch right last year was. the hacks in the labour party don't give a fuck about real working class new zealanders.<br /><br />lefties should welcome the lurch left, but recognise it as a strategic move rather than because of some new found principle.<br /><br />Jordan carter, phil goff and et al would sell their own grandmas for votes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-26398984765847497082010-10-19T21:43:50.106+13:002010-10-19T21:43:50.106+13:00Is this "change we can believe in" or ac...Is this "change we can believe in" or actual, real change in the Party?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-66634530451099558942010-10-19T12:15:34.142+13:002010-10-19T12:15:34.142+13:00Excellent article, Chris. Think I would have liked...Excellent article, Chris. Think I would have liked to have been there! Given that Labour now have some "big boys" like Bernard, John and Ganesh on their side, they may have some hope of succeeding in their attempts to get change in this country. Change and soon is our only hope of remaining a sovereign nation. The right wing retaliation to what Labour proposes is going to be fierce though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753486518085091399.post-79430453485538408162010-10-19T11:13:04.695+13:002010-10-19T11:13:04.695+13:00Nice piece Chris.Nice piece Chris.Jordan Carterhttp://justleft.org.nz/noreply@blogger.com